In Re Hayes

327 B.R. 453, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 1320, 2005 WL 1646039
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California
DecidedJune 24, 2005
DocketRS03-15966 PC
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 327 B.R. 453 (In Re Hayes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Hayes, 327 B.R. 453, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 1320, 2005 WL 1646039 (Cal. 2005).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

PETER EL CARROLL, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the court is the objection of Sandra L. Bendon, Chapter 7 Trustee (“Ben-don”) to the unsecured non-priority claim of Joseph D. Donaldson, Individually and as Trustee of the S.L. Thompson Trust, and Sheila Donaldson, as Trustee of the S.L. Thompson Trust (collectively, “Donaldson”) in the amount of $200,000 filed September 24, 2004 (“Claim # 11”). Ben- *455 don objects to Claim # 11 as untimely and requests that Donaldson not receive any distribution on account of Claim #11 until all allowed, timely filed claims are paid in full, with interest. Donaldson opposes the objection. The court, having considered the pleadings, evidentiary record, and arguments of counsel, makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law 1 pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 52, as incorporated into Fed. R. Bankr.P. 7052, which is applicable to contested matters. Fed. R. Bankr.P. 9014(c).

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS

On or about December 22, 1999, John Hayes and Kristine Ortenzo-Hayes (“Debtors”) executed a written contract with Donaldson and Boosters Plus, Inc. denominated “Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of Business” (“Agreement”) under the terms of which Debtors agreed to purchase the assets of a business formerly operated by Donaldson known as “Boosters Plus” for the sum of $250,000. Debtors paid Donaldson the sum of $12,500 upon execution of the Agreement, and agreed to . pay Donaldson an additional $12,500 not later than 90 days after the closing date of the sale. Debtors also executed a promissory note in the original principal sum of $225,000 payable to the S.L. Thompson Trust dated December 22, 1999, and bearing interest at the rate of 8% per annum. The note was payable in 83 monthly installments of $3,500 each, commencing on February 10, 2000, and continuing regularly and monthly thereafter until January 10, 2007, when the remaining balance was due and payable. Debtors’ note was secured by a lien on the assets of Boosters Plus.

Debtors subsequently defaulted under the Agreement. By letter dated September 30, 2002, Debtors tendered the assets of the business to Donaldson. Donaldson did not respond to the letter nor take action to obtain possession of the collateral securing the note.

On December 12, 2002, Donaldson filed suit in state court to recover damages for Debtors’ breach of the Agreement. When Debtors failed to respond to the complaint, Donaldson caused a default judgment in the amount of $207,000 to be entered in the state court action on February 3, 2003.

On April 18, 2003, Debtors filed a voluntary petition under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. 2 Donaldson was listed in Schedule F as the holder of an unsecured non-priority claim in the amount of $200,000. On July 21, 2003, Donaldson filed a complaint in Adversary No. RS 03-01479 PC seeking a determination that the state court judgment for $207,000, plus interest at 10% per annum from September 30, 2002, was excepted from discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A) or, alternatively, 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6).

Because this case was originally treated as a no-asset case, creditors received notice shortly after filing that it was unnecessary to file proofs of claim. See Fed. R. Bankr.P.2002(e). The notice further provided that in the event the chapter 7 trustee discovered non-exempt assets subject to liquidation for the payment of a divi *456 dend, the creditors would be notified and given an opportunity to file proofs of claim.

On November 3, 2003, Beldon filed a Final Report of Trustee in No Asset Case. The Debtors’ discharge was entered on November 10, 2003, and the case was closed on December 9, 2003. Notwithstanding closure of the bankruptcy ease, the court retained jurisdiction over the adversary proceeding pending between Donaldson and the Debtors. 3

On January 8, 2004, the case was reopened and Bendon was re-appointed as trustee to recover an undisclosed asset of the estate. On March 31, 2004, Bendon filed a Notification of Asset Case and requested that the bankruptcy clerk give appropriate notice to creditors to file claims. On March 31, 2004, the bankruptcy clerk issued a Notice of Possible Dividend and Order Fixing Time to File Claims advising creditors that sufficient assets may become available for distribution and that the deadline to file proofs of claim was June 29, 2004. Despite being properly served with the notice, Donaldson did not file a proof of claim before expiration of the June 29th deadline. 4

On September 3, 2004, the court granted a summary judgment for the Debtors in Adversary No. RS 03-01479 PC and dismissed Donaldson’s complaint with prejudice. Claim #11 was then filed by Donaldson on September 24, 2004.

On May 2, 2005, Bendon objected to Claim # 11 as untimely and requested that Claim # 11 be subordinated pursuant to § 726(a)(3) to the payment of all timely filed allowed claims in the case. 5 On May *457 17, 2005, Donaldson filed a response in opposition to Bendon’s objection, arguing that the objection should be overruled either as untimely or, alternatively, because “the time for filing [Claim # 11] was tolled due to the filing of their [nondischargeability] complaint....” 6 After a hearing on June 20, 2005, the court took the matter under submission.

II. DISCUSSION

The court has jurisdiction over this contested matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b) and 1334(b). Bendon’s objection is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A), (B), and (O). Venue is appropriate in this court. 28 U.S.C. § 1409(a).

A. Timeliness of Bendon’s Claim Objection

Donaldson maintains that Bendon’s objection to Claim # 11 is untimely because it was filed nearly 9 months after Donaldson’s proof of claim was filed with the court. Neither the Bankruptcy Code nor the

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Bluebook (online)
327 B.R. 453, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 1320, 2005 WL 1646039, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-hayes-cacb-2005.