In Re Weyand

33 B.R. 553, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 5482
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado
DecidedSeptember 6, 1983
Docket19-10842
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 33 B.R. 553 (In Re Weyand) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Weyand, 33 B.R. 553, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 5482 (Colo. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

JAY L. GUECK, Bankruptcy Judge.

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on an Objection to Confirmation filed by the Colorado National Bank — Boulevard (hereinafter referred to as “Bank”) and by the Chapter 13 Trustee.

The debtor, Robert V. Weyand, filed for protection under Chapter 13 on May 20, 1983. Prior to filing, on February 19, 1982, Weyand transferred three pieces of real estate to his wife, Lila S. Weyand. These transfers were pursuant to a post-nuptial agreement entered into between Weyand and his wife on February 19,1982, executed the same day the transfers occurred.

The properties transferred were the debt- or’s one-half interest in the family home, the debtor’s interest in mountain property in Summit County, Colorado, and the debt- or’s interest in property near Morrison, in Jefferson County, Colorado. The total equity in the family home was approximately $84,000.00, with the debtor’s equity being $42,000. The value of the Summit County property was not established, but Weyand paid $22,800.00 for this property in 1979. No liens were noted on that property. The Morrison property was purchased for approximately $2,600 to $2,800, 10 to 13 years ago. No present value was established, and no liens were noted. All transfers of real estate were by quit-claim deed.

Additionally, Weyand sold securities in a Hamilton Fund in March or April, 1983, for $11,000.00 and gave all the proceeds to his wife after payment of “a couple of little bills.” No indication was presented that *555 such a conveyance was for a special gift or that any consideration was received. On the contrary, the debtor offered the same explanation for this transfer as for the transfers of real estate.

The explanation offered by the debtor, which the Court accepts, was that he wished to protect against “harrassment” lawsuits and preserve property for his wife. Weyand is a police officer with the Denver Police Department, presently assigned as a detective to the bomb unit. He has been employed as a police officer for thirty and one-half years. In connection with his activities as a police investigator, Weyand was involved in the Franke (kiko) Martinez investigation, and expressed some fear of the possibility that a retaliatory harassment lawsuit might result from that involvement. Weyand also expressed concern at such possible litigation involving other so-called “militant” groups. An additional concern, causing Weyand to make the transfers herein, was the lawsuit against a co-officer, Monica David, wherein she was sued for $50,000,000.00 in actual damages and $50,-000,000.00 in punitive damages resulting from her involvement as an undercover investigator. It is Weyand’s stated fear that he is similarly vulnerable to such possible lawsuits.

Finally, and perhaps of greatest concern to the debtor, there was the seemingly endless litigation which the debtor experienced in connection with his divorce from his first wife. This controversy consumed approximately four and one-half years and went through the Appellate Courts of the State of Colorado.

These factors, according to Weyand, caused him to make the conveyances which are the subject of this objection to confirmation. He states that many other officers of the Denver Police Department are making the same kinds of conveyances.

At the time of the transfers, there was litigation pending in the state court wherein the Colorado National Bank — Boulevard had commenced an action against the debt- or and others as a result of the transaction giving rise to the claim filed by the Bank in this bankruptcy. That claim is in the amount of $33,752.50. A Proof of Claim was timely filed on June 17,1983, four days before the first meeting of creditors, which occurred on June 21, 1983.

The debtor claims this litigation in the State Court had little or no bearing on his decision to make the conveyances to his wife, since he allegedly has defenses to that action and never considered himself to be personally liable on that claim. However, the same attorney who represented the debtor in the State Court litigation against the Bank also drafted the post-nuptial agreement and the quit claim deeds herein. It is difficult for this Court to accept the testimony that no consideration was given by the debtor to the pending State Court litigation when he made the conveyances complained of in this action. That pending litigation appears to be part and parcel of all of the debtor’s fears of litigation and resultant loss of his property.

It is noted that no objection to the Bank’s Proof of Claim has been filed to this date. Thus, under 11 U.S.C. § 502(a), that claim is deemed allowed.

The Chapter 13 Statement lists unsecured debts in the amount of $28,801.00, including the disputed loan to the Bank in the amount of $25,000.00. The Proof of Claim of the Bank indicates the total claim is $33,752.50. Thus, if the Proof of Claim is correct, the total unsecured indebtedness is $37,553.50. The Plan then seeks to discharge this unsecured indebtedness with payments of $3,800.00 over a period of 24 months. The unsecured creditors will receive 100% of their claims except the Bank which receives nothing. The secured claims total $21,593.00. These represent a first and second mortgage indebtedness on the family residence and are to be paid in full outside the Plan. There is no default on these indebtednesses at this time, nor was there on the date of filing.

The schedules of property owned by the debtor indicates that most of the property not transferred to his wife is claimed as exempt.

*556 The budget submitted by the debtor suggests a need for $500.00 per month for food, although the children have moved from the home. Additionally, $200.00 for clothing is claimed, together with telephone expense of $125.00 per month and an additional amount of $200.00 for “miscellaneous family & emergency expenses.” The debtor explained that his position on the police force requires telephone expenses of “call forwarding” and “call holding”. Further, long distance calls to his son in Germany and his mother in Illinois were included in the claimed telephone expense. Although the debtor lives 7 to 8 miles from work and the City pays his gasoline on the job, he still claims $200.00 for transportation. The total monthly living expense of the family is alleged to be $2,121.00, with a net income of $2,455.00. The estimated excess is $334.00, of which the debtor proposes to pay $200.00 per month under the Plan for 24 months.

The Bank objects to confirmation of this Plan on the grounds the conveyances to Weyand’s wife would be voidable under 1973 C.R.S. 38-10-117, and, thus, voidable by a Trustee under § 544(b) of the Code if this matter were in Chapter 7. This would result in unsecured creditors receiving much less under Chapter 13 than they would receive under Chapter 7. The Bank also claims the Plan was not proposed in good faith and should, therefore, not be confirmed. The Chapter 13 Trustee, likewise, suggests the Plan “may well not be proposed in good faith.”

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 B.R. 553, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 5482, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-weyand-cob-1983.