In Re Cohen

173 B.R. 950
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida.
DecidedJuly 11, 1994
Docket18-25821
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 173 B.R. 950 (In Re Cohen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida. primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Cohen, 173 B.R. 950 (Fla. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DISMISSING WITH PREJUDICE DEBTOR’S CHAPTER 11 PROCEEDING

A. JAY CRISTOL, Chief Judge.

THIS CASE was heard on March 2, 1994, to consider confirmation of Debtor’s Third Amended Plan of Reorganization and on the United States of America’s objections thereto and on the United States of America’s ore tenus motion to dismiss Debtor’s Chapter 11 proceeding, which motion was supported by the United States Trustee’s Office, by the Chapter 11 Trustee and by the counsel for the Chapter 11 Trustee.

The Court having reviewed the Motion, response by the Debtor, and supporting documentation and having heard the arguments of counsel, finds and concludes as follows:

I. FINDINGS OF FACT

In June of 1992, an Internal Revenue Service (hereinafter referred to as “Service”) revenue officer seized Debtor’s condominium located at Plaza 15, Condo #514, 1600 SE 15th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33316. Debtor owned the condominium jointly with her husband, Barry Cohen. The revenue officer had set the date of the forced sale of the condo for June 30, 1992.

In lieu of a forced sale Debtor and her husband requested that they be allowed to sell the condominium and then turn the proceeds over to the Service. Usually, a non-forced sale yields a higher sales price. The revenue officer agreed.

The amount realized from the sale was $40,000.00. Both the Debtor and her husband signed the necessary papers conveying the property on July 7, 1992. The equity in the condominium, $21,806.00., was applied to the Debtor’s and to her husband’s outstand *952 ing tax liability for the 1983 tax year 1 The sale proceeds however, did not fully satisfy the joint or separate tax liabilities of the Debtor and her husband. As of June of 1992, the Debtor knew the Internal Revenue Service was actively attempting to collect her significant outstanding tax liability.

On July 26, 1992, Debtor purchased a life annuity policy from the United States Life Insurance Company in the amount of $588,-356.25. On August 17, 1992, Debtor purchased a single deposit annuity from Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. in the amount of $145,260.00. On August 14, 1992, Debtor purchased a single premium deferred life annuity from American Mayflower Life Insurance Company of America in the amount of $435,782.00.

On October 6, 1992, Debtor signed a petition for relief under Chapter 7. Her attorney was Bernard I. Rappaport. On October 15, 1992, Debtor’s petition was filed as a “No Asset” Chapter 7. The schedules attached to Debtor’s petition listed the above-mentioned annuities but claimed them as exempt assets. In addition, Debtor listed the following assets: $100.00 of cash on hand; $200.00 held by NCNB in a joint account with her 18 year old daughter; $135.00 in an account at Chase Manhattan Bank; $3,500.00 held as a security deposit on her homestead; $2,000.00 of furniture in her residence; no books, pictures or other art objects, antiques, stamp, coin, record, tape, compact disc, or other collections or collectibles; $250.00 of wearing apparel; $250.00 of costume jewelry; no furs; no firearms, sports, photographic or other hobby equipment; and no interests in any insurance policies. In addition, Debtor listed as exempt the $7,000.00 in an Individual Retirement Account. She valued her 75% ownership interest in her business, Co-Counsel C.S.W., P.C. (hereinafter “Co-Counsel”) as $500.00. Co-Counsel has been in existence since 1989. Debtor and Martha Haffey operate offices in Miami Beach, Florida and Manhattan, New York, respectively.

Attorney Arthur Weitzner was appointed as the Chapter 7 Trustee of Debtor’s Chapter 7 case. Due to the Debtor’s lack of cooperation during the Chapter 7 proceeding, the Trustee obtained an order from the Court on January 19, 1993, compelling the Debtor to allow him to inspect her premises for purposes of obtaining appraisals. The Debtor did not comply in a timely fashion with the Court’s order to allow him and his representatives to inspect her premises, although repeated demands were made by the Trustee.

On January 26, 1993, a hearing was scheduled on the Chapter 7 Trustee’s Objections to the Debtor’s Claimed Exemptions. This hearing was continued three times, first to February 24, 1993, then to March 25, 1993 and finally to April 7, 1993. The matter was never heard by the Court because the Debtor voluntarily converted her ease to a proceeding under Chapter 11 on April 6, 1993. On March 1, 1993, Bernard Rappaport was relieved as counsel for the Debtor and the law firm of Stearns, Weaver, Miller, et al, was substituted as Debtor’s counsel.

The Debtor converted this case to a Chapter 11 proceeding notwithstanding the fact that she has no business to reorganize nor any reasonable likelihood of rehabilitation.

After its review of the conversion of this case, the United States Trustee’s office filed an Emergency Motion for Appointment of a Chapter 11 Trustee. The motion stated inter alia that

“... the appointment of Chapter 11 Trustee was in the best interest of creditors because there is a reasonable likelihood that the property of the estate may be improperly transferred by the Debtor during this proceeding if the Debtor is permitted unfettered control of certain property of the estate.”

The motion further stated that:

“... property claimed as exempt was purchased from proceeds of non-exempt property approximately six weeks prior to the commencement of these proceedings and at approximately the time the Debtor moved from New York to Florida.”

*953 The motion also stated that the Debtor had made

“... material omissions from the statement of affairs of the Debtor, in that there were certain transfers to insiders in the total amount of $200,000.00, that occurred within one year of bankruptcy, which transfers were not scheduled as required.”

The emergency motion to appoint a Chapter 11 Trustee was supported by the only two listed creditors of the estate, namely, the Service and the State of New York taxing authority. As a result of this emergency hearing, the Court appointed Arthur Weitz-ner as Chapter 11 Trustee by order dated May 7, 1993.

On August 13, 1993, the Service, filed a proof of claim in the total amount of $1,594,-058.11. This proof of claim amended and superseded the Service’s proof of claim dated June 7, 1993. The claim of the Service is comprised of a secured claim, an unsecured priority claim, and an undisputed claim listed by the Debtor in her petition as Item number 2 on Schedule F attached thereto.

The Service’s secured claim, in the amount of $1,566,470.11, represents the Debtor’s liability for income taxes for the 1980 tax year, which amount was agreed to in the settlement of litigation between the Debtor and the Service in the United States Tax Court. The Service’s unsecured priority claim, in the amount of $27,588.00, represents federal income taxes owed by the Debtor for the 1991 and 1992 tax years.

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Bluebook (online)
173 B.R. 950, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-cohen-flsb-1994.