Rapaport v. Robin S. Weingast & Associates, Inc.

859 F. Supp. 2d 706, 2012 WL 1629388, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61608
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedApril 30, 2012
DocketCivil Action No. 11-CV-2254 (DMC)(JAD)
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 859 F. Supp. 2d 706 (Rapaport v. Robin S. Weingast & Associates, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rapaport v. Robin S. Weingast & Associates, Inc., 859 F. Supp. 2d 706, 2012 WL 1629388, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61608 (D.N.J. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

DENNIS M. CAVANAUGH, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court upon motions by Defendants Robin S. Weingast & Associates, Inc. and Robin S. Weingast (collectively the “Weingast Defendants”)(ECF No. 24), Defendant Designs for Finance, Inc. (“Designs”)(ECF No. 27), Defendant Pointe Benefit Consultants, LLC (“Pointe Benefit”)(ECF No. 29), and Defendant Capital One, N.A. (“Capitol One”)(ECF No. 31) to dismiss Plaintiffs Jeffrey Rapaport M.D., P.A. (“JRMDPA”), Jeffrey Rapaport (“Rapaport”), and Amanda Rapaport’s (collectively “Plaintiffs”) Complaint in this action pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 78, no oral argument was heard. After considering the submissions of the parties, it is the decision of this Court for the reasons herein expressed that the motions to dismiss submitted by Defendants Designs, Pointe Benefit, and Capital One are granted and the motion to dismiss by the Weingast Defendants is denied.

I. Background 1

Plaintiff Jeffrey Rapaport M.D., P.A. (“JRMDPA”) is a professional corporation with its principal place of business in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 1. Plaintiff Jeffrey Rapaport is the sole shareholder of JRMDPA and Plaintiff Amanda Rapaport is his wife. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 4-5.

Defendant Robin Weingast (“Weingast”) is the principal owner, operator, and controller of Defendant Robin Weingast & Associates, Inc. (“Weingast Inc.”). Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 8. Weingast, Inc. is a full service consulting firm, insurance agent, professional advisor and consultant. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 19. According to Plaintiffs’ Complaint, Weingast, Inc. holds itself out to be an expert in the field of employee benefits, deferred compensation, insurance, and pension plans, with particular expertise in the use and structuring of Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) § 419 Welfare Benefit Plans (“BETA Plans”). Id.

In 1995, Weingast approached Plaintiffs and solicited them to hire Weingast, Inc. to establish a BETA plan for JRMDPA (the “BETA Plan”). Pis.’ Compl. ¶21. The Plan was to be funded through a life insurance policy geared toward maximizing the cash value of the policy and was intended to defer taxes on a substantial amount of Rapaport’s compensation. Id. At that time, Weingast allegedly represented to Plaintiffs that she was an expert in the creation of BETA plans, life insurance, and all related tax issues. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 22. Weingast further represented that the BETA Plan in question would provide Rapaport with the benefit of deferring taxes on his compensation by investing before-tax dollars into the insurance policy. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 23. In addition, all growth in the value of the policy would be tax deferred. Id. All income taxes would be paid at the time the BETA Plan was terminated and the cash value of the policy withdrawn. Id. Weingast further advised Plaintiffs that she would assemble the appropriate team to administer the BETA Plan. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 25.

[711]*711Plaintiffs agreed to establish a BETA plan through Weingast, Inc. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 26. As promised, Weingast assembled a team to administer the Plan. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 25. The team assembled was composed of the remaining Defendants to the instant suit, with Design for Finance (“Design”) as the sponsor of the Plan, North Fork Bank (now Capital One) as trustee, Pointe Benefit as the administrator, and Weingast, Inc. as the insurance ageni/intermediary, professional tax advisor, third party administrator, and consultant for the BETA plan and the policies of insurance therein. Id. Plaintiffs agreed to fund the plan with a Massachusetts Mutual life insurance policy to maximize the cash value of the Plan, which was selected and sold by Weingast. Id. In or about December 1995, JRMDPA executed an agreement (the “Adoption Agreement”), which formally established and adopted the Welfare Benefit BETA plan. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 27. JRMDPA subsequently purchased the life insurance policy on which it began to pay premiums. Id.

On December 4, 1996, Designs presented JRMDPA with a second adoption agreement (“Second Adoption Agreement”) and a “BETA Program Waiver and Representation Agreement” (the ‘Waiver”). Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 28. In relevant part, the Adoption Agreement provided that the employer acknowledged

(1) No legal or tax advice has been given to [the employer] by the Sponsor, Recordkeeper, or Trustee;
(2) The adoption of [the] Plan, and the Plan’s related tax consequences, are the responsibility of the Employer. and its independent tax and legal advisors; [and] ...
(8) Neither the Sponsor, the Record-keeper, nor the Trustee represents, guarantees or promises that any particular tax consequences will result from the Employer’s or any Employee’s participation in the Plan.

Marasciullo Deck, Ex. D, Adoption Agreement for the BETA Multiple Employer Death Benefit Plan, Dec. 4, 1996, ECF No. 24-1.

Upon receipt of the Adoption Agreement and Waiver, Rapaport contacted Weingast to inquire about the nature and purpose of the documents. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 29. Weingast explained to Rapaport that the Second Adoption Agreement contained certain technical amendments to the Plan which were required to be made, but that the changes would not affect the tax and insurance benefits enjoyed by participants. Id. With regard to the Waiver, Weingast explained that it was a only a technical requirement that all BETA Plan participants had to sign, and that participation in the Plan could not continue if the Waiver was not executed. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 30. Importantly, Plaintiffs allege that Weingast advised Plaintiffs that they did not need to seek alternative tax or legal advice because she is one of the nation’s foremost experts and professional advisors on Beta Plans, their related tax issues, and insurance sales. Id. Weingast further represented that the premiums and growth on the policy remained fully tax deductible. Id. Rapaport thereafter executed the Second Adoption Agreement and Waiver and continued to pay premiums on the policy. Pis.’ Compl. ¶ 31.

On December 20, 2002, Defendant Pointe Benefit issued a letter to notify Plaintiffs that the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) had issued proposed regulations in July 2002 that related to the tax benefits enjoyed by participants in the Beta Plans (the “December 2002 Pointe Benefit Letter”). Marasciullo Deck, Ex. E, Pointe Benefit Letter, Dec. 20, 2002, ECF No. 24-1. The Plan had originally been formed under IRC § 419A(f)(6) and the letter advised participants that, effective January 1, 2003, the Plan would be [712]*712recharacterized as a Plan covered under 419(a). Id.; Pis.’ Compl. ¶32. Pointe Benefit went on to explain that the change would “protect [the participants] from any action taken by the IRS relative to the proposed regulations ... while preserving the primary features that were contained in the original BETA plan.” Marasciullo Decl., Ex. E, Pointe Benefit Letter, Dec. 20, 2002, ECF No. 24-1. The letter informed the participants that no action was required on their part, and that Pointe Benefit would keep them notified regarding any future changes that may impact their Plan. Id.

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859 F. Supp. 2d 706, 2012 WL 1629388, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61608, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rapaport-v-robin-s-weingast-associates-inc-njd-2012.