In re: Aledria Corporation

United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Puerto Rico·Decided April 15, 2013·No. 10-12310·Unknown

Opinion

1 IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO 2

4 IN RE: CASE NO. 10-12310 BKT 5 6 ALEDRIA CORPORATION Chapter 7

8 Debtor(s) FILED & ENTERED ON 04/15/2013 9

10 OPINION AND ORDER 11 12 Before this court is Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Dkt. No. 47], Triple-S’s 13 Response to the Motion of Summary Judgment and Triple-S’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Dkt. 14 No. 50], Defendant’s Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment [Dkt. No. 54], Defendant’s 15 16 Opposition to Plaintiff’s “Undisputed Material Facts” [Dkt. No. 55], Triple-S’s Reply to Defendant’s 17 Motion to Strike And/Or Response in Opposition to Triple-S’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Dkt. 18 No. 61], and Triple-S’s Statement of Material Facts in Support of its Motion for Summary Judgment 19 20 [Dkt. No. 61-1]. For the reasons set forth below, the Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment is 21 GRANTED. 22 In or around 2008, J.N.R. Engineers, S.E. (“JNR”), entered into a service agreement with 23 24 Aledria Corporation (“Debtor”) for a project related to the Water Treatment Plant of Toa Alta 25 Heights: Project No. 2-70-5016 (the “Project”). JNR subsequently executed a construction contract

with Puerto Rico Aqueducts & Sewer Authority1 in order to execute work in relation to the Project. As a principal to the Project, JNR obtained a payment and performance bond from Triple-S

1 Also known in Spanish as “Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados”. 1 Propiedad, Inc.2 (“Triple-S”). In fulfilling the service agreement between JNR and Aledria, Aledria 2 entered as a subcontractor into a business relationship with Chlorine and Instrument Services Co., 3 (“CISCO”) for service and materials. On June 23, 2009 and November 11, 2010, CISCO requested 4 5 payments of the past due amounts from Debtor and JNR. [Dkt. No. 32, Exh. A]. On February 28, 6 2011 and December 12, 2011, CISCO delivered two letters through its legal representative Nevarez 7 & Sanchez Alvarez, PSC to Triple-S requesting the payment in the amount of $26,281.50 owed by 8 9 Debtor for services related to the Project. [Dkt. No. 32, Exh. B]. 10 I. Factual Background 11 12 On December 30, 2012, Debtor filed a voluntary chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. On January 5, 13 2010, Wilfredo Segarra (“Trustee”) was appointed as successor chapter 7 Trustee. The Debtor 14 15 scheduled in its Schedule B as an account receivable the payment JNR owed in the amount of 16 $16,792.21 per the services provided in the Project. Triple-S issued on behalf of JNR a payment and 17 performance bond SB 24004017 in connection with the Project. On March 6, 2012, Triple-S filed a 18 19 motion to consign funds in the amount of $16,791.21, for Debtor and CISCO to litigate amongst 20 themselves who has a superior right to collect the amount consigned and for a release from all 21 liability under the payment and performance bond issued. [Dkt. No. 18]. On March 27, 2012, this 22 23 Court entered an order to Trustee and Debtor to reply to the motion for consignation and declaratory 24 relief filed by Triple-S. [Dkt. No. 20]. On April 9, 2012, the Trustee filed a motion to withdraw 25 consigned funds in the amount of $16,792.21 in payment of the scheduled account receivable. [Dkt.

No. 27]. On April 17, 2012, the Debtor filed a motion in compliance with the Court order and stated that it purchased certain equipment from CISCO during the project and that Debtor had paid certain

2 Formerly known as Seguros Triple-S, Incorporated. 1 amounts to CISCO towards the purchase price of such equipment. Debtor also admitted that an 2 outstanding amount remains to be paid to CISCO. As a result, Debtor included CISCO’s claim in 3 Schedule F of its chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. [Dkt. No. 28]. On April 24, 2012, CISCO filed a 4 5 Motion in Opposition to the Trustee’s request for turnover of property. [Dkt. No. 32]. On May 30, 6 2012, the Trustee filed a reply to CISCO’s motion to opposition to the Trustee’s request for turnover 7 of property. [Dkt. No. 41]. On June 1, 2012, Triple-S filed a reply to CISCO’s Motion in Opposition 8 9 to Trustee’s request for turnover of Property and to the trustee’s reply to CISCO’s Motion in 10 Opposition to Trustee’s request for turnover of property. [Dkt. No. 43]. Plaintiff's Motion for 11 Summary Judgment and Defendant’s Opposition followed. 12 13 II. Summary Judgment Standard 14 15 The role of summary judgment is to look behind the facade of the pleadings and assay the 16 parties' proof in order to determine whether a trial is required. Under Fed. R. Civ. P. Rule 56(c), 17 made applicable in bankruptcy by Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7056, a summary judgment is available if the 18 19 pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the 20 affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party 21 is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); Borges ex rel. S.M.B.W. v. Serrano- 22 23 Isern, 605 F.3d 1, 4 (1st Cir. 2010). As to issues on which the Movant, at trial, would be compelled 24 to carry the burden of proof, it must identify those portions of the pleadings which it believes 25 demonstrates that there is no genuine issue of material fact. In re Edgardo Ryan Rijos & Julia E.

Cruz Nieves v. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya & Citibank, 263 B.R. 382, 388 (B.A.P. 1st Cir. 2001). A fact is deemed "material" if it potentially could affect the outcome of the suit. Borges, 605 F.3d at 5. Moreover, there will only be a "genuine" or "trial worthy" issue as to such a "material fact," "if a 1 reasonable fact-finder, examining the evidence and drawing all reasonable inferences helpful to the 2 party resisting summary judgment, could resolve the dispute in that party's favor." Id. at 4. The court 3 must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Alt. Sys. Concepts, Inc. 4 5 v. Synopsys, Inc., 374 F.3d 23, 26 (1st Cir. 2004). Therefore, summary judgment is “inappropriate if 6 inferences are necessary for the judgment and those inferences are not mandated by the record.” 7 Rijos, 263 B.R. at 388. Although this perspective is favorable to the nonmoving party, she still must 8 9 demonstrate, “through submissions of evidentiary quality, that a trial worthy issue persists.” Iverson 10 v. City of Boston, 452 F.3d 94, 98 (1st Cir. 2006). Moreover, “[o]n issues where the non Movant 11 bears the ultimate burden of proof, [she] must present definite, competent evidence to rebut the 12 13 motion.” Mesnick v. Gen. Elec. Co., 950 F.2d 816, 822 (1st Cir.1991). These showings may not rest 14 upon “conclusory allegations, improbable inferences, and unsupported speculation.” Medina-Muñoz 15 v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 896 F.2d 5, 8 (1st Cir.1990). But, the evidence offered by the 16 17 nonmoving party “cannot be merely colorable, but must be sufficiently probative to show differing 18 versions of fact which justify a trial.” Id. See also Horta v. Sullivan, 4 F.3d 2, 7-8 (1st Cir.

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