Independence Seaport Museum v. Carter

24 Mass. L. Rptr. 591
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedAugust 15, 2008
DocketNo. BACV200700035A
StatusPublished

This text of 24 Mass. L. Rptr. 591 (Independence Seaport Museum v. Carter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Independence Seaport Museum v. Carter, 24 Mass. L. Rptr. 591 (Mass. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

Connon, Richard F., J.

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Independence Seaport Museum filed this conversion, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty action against its former president, John Carter, seeking to recover in excess of $2 million Carter allegedly stole from the museum. This matter is before the court on the plaintiffs motion for summary judgment on Counts I, II, III and IV of the First Amended Complaint pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 56. For the reasons discussed below, the plaintiffs motion is ALLOWED as to liability and ALLOWED in part as to damages.

BACKGROUND

The undisputed facts, and the disputed facts viewed in the light most favorable to the defendants as non-moving parties, as revealed by the summary judgment record are as follows. The Independence Seaport Museum (“ISM”) is a non-profit organization, located in Philadelphia, which was established to preserve the maritime history of the Philadelphia region. ISM is funded through charitable contributions, private donations of money, boats, ships and other assets, and grants from the state of Pennsylvania and the United States government. Defendant John Carter (“Carter”) was the president of ISM from 1990 until June 14, 2006, with responsibilities and duties including raising charitable contributions, managing the museum’s day-to-day operations, and serving as a member of ISM’s governing body, the Board of Port Wardens (“the Board”).

On February 17, 1997, ISM entered into a Supplemental Executive Retirement Program (“SERP”) for Carter’s benefit. ISM obtained a $2 million life insurance policy on Carter’s life with Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (“the Policy”). Pursuant to the SERP, Carter as owner and ISM as assignee-owner entered into a Split Owner/Split Dollar Life Insurance Plan Assignment (“the Assignment”). Under the SERP and the Assignment, ISM paid the Policy’s annual $100,000 premium from December 1996 through December 2005. Under the SERP, Policy, and Assignment, upon Carter’s death or the cancellation of the Policy or the Assignment, ISM is entitled to receive an amount equal to the lesser of the cumulative premium payments or the Policy’s net cash surrender value. Under the SERP, ISM cannot unilaterally terminate or cancel the SERP, the Policy, or the Assignment until Carter reaches age 65.

On June 14, 2006, ISM dismissed Carter from his position as president after conducting an investigation into allegations that he had engaged in financial improprieties with ISM funds. On January 2, 2007, Carter submitted a Release of Assignment form to Lincoln National which purported to contain the signatures of Board members Walter D’Alessio and George Pew. On January 10, Lincoln National sent a Change Confirmation letter to Carter, stating that the company had received and was processing his request to release the split dollar assignment on the Policy. ISM investigated and confirmed that neither D’Alessio nor Pew had signed the release. On January 19, D’Alessio certified in a letter to Lincoln National that his signature on that document was a forgery and that ISM did not intend to release the assignment on the account. The SERP, Policy, and Assignment remain in effect.2

On January 22, 2007, ISM commenced this action against Carter by filing a verified complaint for injunc-tive relief and damages. ISM also filed an affidavit by Peter McCausland (“McCausland”), the Chairman of the Board, attached to which is a Proof of Loss Affidavit executed by ISM’s Acting President, Karen Cronin. The Proof of Loss Affidavit, which ISM submitted to its insurer, St. Paul Travelers, contains business records and affidavits detailing ISM’s loss caused by Carter, in the total amount of $2,392,942.70. Based upon the Proof of Loss Affidavit, ISM’s verified complaint alleged that Carter stole approximately $2,400,000 from ISM, including $1,765,087.90 of museum funds used to purchase and maintain boats for Carter’s personal use and enjoyment; improper use of ISM credit cards to pay for $250,000 of personal expenses; $200,000 in fraudulent reimbursements for expenditures which were fictitious or non-museum related; and $177,854.67 in acquisitions that are either unaccounted for or were for Carter’s personal use.

ISM’s verified complaint sought pre-judgment relief in the form of trustee process attachments, a real estate attachment, injunctive relief, and the appointment of a receiver. This Court allowed a $2.4 million real estate attachment and trustee process attachments in the amount of $2.4 million on January 22, 2007 and issued a temporary restraining order against Carter prohibiting him from transferring, concealing, or encumbering property worth more than $100. In addition, this Court appointed a receiver on February 27, 2007. Carter did not oppose any of this relief.

On March 9, 2007, Carter filed his amended answer, admitting that on March 28, 2006, ISM’s Executive Committee placed him on a paid leave of absence and hired the law firm of Saul Ewing, LLP to investigate allegations against him. Carter further admitted that he was under investigation by the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia, and that ISM had retained the accounting firm Nihill & Riedley to analyze the museum’s financial records. With respect to virtually all of the factual allegations describing fraud, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duly, Carter invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege rather than admitting or denying the allegations.

[593]*593On May 21, 2007, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed an Information charging Carter with two counts of mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1341 and one count of tax evasion in violation of 26 U.S.C. §7201 stemming from his scheme to defraud ISM of more than $1,500,000 from 1997 to April of 2006. Count I of the Information, which alleged mail fraud, summarized Carter’s scheme to defraud as follows:

The object of this scheme to defraud was for defendant JOHN S.

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24 Mass. L. Rptr. 591, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/independence-seaport-museum-v-carter-masssuperct-2008.