Parker v. Miller (In re Miller)

589 B.R. 550
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Mississippi
DecidedJuly 30, 2018
DocketCASE NO. 17-04008-NPO; ADV. PROC. NO. 18-00008-NPO
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 589 B.R. 550 (Parker v. Miller (In re Miller)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parker v. Miller (In re Miller), 589 B.R. 550 (Miss. 2018).

Opinion

Judge Neil P. Olack, United States Bankruptcy Judge

This matter came before the Court for hearing on June 22, 2018 (the "Hearing"), on the Answer, Defenses & Motions (the *555"Motion to Dismiss") (Adv. Dkt. 8)1 filed by April Florine Miller ("April");2 the Response in Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (the "Response to Motion to Dismiss") (Adv. Dkt. 13) filed by Barbara Bond Parker ("Barbara"); April Miller's Reply to Plaintiff's Response to Motion to Dismiss (the "Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss") (Adv. Dkt. 19) filed by April; the Motion to Strike Rebuttal and Exhibits (the "Motion to Strike") (Adv. Dkt. 20) filed by Barbara; and the Objection to Motion to Strike Rebuttal and Exhibits (Dkt. # 20) (the "Response to Motion to Strike") (Adv. Dkt. 22) filed by April in the Adversary. At the Hearing, Allen Flowers represented April, and R. Lane Dossett represented Barbara. Having considered the matter and being fully advised in the premises, the Court finds as follows:3

Jurisdiction

This Court has jurisdiction over the parties to and the subject matter of the Adversary pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334. This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I) and (J). Notices of the Motion to Dismiss and Motion to Strike were proper under the circumstances.

Facts

For purposes of the Motion to Dismiss, the Court reviews the facts and inferences to be drawn from them in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. See Reaves Brokerage Co. v. Sunbelt Fruit & Vegetable Co. , 336 F.3d 410, 412 (5th Cir. 2003). Most of the following facts are taken from the Complaint Objecting to Discharge (the "Adversary Complaint") (Adv. Dkt. 1) filed by Barbara.

Barbara and Roger Martin Parker ("Roger") married in 1982; they had two children (the "Parker Children") (Adv. Dkt. 19-1 at 2). Roger hired April as a part-time bookkeeper for a farming business. (Adv. Dkt. 1-1 at 1-2). In 2004, Roger and April began an adulterous affair which continued uninterrupted until December 3, 2011, when Roger separated from Barbara and the Parker Children. (Adv. Dkt. 19-1 at 2). Shortly thereafter, Roger filed a complaint for divorce in the Chancery Court of Lamar County, Mississippi (the "Chancery Court"), styled Roger Parker v. Barbara Parker , Cause No. 2012-0536-GN-DO. Barbara filed an answer and counterclaim seeking a divorce from Roger on grounds of adultery. (Adv. Dkt. 19-1).

During the pendency of the divorce proceedings, Barbara commenced an action against April in the Circuit Court of Lamar County, Mississippi (the "Circuit Court"), styled Barbara Bond Parker v. April F. Williamson Miller , Civil Action No. 2012-165 (the "Circuit Court Action"), on November 29, 2012. (Adv. Dkt. 1 at 1). In the Complaint for Alienation of Affection, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Accounting and Other Relief (the "Circuit Court Complaint") (Adv. Dkt. 1-1), Barbara asserted causes of action against April for: (a) fraud; (b) embezzlement; (c) intentional infliction of emotional distress; and (d) alienation of affection. (Adv. Dkt. 1 *556at 1-2). The allegations in the Circuit Court Complaint are nonspecific, but in general, Barbara asserted that Roger, April, and April's mother (who she did not identify by name) had conspired to defraud her of her share of the marital estate. (Adv. Dkt. 1-1). Barbara asked the Circuit Court to order an accounting for any funds transferred from any account that belonged to Roger and/or Barbara; to impress a lien on the real property owned by April's mother to the extent of the cost of any improvements; to award her compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $75,000.00; and to enjoin April from transferring any assets until a full and complete accounting was completed. (Adv. Dkt. 1-1 at 6).

In the divorce action, the Chancery Court dismissed Roger's complaint for divorce on March 26, 2014. (Adv. Dkt. 19-1 at 1). A hearing was held on Barbara's counterclaim for divorce on November 4, 2014. (Adv. Dkt. 19-1 at 1). In the Final Judgment of Divorce, entered on November 13, 2014, the Chancery Court granted Barbara a divorce from Roger on grounds of adultery as set forth in § 93-5-1 of the Mississippi Code. (Adv. Dkt. 19-1 at 2). The Chancery Court found that Barbara and Roger had agreed to a settlement of all property rights between them and, accordingly, incorporated into the Final Judgment of Divorce the Child Custody, Support and Property Settlement Agreement (the "PSA") (Adv. Dkt. 19-1 at 5-16) signed by them on November 4, 2014.

In the meantime, a jury trial in the Circuit Court Action was set to begin on October 31, 2017. (Adv. Dkt. 8 at 9). On October 28, 2017, however, April filed a petition for relief (the "Petition") (Bankr. Dkt. 1) under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code.4 As a result, the automatic stay under § 362(a) went into effect and stayed the Circuit Court Action.

In her bankruptcy schedules, April listed total liabilities of $188,154.00 and assets of $16,958.00. (Bankr. Dkt. 9 at 1). The two largest debts that April listed in her bankruptcy schedules are: (a) loans made by Roger in the aggregate amount of $77,000.00, which she described as unliquidated and disputed, and (b) Barbara's tort claims in the amount of $75,000.00, which she similarly described as contingent, unliquidated, and disputed. (Bankr. Dkt. 9 at 14 & 16). In Amended Schedule J: Your Expenses ("Schedule J") (Bankr. Dkt. 36), April indicated that she has no "dependents" but that her household expenses include those of individuals other than herself.

On November 1, 2017, Barbara filed the Notice of Removal (Dist. Ct. Dkt. 1) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (the "District Court") styled, Barbara Bond Parker v. April F. Williamson Miller , Civil Action No. 2:17-cv-00190-KS-MTP, for the stated purpose of transferring the Circuit Court Action to this Court for consolidation with the not-yet-filed Adversary. To that end, Barbara filed the Plaintiff's Motion to Transfer Cause to Bankruptcy Court (Dist. Ct. Dkt. 2) on November 22, 2017.

April filed the Response to Notice of Removal and Motion to Remand (the "Motion to Remand") (Dist. Ct. Dkt. 9) on December 20, 2017; and Barbara filed the Plaintiff's Response in Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Remand (Dist. Ct. Dkt. 13) on December 22, 2017. Finally, on January 10, 2018, April filed the Debtor's Rebuttal to Plaintiff's Response to Motion *557to Remand (Dist. Ct. Dkt. 14). On February 20, 2018, the District Court entered the Memorandum Opinion and Order (the "District Court Order") (Dist. Ct. Dkt. 15; Adv. Dkt.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
589 B.R. 550, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parker-v-miller-in-re-miller-mssb-2018.