In re: Robert Underhill v.

CourtBankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 16, 2013
Docket12-8045
StatusPublished

This text of In re: Robert Underhill v. (In re: Robert Underhill v.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re: Robert Underhill v., (bap6 2013).

Opinion

ELECTRONIC CITATION: 2013 FED App.0004P (6th Cir.) File Name: 13b0004p.06

BANKRUPTCY APPELLATE PANEL OF THE SIXTH CIRCUIT

In re: ROBERT D. UNDERHILL and ) BETH UNDERHILL, ) ) No. 12-8045 Debtors. ) ______________________________________

Appeal from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio Case No. 10-10061

Submitted: August 20, 2013

Decided and Filed: September 16, 2013

Before: EMERSON, LLOYD, and McIVOR, Bankruptcy Appellate Panel Judges.

____________________

COUNSEL ____________________

ON BRIEF: David S. Blessing, THE BLESSING LAW FIRM, Cincinnati, Ohio, for Appellants. Jody Michelle Oster, THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK, Columbus, Ohio, for Appellee.

1 ____________________

OPINION ____________________

MARCI B. McIVOR, Chief Bankruptcy Appellate Panel Judge. Robert and Beth Underhill (“Debtors”) appeal the bankruptcy court’s order granting Huntington National Bank’s motion to reopen Debtors’ bankruptcy case. After Debtors received their discharge, Golf Chic Boutique, LLC, (“Golf Chic, LLC”) an LLC in which Debtor Beth Underhill was the sole member, filed a claim for tortious interference against several entities. The lawsuit was settled and $80,000 was awarded to the plaintiff LLC. However, the settlement check was made payable to Debtor Beth Underhill and her attorney, rather than to the LLC. Huntington National Bank discovered that Debtor Beth Underhill had received the settlement proceeds and moved to reopen the Debtors’ case so that the proceeds of the settlement could be administered as an asset of the bankruptcy estate. For the reasons that follow, the Panel affirms the bankruptcy court’s order granting Huntington National Bank’s motion to reopen the Debtors’ bankruptcy case. The Panel also remands this matter to the bankruptcy court for a determination as to the value of Debtor Beth Underhill’s membership interest in Golf Chic, LLC, based on Golf Chic LLC’s recovery on its lawsuit.

STATEMENT OF ISSUES

There are two issues on appeal. The first issue is whether the bankruptcy court abused its discretion in granting Huntington National Bank’s motion to reopen. The second issue is whether the bankruptcy court erred in ruling that all of the settlement proceeds received by Debtor Beth Underhill, as the sole member of Golf Chic, LLC were property of the Debtors’ bankruptcy estate.

2 JURISDICTION AND STANDARD OF REVIEW

The Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit has jurisdiction to decide this appeal. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio has authorized appeals to the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, and none of the parties has timely elected to have this appeal heard by the district court. 28 U.S.C. §§ 158(b)(6), (c)(1). A bankruptcy court’s final order may be appealed as of right pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1). For purposes of appeal, an order is final if it “ends the litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for the court to do but execute the judgment.” Midland Asphalt Corp. v. United States, 489 U.S. 794, 798, 109 S. Ct. 1494, 1497 (1989) (citation and quotation marks omitted). An order granting a motion to reopen the bankruptcy case to administer an asset is a final and appealable order, because the determination that the trustee may administer the asset as property of the estate is conclusive on the merits. See, e.g., Bonner v. Sicherman (In re Bonner), 330 B.R. 880 (B.A.P. 6th Cir. 2005) (table).

A decision on a motion to reopen is within the sound discretion of the bankruptcy court. The reviewing court should not set aside the bankruptcy court’s decision, absent an abuse of discretion. Smyth v. Edamerica, Inc. (In re Smyth), 470 B.R. 459, 461 (B.A.P. 6th Cir. 2012). An abuse of discretion occurs when the bankruptcy court “applies the incorrect legal standard, misapplies the correct legal standard, or relies upon clearly erroneous findings of fact.” Id. (citing Schenck v. City of Hudson, 114 F.3d 590, 593 (6th Cir. 1997)). “The question is not how the reviewing court would have ruled, but rather whether a reasonable person could agree with the bankruptcy court’s decision; if reasonable persons could differ as to the issue, then there is no abuse of discretion.” Barlow v. M.J. Waterman & Assocs., Inc. (In re M.J. Waterman & Assocs., Inc.), 227 F.3d 604, 608 (6th Cir. 2000).

Determinations as to whether property forms a part of the bankruptcy estate are conclusions of law that are reviewed de novo. Mueller v. Hall (In re Parker), No. 06-8053, 2007 WL 1376081, at *2 (B.A.P. 6th Cir. May 10, 2007) (table). “Under a de novo standard of review, the reviewing court decides an issue independently of, and without deference to, the trial court’s determination.”

3 Menninger v. Accredited Home Lenders (In re Morgeson), 371 B.R. 798, 800 (B.A.P. 6th Cir. 2007) (citation omitted). Essentially, the reviewing court decides the issue “as if it had not been heard before.” Mktg. & Creative Solutions, Inc. v. Scripps Howard Broad. Co. (In re Mktg. & Creative Solutions, Inc.), 338 B.R. 300, 302 (B.A.P. 6th Cir. 2006). “No deference is given to the trial court’s conclusions of law.” Id.

FACTS

On January 6, 2010, David R. Underhill and Beth Underhill filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Harold Jarnicki was appointed Chapter 7 Trustee.

On January 26, 2010, the Debtors filed their bankruptcy schedules. On Schedule B, the Debtors listed their 100% interest in a number of businesses including Golf Chic Boutique, LLC.1 Golf Chic, LLC is not a debtor in bankruptcy. Schedule B states that the Debtors have a 100% ownership and membership interest in Golf Chic, LLC and that Golf Chic, LLC has no value. The Debtors also listed all secured and unsecured claims of Golf Chic, LLC. The Debtors further represented that they held no contingent or unliquidated claims on the petition date. In other words, the Debtors represented that neither they, nor Golf Chic, LLC, owned any causes of action.

Schedule D lists Huntington National Bank (“Creditor Bank”) as a creditor holding a claim totaling $25,000, secured by a lien on all of Golf Chic, LLC’s property. Debtor Beth Underhill personally guaranteed repayment of the obligations of Golf Chic, LLC to Creditor Bank pursuant to a Commercial Guaranty.

In addition to Creditor Bank’s secured claim, it also holds a non-priority unsecured claim in the amount of $105,000, by virtue of a loan and lease made to Underhill Landscaping, Inc.

1 The other interests include: (1) 100% stock in Underhill Landscaping, Inc.; (2) 100% stock in Cincinnati Landscape Design Build Group; and (3) 100% ownership interest in Bud Properties, LLC. All are listed as having zero value.

4 On April 29, 2010, the Chapter 7 Trustee filed a report of no distribution.

On May 19, 2010, an order was entered discharging the Debtors.

On June 15, 2010, the Debtors’ bankruptcy case was closed.

On October 25, 2010, Golf Chic, LLC filed a complaint in the Hamilton County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas against The Ladies Pro Shop, Inc., Golf Gear, Inc., and Andrea Walch (“Hamilton County Defendants”) (Case No. A1009767) (“Hamilton County Action”). The Debtors were not named as plaintiffs in the Hamilton County Action.

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Segal v. Rochelle
382 U.S. 375 (Supreme Court, 1966)
United States v. Whiting Pools, Inc.
462 U.S. 198 (Supreme Court, 1983)
Midland Asphalt Corp. v. United States
489 U.S. 794 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Michael L. Mead v. Robert E. Helm
865 F.2d 1268 (Sixth Circuit, 1989)
Mark Schenck v. The City of Hudson
114 F.3d 590 (Sixth Circuit, 1997)
Kozman v. Herzig (In Re Herzig)
96 B.R. 264 (Ninth Circuit, 1989)
Lyon v. Eiseman (In Re Forbes)
372 B.R. 321 (Sixth Circuit, 2007)
In Re Richards
249 B.R. 859 (E.D. Michigan, 2000)
In Re Jenkins
330 B.R. 625 (E.D. Tennessee, 2005)
In Re Bonner
330 B.R. 880 (Sixth Circuit, 2005)
In Re Smyth
470 B.R. 459 (Sixth Circuit, 2012)

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