In Re Reese

281 B.R. 735, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 842, 2002 WL 1822872
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 1, 2002
Docket01-2312-3F3
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 281 B.R. 735 (In Re Reese) 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 Reese, 281 B.R. 735, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 842, 2002 WL 1822872 (Fla. 2002).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

JERRY A. FUNK, Bankruptcy Judge.

This case came before the Court upon an Objection to Debtor’s claim of exemptions and an Objection to Confirmation filed by Triple Check Tax Service, Inc. (“Triple Check”). The Court conducted a hearing on October 24, 2001. In lieu of oral argument, the Court instructed the parties to submit briefs and proposed findings of fact and conclusions. Upon the evidence and the arguments of the parties, the Court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

*737 FINDINGS OF FACT

In 1990 James Reese (“Debtor”) began working as an independent contractor for Triple Check, a corporation which provides financial services such as tax preparation, security transactions, insurance sales, accounting and bookkeeping, and incorpo-rations. Debtor’s duties included preparing tax returns and performing financial services. In 1992 Debtor formed JKR, Inc. (“JKR”), a Florida corporation of which Debtor was the only shareholder and officer. Debtor testified one of the reasons he formed JKR was to avoid payroll taxes. On November 22, 1996 JKR and Triple Check entered into an agreement (the “Agreement”) which provided that JKR would be an exclusive tax return preparer, registered representative, and licensed insurance agent to Triple Check through its principal, Debtor. In exchange, Triple Check agreed to pay JKR 50% of all fees collected for the preparation of tax returns, 80% of all commissions collected for security transactions, and 80% of all commissions collected for insurance sales.

The Agreement contained a non-solicitation covenant whereby JKR agreed that it would not “call upon, solicit, divert or take away or attempt to solicit, divert or take away any of the clients, suppliers or employees of Triple Check.” (Triple Check’s Ex. 11.)

On October 16, 1997 Debtor wrote a letter to an attorney inquiring as to the enforceability of the non-compete and the non-solicitation portions of the Agreement. (Triple Check’s Ex. 8.)

On March 31, 1998 Debtor formed Tax Advantage, Inc. (“Tax Advantage”). Debt- or testified that he had not decided to leave Triple Check at that time but wanted to reserve a corporate name. The stock of Tax Advantage was issued to Debtor and his wife, Stacey A. Reese, as Joint Tenants by the Entirety. (Triple Check’s Ex. 6.) Debtor testified the manner in which the stock was issued had nothing to do with any possible future litigation with Triple Check. Debtor testified that he understood tenancy by the entireties to mean that if one spouse dies, the other gets the property.

On July 24, 1998 Tax Advantage purchased a commercial office building for approximately $226,000.00. (Triple Check’s Ex. 7.) Sometime in early 1998, Debtor obtained a phone number for Tax Advantage which was listed in the Jacksonville Beaches telephone book, published in July of 1998. (Triple Check’s Ex. 10.) 1

Despite the October, 1997 letter concerning the enforceability of the Agreement, the March 1998 formation of Tax Advantage, the July 1998 telephone book listing, and the July 1998 purchase of the commercial building, Debtor testified that he finally decided to leave Triple Check sometime in August, 1998. The Court finds Debtor’s testimony incredible and finds that he decided to leave Triple Check sometime between October of 1997 and March of 1998.

On September 1, 1998 Debtor provided written notice to Triple Check that JKR would not renew the Agreement which was scheduled to expire on November 21,1998. On September 3, 1998 Triple Check provided written notice to JKR of its intent to terminate the Agreement effective immediately.

*738 Shortly thereafter, Triple Check filed suit in the Circuit Court of the Fourth Judicial Circuit in and for Duval County, Florida. On November 5, 1998 the Circuit Court entered a temporary injunction restraining Debtor from doing business with Triple Check’s clients, whether he solicited them or not. On July 20, 1999 the First District Court of Appeal overturned the Circuit Court injunction because it was impermissibly overbroad in restricting Debtor and JKR from accepting work from unsolicited Triple Check clients. On December 3, 1999 the Circuit Court entered a consent order (the “Consent Order”) which prohibited Debtor and JKR from soliciting any of Triple Check clients who were clients prior to September 3, 1998 and from serving any of Triple Check’s clients whom Debtor had personally invoiced prior to September 3, 1998 or who had scheduled a “post-termination, non-Triple Check, appointment” with Debtor before September 3, 1998. (Triple Check’s Ex. 3.) Attached to the Consent Order was a list of clients who had been “obtained as a result of [Debtor’s] action designed to divert or take away Triple Check clients” and for whom Debtor was prohibited from providing services until November 9, 2000.

Despite the entry of the Consent Order, Debtor performed tax services for several of the listed clients during February and March of 2000. As a result, the Circuit Court entered an order on October 19, 2000 finding Debtor and JKR in willful contempt of the Consent Order. (Triple Check’s Ex. 4.) On November 6, 2000 the Circuit Court entered an order sanctioning Debtor and JKR for willfully violating the Consent Order. (Triple Check’s Ex. 5.) On January 5, 2001, following a trial, the Circuit Court entered an order awarding Triple Check $51,063.60 in damages, comprised of the following: 1) $6,281.45 for lost profits; 2) $11,851.78 for the value of computer software programs taken by Debtor; and 3) $36,000.00 for the value of client lists taken by Debtor, reduced by $3,069.63, which represents Debtor’s commission for services rendered prior to the termination of the agreement, but collected after termination of the agreement. The Circuit Court extended the Consent Order until November 8, 2001. (Triple Check’s Ex. 2.)

On March 19, 2001 Debtor filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition. On his bankruptcy schedules, Debtor valued his home which he purchased in August of 2000 at $330,000.00. Debtor claimed the stock of Tax Advantage exempt as tenancy by the entireties property.

Debtor’s Chapter 13 plan provides for payments of $700.15 for the first six months of the plan and payments of $3,002.23 for the remaining thirty months. The increase in payments of $2,302.08 beginning in the seventh month represents Debtor’s mortgage payment. Debtor’s only other secured debt is a vehicle which the plan proposes to surrender to the lien-holder. The plan proposes to pay $700.15 per month to the unsecured creditors of which Triple Check is by far the largest. 2 Unsecured creditors will receive approximately 17 %.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

The Court will first address Triple Check’s Objection to Debtor’s claim of exemption of the stock of Tax Advantage.

*739 OBJECTION TO EXEMPTION OF STOCK OF TAX ADVANTAGE

Debtor claimed the stock of Tax Advantage exempt as tenancy by the entireties property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
281 B.R. 735, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 842, 2002 WL 1822872, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-reese-flmb-2002.