Land Ventures for 2, LLC v. Fritz

551 B.R. 846, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146665, 2015 WL 6660188
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Alabama
DecidedOctober 29, 2015
DocketCASE NO. 2:12-CV-240-WKW
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 551 B.R. 846 (Land Ventures for 2, LLC v. Fritz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Land Ventures for 2, LLC v. Fritz, 551 B.R. 846, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146665, 2015 WL 6660188 (M.D. Ala. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

W. Keith Watkins, CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Land Ventures for 2, LLC (“Land Ventures”) was in the business of buying and selling real property. When the economic downturn affected the business’s bottom line, Todd Pittman (Land Ventures’ 99% owner) sought assistance from bankruptcy counsel and eventually retained the defendants, Michael Fritz and his law firm (collectively “Fritz”), in July 2009. In March 2010, Fritz filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding on behalf of Land Ventures in order to forestall foreclosure proceedings that Farm Credit of NW Florida (“Farm Credit”) had com[849]*849menced against two of Land Ventures’ most valuable properties.

Throughout the bankruptcy proceedings, Land Ventures failed to offer Farm Credit adequate protection on its secured claim. Farm Credit was an aggressive creditor, objecting to most of Land-Ventures’ filings in the bankruptcy case, and early on sought relief from the automatic stay in order to proceed with the foreclosures on the two properties. (BP Doc. #50.)1 The bankruptcy court ultimately lifted the stay, after a hearing. (BP Doc. # 106.)

During the pendency of the bankruptcy, Land Ventures never filed a Chapter 11 plan, and, the bankruptcy court, after denying Land Ventures’ motion to extend time to file a plan, converted the case to a Chapter 7 proceeding. (BP Docs. # 167, 176, 180.) A Chapter 7 trustee was appointed, and she liquidated Land Ventures’ remaining assets.

On March 15, 2012, Land Ventures filed this malpractice action against Fritz in the district court.2 The matter was referred to the bankruptcy court, where the parties filed opposing motions for summary judgment (Doc. #28; MP Docs. #31, 33.) Before the court is the bankruptcy judge’s Recommendation that Fritz’s motion for summary judgment be granted, that Land Ventures’ motion for summary judgment be denied, and that the civil action be dismissed with prejudice. (Doc. #34-1.) Land Ventures filed a timely objection (MP Doc. # 50) to the Recommendation to which Fritz filed a response. (MP Doc. # 52.)

After careful consideration of the record, the applicable case law, and the Recommendation, the court finds that the Recommendation on the issue of causation is due to be adopted, Land Ventures’ motion for summary judgment (MP Doc. # 31) is due to be denied, and Fritz’s motion for summary judgment (MP Doc. # 33) is due to be granted.

II. JURISDICTION AND VENUE

The bankruptcy judge determined that subject-matter jurisdiction was proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Although this court disagrees with that determination, it nonetheless finds that subject-matter jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b). Section 1334(b) provides that “the district courts shall have original but not exclusive jurisdiction of all civil proceedings arising under title 11, or arising in or related to cases under title 11.” 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b). A case is “related to” a case under title 11 if ‘“the outcome of the proceeding could conceivably have an effect on the estate being administered in bankruptcy.’ ” Cont’l Nat’l Bank of Miami v. Sanchez (In re [850]*850Toledo), 170 F.3d 1340, 1345 (11th Cir.1999) (quoting Miller v. Kemira, Inc. (In re Lemco Gypsum, Inc.) 910 F.2d 784, 788 (11th Cir.1990)).

As found in the prior Order that withdrew the referral to the magistrate judge, this action is “related to” Land Ventures’ bankruptcy proceeding, which undisputedly is a “case[ ] under title 11,” § 1334(b). (See Doc. # 36, at 8-14.) Based on those findings, the court properly exercises subject-matter jurisdiction pursuant to § 1334(b). Personal jurisdiction and venue are not contested.

III. STANDARDS OF REVIEW

The court reviews de novo “those matters [in the Recommendation] to which any party has timely and specifically objected.” 28 U.S.C. § 157(c)(1).

The court applies the same standard as the bankruptcy judge. To succeed on summary judgment, the movant must demonstrate “that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). “[T]he court must view all evidence and make all reasonable inferences in favor of the party opposing summary judgment.” Haves v. City of Miami, 52 F.3d 918, 921 (11th Cir.1995).

The party moving for summary judgment “always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). This responsibility includes identifying the portions of the record illustrating the absence of a genuine dispute of material fact. Id. Or a movant who does not have a trial burden of production can assert, without citing the record, that the nonmoving party “cannot produce admissible evidence to support” a material fact. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)(1)(B); see also Fed.R.Civ.P. 56 advisory committee’s note (“Subdivision (c)(1)(B) recognizes that a party need not always point to specific record materials .... [A] party who does not have the trial burden of production may rely on a showing that a party who does have the trial burden cannot produce admissible evidence to carry its burden as to the fact.”). If the movant meets its burden, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to establish-with evidence beyond the pleadings-that a genuine dispute material to each of its claims for relief exists. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548. A genuine dispute of material fact exists when the nonmoving party produces evidence allowing a reasonable fact finder to return a verdict in its favor. Waddell v. Valley Forge Dental Assocs., 276 F.3d 1275, 1279 (11th Cir.2001). On the other hand, “[i]f the evidence is merely colorable or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

IV. BACKGROUND

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Bluebook (online)
551 B.R. 846, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146665, 2015 WL 6660188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/land-ventures-for-2-llc-v-fritz-almd-2015.