Miller v. Greenwich Capital Financial Products, Inc. (In re American Business Financial Services, Inc.)

384 B.R. 80, 2008 Bankr. LEXIS 784
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware
DecidedMarch 20, 2008
DocketBankruptcy No. 05-10203 (MFW); Adversary No. A-06-50826 (MFW)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 384 B.R. 80 (Miller v. Greenwich Capital Financial Products, Inc. (In re American Business Financial Services, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Greenwich Capital Financial Products, Inc. (In re American Business Financial Services, Inc.), 384 B.R. 80, 2008 Bankr. LEXIS 784 (Del. 2008).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION1

MARY F. WALRATH, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the Court is the Motion of Greenwich Capital Financial Products, Inc. (“Greenwich”) for dismissal of the Amended Complaint filed by George L. Miller (the “Trustee”). For the reasons set forth below, the Court will deny the motion.

I. BACKGROUND

The background to this case and adversary proceeding are set forth in the Court’s Opinion dated February 13, 2007 (the “First Greenwich Opinion”), which granted in part Greenwich’s motion to dismiss the Original Complaint filed against it by the Trustee. Miller v. Greenwich Capital Fin. Prods., Inc. (In re Am. Bus. Fin. Servs., Inc.), 361 B.R. 747, 761 (Bankr.D.Del.2007).

In granting Greenwich’s first motion to dismiss, the Court permitted the Trustee to amend his complaint. The Trustee filed the Amended Complaint on March 13, 2007. Greenwich filed its Motion to Dismiss the Amended Complaint on April 12, 2007. Briefing was completed by June 18, 2007, and the matter is ripe for decision.

II. JURISDICTION

The Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this adversary proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(b) & 157(b)(1). Many of the counts are core matters pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A), (B), (E), (H), (K), & (O).

III.DISCUSSION

Greenwich moves for dismissal of the claims against it under Rule 12(b)(6) and Rule 9(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which are made applicable to adversary proceedings by Rules 7012(b) and 7009 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, respectively. Specifically, Greenwich argues that the Trustee’s Amended Complaint fails to state a claim for which relief can be granted and fails to plead fraud with particularity.

A. Standard of Review

1. Rule 12(b)(6) Dismissal

A Rule 12(b)(6) motion serves to test the sufficiency of the factual allegations in the plaintiffs complaint. Kost v. Kozakiewicz, 1 F.3d 176, 183 (3d Cir.1993). To succeed on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the movant must establish “to a certainty that no relief could be granted under any set of facts which could be proved.” Morse v. Lower Merion School Dist., 132 F.3d 902, 906 (3d Cir.1997) (quoting D.P. Enter., Inc. v. Bucks County Cmty. Coll., 725 F.2d 943, 944 (3d Cir.1984)). “In deciding a motion to dismiss, we must accept all well-pleaded allegations in the complaint as true, and view them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.” Carino v. Stefan, 376 F.3d 156, 159 (3d Cir.2004). All reasonable inferences are drawn in favor of the plaintiff. Kost, 1 F.3d at 183. “The issue is not whether a plaintiff will ultimately prevail but whether the claimant is entitled to offer evidence to support the claims.” Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974), [85]*85abrogated on other grounds by Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 814-15, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982). See also Maio v. Aetna, Inc., 221 F.3d 472, 482 (3d Cir.2000); In re OODC, LLC, 321 B.R. 128, 134 (Bankr.D.Del.2005) (“Granting a motion to dismiss is a ‘disfavored’ practice ....”).

2. Rule 8(a)

Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires only that a Complaint contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a). The statement must provide the defendant with fair notice of the claim filed against it. See, e.g., Williams v. Potter, 384 F.Supp.2d 730, 733 (D.Del.2005) (“Vague and conclu-sory factual allegations do not provide fair notice to a defendant.”) (citing United States v. City of Phila., 644 F.2d 187, 204 (3d Cir.1980)).

3. Rule 9(b) Dismissal

Where a complaint asserts a claim for fraud, however, the standard for pleading is higher. The complaint must set forth facts with sufficient particularity to apprise the defendant of the charges against him so that he may prepare an adequate answer. In re Global Link Tele-com Corp., 327 B.R. 711, 718 (Bankr.D.Del. 2005). To provide fair notice, the complainant must go beyond merely parroting statutory language. Id. See also In re Circle Y of Yoakum, Texas, 354 B.R. 349, 356 (Bankr.D.Del.2006). A bankruptcy trustee, as a third party outsider to the debt- or’s transactions, is generally afforded greater liberality in pleading fraud. Global Link, 327 B.R. at 717.

B. Greenwich’s Motion to Dismiss

1. Final DIP Order

Greenwich first argues that the language of the Final DIP Order bars the Trustee’s claim that Greenwich committed a fraud on the Court by failing to advise the Court that the value of the I/O Strips was substantially less than the Debtor represented. Specifically, the Final DIP Order provides that:

The Agent [Greenwich] ... ha[s] made no representations, offered no opinions, and ha[s] taken no positions ... regarding the value of any portion of the Col-lateralized Sub-debt shared Collateral [defined as the I/O Strips], the Debtors have not relied upon any representation, opinion or position of the Agent or the Secured Parties in regard thereto.

(Final DIP Order at 17 (emphasis added).) In the First Greenwich Opinion, the Court agreed, concluding that this did bar the Trustee’s claim of common law fraud or fraud on the court. Am. Bus. Fin. Servs., 361 B.R. at 756.

The Trustee argues, however, that the basis of his fraud on the court claim is not that Greenwich made representations upon which the Debtor relied but that Greenwich made representations to the Court (in its response to the Creditors’ Committee’s efforts to obtain a replacement DIP lender) and in its failure to advise the Court that because of the true value of the I/O Strips the Debtor would be in default of the DIP loan as soon as it was approved. The Trustee has clarified this in the Amended Complaint. (Amended Complaint ¶¶ 31-58.)

To prove fraud upon the court, the Trustee must establish: “(1) an intentional fraud; (2) by an officer of the court; (3) which is directed at the court itself; and (4) that in fact deceives the court.” Herring v. United States, 424 F.3d 384, 390 (3d Cir.2005).

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384 B.R. 80, 2008 Bankr. LEXIS 784, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-greenwich-capital-financial-products-inc-in-re-american-deb-2008.