Menotte v. Pulte (In re Martin)

278 B.R. 634, 15 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 163, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 511, 39 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 162
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida.
DecidedMay 10, 2002
DocketBankruptcy No. 00-33559-BKC-PGH; Adversary No. 01-3210-BKC-PGH-A
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 278 B.R. 634 (Menotte v. Pulte (In re Martin)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida. primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Menotte v. Pulte (In re Martin), 278 B.R. 634, 15 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 163, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 511, 39 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 162 (Fla. 2002).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND GRANTING TRUSTEE’S CROSS-MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON ISSUE OF TRANSFER DATE

PAUL G. HYMAN, Jr., Bankruptcy Judge.

THIS MATTER came before the Court on November 30, 2001 upon Mark T. [637]*637Pulte’s (the “Defendant”) Motion for Summary Judgment against Deborah Menotte (the “Trustee”). On January 9, 2002, the Trustee filed a Response in Opposition to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (the “Response”) and a Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment on Limited Issue of Transfer Date (the “Cross-Motion”). On January 28, 2002, the Defendant filed a Reply to Plaintiffs Response to Motion for Summary Judgment and Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment on Issue of Transfer Date and Incorporated Memorandum of Law (the “Reply”). On February 8, 2002, the Trustee filed a Reply to Defendant’s Response to Plaintiffs Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment on Limited Issue of Transfer Date (the “Trustee’s Reply Brief’). On February 15, 2002 the Trustee and Defendant filed a Joint Stipulation of Undisputed Facts (the “Stipulation of Facts”). Having carefully reviewed the Motion for Summary Judgment, the Response and Cross-Motion, the Reply, the Trustee’s Reply Brief, and the Stipulation of Facts, the Court hereby enters the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

FINDINGS OF FACT

In February of 1998, Douglass Flynn Martin (the “Debtor”) entered into a Contract whereby the Debtor was to sell the parcel of real property located at 1780 S. Ocean Boulevard, Manalapan, Florida (the “Manalapan Property”) for $4.4 million to Benjamin Kennedy. On March 20, 1998, Benjamin Kennedy assigned the Contract to the Defendant herein. Subsequently, the Debtor announced his intent not to close on the Contract.

On May 28, 1998, the Defendant brought an action for specific performance against the Debtor by filing a Complaint for Specific Performance in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida (the “State Court Action”). The State Court Action sought to compel the Debtor to convey the Manalapan Property to the Defendant pursuant to the express terms of the Contract. In the State Court Action, the Debtor alleged inter alia that the property was sold for less than fair market value.

Ultimately, the Defendant prevailed in the State Court Action. Without making an express finding as to the Debtor’s assertion that the property was sold for less than its fair market value, the State Court entered an Order Granting Summary Judgment in favor of the Defendant. On October 14, 1999, a Final Judgment of Specific Performance was entered by the State Court. The Final Judgment was recorded in the Public Records of Palm Beach County on October 27, 1999. The Debtor appealed the State Court’s ruling, however, the ruling was affirmed on July 21, 2000 by Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal. The District Court of Appeal issued a mandate that the Debtor convey the Manalapan Property to the Defendant in accordance with the Final Judgment.

On August 10, 2000, the Debtor filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. On September 8, 2000, the Defendant was granted relief from the automatic stay to enforce his judgment. On October 20, 2000, the Honorable Stephen A. Rapp, Circuit Court Judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida executed the Warranty Deed on behalf of the Debtor. The Warranty Deed was recorded on October 20, 2000, in the Public Records of Palm Beach County, Florida.

On June 13, 2001, this case was converted from one under Chapter 11 to one under Chapter 7. Deborah C. Menotte (the “Trustee”) became the duly appointed Chapter 7 Trustee of the Debtor’s bankruptcy estate. On October 3, 2001, the [638]*638Trustee filed the Complaint for Avoidance and Recovery of Fraudulent Transfer and for Related Relief (the “Complaint”), instituting the instant Adversary Proceeding. In the Complaint, the Trustee asserts that the transfer of the Manalapan Property to the Defendant constitutes a fraudulent transfer pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(1)(B) and Florida Statutes § 726.105(l)(b) and § 726.106(1). Accordingly, the Trustee seeks to avoid such transfer through the trustee’s avoidance powers established under 11 U.S.C. § 544(b). The fourth count of the Complaint asserts that the Defendant “received and retained the Manalapan Property while the Debtor received less than reasonably equivalent value in return.” As such, the Trustee seeks damages against the Defendant under a theory of unjust enrichment.

The Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment seeks a determination that the transfer of the Manalapan Property was not a fraudulent transfer under any of the theories espoused by the Trustee. The Defendant argues that in the State Court Action the Debtor raised as a defense the assertion that he received less than fair market value for the Manalapan Property. As such, the Defendant argues that the Final Judgment of Specific Performance collaterally estops the Trustee from relit-igating the issue of whether the Debtor received a reasonably equivalent value in exchange for the Manalapan Property.

The Defendant argues further that the transfer of the Manalapan Property occurred on May 29, 1998, the date the Defendant filed his Notice of Lis Pendens, rather than October 27, 1999, the date the Defendant recorded the Final Judgment of Specific Performance. Accordingly, the Defendant argues that the transfer took place outside the one year look back provision of 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(1)(B).

Finally, the Defendant asserts that the Trustee’s claim of unjust enrichment is without merit. The Defendant claims that unjust enrichment is an equitable remedy, appropriate only when one is without a suitable legal remedy. Here, however, the Defendant argues that the Trustee has legal remedies available, namely the remedies available under the Contract as well as the statutory remedies she has already asserted.

In the Response, the Trustee argues that genuine issues of material fact remain in dispute, and therefore summary judgment is inappropriate. Specifically, the Trustee argues that a dispute exists as to whether the Debtor received reasonably equivalent value in exchange for the Mana-lapan Property. Furthermore, the Trast-ee argues that a dispute of fact exists as to whether the Debtor was insolvent on the date of the transfer, or whether the Debt- or became insolvent as a result of the transfer.

The Trustee asserts that she is not barred from arguing that the Debtor received less than the reasonably equivalent value for the Manalapan Property; this issue was neither necessary nor appropriate to the state court’s judgment against the Debtor.

Finally, the Trustee argues that she may recover on a claim of unjust enrichment as the Debtor clearly conferred a benefit upon the Defendant, and that it would be inequitable for the Defendant to retain such benefit without paying the value thereof to the Trustee. The Trustee asserts that neither the Trustee nor the Debtor’s bankruptcy estate were parties to the Contract, and therefore neither are bound by the terms of such Contract.

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278 B.R. 634, 15 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 163, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 511, 39 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/menotte-v-pulte-in-re-martin-flsb-2002.