Kahkeshani v. Hann (In re Hann)

544 B.R. 326
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedJanuary 12, 2016
DocketCASE NO. 12-31500-H5-7; ADVERSARY NO. 12-03256
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 544 B.R. 326 (Kahkeshani v. Hann (In re Hann)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kahkeshani v. Hann (In re Hann), 544 B.R. 326 (Tex. 2016).

Opinion

Order Regarding Motions for Summary Judgment

KAREN K. BROWN, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Before the Court are two motions. Saeed Kahkeshani' moves for summary judgment that his debt is nondischargeabie under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A), (a)(4), and (a)(6). Stephen K. Hann moves for summary judgment that he is entitled to his discharge under 11 U.S.C. § 727 and that Kahkeshani’s debt is not nondischargeabie under § 523. The Court has jurisdiction over this proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157. This is a core proceeding.

After reviewing the summary judgment evidence and the arguments of counsel, the Court concludes that Kahkeshani failed to prove his allegations under 11 U.S.C. §§ 727, 523(a)(2)(A), (a)(4), and _ (a)(6). The Court further concludes that Hann is entitled to summary judgment on these causes of action.

I. Procedural Background

On February 22, 2011, Kahkeshani sued SKH 2000, Inc. d/b/a Hann Builders, Hann Builders, Ltd. and Stephen K. Hann in state court for breach of contract and other causes of action arising from a residential construction contract.1 Hann was the sole officer, director and shareholder of SKH 2000, Inc. On February 29, 2012, Hann filed a voluntary Chapter 7 petition. On April 13, 2012, Hann removed the state court case to this Court as Adv. No. 12-03196. On May 25, 2012, Kahkeshani commenced the instant Adv. No. 12-03256, to deny debtor a discharge under 11 U.S.C. § 727 and to determine the dischargeability of his debt under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a).

The residential construction contract provides for arbitration of any disputes. Accordingly, on March 29, 2013, the Court [329]*329ordered the parties in the removed case, Adv. No. 12-03196, to arbitration.

In the final arbitration award, the parties agreed that the bankruptcy court would decide whether Hann is entitled to a discharge and/or whether a discharge should be denied. The award states the parties agreed that all issues of fact relating to claims and defenses in Adv. No. 12-03256 and Adv. No. 12-03196 would be submitted for determination by the arbitrator. The parties stipulated that the arbitrator would decide such disputed issues of fact and law as required to determine:

... whether Hann violated Chapter 162 of the Texas Property Code, also known as the “Texas Construction Trust Fund Statute”; whether Hann engaged in common law fraud (including fraud in the inducement, fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by nondisclosure); whether Hann knowingly made false representations; whether Hann fraudulently induced Claimant to forego the statutory retainage by making false statements with the intent to deceive; whether Hann’s conduct constituted civil theft or a breach of fiduciary duty; whether SKH 2000 breached its contract with Dr. Kahkeshani; whether Hann violated the Texas Business & Commerce Code, Chapter 24, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act; whether Hann is an alter ego of the corporate Defendant SKH 2000; what if any actual damages arose because of a breach, if any, of duty owed to Claimant; and whether Claimant is entitled to recover exemplary damages and/or attorneys’ fees and expenses as alleged.

The arbitrator issued his final award on April 8, 2014. The award found SKH 2000, Inc. liable to Kahkeshani for breach of contract and fraudulent misrespresentations; Hann liable as alter ego for SKH 2000, Inc.’s fraudulent misrepresentations; and Hann and SKH 2000, Inc., collectively liable for violating the Texas Construction Trust Fund Act, Tex. Prop.Code section 162.001, et. seq. The arbitrator found Hann and SKH 2000, Inc. jointly and severally liable for damages and attorneys fees to Kahkeshani in the amount of $571,972.13.2 The arbitrator’s final award is attached as Exhibit “A.”

II. Contentions of the Parties

Kahkeshani seeks summary judgment that his debt is nondischargeable based on the preclusive effect of the arbitrator’s findings in Adv. No. 12-03196. Kahkeshani contends that his debt is nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2), (4), and (6) in Adv. No. 12-03256. Kahkeshani’s summary judgment evidence consists solely of the arbitrator’s final award.

Conversely, Hann seeks summary judgment discharging Kahkeshani’s debt. Hann urges that he is entitled to his discharge under 11 U.S.C. § 727 and that his debt to Kahkeshani is not nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2), (4), and (6).

Hann relies on the arbitrator’s findings and his affidavit to show he lacked the requisite level of intent necessary to render his debt nondischargeable as fraud under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A), defalcation or embezzlement under (a)(4), or as a willful and malicious debt under 11 U.S.C.

[330]*330§ 523(a)(6). Further, Hann contends that the findings show there is no evidentiary support for Kahkeshani’s allegation that Hann’s discharge should be denied under 11 U.S.C. § 727.

III. Collateral Estoppel

Under the Federal Full Faith and Credit Statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1738, federal courts must give a state court judgment the same preclusive effect as would courts of the state rendering the judgment. See 28 U.S.C. § 1738; McDonald v. City of West Branch, Mich., 466 U.S. 284, 287-288, 104 S.Ct. 1799, 80 L.Ed.2d 302 (1984). In contrast, federal courts are not required by statute to give res judicata or collateral-estoppel effect to an unappealed arbitration award. Id. In McDonald, the Supreme Court held that an arbitration pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement did not preclude plaintiffs subsequent trial of § his 1983 suit. Id. The Court rejected the argument that plaintiff, as a party to a collective bargaining contract with an arbitration clause, waived plaintiff’s claim that he was fired for the exercise of his First Amendment rights. Id.

In Grimes v. BNSF Ry. Co., 746 F.3d 184

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Bluebook (online)
544 B.R. 326, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kahkeshani-v-hann-in-re-hann-txsb-2016.