JH, Inc. v. Morabito (In re Morabito)

596 B.R. 718
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedJanuary 22, 2019
DocketCase No. 3:18-cv-00221-MMD
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 596 B.R. 718 (JH, Inc. v. Morabito (In re Morabito)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
JH, Inc. v. Morabito (In re Morabito), 596 B.R. 718 (D. Nev. 2019).

Opinion

MIRANDA M. DU, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

*721I. SUMMARY

Appellant Paul A. Morabito appeals the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada's ("Bankruptcy Court") April 30, 2018 Judgment on the First and Second Causes of Action and Judgment Re: Fourth Cause of Action ("Order"). (ECF Nos. 1, 9.) The Order primarily found that a debt Appellant owed Appellees was nondischargeable where the allegation of fraud was based upon statements included in a Confession of Judgment ("COJ") entered into to settle a state court case in which the state court found Appellant committed fraud, even though Appellant had the applicable judgment vacated as part of the settlement.1 (Id. ) Appellees also cross-appeal the portion of the Bankruptcy Court's Order denying them relief on their fourth cause of action. (ECF No. 11 at 54-55.) Further, Appellees' motion to strike certain exhibits and motion to substitute parties are also before the Court.2 (ECF Nos. 13, 20.) For the following reasons, the Court affirms the Bankruptcy Court's Order. As also explained below, the Court will grant the motion to strike (ECF No. 13) and the motion to substitute parties (ECF No. 20).

II. PRELIMINARY MATTERS

Before addressing the merits of this appeal, the Court first resolves Appellees' motion to strike (ECF No. 13) and motion to substitute parties (ECF No. 20).

A. Motion to Strike

Appellees filed a motion to strike two exhibits attached to Appellant's opening brief, along with the portion of the opening brief that relies on those exhibits. (ECF No. 13 (moving to strike ECF Nos. 9 at 27-29, 10-44, 10-45).) Because these exhibits and portion of Appellant's opening brief were not considered by the Bankruptcy Court at the time it made the decisions relevant to this appeal, the Court will grant the motion and direct the Clerk of Court to strike those exhibits, along with the corresponding portion of Appellant's opening brief.

The Court is persuaded by Appellees' argument that these exhibits were created after the motions leading to the decisions on appeal here were fully briefed, and thus they do not properly constitute part of the record on appeal. (See ECF Nos. 10-3 at 3-5, 10-5 at 3-5 (declining to mention documents that appear to be the exhibits Appellees now move to strike).) See also Fed. R. App. P. 10(a) ; Kirshner v. Uniden Corp. of Am. , 842 F.2d 1074, 1077 (9th Cir. 1988) ("Papers submitted to the district court after the ruling that is challenged on appeal should be stricken from the record on appeal."). These exhibits-ECF Nos. 10-44, 10-45-will therefore be stricken. Further, the portion of Appellant's brief that relies on them-ECF No. 9 at 27-29-will *722also be stricken. See Barcamerica Int'l USA Tr. v. Tyfield Importers, Inc. , 289 F.3d 589, 595 (9th Cir. 2002) (striking portion of opening brief that relied on exhibits stricken by the court as not properly part of the record).

Conversely, the Court is not persuaded by Appellant's contention that the Court may take judicial notice of these exhibits (ECF No. 16 at 2-3)-because their contents are subject to reasonable dispute. See Fed. R. Evid. 201(b) (providing that only facts not subject to reasonable dispute may be judicially noticed). The exhibits that Appellees seek to strike attempt to introduce a new theory based on allegedly newly-discovered facts that it was Appellees, rather than Appellant, who committed fraud. That contention goes to the heart of the dispute between the parties, and this new theory has not been established such that it is not subject to reasonable dispute. Further, this newly-discovered fraud theory was not before the Bankruptcy Court as relevant to the decisions on appeal here, and thus is not properly part of this appeal.

In addition, the Court declines to exercise its inherent discretion to supplement the record with these exhibits. See Lowry v. Barnhart , 329 F.3d 1019, 1024 (9th Cir. 2003) ("Save in unusual circumstances, we consider only the district court record on appeal."). Rather than attempt to examine and rule on the entire, sprawling dispute between the parties, the Court will concentrate its review on the issues actually on appeal here. The Court will thus disregard the challenged exhibits and briefing (ECF Nos. 9 at 27-29, 10-44, 10-45) in deciding this appeal, and accordingly will not further discuss them below.

B. Motion to Substitute Parties

Unfortunately, Appellee Jerry Herbst ("Herbst) passed away. (ECF No. 19 (suggestion of death).) Following his death, Appellees moved to substitute Maryanna Herbst (his wife), as trustee of the Herbst Family Trust dated December 17, 2002, in his place. (ECF No. 20 (motion to substitute).) Appellant's deadline to file any response to this motion has passed, and he has filed no response. Appellees have complied with the procedural requirements for substitution here. See Fed. R. App. P. 43 ; see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(a). Accordingly, the Court will grant Appellees' motion to substitute.

III. BACKGROUND

The Court summarizes only the facts relevant to this appeal. Corporate entities controlled by Appellant sold a chain of convenience stores and related assets to corporate entities controlled by Herbst. (ECF Nos. 9 at 16 n.2; 11 at 10.) This sale was governed by an amended and restated stock purchase agreement ("ARSPA"). (ECF No. 9 at 16.) The ARSPA required that Appellant submit a working capital estimate to Herbst, which would determine the amount of cash Herbst would have to pay Appellant at closing. (Id. at 17.) Herbst thought the working capital estimate Appellant submitted was much too low. (Id. ) Thus, Herbst refused to pay Appellant additional money. (Id. )

Appellant filed suit against Herbst in state court to compel him to pay money Appellant believed he was owed under the ARSPA, and Herbst counterclaimed, alleging, among other things, that Appellant's low working capital estimate was the result of Appellant's fraud. (Id. at 17-18; see also ECF No. 11 at 11.) That case went to trial. (ECF Nos. 9 at 18, 11 at 11.)

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596 B.R. 718, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jh-inc-v-morabito-in-re-morabito-nvd-2019.