Norwood v. Hicks (In Re Hicks)

384 B.R. 443, 2008 Bankr. LEXIS 372, 2008 WL 508461
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedFebruary 20, 2008
Docket19-30403
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 384 B.R. 443 (Norwood v. Hicks (In Re Hicks)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Norwood v. Hicks (In Re Hicks), 384 B.R. 443, 2008 Bankr. LEXIS 372, 2008 WL 508461 (Tex. 2008).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ROBERT L. JONES, Bankruptcy Judge.

E.E. Norwood (“Norwood”) and Flat Top Dairy Go Round, LP (“Flat Top Dairy”), plaintiffs, object under subsections 523(a)(2)(A) and (a)(4) of the Bankruptcy Code to the dischargeability of debt owed Norwood and Flat Top Dairy by Norman Hicks (“Hicks”), the debtor and defendant in this adversary proceeding.

Statement of Facts

1. Norwood is an individual who resides in Goldthwaite, Mills County, Texas. Flat Top Dairy is a limited partnership established under the laws of Texas and is, for all intents and purposes, controlled by Norwood.

2. Hicks is a resident of Pecos, Reeves County, Texas. He and his wife, Norma Hicks, own and control Desert Farms, Inc., a Texas corporation (“Desert Farms”).

3. In the Spring of 2003, Hicks formed and began operations of Desert Farms, which operations continued from its formation through and into 2006.

4. Hicks filed this chapter 7 bankruptcy case on November 9, 2006.

5. In the Spring of 2005, for the purpose of financing Desert Farms’ operations as a producer of cotton, sorghum, silage, and watermelons, Hicks, joined by Desert Farms, executed and delivered to Nor-wood a promissory note in the original principal amount of $620,000, bearing interest at the rate of ten percent per an- *446 ram, and, by its terms, came due on February 1, 2006 (the “note” or the “620K note”). 1 The note provided that it was secured by a security agreement signed by Hicks and Desert Farms that granted a security interest in all the crops of Hicks and Desert Farms, which included cotton, sorghum, silage, and watermelons. In addition, the security interest extended to any government subsidy or support payments related to the crops, payments in lieu of growing crops or crop insurance payments for said crops, and proceeds of the crops.

6. The above-referenced security interest was perfected by the filing of a UCC Financing Statement with the Office of the Secretary of State of Texas. The Financing Statement was filed on June 22, 2005; Hicks and Desert Farms are shown as joint debtors and Norwood as the secured party.

7. Hicks grew cotton, sorghum, and watermelons during the 2005 crop year. During 2005 and the beginning months of 2006, Hicks received crop proceeds as the sales of cotton, sorghum, and watermelons occurred.

8. Given the lien on the crops, Hicks was required to obtain Norwood’s endorsement to legally deposit or cash any crop-proceeds checks received for the 2005 crop year. Upon receipt of the crop-proceeds checks, Hicks obtained Norwood’s endorsement on the checks.

9. By February 1, 2006, Hicks had not paid the note in full, thereby defaulting under the note. The default was a breach of the note.

10. The 620K note was not advanced at once; instead, Norwood and Hicks treated it as a line of credit. Hicks or his bookkeeper would request an advance from Norwood, who would review the request and make an advance. He did not always advance the full amount requested.

11. Norwood made advances from March or April 2005 through October 1, 2006. Norwood Ex. 4. 2 Payments were made by Hicks to Norwood from May 16, 2005 to July 1, 2007. Id. The total amount advanced by Norwood to Hicks and Flat Top Dairy was $723,658.88, thereby exceeding the face amount of the note. Hicks Ex. 39. The total of all payments made by Hicks to Norwood was $599,585.06. Id. The balance on the note, as of July 1, 2007, was $170,668.11, consisting of a principal amount of $160,056.16 and unpaid interest of $10,611.95. Hicks Ex. 41. 3

12. The total receipts to Hicks or Desert Farms for cotton sales for 2005 was $717,209.88. Norwood Ex. 6. The total receipts to Hicks or Desert Farms for *447 watermelon sales for 2005 was $15,509.22. Norwood Ex. 7. The harvesting expenses incurred for harvesting the watermelons was $9,293.07. Id. The total receipts to Hicks or Desert Farms for hay sales was $12,058.20. Norwood Ex. 8. The total receipts to Hicks or Desert Farms for silage sales was $95,033.57. Norwood Ex. 9. The total receipts to Hicks or Desert Farms for seed sales was $33,901. Norwood Ex. 10.

13. The hay was grown on land owned by Flat Top Dairy, the entity owned by Norwood, and it was purchased by Nor-wood or another entity controlled by Nor-wood, Cattle Sales Leasing, LLP.

14. The proceeds of cotton sales consisted of checks issued by Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (“PCCA”). The PCCA checks included Norwood, as lien-holder, as a payee on the checks. Nor-wood testified that on at least nine different checks, Hicks requested that he, Norwood, endorse the checks back to Hicks so Hicks could use the funds to pay unpaid bills. For example, on November 7, 2005, Norwood endorsed cotton checks from PCCA for two hundred forty-one bales of cotton in the amount of $59,461.13 and allowed Hicks to use a portion of the proceeds to pay expenses. See Hicks Ex. 32. On the same date, a payment of $40,000 was credited against the 620K note. See id. On November 17, 2005, Norwood endorsed cotton checks presented to him in the approximate amount of $134,000, thereby allowing Hicks to use some of the proceeds to pay bills. See id. On the same date, a note payment of $107,242 was made.

15. Norwood testified that he was induced to endorse cotton checks over to Hicks by Hicks’s assurances that there was sufficient cotton in storage to pay the debt owed to Norwood. Hicks further advised Norwood that immediate funds were needed to pay outstanding bills. Norwood, in addition, testified that Hicks had told him that he (Hicks) had a good crop, a crop that would allow repayment of the loans made by Norwood.

16. In May of 2005, Flat Top Dairy, as lessor, and Desert Farms and Norman Hicks, jointly as lessees, entered into a “Farming Lease.” Hicks Ex. 35. The lease provides that, notwithstanding its date of execution, it was effective April 15, 2005. Id. The lease covers farmland in Reeves County and contemplates the lessees’ use of the land to plant cotton and sorghum. Id. The lease further provides that Desert Farms and Hicks were to pay rent to Flat Top Dairy in the amount of twelve percent of the gross sales price of all crops produced and of “LDP” payments. Id. The term of the lease was April 15, 2005 to December 31, 2005. Id. The lease provided that the lessor may advance costs of inputs and fuel used for the crops planted by the lessees. Id. In such event, the advanced funds were to be paid directly to the providers and repaid by lessees upon sale of the crop(s) with interest at ten percent per annum. Id. The lease further provided that all payments from purchasers and government program payments were to be made directly to the lessor with the lessor paying lessees any amounts due after payment of rents, advanced expenses, and other amounts due to lessor from lessees under the lease. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
384 B.R. 443, 2008 Bankr. LEXIS 372, 2008 WL 508461, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/norwood-v-hicks-in-re-hicks-txnb-2008.