Jones v. Star Bank, South Central Ohio (In re Angel)

142 B.R. 194, 18 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1317, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 996
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedJanuary 29, 1992
DocketBankruptcy No. 2-88-06487; Adv. No. 2-91-0019
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 142 B.R. 194 (Jones v. Star Bank, South Central Ohio (In re Angel)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Star Bank, South Central Ohio (In re Angel), 142 B.R. 194, 18 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1317, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 996 (Ohio 1992).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER SUSTAINING MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

BARBARA J. SELLERS, Bankruptcy Judge.

I. Introduction And Jurisdiction

This matter is before the Court upon a Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the plaintiff who is the duly-appointed trustee of the Chapter 7 estate of debtor Calvin Angel (“Trustee”). The action seeks a recovery of damages under Ohio Revised Code Section 1309.50(A) against Star Bank, South Central Ohio (“Star Bank”).

The Court has jurisdiction in this proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b) and the General Order of Reference entered in this district. This is a core proceeding which the Court has the authority to hear and determine pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b).

The following constitute findings of fact and conclusions of law. For the reasons set forth herein, summary judgment will be granted in favor of the Trustee and the remedial provisions of Ohio Rev.Code § 1309.50(A) will be enforced against Star Bank.

II. Factual Background

The uncontested facts are as follows:

On December 19, 1988, Calvin Angel (“Debtor”) filed a petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. The petition and schedules showed Star Bank as a creditor which had security interests in several vehicles and certain equipment belonging to the Debtor. In late December, Star Bank filed a notice which proposed that the Trustee abandon the vehicles and equipment.

The Trustee objected to the notice of proposed abandonment and on April 20, 1989, Star Bank withdrew that request. Concurrently, the parties agreed, and the Court approved by order, that Star Bank should be granted relief from the automat[196]*196ic stay imposed by 11 U.S.C. § 362. Pursuant to that agreed order, Star Bank was permitted to repossess and sell the vehicles and the equipment in accordance with the provisions of Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1309. No formal abandonment was ever entered.

On April 22, 1989, Star Bank sold the vehicles which are at issue in this adversary. No specific notice was provided to the Trustee of the time and place of that sale.

III.Arguments of the Parties

The Trustee argues that she is entitled to judgment as a matter of law because Star Bank failed to give her, as the party holding legal interest in the vehicles, the statutory notice of the sale required by Ohio law. For such notice she relies upon Ohio Rev.Code § 1309.47(C) which provides in part:

Unless collateral is perishable or threatens to decline speedily in value or is of a type customarily sold on a recognized market, reasonable notification of the time and place of any public sale or reasonable notification of the time after which any private sale or any other intended disposition is to be made shall be sent by the secured party to the debtor if he has not signed a statement renouncing or modifying his right to notification of the sale.

Because the filing of the bankruptcy petition created an estate comprised of all legal and equitable rights held by the Debt- or, the Trustee asserts that she is the holder of title to the estate’s property and is the “debtor” within the meaning of Ohio Rev.Code § 1309.01(A)(4). As such, the Trustee is the party who must be notified with respect to the time and place of the sale.

The Trustee also argues that no genuine issue of material fact exists with regard to the security interests, the sale and the lack of notice. She maintains that she never renounced her rights to notification and is, therefore, entitled to judgment and recovery under Ohio Rev.Code § 1309.50. That recovery is measured by “an amount not less than the credit service charge plus ten percent of the principal amount of the debt” where the property in question is “consumer goods.” Ohio Rev.Code § 1309.50.

Star Bank opposes the Trustee’s motion. Because the Trustee’s objection to Star Bank’s proposed abandonment of the vehicles and equipment specifically singled out only other vehicles and the equipment, Star Bank contends that the Trustee waived whatever interest she had in the vehicles for which recovery is sought. According to Star Bank, such waiver relieved it of any obligation to notify the Trustee of the date and time of the sale. Additionally, Star Bank questions any characterization of these particular vehicles as “consumer goods” and claims there is a genuine issue as to whether the vehicles in question were used by the Debtor primarily for personal, family or household purposes.

IV.Issues Presented

1. Whether Star Bank has established the existence of genuine issues of material fact;

2. Whether the Trustee is a proper party to receive notice under the applicable provisions of Ohio Rev.Code and

3. The amount of damages.

V.Discussion and Conclusions of Law

A. Legal Standard for Motion for Summary Judgment

The Court should grant summary judgment to the movant “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogativos and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), made applicable to bankruptcy proceedings by Fed. R.Bankr.P. 7056.

Recent case law expands the use of summary judgment as a procedural device by ruling that the “mere existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion for summary judgment; the requirement is that there be no genuine [197]*197issue of material fact.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509-10, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (emphasis in original opinion). See, also, Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).

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Bluebook (online)
142 B.R. 194, 18 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1317, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 996, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-star-bank-south-central-ohio-in-re-angel-ohsb-1992.