Nevada Property 1 LLC v. D'Amico (In re D'Amico)

509 B.R. 550
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedApril 23, 2014
DocketBankruptcy No. 12-38036-H2-7; Civil Action Nos. H-13-3590, H-13-3592; Adversary Nos. 13-03041, 13-03042
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 509 B.R. 550 (Nevada Property 1 LLC v. D'Amico (In re D'Amico)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nevada Property 1 LLC v. D'Amico (In re D'Amico), 509 B.R. 550 (Tex. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

SIM LAKE, District Judge.

Appellants Nevada Property 1 LLC (“Cosmopolitan”) and Desert Palace Inc. (“Caesars”) appeal the Bankruptcy Court’s November 13, 2013, Memorandum Opin[553]*553ion1 and Final Judgment.2 Pending before the court are the Appellants’ Joint Brief on Appeal (“Appellants’ Brief’) (Docket Entry No. 5), Appellee, Marcelo D’Amico’s Brief (“D’Amico’s Brief’) (Docket Entry No. 6), Appellants’ Joint Reply Brief on Appeal (“Reply”) (Docket Entry No. 7), Appellee, Marcelo D’Amico’s Rejoinder and Motion for Leave (“Rejoinder”) (Docket Entry No. 8), and Appellants’ Joint Objection and Response to Debtor’s Rejoinder and Motion for Leave (“Appellants’ Joint Objection and Response”) (Docket Entry No. 9). For the reasons explained below, the Bankruptcy Court’s Final Judgment will be affirmed.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

D’Amico filed for bankruptcy under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code on November 1, 2012.3 Cosmopolitan and Caesars, casinos operating in Las Vegas, Nevada, filed proofs of claim for $625,000 and $500,000, respectively.4 According to the Claims Register, two other Las Vegas casinos also filed proofs of claim in the underlying bankruptcy case: Mirage Hotel/Casino filed a proof of claim for $500,000 and Wynn Las Vegas, LLC filed a proof of claim for $700,000.5 Each casino’s claim relates to gambling losses incurred during a trip D’Amico took to Las Vegas in May of 2012.6 In addition, Orcus Fire Protection, LLC (“Orcus”) filed a proof of claim for $1,700,000.7 D’Amico is Orcus’s president.8

D’Amico had been gambling on credit in Las Vegas for approximately eight years before the trip leading to his bankruptcy.9 During that time D’Amico had never incurred a derogatory amount at any casino.10 In July of 2011 D’Amico applied for a $75,000 line of credit with Cosmopolitan, which was later increased to $250,000.11 On May 3, 2012, the line of credit was increased to $500,000.12 On May 16, 2012, D’Amico received an additional increase to $625,000.13 In May of 2012 D’Amico applied for a $500,000 line of credit with Caesars.14 In support of both the Cosmo[554]*554politan credit application in July of 2011 and the Caesars credit application in May of 2012, D’Amico listed two corporate bank accounts in Orcus’s name.15 Testimony at trial established that the balances in these bank accounts, D’Amico’s credit score, and D’Amico’s gambling history as reported by Central Credit16 provided the basis for Appellants’ decision to extend the lines of credit.17

On May 12, 2012, D’Amico deposited $1 million in chips at Caesars.18 D’Amico also deposited $500,000 in chips at Cosmopolitan.19 On May 17, 2012, D’Amico executed two markers20 for $250,000 each to Caesars.21 D’Amico also executed a marker to Cosmopolitan for $1,175,000, although the record is unclear as to when he did so.22 All of the markers were eventually returned unpaid when Appellants attempted to draw them against Orcus’s bank accounts.23

On February 27, 2013, Appellants filed their complaints in the relevant adversary proceedings seeking a determination that their debts were nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A) and (a)(6).24 On October 15, 2013, the Bankruptcy Court conducted a joint trial at the request of the parties.25 On November 13, 2013, the Bankruptcy Court issued a Memorandum Opinion26 and Final Judgment27 discharging D’Amico’s debts to Cosmopolitan and Caesars, finding that they had “failed to meet their respective burdens of proof on their claims on nondischargeability.”28

[555]*555On November 25, 2013, Appellants filed their notices of appeal with the Bankruptcy Court.29 On January 27, 2014, Appellants filed their Joint Brief on Appeal.30 On February 10, 2014, D’Amico filed his responsive brief.31 Appellants filed their Joint Reply Brief on February 21, 2014.32 D’Amico filed a Rejoinder and Motion for Leave on March 6, 2014.33 Appellants filed their Joint Objection and Response to Debtor’s Rejoinder and Motion for Leave on March 7, 2014.34

II. Standard of Review

A district court has jurisdiction to hear an appeal from a bankruptcy court’s final judgment or order. 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1). The Bankruptcy Court’s “[f]indings of fact, whether based on oral or documentary evidence, shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous, and due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the bankruptcy court to judge the credibility of the witnesses.” Fed. R. Bankr.P. 8013. The “clearly erroneous” standard allows this court to reverse the Bankruptcy Court’s findings of fact “only if left with ‘the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.’ ” Perry v. Bearing (In re Perry), 345 F.3d 303, 309 (5th Cir.2003) (quoting Robertson v. Dennis (In re Dennis), 330 F.3d 696, 701 (5th Cir.2003)). The Bankruptcy Court’s conclusions of law and conclusions on mixed questions of law and fact and application of law to the facts are reviewed de novo. Bass v. Denney (In re Bass), 171 F.3d 1016, 1021 (5th Cir.1999).

III. Analysis

Appellants contend that the Bankruptcy Court erred in failing to find their claims nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6).35 Appellants’ arguments concern the following portion of the Bankruptcy Court’s Memorandum Opinion of November 13, 2013:

Section 523(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code excepts from discharge any debt for the willful and malicious injury by the debtor to another entity or to property of another entity. Raspanti v. Keaty (In re Keaty), 397 F.3d 264, 269 (5th Cir.2005). An injury is “willful and malicious” where there is either an objective substantial certainty of harm or a subjective motive to cause harm. Id. at 270; Williams v. IBEW Local 520 (In re Williams),

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
509 B.R. 550, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nevada-property-1-llc-v-damico-in-re-damico-txsb-2014.