Jones v. Herbert (In Re Herbert)

304 B.R. 67, 2004 Bankr. LEXIS 90, 2004 WL 212457
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 29, 2004
DocketBankruptcy No. 802-88286-478. Adversary No. 803-8129-478
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 304 B.R. 67 (Jones v. Herbert (In Re Herbert)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Herbert (In Re Herbert), 304 B.R. 67, 2004 Bankr. LEXIS 90, 2004 WL 212457 (E.D.N.Y. 2004).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

DOROTHY EISENBERG, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter is before the Court pursuant to an adversary proceeding filed by Carolyn Jones (“Plaintiff’) against John Raymond Herbert, Sr. (“Defendant” or “Debtor”), wherein Plaintiff seeks to have Defendant’s discharge barred and seeks to have a judgment debt deemed non-dis-chargeable. Based on the pleadings, memoranda and relevant case law, and after holding a trial, the Court denies Plaintiffs claims under 11 U.S.C. § 727 and finds that the judgment debt owed by Defendant to Plaintiff is non-dischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(5). The following consists of the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law as mandated by Fed. R. Bankr.P. 7052.

*71 FACTS

On or about May 6, 1975, Plaintiff and Defendant were validly married in the State of New York. Plaintiff and Defendant have two children, John R. born on September 17, 1975, and Erica A., born on November 27, 1978. During the course of the marriage, Plaintiff and Defendant purchased a home and real property located at 38 Brand Drive, Huntington, New York (the “Premises”). Plaintiff and Defendant owned the Premises as tenants by the entirety. In addition to the Premises, Plaintiff and Defendant also owned a home in the Poconos (the “Poconos Property”). 1 Sometime during the middle 1980’s, Plaintiff and Defendant began experiencing difficulty in their marriage, and in 1986, Defendant commenced a divorce action against Plaintiff.

On March 3, 1988, Plaintiff and Defendant entered into a stipulation of settlement of the divorce action (the “Stipulation”). Pursuant to the Stipulation, Defendant was to keep the Poconos Property. Defendant was also to pay to Plaintiff the total amount of $105,000. The sum of $25,000 was to be paid within ninety days of the date of the Stipulation, the sum of $50,000 was to be paid within six months of the date of the Stipulation, and the remainder ($30,-000) was to be paid within three years of the date of the Stipulation. Upon receipt of the first payment, Plaintiff was to vacate the Premises and execute a Bargain and Sale Deed conveying all interest in the Premises to Defendant, which deed was to be held in escrow by Defendant’s attorney and recorded upon receipt by Plaintiff of the second payment of $50,000. Pursuant to the Stipulation, in the event that Defendant did not pay the sum of $75,000 as provided for in the Stipulation, Plaintiff was granted the option to purchase the Premises for $15,000. With regard to the remaining $30,000, Plaintiff had the option to place a mortgage on the Premises for the $30,000 to be paid three years from the date of the Stipulation or upon the sale of the Premises. Plaintiff was to bear the costs of placing the mortgage on the Premises, which was to act as security for the final payment due to her in the amount of $30,000.

With regard to the jointly owned personalty, the Stipulation provides that said personalty was to be divided between the parties, with the exception of certain enumerated items. Plaintiff was directed to have the mortgage on the Premises kept current through March 1988, and upon Plaintiffs departure from the Premises, each party was to make half of the mortgage payment. Defendant was responsible for making the payment for a joint debt due to the IRS as well as joint debts owed to Martin Bregman and to the Stony Brook Childrens Hospital. Plaintiff was to pay the joint debt owed to Long Island Jewish Hospital.

Plaintiff and Defendant were to share joint custody of the children, however John R. was to reside with Defendant and Erica A. was to reside with Plaintiff. Defendant was to pay Plaintiff $112 per month for child support until the earliest occurrence of one of the following three events: 1) Erica reaching 21 years of age; 2) Erica residing with Defendant; or 3) Erica working full time or becoming legally emancipated. In the event that John R. resided with Plaintiff, then Defendant was to pay to Plaintiff an additional $112 per *72 month. Any medical expenses for the children not covered by Defendant’s medical insurance were to be divided by Plaintiff and Defendant. Each party was responsible for his or her own legal fees incurred in connection with the divorce proceeding. The Stipulation states that Plaintiff made no claims for maintenance or alimony from Defendant, and Defendant specifically waived any claim or right to alimony or maintenance.

The Stipulation provides that it shall not be merged into the Judgment of Divorce. The Judgment of Divorce was entered on June 3, 1988. The Judgment of Divorce makes no references which are inconsistent with the Stipulation.

At the time of entry into the Stipulation, Plaintiff was a licensed registered nurse, and was employed as a private nurse. Plaintiff testified at trial that in 1987, she earned an annual gross salary in the neighborhood of $25,000. Defendant was a retired corrections officer, who at the time of entry into the Stipulation, was receiving disability and social security payments in the aggregate monthly amount of $2,000. He also was a licensed practical nurse, but stated that he was not employed as of the date of the Stipulation. According to an appraisal prepared as of June 5, 1987, the Premises was valued at $160,000, and was encumbered by a mortgage in the amount of $36,000.

Defendant made the first $25,000 payment to Plaintiff pursuant to the terms of the Stipulation. According to Defendant, he borrowed the funds from his father. As the Stipulation required, Plaintiff vacated the Premises and executed a Bargain and Sale Deed conveying all interest in the Premises to Defendant, which Deed was to be held in escrow by Defendant’s attorney and recorded upon receipt of the second payment in the amount of $50,000.

The next payment in the amount of $50,000 was due on September 3, 1988. Plaintiff received a check in the amount of $50,000 dated September 2, 1988 from Goldstein & Rubinton, P.C., counsel to Defendant. After the payment of the $50,000, the Deed transferring Plaintiffs interest in the Premises to Defendant was released from escrow to Defendant. Ultimately, Plaintiff used the funds received from Defendant as part of the down payment to purchase a home in 1992. During the time period after vacating the Premises and buying her own home, Plaintiff rented an apartment as shelter for herself and daughter.

In the meantime, on September 7, 1988, Plaintiff exercised her option to secure her final payment of $30,000 by having Defendant execute a note and mortgage on the Premises in the sum of $30,000. The note and mortgage were delivered to Plaintiff on October 8, 1988. Plaintiff did not record the mortgage granted by Defendant until February 14,1989.

Eleven days prior to the date that the note and mortgage from Defendant were mailed to Plaintiff, Defendant had transferred his interest as sole owner in the Premises to Gloria Moore, a friend of his, on September 27,1988. Thereafter, Gloria Moore applied for and was granted a mortgage loan on the Premises in the amount of $147,000. The mortgage loan to Ms.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
304 B.R. 67, 2004 Bankr. LEXIS 90, 2004 WL 212457, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-herbert-in-re-herbert-nyed-2004.