Multinational Life Insurance Company v. Pedro M. Van Rhyn Soler

United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Puerto Rico·Decided November 17, 2021·No. 17-00270·Unknown

Opinion

THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

IN RE: PEDRO M. VAN RHYN SOLER CASE NO. 14-10211 (MCF) Debtor(s) Chapter 7

------------------------------ MULTINATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

ADVERSARY CASE: 17-00270 (MCF) Plaintiff V.

PEDRO M. VAN RHYN SOLER

Defendant

For a second time, the Plaintiff, Multinational Life Insurance Company, challenges Defendant, Pedro Van Rhyn’s, discharge order. Its previous attempt, a complaint objecting to the discharge, was unsuccessful, and dismissed as late. Now, in an eleventh-hour attempt to prevail, it seeks to revoke the discharge order. The Plaintiff argues that the Defendant’s discharge should be revoked because he obtained it through fraud by acquiring property of the estate and failing to report it to the trustee. On the other hand, the Defendant counters that the Plaintiff had knowledge of all alleged underlying facts prior to the bankruptcy petition and to entry of the discharge order; and thus, the discharge order may not be revoked. After reviewing the two cross motions for summary judgment and hearing the parties’ arguments, the court grants the summary judgment motion. The court agrees that the Plaintiff had knowledge of the Defendant’s actions prior to the entry of the discharge order. As such, it is estopped from revoking the discharge. The Plaintiff was late again in pursuing its remedies and therefore, cannot prevail now. In the instant case, a review of the undisputed facts, procedural history and case law show that the Plaintiff is not entitled to the extraordinary remedy of revoking the Defendant’s discharge.

I. UNDISPUTED FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY We find it necessary to meticulously recount the undisputed facts and the relevant procedural history of the legal and adversary cases: 1. Between 2004 and 2012, the Defendant and his brother, Edgardo Van Rhyn, were co-owners of Option Health Care Network, Inc. Exhibit I Docket No. 128-1, at 1-2. 2. Option was a third-party administrator of National Life Insurance Company (NALIC). Exhibit III Docket No. 127-1, at 7. 3. On or about April 2006, Option signed a service agreement contract with NALIC. Exhibit I Docket No. 128-1, at 3.

4. In 2012, the Plaintiff purchased NALIC.

5. After conducting an internal audit of the company, the Plaintiff became aware that Option officials including the Defendant detoured sums of monies from Option accounts to Transactions from corporate accounts to personal accounts resulted in payments to themselves and cash withdrawals. EXHIBIT III of Docket No. 127-1 at 6-9. 6. On March 5, 2012, the Plaintiff filed before the local court the case Multinational Life Insurance Company v. Option Health Care Network Inc., Pedro Van Rhyn, et al., Case No. KAC 2012-0212, to collect monies, pierce the corporate veil, damages, and breach of obligations for the Defendant’s actions as president and owner of Option.

7. On August 1, 2012, the Plaintiff alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through its attorney, Erik Rosado, Esq., of a scheme perpetrated by the Defendant and his brother through Option. It shared information with federal agents regarding bank account transactions, bank account logs, and company information belonging to the Defendant and his brother, where they suspected the governmental funds were being funneled to personal bank accounts. Exhibit I of Docket No. 127-1 at 1-3.

8. On February 8, 2013, the Plaintiff through its Director- Auditor, Guillermo Somoza, Esq., and its attorney, Erik Rosado, Esq., voluntarily provided the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) with information regarding a possible fraudulent scheme that they encountered while auditing the Plaintiff’s purchase from NALIC. The scheme stemmed from transfer of corporate funds to personal accounts by Option officials resulting in cash withdrawals. EXHIBITS XI & XII, Docket No. 127-1 at 54-58.

9. On November 4, 2013, Erik Rosado was interviewed at the and IRS Special Agents. He communicated to the authorities that the Plaintiff had knowledge that the Defendant was using funds from Option to pay a personal credit card. He stated that this credit card was used to conduct numerous personal transactions which included the purchase of jet fuel, clothing, and gifts to employees of Option. Exhibit II of Docket No. 127-1 at 5. 10. On December 13, 2014, the Defendant filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Case No. 14-10211 at Docket No. 1. 11. On the following day, the deadline to object to the discharge was set to March 16, 2015. Case No. 14-10211, Docket No. 5. 13. The Clerk notified these deadlines to the creditors and parties in interest, including the Plaintiff. Case No. 14- 10211 at Docket No. 9. 14. On March 3, 2015, the United States trustee requested an extension of time to file a motion to dismiss or an objection to discharge. Case No. 14-10211 at Docket No. 31. 15. The next day, the bankruptcy court granted until June 15, 2015,to file a motion to dismiss or an objection to discharge. Case No. 14-10211 at Docket No. 32. 16. On March 23, 2015, the Plaintiff filed a notice of appearance and a motion requesting an extension of time to object to the discharge. Case No. 14-10211 at Docket Nos. 43- 44. 17. On March 24, 2015, the bankruptcy court denied the Plaintiff’s motion seeking an extension of time to file an objection to discharge for failure to comply with PR LBR 9013(c), which requires initial motions to include notice language. Case No. 14-10211 at Docket No. 45.

18. On March 30, 2015, the Plaintiff refiled an extension of time to object to the discharge. Case No. 14-10211 at Docket No. 53.

19. The next day the bankruptcy court once again denied the Plaintiff’s extension for failure to comply with PR LBR 9013(c). Case No. 14-10211 at Docket No. 54.

20. Fifteen days later, a new counsel appeared on behalf of the Plaintiff. Case No. 14-10211 at Docket No. 56.

21. On that same day, the Plaintiff filed Proof of Claim No. 17 in the amount of thirteen million dollars ($13,000,000.00). The claim stems from the Plaintiff’s allegations in the case of Multinational Life Insurance Company v. Option Health Care Network Inc. Pedro Van Rhyn, et al., Case No. KAC 2012-0212. 22. A month later, on July 16, 2015, the Plaintiff filed an adversary proceeding against the Defendant to object to his discharge. Adversary Proceeding No. 15-00181. 23. On August 11, 2015, the Defendant filed a motion to dismiss, alleging that the complaint was filed after the deadline to file objections to discharge. Adversary Proceeding No. 15-00181 at Docket No. 11. 24. On October 14, 2015, the Plaintiff opposed the dismissal motion. Adversary Proceeding No. 15-00181 at Docket No. 25.

25. On February 6, 2016, while the motion to dismiss was pending before the court, the Plaintiff filed a motion for leave to file an amended complaint, alleging that it discovered new facts, new corporations, and undisclosed facts that are essential to the causes of action. Adversary Proceeding No. 15-00181 at Docket No. 40. The amended complaint was filed simultaneously with the motion requesting leave. Id. at Docket No. 41. 26. On March 10, 2016, the court dismissed the objection to the discharge action for failure to file the adversary complaint within the statutory deadline for objecting to the discharge. Adversary Proceeding No. 15-00181 at Docket No. 47.

27. On October 12, 2016, the Defendant was granted a discharge order, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 727. Case No. 14-10211 at Docket No. 136.

28. Six weeks later, the Defendant was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice at the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Criminal Case No. 16-742-ADC.

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