Prochnow v. Apex Properties, Inc. (In re Prochnow)

467 B.R. 656, 2012 WL 506005, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18890
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. Illinois
DecidedFebruary 15, 2012
DocketNo. 11-3392
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 467 B.R. 656 (Prochnow v. Apex Properties, Inc. (In re Prochnow)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Prochnow v. Apex Properties, Inc. (In re Prochnow), 467 B.R. 656, 2012 WL 506005, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18890 (C.D. Ill. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

SUE E. MYERSCOUGH, District Judge.

Debtor/Appellant, Jeffrey R. Prochnow, appeals from the denial of his Motion for a Ruling Against a Creditor Based on Violations of the Automatic Stay. For the reasons set forth below, the decision of the Bankruptcy Court is AFFIRMED.

STATEMENT OF FACTS1

Prochnow was at all relevant times a duly licensed salesperson — also referred to as a realtor or realtor associate — as defined in the Real Estate License Act of 2000 (225 ILCS 454/1-10 (West 2008)). (Stipulation ¶ 3). Apex Properties Inc., d/b/a Remax Choice of Bloomington, Illinois (ReMax) was at all relevant times a duly licensed real estate broker. (Stipulation ¶ 4).

In August 2006, Prochnow and ReMax, through its predecessor, entered into a Broker-Realtor-Associate Contract (Associate Contract). (Stipulation ¶5). The compensation paid to Prochnow and other realtor-associates licensed with ReMax was arranged on a commission basis. (Stipulation ¶ 7).

The Associate Contract provided:
Broker agrees to pay Realtor-Associate as and for Realtor-Associate’s compensation for services rendered on a commission basis for work done by Realtor-Associate in accordance with the commission schedule adopted by the Broker’s office and in the Policy Manual. No commissions shall be considered earned or payable to Realtor-Associate until the transaction has been completed and the commission has been collected by the Broker.

The Associate Contract also provided that bills paid by ReMax that were actually the responsibility of Prochnow would be due within 30 days of receipt. The parties stipulated, however, that the arrangement on commissions (which this Court interprets as referring to the percentage of commissions) was not placed in writing and that some arrangements regarding ex[660]*660penses were not placed in writing. (Stipulation ¶ 9).

Initially, Prochnow received 100% of commissions, less franchise and referral fees. (Stipulation ¶ 8). Under that arrangement, Prochnow also paid rent, certain expenses (including general overhead, expenses required by the local MLS office, and advertising expenses), and interest for unreimbursed charges. (Stipulation ¶8). In October 2007, the parties changed the arrangement so that Prochnow would receive 70% of the commissions he earned with the remaining 30% payable to ReMax. (Stipulation ¶ 8). Under the new arrangement, Prochnow was no longer charged rent but still paid office overhead, other billed expenses, and interest on outstanding balances. (Stipulation ¶ 8).

Historically, ReMax applied a portion of the commission owed to Prochnow to Pro-chnow’s billed expenses. (Stipulation ¶ 9). The amount of the commission applied to expenses was based on the determination of the ReMax broker, in consultation with Prochnow, and changed from time to time to allow Prochnow to retain some commission. (Stipulation ¶ 9)

On August 3, 2009, Prochnow filed his Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. Prochnow was at that time still a realtor-associate with ReMax and continued in that capacity until January 8, 2010.

On his Schedule F, Prochnow listed an unsecured debt owed to ReMax in the amount of $51,027.47. That debt related to the expenses billed by ReMax which were unpaid at the filing of the petition. (Stipulation ¶ 13).

On his Schedule B, Prochnow affirmatively represented that he had no accounts receivable, no liquidated debts owed to him, and no contingent or unliquidated claims of any nature. On his Schedule G, Prochnow affirmatively represented that he had no executory contracts of any nature.

On September 3, 2009, the Chapter 7 Trustee filed a Report of No Distribution stating he found no assets to administer in the case. On December 3, 2009, Prochnow was granted a discharge. On January 8, 2010, Prochnow ceased working as a realtor-associate with ReMax. (Stipulation ¶ 6). On February 23, 2010, Pro-chnow’s bankruptcy case was closed.

On June 16, 2010, Prochnow, represented by new counsel, filed a Motion to Reopen Case. In the Motion, Prochnow alleged that he became entitled to the payment of compensation from ReMax for real estate commissions from three closings occurring after August 3, 2009, the date Prochnow filed his bankruptcy petition. Prochnow alleged he was entitled those commissions but that ReMax applied the commissions to Prochnow’s pre-petition indebtedness to ReMax. (The commissions were retained by Re-Max after the filing of the bankruptcy petition but before discharge.) Prochnow asked that the bankruptcy case be reopened for the purpose of hearing his motion to hold ReMax in contempt for violation of the automatic stay.

Over the objection of ReMax, the bankruptcy court granted the Motion to Reopen Case. Thereafter, Prochnow filed a Motion for a Ruling Against a Creditor Based on Violation of the Automatic Stay, containing substantially the same allegations as those contained in the Motion to Reopen Case. Prochnow sought an order holding ReMax held in contempt of court for violation of the automatic stay, money damages in the amount of $15,322, and attorney fees.

The commissions at issue included: (1) a commission of $13,829.17 for a sale procured by Prochnow pre-petition but that closed post-petition (the Hudson contract); [661]*661(2) a commission of $921.09 for a sale procured and closed post-petition (the Bayberry contract); and (3) a referral commission of $573.30 for a sale that closed post-petition (the Fifth Street contract). (Stipulation ¶¶ 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). The parties stipulated that the Fifth Street and Bayberry contract commissions were applied to Debtor’s post-petition expenses. (Stipulation ¶¶ 18, 19). The parties also stipulated that Proehnow incurred $3,596.03 of post-petition business expenses billed by ReMax to Proehnow to continue to operate his real estate business following the filing of the bankruptcy petition. (Stipulation ¶ 14). However, Pro-ehnow disputed he had any liability for interest assessed on the pre-petition debt. (Stipulation ¶ 14). The documents attached to the Stipulation show that the post-petition business expenses, minus the interest charges, totaled $1,600.50.

In May 2011, the parties filed their Stipulation. In June 2011, the parties filed cross motions for summary judgment. See Bankruptcy Rule 7056 (providing that Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure apply in adversary proceedings). In its Motion for Summary Judgment, ReMax argued the Fifth Street and Bayberry contract commissions were properly applied to Prochnow’s post-petition debt. ReMax further argued that all the commissions were properly retained by ReMax pursuant to the doctrine of recoupment.

In his Motion for Summary Judgment, Proehnow argued that he had earned the Hudson transaction commission post-petition and that money was not subject to recoupment. Proehnow conceded that he owed the post-petition expenses billed to him, excluding the interest on the pre-petition indebtedness.

The bankruptcy court granted ReMax’s Motion for Summary Judgment, denied Prochnow’s Motion for Summary Judgment, and denied Prochnow’s Motion for a Ruling Against a Creditor Based on Violation of the Automatic Stay.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
467 B.R. 656, 2012 WL 506005, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18890, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/prochnow-v-apex-properties-inc-in-re-prochnow-ilcd-2012.