Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. v. Eckert

156 B.R. 656, 17 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 1697, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6660
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California
DecidedJanuary 20, 1993
DocketBankruptcy No. SA CV 92-435 AHS (RWRx)
StatusPublished

This text of 156 B.R. 656 (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. v. Eckert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. v. Eckert, 156 B.R. 656, 17 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 1697, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6660 (Cal. 1993).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM UPON WHICH RELIEF CAN BE GRANTED

STOTLER, District Judge.

I.

INTRODUCTION

On August 14, 1992, defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction and for Failure to State a Claim Upon Which Relief can be Granted. On September 24, 1992, plaintiff filed opposition. Defendants filed a reply on November 16, 1992.

After hearing oral argument on November 23, 1992 the Court ruled as follows: defendants request for judicial notice was granted; defendants motion to dismiss for [657]*657lack of subject matter jurisdiction was denied; defendants’ motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim was treated as one for summary judgment pursuant to Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b); insofar as the motion challenged plaintiffs claim for injunctive relief, it was denied. In order to resolve the remainder of the defendants’ motion, which challenges plaintiff's claim for restitution, the Court called for a supplemental briefing on the following issues:

(1) Whether referral of plaintiff’s claim for restitution to the bankruptcy court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157 is appropriate and/or advisable, or whether such referral is inappropriate because the issues presented fall within the mandatory withdrawal of reference provision of 28 U.S.C. § 157(d);
(2) Whether plaintiff’s claim in fact is the type of debt described in 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4); and
(3) Whether a creditor, which does not affirmatively deny receiving notice of a debtor’s bankruptcy proceeding, may avoid summary judgment on the issue of dischargeability of a debt under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(3)(B) by producing evidence that, even if it had received notice in a timely fashion, it would not have known that it had a claim to pursue at that time. See e.g., In re Braun, 84 B.R. 192 (Bankr.D.Or.1986).

Plaintiff filed its supplemental memorandum on December 21, 1992; defendants filed theirs on January 11, 1993. The matter was set for further hearing on the Court’s January 25, 1993 calendar. The Court, having received, read and considered the foregoing, finds the matter appropriate for submission on the papers without oral argument. See Local Rule 7.11 (the Court may dispense with oral argument on any matter unless otherwise required); Fed. R.Civ.P. 78. The matter is, therefore, removed from the Court’s January 25, 1993 calendar.

II.

DISCUSSION

A.Referral to the Bankruptcy Court

In its supplemental memorandum, plaintiff argues that if its claim for restitution were referred to the bankruptcy court, it would have to be promptly removed under the mandatory withdrawal provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 157(d). Defendants chose not to contest plaintiff’s argument and instead “submit to jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(d).”

Since plaintiff’s claim may be determined by this Court, and since defendants no longer seek the venue of the bankruptcy court, the Court will not refer plaintiff’s restitution claim to the bankruptcy court.

B. The Applicability of 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4)

Plaintiff urges that its claim falls squarely within section 523(a)(4) since “defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity” encompasses breaches of fiduciary duties under ERISA. Despite the Court’s specific request that both parties address this issue, defendants do not even mention the issue or attempt to rebut plaintiff’s argument.

Accordingly, pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(d), and in light of the authorities cited by plaintiff, the Court finds that it is without substantial controversy that plaintiff's claim falls within the ambit of section 523(a)(4). The Court does not reach the issue of whether defendants, in fact, breached their fiduciary duties under ERISA, but merely finds that plaintiff’s restitution claim, which is based on such alleged breaches, is one for “fraud or defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity.”

C. The Adequacy of Notice to PBGC of Defendants’ Bankruptcy Proceeding

The remaining issue to be decided is whether plaintiff’s restitution claim against defendants is precluded by the fact that defendants’ debts were discharged in bankruptcy nearly four years before the filing of the complaint and the fact that defendants listed plaintiff as a creditor on their schedule of creditors and mailing matrix. Defendants have previously submitted the [658]*658bankruptcy clerk’s Certificate of Mailing, which creates a presumption of receipt by plaintiff, who was listed. In re Bucknum, 951 F.2d 204 (9th Cir.1991).

Plaintiff argues, however, that defendants’ alleged debt to plaintiff should not be considered discharged since (1) even if plaintiff had proper notice of defendants’ bankruptcy case, plaintiff could not have known that it had a claim against defendants until after the bankruptcy because of defendants’ previous misrepresentations to plaintiffs; (2) the rationale of In re Braun, 84 B.R. 192 (Bankr.D.Or.1986), which led the court in that case to the opposite conclusion, should be rejected; and (3) even if notice was properly given to plaintiff, no notice was given to the United States Attorney as required by Bankruptcy Rule 2002(j)(4).

Plaintiff also submits the supplemental declaration of Jacqueline Washington who asserts that she has found no evidence that plaintiff received any documents relating to defendants’ bankruptcy despite a record search and that to the best of her knowledge, no one working for plaintiff knew of the defendants’ bankruptcy until late 1989. Finally, plaintiff submits the declaration of Matthew Vitello, who states that mail sent to plaintiff’s Atlanta address (the address used by defendants to notify plaintiff of their bankruptcy) which is unrelated to premium payments is routinely forwarded to plaintiff’s main office in Washington, D.C.

Defendants assert that, based on Mr. Vitello’s declaration, notice of defendants’ bankruptcy should have reached plaintiff's Washington, D.C. office, thus vitiating plaintiff’s prior complaint that the notice had been sent to the incorrect address. Defendants also challenge the probative value of Ms. Washington’s declaration. Finally, defendants urge the Court to follow the rationale of Braun,

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Bluebook (online)
156 B.R. 656, 17 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 1697, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6660, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pension-benefit-guaranty-corp-v-eckert-cacb-1993.