Salim v. VW Credit, Inc.

577 B.R. 615
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 29, 2017
Docket16-CV-01930(KAM)
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 577 B.R. 615 (Salim v. VW Credit, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Salim v. VW Credit, Inc., 577 B.R. 615 (E.D.N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

KIYO A. MATSUMOTO, United States District Judge:

Julian Salim ("Salim” or “appellant”) brings this appeal from the March 16, 2015 Memorandum Decision of Judge Elizabeth S. Stong of the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York, which granted partial summary judgment to VW Credit, Inc. (“VCI” or “appellee”). For the reasons set forth below, the court DENIES appellant’s appeal, and AFFIRMS the Bankruptcy Court’s decision in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The facts giving rise to this dispute are not contested by either party.1

Big Apple Volkswagen, LLC, (“Big Apple”) is a car dealership in the Bronx, New York. Appellant was a managing member and a part owner with John Koeppel and Gzregorz Samborski of Big Apple.2 (ECF No. 5, Appellant Br. at 5; Adv. Proc. No. 31, Salim Aff. ¶ 2.)3

I. The Loan Agreements

VCI provided Big Apple with a loan to enable Big Apple to purchase an inventory of motor vehicles, and provided Big Apple with a working capital line of credit in the form of promissory notes, executed on June 12, 2006, and March 19,-2007, respectively.

On June 12, 2006, Big Apple executed a promissory note, in the amount of $3,347,500.00, and a master security agreement (collectively, “Wholesale Loan Agreement”). (ECF No. 7, Appellee Opp. Br. at 4; Adv. Proc. No. 24, Jeffrey-Alexander Aff. ¶ 9.) Under the terms of the Wholesale Loan Agreement, upon the sale or lease of any vehicle, Big Apple was obligated to, inter alia, remit to VCI all sums owing from VCI’s advance on the vehicle. (Adv. Proc, No. 24, Jeffrey-Alexander Aff. Ex. 1, Master Sec. Agmt. at 1.) Big Apple also agreed to repay VCI the total amount outstanding under the note, in the event of a default. (Id; at 4.) On March 19, 2007, Big Apple executed a second promissory note, in the amount of $250,000.00, and a master security agreement (collectively, “Capital Loan Agreement”). (Adv. Proc. No. 24, Jeffrey-Alexander Aff. ¶ 13.) Pursuant to the terms of the Capital Loan Agreement, Big Apple agreed to repay the sums owing, with interest, at a schedule specified therein. (Id. ¶ 14.)

Under the terms of both loan agreements, Big Apple granted to VCI a security interest in Big Apple’s inventory of vehicles, chattels, and proceeds. (Adv. Proc. No. 24, Jeffrey-Alexander Aff. .Ex. 1, Master Sec. Agmt. at 2; id. Ex. 2, Sec. Agmt. and Capital Loan Agmt. at 2.) The two loan agreements were cross-defaulted, [619]*619meaning that a default under either loan agreement would constitute a default of the other. (Id. Ex. 1, Master Sec. Agmt. at 4; id. Ex. 2, Sec. Agmt. and Capital Loan Agmt. at 5.) On October 29, 2008, appellant executed a continuing guaranty, under which he personally guaranteed Big Apple’s obligations to VCI under both loan agreements. (Id. Ex. 3, Continuing Guaranty.)

Appellant claims to have borrowed $300,000.00 from Salim’s mother, which he states was used to provide initial funding for Big Apple. (ECF No. 5, Appellant Br. at 6.) A letter loan agreement, “effective June 1, 2006,” reflects that Big Apple and appellant would make annual payments to Salim’s mother, with the loan to be paid in full by April 1, 2011. (Adv. Proc. No. 23, Little Deck at 1118.) Appellant testified that he believed the loan from his mother was a secured debt, noticed with a UCC financing statement, but could not explain why the UCC financing statement was filed two years after the purported loan from his mother. (Adv. Proc. No. 23, Little Decl. Ex. 18, Julian Salim Dep. at 39-40; Adv. Proc. No. 23, Little Deck at 1124.)

II. VCI’s Interest and Audit

On March 11, 2011, upon learning that Big Apple was four months past due on a mutual vendor’s account, VCI sought to audit Big Apple’s automobile inventory. (Adv. Proc. No, 24, Jeffrey-Alexander Aff. ¶¶ 21-22.) VCI’s audit team was initially turned away by Big Apple management. (Id. ¶ 23.) On March 15, 2011, VCI learned that Big Apple was conducting a “secret liquidation of its inventory.” (Id. ¶ 24.) VCI was successfully able to complete an audit by March 16, 2011. The audit revealed that Big Apple had sold seventy-eight vehicles from its inventory and failed to remit payments, in the amount of $1,237,615,86, to VCI as required by the loan agreements.

(Id. ¶ 26.) In the automobile finance industry, such a sale is sometimes termed a “sale out of trust.” VW Credit, Inc. v. Salim (In re Salim), No. 13-42974, Adv. 2015 WL 1240000, at *3 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. Mar. 16, 2015). In response, VCI accelerated Big Apple’s obligations under the loan documents. (Adv. Proc. No. 23, Little Deck at 255.) At that time, the accelerated amount immediately due and payable to VCI from Big Apple was $3,888,059.84 under the Wholesale Loan Agreement and $54,263.45 under the Capital Loan Agreement.

III. Southern District of New York District Court Proceedings

On March 21, 2011, VCI filed a complaint against Big Apple, appellant, Koep-pel, and Samborski, in the Southern District of New York alleging claims for breach of contract, breach of guaranties, and replevin of the collateral. VW Credit, Inc. v. Big Apple Volkswagen, LLC, No. 11-cv-1950, 2012 WL 919386, at *2 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 15, 2012) (“Big Apple 7”). On March 30, 2011, Big Apple filed a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, and the District Court action against Big Apple was stayed. After the parties completed discovery, it was revealed that Big Apple had withdrawn and transferred $718,000.00 out of its account on March 14, 2011, and had withdrawn and transferred $504,271.14 out of its account on March 15, 2011. (Adv. Proc. No. 24, Jeffrey-Alexander Aff. ¶¶ 34-41.) Appellant admits that money was transferred out of the account prior to Big Apple initiating bankruptcy proceedings, but disputes that Big Apple was considering bankruptcy at that time. Specifically, appellant states that he transferred $485,000.00 to Rami Osman, an individual in Syria from whom appellant sought to purchase vehicles, $325,000.00 to his broth[620]*620er in Syria to deliver to Osman in order to purchase vehicles, and $335,000.00 to his mother to repay her for her initial loan. (ECF No. 5, Appellant Br. at 6.)

On March 15, 2012, Judge Paul A. En-gelmayer granted VCI summary judgment as to the liability portion of VCI’s breach of contract claims against Koeppel, Sam-borski, and appellant. Judge Engelmayer found that Big Apple had sold numerous vehicles, but failed to remit any payment to VCI. Because Koeppel, Samborski, and appellant had personally guaranteed the contract, Judge Engelmayer concluded that they had breached their contract with VCI and were liable for damages. Id. at *3-4.

On November 29, 2012, Judge Engel-mayer granted summary judgment on VCI’s motion as to damages on the breach of contract claim against Koeppel, Sambor-ski, and appellant. Judge Engelmayer found that there was no genuine issue of material fact as to the damages owed to VCI, and determined that Koeppel, Sam-borski, and Salim were liable to VCI in the amount of $1,146,758.11. VW Credit, Inc. v. Big Apple Volkswagen, LLC, No. 11-cv-1950, 2012 WL 5964393, at *5 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 29, 2012) (“Big Apple II”).

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577 B.R. 615, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/salim-v-vw-credit-inc-nyed-2017.