King v. Tuxedo Enterprises, Inc.

975 F. Supp. 448, 35 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1372, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12970, 1997 WL 537351
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedAugust 22, 1997
DocketNo. 94 CV 4858
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 975 F. Supp. 448 (King v. Tuxedo Enterprises, Inc.) 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.

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King v. Tuxedo Enterprises, Inc., 975 F. Supp. 448, 35 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1372, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12970, 1997 WL 537351 (E.D.N.Y. 1997).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

NICKERSON, District Judge.

Plaintiffs, trustees of various trust funds for Local 282 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, brought this action against defendants Tuxedo Enterprises, Inc. (Tuxedo) and Mayrieh Construction Corporation (Mayrieh) to recover unpaid employee fringe benefit contributions. This court has jurisdiction pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, see 29 U.S.C. §§ 1132 and 1145, the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, see 29 U.S.C. § 185, and 28 U.S.C. § 1367.

In an Order dated August 13, 1996, the court struck defendant Tuxedo’s answer and directed entry of default against it. On October 15, 1996, judgment was entered against Tuxedo in the amount of $40,367.82, representing the amount outstanding as well as interest and attorneys’ fees.

Plaintiffs now move for summary judgment against defendant Mayrieh.

I.

The following relevant facts are undisputed.

On December 16, 1993, Tuxedo entered into a letter agreement with plaintiffs for payment of $73,038.71 in employee fringe benefit contributions (the Agreement).

The Agreement provided that Tuxedo make an initial payment of $17,000, another payment of $21,500, and then ten equal monthly installments of $3,453.87 each. Payment of the monthly installments was to begin on February 20,1994.

Tuxedo promised in the Agreement to execute as security an assignment of accounts receivable from Mayrieh, “together with appropriate security interests, UCC-ls.” Tuxedo was to make payments to plaintiffs by joint check with Mayrieh, or in the alternative by its own certified checks or money orders.

On December 20, 1993 Tuxedo executed a UCC-1 financing statement indicating that plaintiffs had a security interest in Tuxedo’s Mayrieh account. The UCC-1 was filed and recorded in Bergen County, New Jersey on December 28,1993 and with the New Jersey Department of State on January 7, 1994.

Tuxedo made the $17,000 and the $21,000 payments as required, but failed to begin making the monthly payments provided for in the Agreement. Therefore, on March 11, 1994 plaintiffs notified Mayrieh by letter that [451]*451the Tuxedo account had been assigned to plaintiffs by Tuxedo and that all future payments should be made directly to them. The letter specified which account had been assigned and had attached a copy of the UCC-1 and notice of assignment.

On March 15, 1994, following a telephone conversation with individuals at Mayrieh, plaintiffs sent another letter to Mayrieh, this time including copies of the UCC-1 and of the Agreement. The letter demanded again that Mayrieh make all future payments directly to plaintiffs.

Tuxedo then failed to make the March, April and May payments. Accordingly, after each missed payment, plaintiffs sent, return receipt requested, notification to Mayrieh, advising it of the assignment and demanding payment. The notification dated May 31, 1994 summarized all the previous notices sent, requested a list of amounts due and owing by Mayrieh to Tuxedo, and informed Mayrieh that if it did not make the payment demanded within seven days, plaintiffs would commence suit.

Around this time, Tuxedo paid plaintiffs four $3,453 installments for the months February through May. But Tuxedo did not pay the June installment. On July 12, 1994, plaintiffs once again notified Mayrieh by letter about the assignment.

On July 22,1994 plaintiffs sent Mayrieh an Information Subpoena with Restraining Notice. On August 11, 1994 plaintiffs advised Mayrieh of its failure to respond to the Information Subpoena. Plaintiffs say that a few days later an attorney for Mayrieh contacted plaintiffs and informed them that Mayrieh intended to pay in full the amount due and therefore would not be responding to the subpoena.

On August 12, 1994 plaintiffs sent another letter to Mayrieh summarizing Mayrich’s obligations under the assignment. The letter also stated that “if this office is advised that Mayrieh Construction Corp. has paid money to Tuxedo Enterprises, Inc. since the date of the first notice, then this office will take any and all actions necessary to protect the interests of our clients.” No response was received from Mayrieh.

Plaintiffs commenced this action on October 17, 1994. In the course of discovery, plaintiffs say they found out that between December 1993 and August 1994, Mayrieh made twenty-five payments directly to Tuxedo. These payments totaled $993,000, $300,-000 of which Mayrieh paid to Tuxedo after receiving notification of the assignment from Mayrieh.

Plaintiffs seek to recover the amount outstanding under the Agreement, $20,723.23, as well as interest, attorneys’ fees, costs and disbursements.

II.

Plaintiffs, the assignees, move for summary judgment on the ground that Mayrieh, the account debtor, received notification of the assignment and thus was legally obligated to either request proof of the assignment or begin making payments to plaintiffs.

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c) the court will grant summary judgment if the evidence offered shows that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movants are entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). On the motion the court views the record in the light most favorable to the non-movant and resolves all ambiguities and draws all reasonable inferences against the movants. United States v. Diebold, Inc., 369 U.S. 654, 655, 82 S.Ct. 993, 994, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962); Donahue v. Windsor Locks Bd. of Fire Comm’rs, 834 F.2d 54, 57 (2d Cir.1987).

III.

The court has supplemental jurisdiction over plaintiffs’ claim against Mayrieh, 28 U.S.C. § 1367, and the question of whether a valid assignment exists is determined under state law. A federal court adjudicating a pendent state law claim applies the choice of law rules of the forum state. See Rogers v. Grimaldi, 875 F.2d 994, 1002 (2d Cir.1989). Under New York choice of law rules, the court applies the law of the state having the most significant contacts to the underlying transaction. Lazard Freres & [452]*452Co. v. Protective Life Ins., Co., 108 F.3d 1531

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975 F. Supp. 448, 35 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1372, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12970, 1997 WL 537351, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/king-v-tuxedo-enterprises-inc-nyed-1997.