New-Com Corp. v. Estate of Gaffney

72 B.R. 90, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 444
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 30, 1987
DocketBankruptcy No. 85-1713; Adv. Nos. 85-548, 86-195
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 72 B.R. 90 (New-Com Corp. v. Estate of Gaffney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
New-Com Corp. v. Estate of Gaffney, 72 B.R. 90, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 444 (W.D. Pa. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

BERNARD MARKOVITZ, Bankruptcy Judge.

Presently before the Court are two actions, wherein the Debtor requests that this Court rescind a contract for the purchase of certain real property, and also requests damages, alleging that the Defendants caused Debtor harm. The contract action was commenced in the state court, and was removed to this Court following the filing of the Debtor’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Defendants have responded by requesting that the contract action be remanded to the state court, and have moved for dismissal of the damage action, as having failed to state a claim upon which relief can be entered. A hearing was held, and thereafter the parties submitted supplemental briefs. Based upon these offers and this Court’s research, we find that Debtor’s Complaint for rescission must be denied and judgment entered for Defendants; and, Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss the Damage action will be granted.

FACTS

On September 11, 1968, James A. Gaff-ney individually purchased certain real property in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Eight (8) years later, on August 12, 1976, Mr. Gaffney, joined by his wife Sandra, executed a Mortgage in favor of First State Savings (“First State”) in the amount of $172,500.00; said Mortgage was properly recorded with the Recorder of Deeds for Clearfield County.

In January of 1978, James Gaffney died, and in the ordinary course of events, Pittsburgh National Bank, Paul C. Gaffney and John J. Sharkey were appointed co-executors of the Gaffney estate.

On December 7, 1978, the above-mentioned executors sold said realty to the Debtor for $214,175.87; said deed was properly recorded with the Recorder of Deeds for Clearfield County. As the Mortgage to First State was of record on the date of the sale, and as said Mortgage was not satisfied at or by the sale, the purchase by the Debtor, by operation of law, was subject to said Mortgage. In addition, the deed from the executors of the Gaffney estate to the Debtor herein, contained the following language:

UNDER AND SUBJECT to the payment of the present balance due of $164,175.57 on a certain Mortgage and Note from James A. Gaffney and Sandra J. Gaffney to First State Savings Association, dated August 12, 1976, and recorded in Mortgage Book Volume 324, page 253.

Between September 7,1978 and March of 1983, Debtor made the Mortgage payments. Thereafter, Debtor failed and/or refused to tender said Mortgage payments.

A forbearance period of four (4) months elapsed prior to the mortgagee's commencement of an Action in Mortgage Foreclosure, which named as defendants, the Gaffney estate, Sandra Gaffney, and Debt- or, as owner in fact, pursuant to Pa.R.Civ. Pro. 1144(a)(3). The Gaffney estate and Mrs. Gaffney entered an appearance, and filed a document, having limited legal value, titled Answer and New Matter; said Answer averring the novel defense that the realty in question was sold to New-Com, Debtor herein, and that the Gaffneys were without information upon which to respond as to whether Debtor had honored its agreement to make the appropriate Mortgage payments. Proof thereof was demanded at trial. In essence, the New Mat[93]*93ter was equally creative in averring that Debtor and its principals had agreed to assume and pay the Mortgage, and that the Plaintiffs herein, by accepting payments on said Mortgage from the Debtor and its principals, impliedly agreed to release the Gaffneys from liability on the bond and the Mortgage.

All parties agree that Plaintiff/Debtor executed no document releasing the Gaff-neys from their duties pursuant to the bond and mortgage; and to the contrary, Debtor/Plaintiff denies any such action. Clearly, a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings and/or a Motion for Summary Judgment would have determined this alleged defense as being without basis.

Debtor, a named Defendant, apparently ignored the proceeding and service of process, and never entered an appearance or filed a defense.

On March 18, 1985, a default judgment was entered against Debtor for the sum of $197,833.44; the Debtor, even to this date, has made no attempt to open or strike said judgment. Execution proceedings were commenced by First State to divest Debtor of any interest it owned in the subject property. However, the Sheriffs Sale, scheduled for August 2, 1983, was stayed by Debtor’s filing of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on August 1, 1985.

In the interim, on March 21,1984, Debtor commenced a civil action against the Gaff-ney estate, Anthony S. Guido, Esquire, and Anthony S. Guido, P.C. (hereinafter both referred to as “Guido”), counsel for the estate, and Pittsburgh National Bank (“PNB”), the sole remaining executor of the Gaffney estate; wherein Debtor sought to rescind the sales agreement for the property in question, claiming that a cloud remained on said title, i.e., Mrs. Gaffney’s “dower rights”. Guido responded with Preliminary Objections in the form of a Demurrer on April 3, 1984.

On September 3, 1985, the learned state court judge entered an Opinion and Order sustaining Guido’s objections and dismissing Debtor’s Complaint as being without basis or merit. However, as Debtor had filed its bankruptcy petition on August 1, 1985, said Opinion and Order were inadvertently entered in violation of the automatic stay; they are therefore null and void.

These adversaries were commenced on October 25, 1985, and March 24, 1986; the first involving the aforementioned recission issue and the second constituting a request for compensatory and punitive damages against Defendants for allegedly causing Debtor substantial harm and expenses by forcing it to file bankruptcy. Defendants responded to the second Complaint by filing a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted’

ANALYSIS

I. Rescission of a contract constitutes an annullment of said contract, and contemplates the restoration of the parties to their prior positions. Gilmore v. Northeast Dodge Company, Inc., 278 Pa.Super. 209, 420 A.2d 504 (1980); Fichera v. Gording, 424 Pa. 404, 227 A.2d 642 (1967). Initially we note that the property’s sale price was $214,175.87 in 1978; said property is now valued at approximately $50,000.00. This Court is hard pressed to discern how the parties could at this late date be returned to their prior positions. If the parties cannot be so restored, rescission is generally denied. Muehlhof v. Boltz, 215 Pa. 124, 64 A. 427 (1906); Sullivan v. Allegheny Ford Truck Sales, Inc., 283 Pa.Super. 351, 423 A.2d 1292 (1980); Cold Metal Processing Company v. United Engineering & Foundry Company, 107 F.2d 27, (3rd Cir.1939); New York Life Insurance Company v. Sisson, 19 F.2d 410 (W.D.Pa. 1926); Sachs v. Continental Oil, 454 F.Supp. 614 (E.D.Pa.1978).

Rescission is only available to that party who has not caused a breach or default to occur. Lilly v. Person, 168 Pa. 219, 32 A. 23 (1895).

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Bluebook (online)
72 B.R. 90, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 444, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/new-com-corp-v-estate-of-gaffney-pawd-1987.