In re Lewis

517 B.R. 615, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 4118, 2014 WL 4799432
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedSeptember 26, 2014
DocketCase No. 12-35815-KLP
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 517 B.R. 615 (In re Lewis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Lewis, 517 B.R. 615, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 4118, 2014 WL 4799432 (Va. 2014).

Opinion

Chapter 11

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

Keith L. Phillips, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Before the Court is the objection of Debtors Robert M. Lewis, Jr. and Linda S. [617]*617Lewis to the claim filed by American Express Centurion Bank. After considering the evidence and the arguments of the parties, the Court finds that the objection must be sustained and the claim disallowed.

Background and Positions of the Parties

Debtors filed their chapter 11 case on October 8, 2012. The case was designated a small business case, pursuant to § 101(51 C)1 of the Bankruptcy Code. Debtors’ chapter 11 plan was confirmed on May 10, 2018. The confirmed plan provides for the payment of general unsecured creditors at one hundred percent of their allowed claims, without interest.

American Express Centurion Bank (“American Express”) filed a proof of claim in Debtors’ case on November 15, 2012, asserting an unsecured claim in the amount of $67,927.75. The basis for the claim was amounts due on an American Express Rewards Plus Gold Card (the “Credit Card”), a revolving account opened in 1987 in the name of Dr. Robert Lewis. The parties have stipulated that the American Express cause of action accrued on November 16, 2007, the date of the last payment made on the account.

Debtors filed an objection to the American Express claim on October 21, 2013 (the “Objection”). In the Objection, Debtors assert that the American Express claim should be disallowed because its collection is time-barred by Virginia’s three-year statute of limitations for oral contracts. Va.Code Ann. § 8.01-249(4)

American Express responds by arguing that the defense of statute of limitations is an affirmative defense and that the burden of proving its applicability lies with the party asserting it, in this case the Debtors. It points to Rule 3001(f) of the Bankruptcy Rules, Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3001(f), which provides that a claim filed in accordance with the Bankruptcy Rules is prima facie evidence of the validity and amount of the claim. American Express maintains that Debtors have not produced sufficient evidence to deprive the claim of its prima facie validity and thus shift the burden of proof to American Express.

American Express contends that the agreement between the parties explicitly states that the law of Utah governs. It asserts that its claim is for a credit card debt based upon a written contract and is therefore subject to Utah’s six-year limitations period for written contracts, Utah Code Ann § 78B-2-309. American Express argues that the Utah six-year statute of limitations does not bar enforcement of American Express’s claim because the last payment by Debtor Robert Lewis (Debtor) was within the six-year period prior to the October 8, 2012, filing of the Debtors’ bankruptcy case.

American Express also argues that even if Utah law is not applicable, enforcement of its claim would be allowed pursuant to the Virginia five-year statute of limitations for written contracts, as provided in Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-246(2). It disputes Debtors’ contention that the claim is based on an oral contract that would be therefore barred by the three-year statute of limitations of Va.Code Ann. § 8.01-246(4).

Conclusions of Law and Additional Facts

American Express concedes that if Virginia’s three-year statute of limitations is applicable, then its claim is time-barred and should be disallowed. Therefore, the [618]*618Court must determine which statute of limitations applies.

Does the Utah statute of limitations apply?

American Express bases its assertion that Utah’s six-year statute of limitations applies on two provisions contained in a document entitled “Agreement Between Rewards Plus Gold Card Member and American Express Centurion Bank” (the “Cardholder Agreement”). Those provisions are as follows:

Welcome to American Express Card-membership This document and the accompanying supplement(s) constitute your Agreement. Please read and keep this Agreement. Abide by its terms. When you keep, sign or use the Card issued to you (including any renewal or replacement Cards), or you use the account associated with this Agreement (your “Account”), you agree to the terms of this Agreement.
Applicable Law This Agreement and your Account, and all questions about their legality, enforceability and interpretation, are governed by the laws of the State of Utah (without regard to internal principles of conflicts of law), and by applicable federal law. We are located in Utah, hold your Account in Utah, and entered into this Agreement with you in Utah.

In October 2004, Debtor upgraded his card to “Rewards Plus.” At that time, a copy of the Cardholder Agreement was sent to Debtor along with the actual credit cards. The Cardholder Agreement was not signed by either party. It did not contain a signature on behalf of American Express, and no signature was requested of Debtor. American Express relies upon the language included in the Cardholder Agreement that use of the Credit Card constitutes acceptance of its terms,2 including the provision applying the laws of the State of Utah. It disagrees with Debtors’ assertion that conflicts of law principles dictate the application of Virginia’s statute of limitations.

The Supreme Court has established that a federal court sitting in diversity jurisdiction must apply the choice of law rules of the forum in which the court sits. Klaxon v. Stentor Elec. Mfg. Co., 313 U.S. 487, 496, 61 S.Ct. 1020, 85 L.Ed. 1477 (1941). In Compliance Marine, Inc. v. Campbell (In re Merritt Dredging Co.), 839 F.2d 203, 206-07 (4th Cir.1988), the Fourth Circuit extended that principle to bankruptcy cases:

The question of what choice of law rules should be applied by a bankruptcy court presents another wrinkle. Although bankruptcy cases involve federal statutes and federal questions, a bankruptcy court may, as here, face situations in which the applicable federal law incorporates matters which are the subject of state law. It is clear that a federal court in such cases must apply state law to the underlying substantive state law questions. Whether a court in such a situation must apply the conflicts rule of the forum state in determining which state’s law to apply or may choose the applicable state law as a matter of independent federal judgment, however, has remained an open question. See 1A Moore’s Federal Practice ¶ 0.325 (2d ed. 1985). We believe, however, that in the absence of a compelling federal interest which dictates otherwise, the Klaxon rule should prevail where a federal bankruptcy court seeks, to determine the extent of a debtor’s property interest. [619]*619The argument for applying the Klaxon rule to state law questions arising in bankruptcy cases is compelling. A uniform rule under which federal bankruptcy courts apply their forum states’ choice of law principles will enhance predictability in an area where predictability is critical.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
517 B.R. 615, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 4118, 2014 WL 4799432, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-lewis-vaeb-2014.