In re Weik

526 B.R. 829, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 558, 2015 WL 902801
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Montana
DecidedFebruary 24, 2015
DocketCase No. 14-61298-13
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 526 B.R. 829 (In re Weik) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Montana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Weik, 526 B.R. 829, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 558, 2015 WL 902801 (Mont. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

HON. RALPH B. KIRSCHER, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge.

At Butte in said District this 24th day of February, 2015.

In this Chapter 13 bankruptcy case two matters are pending: (1) Confirmation of the Debtor’s Chapter 13 Plan and objections thereto filed by the Chapter 13 Trustee; and (2) the Trustee’s Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice and a two-year prohibition against refiling due to Debtor’s lack of eligibility, abuse of the bankruptcy process, and lack of good faith (Document No. 6), and Debtor’s opposition thereto. A hearing on these matters was held after due notice at Missoula on February 5, 2015. The Debtor David Weik (“Weik” or “Debtor”) appeared pro se and testified. The Chapter 13 Trustee Robert G. Drummond appeared and testified, and called witness Regina Spaeth (“Spaeth”) of Tucson, Arizona, to testify. Exhibits (“Ex.”) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, A, B, C, D, and E, all were admitted into evidence without objection. In addition the Court took judicial notice of several case dockets involving Weik in Arizona and Montana. At the conclusion of the parties’ cases-in-chief the Court closed the record and took both matters under advisement. After review of the record and applicable law, this matter is ready for decision. For the reasons set forth below the Court denies confirmation and will grant the Chapter 13 Trustee’s Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice, and a two-year prohibition against Weik refiling for bankruptcy relief in any district.

This Court has exclusive jurisdiction of this bankruptcy case under 28 U.S.C. § 1334(a). These pending matters are core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2) regarding confirmation of the Debtor’s Plan and administration of this case. This Memorandum of Decision includes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law.

FACTS

Debtor David Weik lives in Missoula, where he employed in the temporary em[831]*831ployment business as a staffer. He also sometimes operates a business corporation, of which he testified he is the owner, which offers horseback trail rides to the public during warm weather.1

Weik testified that he has filed bankruptcy cases in Arizona and Montana2 pri- or to his filing of the instant Chapter 13 case, including two bankruptcy cases in the State of Texas, two bankruptcy eases in Arizona, and five bankruptcy cases in Montana.3 He also is or has been a party in numerous lawsuits in Arizona and Montana.

Ex. 2 and 3 show a chapter 13 case filed by Weik in Arizona, Case No. 04:07-BK-00958, was dismissed on or about July 28, 2010, based upon Weil’s delinquency in plan payments. The Trustee testified that one of Weik’s chapter 13 plans was confirmed in his prior cases. Weik filed another chapter 13 case in Arizona, No. 10-28432-TUC-EWH. The trustee moved to dismiss that case for Weik’s delinquency in plan payments. Weik filed an opposition. Ex. 6. The bankruptcy court dismissed his second case on February 22, 2012. Ex. 7.

Regina Spaeth is manager of Midway RV & Self Storage (“Midway”) in Tucson, Arizona, where it provides self-storage and parking for the public. She testified that Weik had a month-to-month storage contract with Midway for three (3) storage units beginning in 2012, and that Weik’s property still occupies Midway’s 3 units.4 Weik’s most recent payment to Midway for storage took place in January 2013. He has not had access to his storage units at Midway since March of 2013. Spaeth testified that as of January 8, 2015, Weik owed Midway a total of $8,629.75 in rent. Midway sent Weik default letters.

Spaeth testified that Midway attempted to repossess Weik’s belongings and sell them pursuant to Arizona state law in order to pay off Weik’s debt to Midway. In Weik’s three most recent bankruptcy cases, Spaeth testified, Weik filed his petition on the date that Midway scheduled an auction sale of his property, thereby staying the sale. Weik admitted that he filed the petitions evidenced by Ex. 9, 10, and 11 to save his personal property from sale by Midway. Midway received notice of a prior chapter 13 case filed by Weik in March of 2013. Spaeth testified that case was dismissed.5

Spaeth testified that during Weik’s second Montana bankruptcy case, Midway’s area manager identified only as “Cory” offered Weik an opportunity to come and remove his property from Midway’s storage units free of charge, but that Weik [832]*832never showed up. Midway sent Weik an e-mail in March of 2014, offering to let him pick up his belongings at no charge. Spaeth testified that Weik told Midway that he would come pick up his belongings by the first of May, 2014, but Weik did not show up6 and therefore did not perform the conditions Midway required to forgive Weik’s storage debt.

Weik testified that Midway sent him correspondence stating that he could come and pick up his things, and that he asked Cory to remove 5 or 6 boxes of his things7 and sell the rest, but she refused. Spaeth testified that Weik “may have” asked Midway to set aside certain family heirlooms and sell the rest,'but that it is not Midway’s normal practice to go through individual items but rather sells them all; Weik was told about Midway’s auction process.

Weik filed the instant Chapter 13 petition, pro se, on November 13, 2014. Spaeth testified that Weik filed his petition, as he did in his previous two bankruptcy cases, on the date scheduled for Midway’s auction sale of his personal property. Weik testified that he did not consult with an attorney or bankruptcy petition preparer prior to filing his petition; he admitted that he filed his petition to save his property at the Midway storage units in Tucson from being sold.

Weik signed his Chapter 13 petition below a declaration which states: “I declare under penalty of perjury that the information provided in this petition is true and correct.” Ex. 11. However, all information on the petition is not true and correct. At the top of page 2 of the petition the Debtor was required to list all prior bankruptcy cases filed within the last 8 years. Although Weik had filed 4 bankruptcy petitions within the last 8 years he left that space blank. Ex. 118. Weik signed the declaration at the courthouse -when he filed the instant petition. He testified that he knew he was not supposed to lie, but he did not have time to fill out the petition completely and he did the best he could.

When asked about the omission of his prior bankruptcy cases from his petition, Weik admitted that he did not list them, but he denied that he intended to deceive. When asked why he did not list the prior case numbers Weik testified that he did not know the ease numbers and did not have access to a computer. He testified that he spoke with the case manager in the clerk’s office when he went in person to file his petition in the instant case and that she told him she would fill the prior cases in. Weik asked Drummond about problems pro se debtors have in chapter 13 cases and Drummond agreed that pro se debtors may have difficulties in chapter 13 [833]*833cases and some pro se debtors don’t prosecute their cases at all.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
526 B.R. 829, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 558, 2015 WL 902801, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-weik-mtb-2015.