Money v. Coastal Federal Savings & Loan (In re Kaylor)

196 B.R. 42, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 582
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Virginia
DecidedApril 19, 1996
DocketBankruptcy No. 7-88-01834-HPA-7; Adv. No. 7-91-00089
StatusPublished

This text of 196 B.R. 42 (Money v. Coastal Federal Savings & Loan (In re Kaylor)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Money v. Coastal Federal Savings & Loan (In re Kaylor), 196 B.R. 42, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 582 (Va. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

H. CLYDE PEARSON, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter is before the Court on remand from the district court for additional findings of fact and conclusions of law. The thrust of this Adversary Proceeding, alleging violation of fraudulent transfer under § 548(a)(2), involves a transaction entered into in July of 1988 wherein the Debtor, Sunshine Kaylor, and his wife executed a second Deed of Trust on property (“South Carolina property”) owned by them jointly in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to First Virginia Bank (“Bank”) to secure a pre-existing note payable to the Bank, in exchange for the release and substitution of other collateral securing the note.1 The sole issue here is whether the Trustee may avoid this transaction between the Debtor and the Bank under 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(2)(A) and (B)(i) as having been made within one year of filing of the Petition in this Court for less than reasonably equivalent value during a time when the Debtor was insolvent or became insolvent.

The history of this Adversary Proceeding is as follows: The Debtor filed his Chapter 11 Petition on November 24,1988, which was converted to Chapter 7 on May 14, 1992. This Adversary Proceeding was originally filed on April 25,1991 by the Debtor requesting a determination of liens and leave to sell the South Carolina property free and clear of liens. The Court approved the sale and reserved for further hearing all issues surrounding the alleged fraudulent transaction under § 548(a).2 Upon conversion to Chapter 7, the Trustee was substituted as party Plaintiff, for a determination of whether the Deed of Trust given to First Virginia Bank by the Debtor was a fraudulent transfer under 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(1) & (2).

Following a hearing, the Court entered its Memorandum Opinion on September 29, 1993, holding that the Trustee had npt sustained the burden of proof that there was actual intent to delay, hinder, or defraud creditors under 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(1). The Trustee and the Creditors’ Committee then moved for a new trial on the issue of “constructive fraud” under § 548(a)(2). At that hearing, counsel for the Trustee announced [44]*44to the Court that he elected not to introduce any additional evidence. (Tr. at 11,12/21/93). After reviewing the September 29, 1993 Opinion and the evidence before the Court, the Court reaffirmed its decision and denied the motion for a new trial. On appeal, the district court remanded this case for further findings of fact regarding the issue of value and solvency under 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(2).

In his October 19, 1994 Opinion, Judge Wilson affirmed this Court that there is no evidence to support the contention that the Debtor acted with intent required by § 548(a)(1) to render the transaction avoidable. The district court also agreed with this Court’s finding that Debtor’s Deed of Trust to the Bank was in the “normal course of business” and was an ongoing credit financing and a consolidation and rearranging of the current financial arrangement under normal banking procedures by giving the additional collateral in the property in South Carolina. Richard A Money, Trustee v. Coastal Federal S & L and First Virginia Bank, Civ. Action No. 94-0052-A (W.D.Va. Oct. 19, 1994) [hereinafter “10/19/94 Op.”]. The Court further affirmed this Court that there was ample evidence that First Virginia Bank and Kaylor had a long-standing credit arrangement and that the transaction in question was a continuation of that relationship. Id. at 4-5. The Court remanded the case to determine the Debtor’s insolvency at the time the Deed of Trust was transferred, under § 548(a)(2). Id.

Upon remand, this Court scheduled a further evidentiary hearing to enable Trustee to present additional evidence, at which time counsel for Trustee again announced that prior evidentiary hearings had developed the evidence and that the record on all issues was complete and no additional evidence would be presented. (Tr. at 4, 4/4/95). Counsel for the Trustee relies on Debtor’s schedules stating that “the schedules demonstrate insolvency ... [and] also demonstrate the values of the property.” Id. (emphasis added). The Trustee elected not to introduce any additional evidence. First Virginia Bank introduced additional evidence in the nature of testimony from Mr. Richard Allen Martin (“Martin”), a representative of the Bank, who testified as to the value of the property. Having no additional evidence for consideration, this Court held that the Trustee failed to meet the burden of proving that the Debtor received less than “reasonably equivalent value” for the transaction and, having failed to prove the first prong of the formula, it was unnecessary to reach the issue of insolvency.

The Trustee again appealed and the district court again remanded the case to this Court to determine whether the Debtor was insolvent at the time of the transaction and whether reasonably equivalent value was given. See Richard A. Money, Trustee v. Coastal Federal and First Virginia Bank, Civ. Action No. 95-CV-140-A (W.D.Va. Oct. 18, 1995) [hereinafter “10/18/95 Op.”]. Upon hearing scheduled by this Court on remand, the Trustee again represented to the Court that the record is complete and no additional evidence would be submitted. Upon request by the Court in an effort to learn the parties’ positions with reference to the evidence of record, the parties submitted proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law. These proposed findings and conclusions are affixed hereto as appendices.

From the record before the Court from prior hearings, documentary and otherwise, and from the proposed findings, it appears to the Court that documents referred to as evidence for the Court to consider is extremely speculative and leaves substantial uncertainty concerning the facts upon which the Court is called upon to decide the merits of this matter.

For example, the appraisal of First Virginia Bank dated June 24, 1988, which apparently was made in connection with the refinancing in question, and noted thereon as a “Walk-By Inspection,” lists the value of the property in the identical amounts appearing on the Horry County tax assessment of $59,-200.00 for the building and $96,000.00 for the land, for a total of $155,200.00.

The financial statement submitted by the Debtor to First Virginia Bank dated September 18,1985, approximately three years prior to the crucial date in question, shows total assets of $594,577.00 and total liabilities of $181,883.00 with a net worth of $412,694.00. [45]*45Listed thereon was the Myrtle Beach house and lot acquired in 1978 at a cost of $60,-000.00 and showing a market value of $150,-000.00 with a first Deed of Trust of $32,500 due and owing to Coastal Federal Savings and Loan. The financial statement given by the Debtor to First Virginia Bank dated April 1, 1987, shows total assets of $579,-800.00 and total liabilities of $217,646.00 with the Myrtle Beach property noted as being acquired for $60,000.00, with a market value of $150,000.00 and the Deed of Trust balance of Coastal Federal of $28,000.00.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
196 B.R. 42, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 582, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/money-v-coastal-federal-savings-loan-in-re-kaylor-vawb-1996.