In re D.W. Walters Enterprises, Inc.

343 B.R. 285, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 261, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 1231, 2006 WL 1555767
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedJanuary 17, 2006
DocketNo. 9:03-bk-15990-ALP
StatusPublished

This text of 343 B.R. 285 (In re D.W. Walters Enterprises, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.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 D.W. Walters Enterprises, Inc., 343 B.R. 285, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 261, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 1231, 2006 WL 1555767 (Fla. 2006).

Opinion

ORDER ON DEBTOR’S OBJECTION TO CLAIM NO. 34 FILED BY S.T.D. ENTERPRISES OF NAPLES, INC. (CREDITOR) (Doc. No. 377)

ALEXANDER L. PASKAY, Bankruptcy Judge.

THE MATTER under consideration in this confirmed Chapter 11 case of D.W. Walters Enterprises, Inc., (the Debtor or D.W. Walters) is an Objection to Claim No. 34 filed by S.T.D. Enterprises of Naples, Inc. (S.T.D.). The Proof of Claim [286]*286was originally filed in the amount of $60,737.28. Based on a clerical error, S.T.D.’s claim is actually for the principal sum of $55,308.00, plus pre-petition interest in the amount of $1,663.47, for a total amount of $56,971.47. It is the contention of the Debtor that the amount of the claim filed by S.T.D. is excessive and the claim should be allowed in the reduced amount of $40,000.00. The Debtor’s contention is based on: (1) the rates S.T.D. charged the Debtor for hauling fill dirt (fill) and base rock (base) material and (2) the number of loads of fill and base S.T.D. actually delivered to the Debtor.

In due course the Objection to Claim No. 34 filed by STD (Objection) was set for Final Evidentiary Hearing. At the duly scheduled and noticed hearing on the Objection, this Court heard argument of counsel for the Debtor, and for STD. In addition, this Court has considered the record including testimony of witnesses and all documentary evidence offered and admitted into evidence and now makes the following findings and conclusions based on the record.

Prior to the commencement of this Chapter 11 case, the Debtor was the site development, underground or utilities subcontractor to Lodge Construction Inc. (Lodge Construction) on six construction projects in Southwest Florida. Under its contract with Lodge Construction, the Debtor was the site developer on the Upriver Campground (Upriver) and the Im-mokalee Dormitory (Immokalee) projects.

The Debtor hired S.T.D. to haul and deliver fill and base to the various Southwest Florida projects. Although the relationship of the parties was never formalized, it is without dispute that the Debtor employed S.T.D. to render hauling services for the Upriver and the Immokalee projects.

During the relevant time the Debtor received invoices from S.T.D. The Debtor’s representative, Ms. Amburgey “would pull that day’s package and verify the ticket numbers,” confirm the number of tickets, the materials delivered and the amounts charged for the each load.1,2 If Ms. Ambur-gey determined the amount of the invoice was different from the amount that was owed by the Debtor she would contact Daniel Montero (Mr. Montero), comptroller of S.T.D. to make the appropriate corrections. It is Ms. Amburgey’s contention that when she contacted Mr. Montero and discussed the specific discrepancies, he “acknowledged the correct amount,”3 or would tell her “to correct the bill,”4 or “adjust [the specific] invoice.”5

The following are the specific Invoice numbers which are in dispute, the amount S.T.D. billed D.W. Walters, the amount per invoice the Debtor claims is the correct amount due to S.T.D., and the reason for the discrepancy:

Invoice Invoice Debtor’s Number Amount Amount Discrepancy
30764 $ 11,716.00 $ 11,600.00 2 tickets missing
[287]*287Creditor-30778 1,856.00 0.00 Citifactors 6
30881 8,330.00 5,745.00 4 tickets missing
30931 11,760.00 9,075.00 3 tickets missing
30982 4,270.00 3,327.00 1 ticket missing
30983 4,183.00 2,262.00 8 tickets missing
31047 5,250.00 3,310.00 5 tickets missing
31112 2,730.00 2,145.00 Amount per load
31113 580.00 580.00 No discrepancy
31161 2,380.00 1,460.00 2 tickets missing
31181 1,869.00 1,102.00 2 tickets missing
31215 2,240.00 1,760.00 Amount per load
Total $ 57,236.00 $ 42,366.00

It appears from the record the discrepancy between the parties is a result of: (1) missing delivery tickets, (2) S.T.D. charging a higher amount per load than what was agreed upon, (3) S.T.D. charging the same amount per load for different types of material delivered, and (4) whether or not certain conversations took place between the Debtor’s representative and Mr. Montero.

Ms. Amburgey stated at the hearing that she counted the number of delivery tickets daily, and S.T.D. had charged the Debtor for more loads than were actually received. Therefore, the Debtor contends that Invoice No. 30764 was missing two tickets, and as a result, the claim should reflect the reduced amount of $116.00. Ms. Amburgey testified that, in addition to missing tickets, the amount per load charged by S.T.D. was not the agreed upon amount. S.T.D. also charged the same amount per load for different material delivered, which should have been invoiced at a different dollar amount.

The following are the discrepancies which Ms. Amburgey contends Mr. Monte-ro agreed to adjust and/or correct:

(1) Invoice No. 30881 — in addition to four missing tickets, S.T.D. charged the Debtor $70.00 dollars per load. Ms. Amburgey testified that the correct amount charged should have been as follows: (a) 57 loads of fill at $55.00 per load, and (b) 58 loads of base at $45.00 per load.
(2) Invoice No. 30981 — in addition to three missing tickets, S.T.D. should have charged the Debtor $55.00 dollars per load and not $70.00 per load.
(3) Invoice No. 30982 — in addition to one missing ticket, there were two different jobs and the amounts charged should have been as follows: (a) Upriver — 51 loads at $55.00 per load, and (b) Dormitory — 9 loads at $58.00 per load.
(4) Invoice No. 30983 — in addition to the eight missing tickets, the amount charged should have been $58.00 per load.
(5) Invoice No. 31047 — in addition to the five missing tickets, there were two different materials delivered and the amount charged should have been as follows: (a) 16 loads of fill at $55.00 per load, and (b) 54 loads of base at $45.00 per load.
(6) Invoice No. 31112 — S.T.D. charged the Debtor $70.00 per load, the Debtor contends the amount charged should have been $55.00 per load.
(7) Invoice No. 31161 — in addition to the two missing tickets, the amount charged should have been as follows: (a) 30 loads of base at $45.00 per load, and (b) 2 loads of fill at $55.00 per load.
(8) Invoice No. 31181 — in addition to the two missing tickets, the Debtor con[288]*288tends that the incorrect dollar amount per load was charged and the correct amount should have been $58.00 per load.
(9) S.T.D. charged the Debtor $70.00 per load, the Debtor contends the amount charged should have been $55.00 per load.

Thus, based on Ms. Amburgey’s calculations, the correct amount owed to S.T.D. for the foregoing invoices was, $42,366.00.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bishara v. O'Callaghan (In Re O'Callaghan)
304 B.R. 500 (M.D. Florida, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
343 B.R. 285, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 261, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 1231, 2006 WL 1555767, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-dw-walters-enterprises-inc-flmb-2006.