In re David

487 B.R. 843, 2013 WL 653020, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 658
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedFebruary 21, 2013
DocketNo. 08-33932
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 487 B.R. 843 (In re David) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re David, 487 B.R. 843, 2013 WL 653020, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 658 (Tex. 2013).

Opinion

[846]*846 MEMORANDUM OPINION REGARDING: (1) ORDER REQUIRING YOUSIF AYESH DAVID AND JIM L. CULPEPPER TO APPEAR AND SHOW CAUSE; AND (2) ORDER REQUIRING THE DEBTOR TO APPEAR AND SHOW CAUSE WHY HE SHOULD NOT BE SANCTIONED FOR: (1) USING TWO DIFFERENT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS IN FILING TAX RETURNS; AND (2) USING HIS BROTHER’S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND HIS BROTHER’S NAME IN FILING THE CHAPTER 13 PETITION INITIATING THE CHAPTER 13 CASE PRESENTLY PENDING BEFORE THIS COURT

[Doc. Nos. 244 & 261]

JEFF BOHM, Chief Judge.

I. Introduction

The show cause orders at issue in the case at bar arise from a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition filed by the debtor (the Debtor) in 2008. This bankruptcy petition, as well the Debtor’s Schedules and Statement of Financial Affairs (SOFA), list the name of the Debtor as Yousif Ayesh David. The bankruptcy petition, Schedules, and SOFA also list the social security number of the Debtor as xxxx-xxx-xxxx. Further, in his Schedules, the Debtor lists three tracts of real property with a total aggregate value of $180,000.00.

In 2010, the Debtor’s bankruptcy case was dismissed. Yet, when the Debtor later initiated a separate lawsuit in state court, this Court learned of material discrepancies between the values of the real property tracts listed in the Debtor’s Schedules and the values of these same tracts listed in the Debtor’s state court suit. This Court therefore issued a show cause order against the Debtor and his attorney in the state court suit, Jim Cul-pepper (Culpepper), regarding these inconsistent values (the First Show Cause Order).

At the resulting hearing, the Debtor testified before the Court that his name is Josef Daud and that his social security number is xxxx-xxx-xxxx; the Debtor also testified that his brother’s name is Yousif A. David, and that his brother’s social security number is xxxx-xxx-xxxx. Following this revelation, the Court issued a second show cause order (the Second Show Cause Order) requiring the Debtor to appear and show cause why he should not be sanctioned for: (1) using his brother’s name1 and social security number in filing his Chapter 13 petition; and (2) using two different social security numbers in filing his tax returns.

In this Memorandum Opinion, the Court discusses the Debtor’s flippant disregard for the truth, and concludes that sanctions are appropriate. Additionally, the Court issues this Opinion to discuss its reasons for rejecting case law that would permit the availability of sanctions under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9011(b) in these circumstances: i.e., where the debtor was represented by counsel. The plain language of Rule 9011(b) provides that sanctions may only be issued against a debtor if he is “unrepresented.” The Court instead concludes that sanctions against the Debtor are both available and appropriate under this Court’s inherent power and its powers under 11 U.S.C. [847]*847§ 105(a).2 By using a false name and false social security number to file his Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition, the Debtor has defiled the “temple of justice.” Goldin v. Bartholow, 166 F.3d 710, 722 (5th Cir.1999).

Based upon the entire record, the Court now makes the following written Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law pursuant to Fed. R. BanKR.P. 7052, as made applicable to this contested matter by Fed. R. BankrP. 9014(c). To the extent that any Finding of Fact is construed to be a Conclusion of Law, it is adopted as such. To the extent that any Conclusion of Law is construed to be a Finding of Fact, it is adopted as such. The Court reserves the right to make any additional Findings and Conclusions as may be necessary or as requested by any party.

II. Findings of Fact

1. On June 20, 2008, a Chapter 13 petition was filed to initiate Case No. OS-33932. [Doc. No. 1]. This petition was filed to stop a receiver from collecting a judgment against the Debtor that had been awarded in a lawsuit styled “Star Markets, Plaintiff v. Yousif David, Defendant, No.2002-56891” in the 334th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas (the State Court Lawsuit).

2. The attorney of record who signed the Chapter 13 petition is Michael Walker (Walker), who is a partner at the law firm of Walker Patterson, P.C. (the Law Firm). [Id.]. Walker had first met with the Debtor on June 19, 2008 to discuss the Debtor’s concerns over the hearing to be held on June 20, 2008 in the State Court Lawsuit on the receiver’s pending motion for turnover of the Debtor’s real estate (on which two laundromat businesses were operated). [Tr. 01/13/12 at 34:11-36:5]. Walker recognized the urgent need to file a bankruptcy petition to stop the receiver from going forward the next day in the State Court Lawsuit to take control of the Debtor’s real estate and laundromat businesses. [Id. at 35:21-36:5], Walker, therefore, had the Debtor sit in his law office while Walker inputted all of the information required to be included in the Chapter 13 petition, the Schedules, and the SOFA. [Id.]. Walker, therefore, asked the Debtor numerous questions — ‘What’s your name? What’s your address? What’s your social security number? Where do you live?” [Id. at 36:11-12] — in order to complete the various documents to be filed with the Clerk of Court.

3.When Walker asked the Debtor what his name is, the Debtor stated “Yous-if David.” [Id. at 36:16-18, 113:14-16]. Walker typed in this name on the petition. The Debtor also informed Walker that he uses the name “Josef Daud” from time to time, and told Walker that this name is the same name as “Yousif David.” [Id. at 111:3-17]. Walker therefore added the name “Gosef K. Daud” on the petition.3 Additionally, the Debtor informed Walker that he also used his business name, which was David & Daud Enterprise4. See [848]*848[Doc. No. 1]. Thus, in sum, Walker typed on the Chapter 13 petition that the name of the Debtor is Yousif Ayesh David, aka Gosef K. Daud, and aka David & Daud Enterprise. [Id,.].

4. At the June 19 meeting, Walker also asked the Debtor for his social security number. [Tr. 01/13/12 at 36:11-12, 19-23]. The Debtor responded by providing Walker with a social security number ending in xxxx-xxx-xxxx. [Id. at 36:19-23]. Walker entered this number, and the social security number appearing on the Chapter 13 petition is xxxx-xxx-xxxx. [Doc. No. 1].

5. At the June 19 meeting with the Debtor, Walker also asked the Debtor to provide his social security card and driver’s license. [Tr. 01/13/12 at 36:1-14], The Debtor did so, and Walker made copies of these two items. [Id.]. The social security card that the Debtor gave to Walker for copying reflects that the Debt- or’s social security number is xxxx-xxx-xxxx. [Id.]. Further, the Texas driver’s license that the Debtor gave to Walker for copying reflected that the Debtor’s name is Yousif David and that his Texas driver’s license number is XXXXX169. [Id.]. The Debtor never provided Walker with any other social security card or driver’s license. [Id. at 41:10-24]. Under these circumstances, Walker believed that the Debtor’s name was Yousif David. [Id. at 42:12-15].

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Bluebook (online)
487 B.R. 843, 2013 WL 653020, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 658, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-david-txsb-2013.