In Re Kortz

283 B.R. 706, 2002 WL 31202466
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedSeptember 27, 2002
Docket19-60287
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 283 B.R. 706 (In Re Kortz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Kortz, 283 B.R. 706, 2002 WL 31202466 (Ohio 2002).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEBTORS’ MOTION FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT AND SANCTIONS

MARILYN SHEA-STONUM, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter came on for hearing on June 26, 2002 on the Debtors’ Motion for sanctions for repeated violations of the automatic stay 1 (the “Motion”) filed on May 13, 2002 against ditech.com. 2 Participating in the evidentiary hearing were the Debtors, Jeffrey and Sandra Kortz, and their counsel Morris Laatsch. No representative from ditech.com appeared for the hearing. 3 During the hearing the Court received evidence in the form of exhibits and the testimony of the Debtors.

This proceeding arises in a case referred to this Court by the Standing Order of Reference entered in this District on July 16, 1984. It is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A) over which this Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b). Based on the testimony and exhibits presented at the hearing, the Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

I. FINDINGS OF FACT

A. Ditech.com’s Notice of and Participation in Case and Actions to Collect Pre-petition Debt

The Debtors filed their chapter 7 petition on February 1, 2002. Ditech.com was *709 listed on Schedule D — Creditors Holding Secured Claims — as holding a second mortgage in the amount of $45,597.41 on the Debtors’ former residence at 6556 Smucker Drive, Westfield, Ohio. Ditech.com was served with notice of the § 341 meeting which states, inter alia:

Creditors May Not Take Certain Actions
The filing of the bankruptcy case automatically stays certain collection and other actions against the debtor and the debtor’s property. If you attempt to collect a debt or take other action in violation of the Bankruptcy Code, you may be penalized. If you believe that this stay should be modified or lifted, you may file a motion seeking such relief from the Court.

On April 2, 2002 ditech.com filed a “Notice of Appearance and Request for all Notices, Plans and Disclosure Statements” in this case requesting that all such materials be sent to its offices at the following address: ditech.com, 500 Enterprise Road, Suite 150, Horsham, PA. [Docket # 6]. The Notice from ditech.com was signed by Delphine Trotter.

On April 25, 2002 the Court entered an Order on a Motion for Relief from Stay filed by GMAC Mortgage Corporation, listed on Schedule D as holding the first mortgage on the Debtors’ former residence, granting the Motion for Relief from Stay and identifying the property at issue as 6556 Smucker Drive, Westfield, Ohio. The Certificate of Service on the Order indicates that ditech.com was served at the address it had requested. [Docket # 9]. The Debtors had moved from the property some time in March and relocated to Michigan.

. On May 13, 2002 the Debtors filed the Motion and served it upon ditech.com. [Docket # 13]. The return of service filed with the Court by the Debtors indicates that the Motion was sent by certified mail to the address ditech.com had requested and that it was received by Ralph Stanton at ditech.com on May 15, 2002. [Docket # 15]. In their Motion the Debtors alleged that ditech.com had contacted them on approximately 15 occasions post-petition to demand payment on the second mortgage. 4 Attached to the Motion were copies of three messages received by Mr. Kortz at his place of employment, two from Bill Brown and one from Mrs. Givi-son. Also attached was a letter from ditech.com to Mr. Kortz, dated March 25, 2002, stating that the account was 60 days past due, that he was in default and that the company “retain[ed] the right to begin foreclosure proceedings.” The letter was sent to Mr. Kortz at the Debtors’ new address — 43234 Raftingway Court, Apt. 2903, Novi, Michigan. The letter was unsigned but provided an 800 number which the Debtors were directed to use to contact ditech.com. The 800 number in the letter corresponds to the 800 number on two of the messages taken for Mr. Kortz at his workplace.

On June 12th the Debtors filed a Motion to Reset Hearing Date. The hearing was adjourned to June 26th so that Mr. Kortz could attend. However, no representative from ditech.com appeared either on June 12 or June 26.

*710 B. Ditech.com’s Post-Petition Serial Communications with the Debtors

Mr. Kortz testified that he and his wife moved to Novi, Michigan where he is employed as a claims supervisor for an insurance company. He stated that he had received phone calls from ditech.com at his place of employment and copies of the messages taken for him were introduced into evidence. The messages indicate that the calls were placed on March 14th and March 19th by Bill Brown and on March 28th by Mrs. Givison. As previously noted, the March 19th and 28th messages have the 800 number corresponding to the 800 number on ditech.com’s letter of March 25th.

Mr. Kortz testified that he returned the calls from his home and that he told the representatives of ditech.com that he had filed bankruptcy. He also told them the name and phone number, including the 800 number, of his counsel Morris Laatsch. 5 In addition, he testified that he was called out of a meeting at work to answer a phone call from ditech.com on April 22nd. He further stated that he did not know how ditech.com got the phone number of his workplace and that he did not know whether ditech.com had told his employer that he had filed a bankruptcy petition. He testified that he had taken off work to attend the hearing and that he and his wife had traveled 185 miles from Michigan to Ohio.

Mrs. Kortz testified that she had been a legal secretary when she was employed but that on her doctor’s orders she was no longer employed. In early 2001 she was diagnosed with quadrant aschemia, a condition which damaged her heart valves and for which she takes nitroglycerin as needed. She stated that this condition is exacerbated by stress and that her doctor told her to limit those activities which cause stress. Since her illness she has not worked outside the home. She testified that she was looking forward to returning to work and had been avoiding stressful situations as instructed. She further testified that she did not tell ditech.com that she had an illness that could be compounded by stress. She testified that ditech.com called her many times and that she had made notes of the calls on her calendar.

Her calendar was entered into evidence and the notations on the 2002 calendar were as follows:

February 18 Mr. Roberts Diteeh 10:20 Told him to call ML 6
February 28 Roberts Diteeh 1:30
March 4 Ms. Williams Diteeh Answer Machine
March 7 Diteeh msg

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
283 B.R. 706, 2002 WL 31202466, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-kortz-ohnb-2002.