Rozell v. Carpenter (In re Carpenter)

566 B.R. 340
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 29, 2017
Docket16 CV 4360 (VB)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 566 B.R. 340 (Rozell v. Carpenter (In re Carpenter)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rozell v. Carpenter (In re Carpenter), 566 B.R. 340 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

Vincent L. Briccetti, United States District Judge

Plaintiff/Appellant Robert Rozell appeals from a May 26, 2016, order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Bankruptcy Court”) granting summary judgment in favor of Defendant/Appellee Nancy L. Carpenter dismissing Rozell’s claims that Carpenter’s debt owed to Rozell was not dischargeable in bankruptcy under 11 [343]*343U.S.C. § 523(a)(4) and (a)(6). (App. at 225-26).1

For the following reasons, the Bankruptcy Court’s order is AFFIRMED.

The Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 158(a).

BACKGROUND

I. Undisputed Facts

Rozell and Carpenter were engaged to be married, and Rozell gave Carpenter a diamond engagement ring (the “Ring”) in contemplation of their marriage. Rozell purchased the Ring for $13,680. After the parties’ engagement ended, Carpenter sold the Ring for $2,000.

II. Carpenter’s Deposition Testimony

At her April 28, 2014, deposition in this case, Carpenter testified she and Rozell became engaged around August 2008 after dating for two years. In 2010, Carpenter and Rozell agreed to cohabitate and bought a house together. Carpenter’s minor son from her prior marriage lived with them, and Rozell’s children from his prior marriage lived with them half-time.

According to Carpenter, by 2011, Rozell and Carpenter’s relationship had deteriorated, and she came to believe living with Rozell and her relationship with Rozell created a dangerous situation. By June 2011, Carpenter became so afraid, she moved herself and her son out of the home they shared with Rozell.

Rozell’s counsel asked, “Did Mr. Rozell create an unsafe situation for you in your house with the child?” (App. at 122). Carpenter responded, “Based on what the police said and based on what I believe, yes. Based on what the domestic violence people said, yes.” (Id.). She testified, “On several occasions he threatened to throw me and my son out of the house, to lock us out, [so] that we could not get our things, come in and get them, until the sheriffs department told him you cannot keep her things.” (Id. at 122-23). She further testified that, toward the end of their relationship, Rozell made life “a living hell” for her and threatened her, and that she was so afraid that she would lock herself in her son’s room. (Id. at 123). Carpenter also testified Rozell “ma[de] gestures like he’s going to punch me in the face and then laugh[ed] at me when I jump[ed] back ... scared.” (Id.).

During Carpenter’s deposition, Rozell’s counsel asked multiple times whether she believed she was required to return the Ring to Rozell. At one point, she testified she was not sure about her legal obligations, and that “I didn’t think about it.... I didn’t think about it at the time, probably not.” (App. at 118-19). She testified that, at the time of the dissolution of the relationship:

I was not sure [whether I needed to return the Ring], honestly, under the láw, I didn’t think about it. What I thought about was that I needed to get to a safe place and that was the way to do it and I did not think about anything else. That was all I thought of and that was the access to do it[.] ... I needed money to move.... I needed the money to get out.... I never thought. I never really — earlier than the time when I was going to do it, sell the ring, I never thought about it and when I was going to sell the ring I didn’t care, it didn’t make a difference to me who — all I [344]*344eared about was getting that money and getting out of that house.... That’s all I cared about.

(Id. at 119-20).

Carpenter further testified that she did not believe she owed Rozell anything because of the way he treated her, and also because:

I gave him half of a house and all of the appliances [when I moved out], brand-new stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, which increases the value of the house, he got all of that. I didn’t ask for anything. I said take it all, just be out of my life and be safe — but, no, he still has to beep the horn at me and flash his lights at me and still to this day tormenting me and not — all I want is just [to be] done. No, I don’t think I owe him anything.

(App. at 123-24).

Carpenter testified she did not pursue any claims against Rozell for what she understood he owed her because:

I felt that, yes, if I wanted to be involved with him any further I could have gotten money from him. That’s what I believed, but I didn’t want it, I wanted to be done. I was willing to forego whatever I was entitled to in that house to be done with him.

(App. at 129-30).

Carpenter also testified that, although Rozell showed her an appraisal stating the Ring was valued at roughly $17,000, she came to believe that amount was neither the price Rozell paid for the Ring nor the actual value of the Ring at the time she sold it. (App, at 120-21, 131-37, 142-45, 149-52).

Carpenter testified multiple circumstances led her to believe that Rozell replaced the Ring’s diamond with one less valuable. She testified that, like many nurses, she often did not wear her ring at work and would instead leave it in her jewelry box at home. She also testified that on several occasions she returned from work to find the Ring missing because Rozell had taken the Ring and hidden it from her. On one such occasion, Carpenter testified Rozell informed her, upon returning the Ring, “you’re not going to get anywhere near what you think you would get if you sold this.” (App. at 150). She testified she was not sure what Rozell meant by this comment or why he would say it. She also testified:

I have no idea why he said that. I have no idea why he went in the jewelry box and removed it from my jewelry box in the first place. I don’t know why he did those things or said those things. I believe he did and said things very often just to upset me, but I don’t know for a fact why he did it.

(Id. at 150-51). Carpenter testified she later learned Rozell did not pay the $17,000 appraisal value as he had previously told her.

Carpenter further testified to another instance when Rozell took the Ring and denied responsibility. On this occasion, Ro-zell instructed her to call the police because it must have been stolen, and only after she placed the call and spoke with police did Rozell inform her that he had the Ring all along. However, this time when he produced the Ring, it was broken into two pieces. She testified as follows:

So after that he said he was going to bring it to Jewelry Designs to have it fixed because he broke it and three days later he brought me back another ring and I remember at that point like I hadn’t really suspected, even when he said, oh, you’re not going to get what you think you’ll get that time, like I kind of — for a long time I convinced myself that the couples counselor and my coworkers and my family and my friends [345]*345and the police and the domestic violence people were wrong, but after a while I came to believe they were correct.

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Bluebook (online)
566 B.R. 340, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rozell-v-carpenter-in-re-carpenter-nysd-2017.