Johns v. Johns (In Re Johns)

181 B.R. 965, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 538, 1995 WL 241801
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Arizona
DecidedApril 11, 1995
DocketBankruptcy No. 92-02953-PHX-SSC. Adv. No. 92-680
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 181 B.R. 965 (Johns v. Johns (In Re Johns)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johns v. Johns (In Re Johns), 181 B.R. 965, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 538, 1995 WL 241801 (Ark. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

SARAH SHARER CURLEY, Bankruptcy Judge.

Preliminary Statement

On June 22, 1992, a Complaint To Determine Dischargeability Of Debt pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523 was filed by RICHARD JOHNS, the Plaintiff herein. The Defen-danVDebtor filed an Answer on October 22, 1992. The parties subsequently engaged in pretrial proceedings and on April 9,1993, the parties filed a Joint Pretrial Order. The Court requested certain amendments thereto. On May 14, 1993, the parties filed an Amended Joint Pretrial Order. On September 22, 1993, the Amended Joint Pretrial Order was further amended by a stipulation. Finally, on October 12,1993, the parties filed a Second Amended Joint Pretrial Order.

On July 14, 1993, the Plaintiff filed a Trial Memorandum Regarding Gifts To Minors Under Arizona Law And The Elements Of Non-Dischargeability Under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4) or (6) and a Trial Memorandum Regarding Damages. On July 21, 1993, the Defendant filed his Trial Memorandum. The trial was continued on several occasions until March 31, 1994, when evidence was presented to the Court. The Court subsequently took the matter under advisement.

This constitutes this Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Rule 7052, Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (hereinafter “RBP”). This is a “core” proceeding and this Court has jurisdiction over this matter. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157.

Factual History

Prior to the divorce of DAVID R. JOHNS, the Defendant/Debtor, and DALE JOHNS, his former wife, the Debtor established certain accounts for the benefit of DAVID RICHARD JOHNS, their son, (hereinafter “Plaintiff’) at Valley National Bank.

Subsequent to the divorce, the Debtor established other accounts at Valley National Bank. The Debtor was responsible for the maintenance and management of these accounts. Many of the accounts were established as certificates of deposit. Periodically, the Debtor withdrew money from the savings account and purchased additional certificates of deposit for the benefit of the Plaintiff. Eventually, the Debtor withdrew all of the funds from the accounts and utilized the funds to pay his personal living expenses and attorneys’ fees.

*968 The Debtor filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition on March 11, 1992.

In determining whether the Debtor held the accounts in some type of a fiduciary capacity, the Court must first review the divorce decree. The parties agreed at the time of trial that the Plaintiffs Exhibit No.

42 was a true and correct copy of the judgment and decree of dissolution of marriage (“Decree”). The Decree states in relevant part:

24. Children’s Investments
The parties serve as trustees for their minor children, ... David Richard Johns, in connection with the following-described certificates of deposit and savings accounts with Valley National Bank and agree to continue to serve in such capacity and to cause such funds to be used solely for the benefit of such children:
jjs # # # #
Certificates of Deposit Held For David Richard Johns at The Valley National Bank of Arizona
Amount_ Cert. # Acct. #_
$6,000 .... 2056370 84718422....
$3,000 .... 0030160 84049871....
$3,000 .... 0111836 84338972....
[[Image here]]
Savings Account Held For David Richard Johns
Litchfield Park Branch of The Valley National Bank of Arizona Acct. #34422121, with balance as of April 1, 1982 of $4,168.86. 1

To reflect further the nature of these accounts; that is, that the Debtor was to serve as a trustee, several of the accounts were captioned as follows:

David Richard Johns By David R. Johns as Custodian Under Arizona Uniform Gifts to Minors Act.

Specifically, the certificates of deposit designated Account Numbers 8404-9871 and 8433-8972 were so captioned. 2 Moreover, for the taxable years 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991 and 1992, the Plaintiff paid taxes on any interest earned on the certificates of deposit or the savings account. 3

The next task is to trace, if possible, what happened to these accounts created under the Decree.

I. Account No. 8171-8122

At the time of the Decree, this account had $6,000 in it. The Debtor was to serve as a trustee for this account. It appears the sum of $6,000 was withdrawn from this account in February, 1989. These funds were not utilized for the benefit of the Plaintiff. The sum of $2,000 was deposited into the account in March of 1989 and the account was closed, with a $2,000 withdrawal on December 17, 1990. The funds withdrawn were not utilized for the benefit of the Plaintiff. 4 The Debtor has failed to present any accounting as to what happened to these funds. The Debtor did testify that the funds were used generally to assist the Debtor with financial problems that the Debtor was experiencing.

II. Account No. 84-01-9871

This account was also mentioned in the Decree. Not only was the Debtor to serve as a trustee for this account, but it was conceded in the Joint Pretrial Order, and one of the trial exhibits so reflected, that the account was created under the Arizona Uniform Gifts to Minors Act. 5 This account originally had $3,000 in it, no deposits were made in the account, and the account was closed on November 23, 1990. 6 The Debtor had no explanation as to what happened to these funds other than the Debtor used same to pay certain debts that he had incurred.

III. Account No. 8433-8972

This account was also denominated in the Decree as an account for which the Debtor was to serve as a trustee. Although not conceded by the Debtor, one of the Plaintiffs exhibits reflected that this account was established under the Arizona Uniform Gifts *969 to Minors Act. 7

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
181 B.R. 965, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 538, 1995 WL 241801, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johns-v-johns-in-re-johns-arb-1995.