Menotte v. Leonard (In Re Leonard)

418 B.R. 477, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 3501
United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida.·Decided October 28, 2009·No. 19-12677·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING TRUSTEE’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT AGAINST DEFENDANT CATHY J. LEONARD [DE 92]

ERIK P. KIMBALL, Bankruptcy Judge.

This cause came before the Court upon the Trustee’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment Against Defendant Cathy J. Leonard [DE 92] (the “Motion”) filed by Deborah C. Menotte, Trustee in Bankruptcy for John E. Leonard (the “Trustee”). The Court has considered the Motion, the Defendant, Cathy J. Leonard’s, Response in Opposition to the Plaintiff’s Motion for [PJartial Summary Judgment [DE 101] (the “Response”), and the Plaintiff, Deborah C. Menotte’s Reply to Defendant, Cathy J. Leonard’s, Response in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [DE 115] (the “Reply”), and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

*481 I. Procedural and Factual Background

Cathy J. Leonard (“Ms. Leonard”) and her husband, John E. Leonard (the “Debt- or”), owned in joint tenancy real property located at 191 Sugarfork Road, Franklin, North Carolina 28734 (the “North Carolina Property”). On February 7, 2008, the Debtor executed a quitclaim deed, transferring his one-half interest in the North Carolina Property to Ms. Leonard, making Ms. Leonard the sole owner of the North Carolina Property. On February 19, 2008, the quitclaim deed was recorded in the official records of Macon County, North Carolina.

On April 30, 2008 (the “Petition Date”), the Debtor filed a petition commencing a chapter 7 case in this Court. [08 — 15510— EPK, DE 1.] The Debtor did not list in his Statement of Financial Affairs the pre-petition transfer of his one-half interest in the North Carolina Property to Ms. Leonard. [08-15510-EPK, DE 1.] The Trustee filed an adversary complaint against the Debtor, objecting to his discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 727. [08-01561-EPK, DE 1.] After an evidentiary hearing, on May 18, 2009 the Court entered Final Judgment in favor of the Trustee denying the Debtor’s discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 727(a)(2)(A) and 727(a)(4)(A). [08-01561-EPK, DE 83.]

On August 18, 2008, Ms. Leonard entered into a home equity line of credit agreement with, and gave a Deed of Trust on the North Carolina Property to, Defendant Macon Bank, Inc. (“Macon Bank”).

On September 2, 2008, the Trustee filed this adversary proceeding to avoid and recover fraudulent and/or preferential transfers and for authority to sell the North Carolina Property. [DE 1.] On March 10, 2009, the Trustee filed her Trustee’s Amended Complaint to Avoid and Recover Fraudulent and/or Preferential Transfers Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 547 and 548, to Determine Validity, Priority, and Amount of Interest in Real Property, to Quiet Title Pursuant to § 11-10 North Carolina General Statutes, for Declaratory Relief Pursuant to Bankruptcy Rules 7001(2) (7) & (9), to Sell Real Property Pursuant to U.S.C. § 868(h) and for Sale in Lieu of Partition Pursuant to § 4.6-22 North Carolina General Statutes [DE 45] (the “Amended Complaint”). By the Amended Complaint, among other things, the Trustee added Macon Bank as a defendant to this adversary proceeding.

The Motion seeks summary judgment in favor of the Trustee on Count I (fraudulent transfer pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 548), Count V (sale in lieu of partition pursuant to § 46-22 North Carolina General Statutes), and Count VI (sale of jointly held real property pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363(h)).

II. Summary Judgment Standard

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c), made applicable to this matter by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7056, provides that summary judgment is appropriate if the Court determines that the “pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “An issue of fact is ‘material’ if it is a legal element of the claim under the applicable substantive law which might affect the outcome of the case.” Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 121 F.3d 642, 646 (11th Cir.1997). In considering a motion for summary judgment, the Court must construe all facts and draw all reasonable inferences in the *482 light most favorable to the non-moving party. HCA Health Services of Ga., Inc. v. Employers Health Ins. Co., 240 F.3d 982, 991 (11th Cir.2001).

The moving party has the burden of establishing that there is an absence of any genuine issue of material fact. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. “[O]nce the moving party has met that burden by presenting evidence which, if uncontradicted, would entitle it to a directed verdict at trial, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(e) shifts to the non-moving party the burden of presenting specific facts showing that such contradiction is possible.” Walker v. Darby, 911 F.2d 1573, 1576 (11th Cir.1990) (citation omitted). “A mere ‘scintilla’ of evidence supporting the opposing party’s position will not suffice; there must be enough of a showing that the jury could reasonably find for that party.” Id. (citing Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505).

III. Analysis

a. Count I — Fraudulent Transfer Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 518

The Trustee seeks to avoid the transfer of the Debtor’s one-half interest in the North Carolina Property to Ms. Leonard.

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Menotte v. Leonard (In Re Leonard), 418 B.R. 477, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 3501 (Fla. 2009).

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