In re Mikkelson

499 B.R. 683, 2013 WL 4854139, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3772
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. North Dakota
DecidedSeptember 11, 2013
DocketNo. 13-30191
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 499 B.R. 683 (In re Mikkelson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. North Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Mikkelson, 499 B.R. 683, 2013 WL 4854139, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3772 (N.D. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

SHON HASTINGS, Bankruptcy Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Kathleen A. Lureen commenced an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy case against Charles C. Mikkelson on March 29, 2013. Lureen alleges that Mikkelson failed to make any payments toward the judgment entered against him and in favor of Lureen, that he transferred assets to avoid attachment of the judgment lien to [686]*686those assets and that the Bankruptcy Code offers relief that is unavailable under state law.

Mikkelson filed an answer controverting the involuntary bankruptcy petition on April 12, 2013. He argues that granting an order for relief is inappropriate because the involuntary bankruptcy petition is a continuation of a two-party debt collection dispute that state law already addressed. Mikkelson further alleges that he is generally paying his debts as they become due, that he has very few creditors and that his creditors will derive no benefit from the entry of an order for relief because there are no nonexempt assets available to liquidate for the benefit of creditors. He also requests that the Court abstain from exercising jurisdiction under 11 U.S.C. § 305 because this case is a two-party, debt collection dispute.

The Court held a trial on the order for relief. For the reasons provided below, the Court finds in favor of Lureen and enters an order for relief against Mikkel-son.

II. FINDINGS OF FACT

A. Lureen’s Claim

In September 2010, putative debtor Charles C. Mikkelson, who is 73 years old, intentionally collided his pickup truck into a vehicle driven by Kathleen A. Lureen, who is now 65 years old. Before the collision, Mikkelson and Lureen dated and lived together for thirteen or fourteen years. Mikkelson testified he was under an immense amount of stress and acted irrationally when the accident occurred.

Mikkelson was charged with a criminal offense as a result of this conduct and pled guilty to attempted murder. The district court sentenced Mikkelson to 24 months in prison (five years with three years suspended) and ordered him to pay restitution of approximately $3,500 and court fees. Exh. 202. Mikkelson testified that he was sentenced in April 2011 and his incarceration began on May 9, 2011. He was released from prison on December 15, 2012. He paid the restitution and fees in full in March 2013, reportedly before they were due.

On September 7, 2011, Lureen filed a civil action against Mikkelson in North Dakota District Court, seeking to recover damages for injuries she sustained during and following the collision. Exh. 202. The lawsuit was filed and tried while Mikkelson was in prison. In a memorandum opinion dated October 22, 2012, the district court found in favor of Lureen. Id. It entered judgment against Mikkelson in the sum of $5,288,093.44 on December 3, 2012. Exh. 201.

At the involuntary bankruptcy trial, Mikkelson acknowledged he has made no voluntary payments toward the judgment. He did not direct his brother, who handled his financial affairs while he was incarcerated,1 to make any payments to Lureen and he was not aware of any payments made to her, other than insurance proceeds.2

Mikkelson explained that paying the entire $5,000,000 judgment was out of the question and no one on behalf of Lureen attempted to establish a payment plan with him. He also suggested that a settlement was a better resolution of the debt because he believed that, if he made any payments to Lureen, legal fees would con[687]*687sume a large portion of any payment and she would receive no benefit. Mikkelson testified that before Lureen filed the civil suit he attempted to settle the dispute with her by making various offers, including paying $200 or $400 per month or making lump sum payments of either $50,000 or $100,000. He believed a civil suit could follow his criminal conviction, and he wanted closure and a complete release of any claims. Consequently, negotiations for resolution of a civil claim began while the attorney who defended him against the criminal charges represented him. Mik-kelson explained he would have sold assets and liquidated accounts to make payments to her. Lureen did not accept any of Mikkelson’s offers.

On March 29, 2013, Lureen commenced an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy case against Mikkelson. Lureen is the sole petitioning creditor. In the involuntary bankruptcy petition, she lists the $5,288,093.44 judgment as the basis for her claim. Mikkelson acknowledged that Lu-reen is one of his creditors, and he does not dispute the $5,288,093.44 sum owed to her.

B. Mikkelson’s Financial Status

After he was released from incarceration in December 2012, Mikkelson resumed control of his financial affairs. Based upon the evidence received at trial, from the time Mikkelson was released until the date Lureen filed the involuntary petition, Mik-kelson’s assets included:

Investments/Insurance Policies as of January 2013
Midland National Life Insurance Company Annuity — $9,533.94 (Exh. 210 — accumulation value plus interest adjustment)
E-trade IRA — $27,536.86 (Exh. 211)
E-trade Roth IRA — $84,000 (Exh. 205)
Foresters Life Insurance Policy— $5,000.00 (Exh. 207)
Thrivent Life Insurance Policy— $16,000.00 (Mikkelson testified this was the cash value of the life insurance policy; the original face value was $10,000)
Thrivent IRA — $95,000 (Exh. 205)
Alerus 401 K — $70,000 (Exh. 205)
Chattel Property as of March 15, 2013
2 Motorcycles — $200 (Exh. 205)
2 Snowmobiles — $200 (Exh. 205)
1 Boat — $200 (Exh. 205)
2001 Pickup — $6,000 (Exh. 205)
IHC Truck 1976 — $1,000 (Exh. 205)
Misc. Tools — $1,000 (Exh. 205)
Real Property
Homestead — $85,000 (Transferred March 25, 2011 and reacquired March 29, 2013)
Other Assets
Prepaid attorney’s fees — not less than $1,000
Prepaid fuel — $2,800
Income
Investment income
Thrivent IRA — $840/month3 (Exh. 205; Testimony)
Alerus 401 K — $295/month (Exh. 205)
Social security — $1,000/month (Exh. 205)
Military retirement — $655/month (Exh. 205)

Since his release from incarceration, Mikkelson has been unemployed. He was seeking employment at the time of trial. Prior to his incarceration, Mikkelson was a member of the armed forces for over 30 years and held a variety of jobs. As noted [688]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
499 B.R. 683, 2013 WL 4854139, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3772, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-mikkelson-ndb-2013.