Maguire Bros., LLC v. Bellamy (In re Bellamy)

484 B.R. 562
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. New York
DecidedDecember 7, 2012
DocketBankruptcy No. 12-10897 K; Adversary No. 12-1030 K
StatusPublished

This text of 484 B.R. 562 (Maguire Bros., LLC v. Bellamy (In re Bellamy)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maguire Bros., LLC v. Bellamy (In re Bellamy), 484 B.R. 562 (N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

MICHAEL J. KAPLAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

This is a Chapter 7 case. These are cross-motions for summary judgment in a dischargeability case under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6)—“wilful and malicious injury” to the person or property of another.

The Debtor suffered massive fire damage to her home in 2009. She hired the Plaintiff for certain clean-up and remediation services. She received insurance proceeds of $129,708.42, but according to the Plaintiff, she did not fully pay the Plaintiff what it was owed from those proceeds. She argues that she paid for what she thought was due and owing to the Plaintiff—$27,693.33.1 The Plaintiff alleges that the Debtor “converted” insurance proceeds of $30,317.60. It has filed a mechanic’s lien in that amount. Further, it still holds the furniture that was removed for cleaning, and continues to assess storage charges.

DISCUSSION

For there to be “conversion” of money under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6), a plaintiff first must demonstrate that it has a possessory right or property interest in the money.2 McKee v. Gratz, 260 U.S. 127, 43 S.Ct. 16, 67 L.Ed. 167 (1922); In re 601 Columbus Ave. Realty Trust, 968 F.2d 1332, 1358 (1st Cir.1992); Orchid Constr. Corp. v. Gonzalez, 89 A.D.3d 705, 932 N.Y.S.2d 125 (2d Dept.2011). No such right or interest was granted by the Defendant here in anything that she signed. Consequently the Plaintiff relies on N.Y. Lien Law § 4-a and § 70.

Those statutes clearly have no application here. One need look no further than the very case that the Plaintiff cites in its own favor—Valsen Construction Corp. v. Long Island Racquet and Health Club, 228 A.D.2d 668, 645 N.Y.S.2d 317 (2nd Dept.1996). That court pointed out that those statutes establish “that the proceeds of an insurance policy shall become trust assets where there is ‘destruction or removal by fire or other casualty of an improvement on which lienors have performed labor or services.’

In other words, the work that the contractor performed had to have been performed before the casualty, not after. Before a casualty, a contractor is protected by the ability to lien the real estate. After a casualty, the diminished value of the property might leave the contractor’s lien without sufficient value to protect the contractor. Thus, the contractor is given a lien on insurance proceeds (N.Y. Lien Law § 4-a) and the insured must hold the insurance proceeds in trust for the contractor (N.Y. Lien Law § 70.)

The Valsen Court cogently and concisely stated the reason that that plaintiff (and the present Plaintiff) is not protected by those statutes. It said, “[T]he plaintiff was not a lienor at the time that the casualty occurred to the property. Consequently, the substitute res, insurance proceeds, need not be held in trust to protect the interests of [those who performed the] work that was destroyed.”

[565]*565For the same reason that that court rejected the trust claim against that defendant, this Court rejects any lien claim (N.Y. Lien Law § 4-a) or breach-of-trust claim (N.Y. Lien Law § 70) as to the insurance proceeds received by this Defendant.

It being so held, the Plaintiff is left only with a claim that the Debtor “fraudulently” used the insurance proceeds for purposes other than to pay the Plaintiff. In other words, she chose not to pay although she had the ability to pay. Totally apart from the fact that a decision to breach a contract despite an ability to perform is not “fraud,”3 this Complaint was pled in 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6), not § 528(a)(2). (If premised in § 523(a)(2) it would be necessary for the Plaintiff to establish that the Debtor did not intend to pay the Plaintiff at the time that she signed the agreement for the work—so-called “promissory fraud.” That would be impossible here where the Plaintiff solicited the Debtor (not the other way around) and even caused her to waive the 3-day rescission right as to door-to-door solicitations.)

This Complaint is so baseless in law that it is “shocking to the conscience of the Court.” Rule 11 is implicated, and the Court now exercises its sua sponte authority under that Rule. The Plaintiff or its counsel shall show cause on December 19, 2012 at 10:00 a.m., why a sanction should not be imposed equal to the Debtor’s cost of defense, including her attorneys’ fees.

But for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Stem v. Marshall, — U.S.-, 131 S.Ct. 2594, 180 L.Ed.2d 475 (2011), the Court also would invite the Debtor to amend her Answer to include counterclaims to replevy her furniture and to address the mechanic’s lien. That case, however, casts doubt on this Court’s jurisdiction to decide state-law counterclaims where resolution of such counterclaims is not necessary to this Court’s adjudication of a “core” bankruptcy matter. (In Stern v. Marshall the “core” matter was an objection to Mr. Marshall’s Proof of Claim, and the Debtor’s counterclaim against Mr. Marshall (asserted by Trustee Stern) was found by the High Court to have been insufficiently related to that “core” matter to fall within the bankruptcy court’s jurisdictional limits.) Here, the “core” matter is dischargeability of the debt. That matter is now resolved in the Debtor’s favor. The matter of the lawful amount of the Plaintiffs contract claim against the Debt- or cannot come before this Court unless this is (or becomes) an “asset case” and the Plaintiff files a Proof of Claim. In that event, this Court will have “core” jurisdiction to fix the amount owed by the Debtor (and, hence, the proper size of the mechanic’s lien).

For now, any remedies that the Debtor might have against the Plaintiff (such as double or treble damages for filing a false or inflated mechanic’s lien, and for replevin of the furniture) are garden-variety state-law causes of action that are not related to any remaining “core” function of this Court in this Chapter 7 case. (Obviously, if this were a Chapter 13 case the size of the Plaintiffs secured claim would be a “core” matter.)

DICTUM

As noted above, a decision to breach a contract that one fully intended to perform is, by definition, “breach of contract” not “fraud.” The consequence of such breach is that the defaulting party is liable in contract damages. Contract damages, however, are dischargeable in [566]*566bankruptcy.4

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Bluebook (online)
484 B.R. 562, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maguire-bros-llc-v-bellamy-in-re-bellamy-nywb-2012.