Martin v. Wilbur (In Re Wilbur)

304 B.R. 521, 17 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 40, 2003 Bankr. LEXIS 1904, 2003 WL 23214330
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedOctober 2, 2003
DocketBankruptcy No. 97-18130-8G7. Adversary No. 98-108
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 304 B.R. 521 (Martin v. Wilbur (In Re Wilbur)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Martin v. Wilbur (In Re Wilbur), 304 B.R. 521, 17 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 40, 2003 Bankr. LEXIS 1904, 2003 WL 23214330 (M.D. Fla. 2003).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, AND MEMORANDUM OPINION

PAUL M. GLENN, Chief Judge.

THIS ADVERSARY PROCEEDING came on for final evidentiary hearing on the Verified Complaint to Determine Dis-chargeability of Debt and Objection to Discharge of Debtor filed on February 27, 1998, by Rosalie M. Martin (the Plaintiff, or Ms. Martin), the former wife of William Leo Wilbur, III (the Defendant or the Debtor). The Debtor filed Defendant’s Answer to Count I of the Verified Complaint to Determine Dischargeability of Debt and Objection to Discharge of Debt- or; Defenses and Counterclaim on March 27, 1998. The Plaintiff filed Plaintiffs Answer to Counterclaim and Affirmative Defense on May 12, 1998. The Debtor also filed Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Counts II through VI, as well as a Motion to Strike All Claims for Attorney’s Fees on March 27, 1998. Following a hearing on these two motions, an order was entered granting Defendant’s Motion to Strike All Claims for Attorney’s Fees on May 29, 1998. In addition, an order was entered on May 29, 1998 denying Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Counts II through VI of the Verified Complaint. The Defendant’s Answer to Counts II through VI and Defenses were filed on June 17,1998.

Background

The Debtor filed his Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition on November 3, 1997. On Schedule F, Creditors Holding Unsecured Nonpriority Claims, he listed Rosalie M. *524 Martin with a Property Settlement Agreement in the amount of $50,000.00. The Debtor’s Section 341 Meeting of Creditors was first set and concluded on December 4, 1997. On February 2, 1998, Ms. Martin’s counsel filed a Motion for Extension of Time to File Objection to Discharge of the Debtor. On February 9, 1998, the Court entered an order granting Ms. Martin “twenty (20) days from the date of this order to file her Objection to the Discharge of the Debtor...”

The final evidentiary hearing in this adversary proceeding encompassed four days of testimony by both the Debtor and the Plaintiff, as well as their respective witnesses. Counsel for both parties introduced several notebooks of exhibits into evidence. (See Transcript of Final Evi-dentiary Hearing, Volume I, page 6, August 2, 2002)(The hearing took place at various dates over a several month period; the transcript for all dates is hereinafter referred to as “Transcript” and the reference shall include the volume and page numbers as well as the date.)

From the evidence presented the Court determines the following:

1. Ms. Martin and the Debtor were married from 1984 to 1996, with the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage entered in the Circuit Court for Pinellas County, Florida, on February 21, 1996.

2. The Debtor was the sole shareholder of an office supply/copier service business named Empire Office Equipment, Inc. The business was started shortly after the Debtor and Ms. Martin were married. The Debtor provided the technical expertise and supervision of other technicians that the business employed from time to time. Ms. Martin worked there from January, 1992, to February, 1995, as an office assistant.

3. At the time of her marriage to the Debtor, Ms. Martin owned a four bedroom house in Seminole, Florida. Ms. Martin was awarded the home as part of a settlement in the divorce proceedings from her first marriage, and at that time the mortgage on the home was approximately $45,000.

4. During their marriage the Debtor and Ms. Martin refinanced the Seminole house twice, using the proceeds from the refinancing of the equity in the home for an operation for Ms. Martin and for capital for the Empire Office Equipment business.

5. In connection with the final divorce decree, the parties executed a Mediated Marital Settlement Agreement on December 4, 1995. In the agreement Ms. Martin agreed to quit-claim her interest in commercial property in Largo, Florida (where Empire Office Equipment conducted its business at that time) and the Debtor agreed to quit-claim his interest in the marital residence (which was the property originally obtained by Ms. Martin as a result of the divorce proceedings involving her first marriage). The responsibilities for the marital debts and the ownership of the two automobiles was specified in the agreement. With regard to spousal support, the agreement contained a specific waiver of alimony on the part of both parties. Empire Office Equipment, Inc. was also a party to the agreement, and obligations involving Empire Office Equipment are set forth below:

C. Empire Office Equipment, Inc.: The Husband shall retain sole ownership of his business, Empire Office Equipment, Inc. and shall assume responsibility for all liabilities associated with the business except as otherwise provided herein. The Husband’s solely owned business, Empire Office Equipment, Inc., personally guaranteed by the Husband individually, shall pay to the Wife *525 in consideration of her assumption of loans associated with the business a lump sum payment of $69,000 payable as follows: Beginning January 1, 1996, and continuing on the first day of each month for the next consecutive 59 months, the business shall pay to the wife $1,150 per month. Because the parties acknowledge that these payments shall effectuate the equitable distribution of the parties’ assets and liabilities but are incidentally necessary to the support of the Wife, these payments shall be non-dischargeable in bankruptcy and shall be specifically enforceable by contempt. As further security of the repayment of this loan to the Wife, the Husband shall maintain a life insurance policy of at least $69,000 naming the Wife as a beneficiary for so long as he has this obligation. Additionally, the Husband shall, if acceptable to his health insurance carrier, provide health insurance coverage to the Wife as presently maintained with the Wife assuming responsibility for payment of the monthly premium.

(Emphasis supplied).

Discussion

The Plaintiffs complaint specifies six separate counts. Count I relies on 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(5) for the determination that the above-described obligation of the Debtor as guarantor of the obligation of Empire Office Equipment is nondischargeable spousal support to the Plaintiff. Count II requests relief under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(15) if the Debtor’s obligation to the Plaintiff specified in Count I is not determined to be in the nature of alimony, maintenance, or support. Counts III through VI recite various grounds and include provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 727(a) to deny the Debtor a discharge.

I. Dischargeability of the Debt Owed to the Plaintiff

Section 523 (a)(5) of the Bankruptcy Code provides as follows:

11 U.S.C. § 523. Exceptions to discharge

(a) A discharge under section 727, 1141, 1228(a), 1228(b), or 1328(b) of this title does not discharge an individual debtor from any debb-

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Bluebook (online)
304 B.R. 521, 17 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 40, 2003 Bankr. LEXIS 1904, 2003 WL 23214330, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/martin-v-wilbur-in-re-wilbur-flmd-2003.