Sanderson v. Ptasinski (In Re Ptasinski)

290 B.R. 16, 2003 Bankr. LEXIS 224, 2003 WL 360016
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 13, 2003
Docket2-19-20196
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 290 B.R. 16 (Sanderson v. Ptasinski (In Re Ptasinski)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanderson v. Ptasinski (In Re Ptasinski), 290 B.R. 16, 2003 Bankr. LEXIS 224, 2003 WL 360016 (N.Y. 2003).

Opinion

DECISION & ORDER

JOHN C. NINFO, II, Chief Judge.

BACKGROUND

On February 20, 2002, David M. Ptasin-ski (“David Ptasinski”) and Maureen T. Ptasinski (“Maureen Ptasinski”) (collectively, the “Debtors”) filed a petition initiating a Chapter 7 case. On March 7, 2002, the Debtors filed the Schedules and Statements required to be filed by Section 521 and Rule 1007 (the “Initial Schedules” and “Initial Statement of Affairs”), on which indicated that: (1) they owned a residence, as tenants by the entirety, located at 1474 Cherry Blossom Lane, Webster, New York (the “Residence”), which had a current market value of $202,000.00; (2) David Ptasinski had a retirement plan, administered by the Electricians Union, with a current balance of $76,001.48; (3) they had household goods and furnishings located at the Residence with a value of $2,000.00; (4) David Ptasinski owned a watch with a value of $35.00 and they each had wedding bands with a total value of $200.00 (Schedule B, Question 7 regarding Furs and Jewelry); (5) Canandaigua National Bank (“CNB”) held a $50,000.00 collateral security mortgage on the Residence; (6) they leased a 2001 Volvo V70 wagon; (7) they were indebted to Marie A. and Brian Sanderson (the “Sandersons”) on a personal loan for approximately $26,000.00; (8) they were potentially liable for $476,377.79 of unsecured debt, the majority of which was incurred in connection with a business that they operated with the Sandersons, known as East Bay Electric, Inc. (“East Bay”); (9) they were both unemployed, and David Ptasinski was drawing unemployment insurance of $1,741.50 per month; and (10) they had no losses from fire, theft, other casualty or gambling within one year immediately preceding the commencement of their case (Question 8 of the Statement of Financial Affairs).

At the Debtors’ initial Section 341 Meeting of Creditors (the “Meeting of Creditors”) the Sandersons and their attorney appeared.

On April 11, 2002, the Debtors filed an April 10, 2002 Amendment to their Schedule F (the “Schedule F Amendment”), *19 which added Doerrer Jewelers as an unsecured creditor, which indicated that it had a claim of $4,100.00 for December 2001 purchases.

On May 28, 2002, the Sandersons filed an Adversary Proceeding objecting to the discharge of the Debtors pursuant to Sections 727(a)(2), (a)(4) and (a)(5). The Complaint in the Adversary Proceeding alleged that: (1) on or around October 2000 the Debtors purchased a valuable diamond ring of at least one carat with a value of between $4,000.00 and $7,000.00 (the “Unscheduled Ring”); (2) Maureen Ptasinski continually wore the Unscheduled Ring through the closing of the East Bay business on September 21, 2001; (3) Maureen Ptasinski was not wearing the Unscheduled Ring at the Meeting of Creditors; (4) in response to questioning by the Sand-erson’s attorney at the Meeting of Creditors, Maureen Ptasinski testified that she did own a small diamond ring of approximately a quarter of a carat, not worth more than $200.00 (the “Engagement Ring”); (5) it was only after the attorney for the Sandersons questioned the Debtors regarding unscheduled jewelry that they amended their schedules to add Doerrer Jewelers as a creditor, however, as of the date of the filing of the Complaint, their schedules had still not been amended to reflect the jewelry purchased from Doerrer Jewelers; (6) the Debtors, with intent to hinder, delay and defraud their creditors and their Chapter 7 trustee (the “Trustee”), faded to properly schedule the Engagement Ring, the Unscheduled Ring or other items, if any, that may have been purchased from Doerrer Jewelers; (7) David Ptasinski had failed to schedule his interest in an Accubid computer software program (the “Accubid Software”), which he had utilized in connection with the operations of East Bay; (8) the Accubid Software had a value of approximately $6,500.00; (9) the Debtors had filed their 2002 income tax returns and scheduled an anticipated refund of $3,750.00, however, because East Bay, a Subchapter “S” corporation, had not filed its 2001 returns, the Debtors knowingly did not have the information regarding, and did not claim on their individual returns, any losses from the operations of East Bay, which may have resulted in significantly greater refunds; (10) the Debtors had failed to wait for and utilize losses from East Bay so that they could file their 2001 returns, obtain any refunds and spend the refunds before they filed their petition; (11) although the Debtors scheduled an indebtedness to John Deere Credit, they failed to schedule their John Deere tractor with snow blower attachment; (12) in connection with the operation of East Bay, David Ptasinski personally purchased a generator for in excess of $1,000.00, however, he did not schedule it as an asset; (13) the Debtors had made false oaths within the meaning and intent of Section 727(a)(4) in filing their Initial Schedules and Initial Statement of Affairs and in testifying at the Meeting of Creditors; and (14) the Debtors had intentionally concealed assets, failed to satisfactorily explain losses of assets and made false oaths so that their discharge should be denied.

On June 19, 2002, the Debtors interposed an Answer which admitted the purchase of a diamond ring weighing at least one carat in October 2000, and advised that the Accubid Software had been repossessed by CNB, as a secured creditor of East Bay.

At a July 18, 2002 pretrial conference, the attorney for the Debtors advised the Court and the attorney for the Sandersons that: (1) Maureen Ptasinski had lost the Unscheduled Ring that had been purchased from Doerrer Jewelers during her pregnancy in the fall of 2001; (2) the Unscheduled Ring had not been insured; (3) *20 the Debtors had provided the Trustee with a written statement regarding the loss of the Unscheduled Ring, which he was satisfied with; (4) the Debtors had now disclosed Maureen Ptasinski’s ownership of the Engagement Ring, and had it appraised for the Trustee; (5) the Debtors had amended their schedules to add Doerrer Jewelers as a creditor in connection with their purchase of the Unscheduled Ring; (6) David Ptasinski had obtained the Accubid Software, in the form of a disk only, from a prior employer that went out of business, however, CNB had repossessed it when the East Bay business closed; (7) the Debtors were working with an accountant to ensure that the East Bay tax returns were filed, and they and their accountant would work with the Trustee to amend their individual returns if warranted; (8) they had not scheduled their John Deere tractor with snow blower attachment because it was secured to John Deere Credit and there was no equity in it; and (9) in September 2001, David Ptasinski sold the generator, which was then eighteen months old, to his father for $400.00.

On August 28, 2002, the Sandersons filed a petition initiating their own Chapter 7 case, and their trustee elected not to pursue the Adversary Proceeding on behalf of their estate.

On September 18, 2002, the Debtors filed a September 12, 2002 Second Amendment of their Schedules and Statements which listed: (1) a .3-carat solitaire with an appraised value of $120.00; (2) a lawn tractor financed through John Deere Credit in fair condition with a value of $2,000.00; and (3) a 1.23 carat diamond ring with an approximate value of $7,500.00, that was lost between September 2001 and February 2002 during Maureen Ptasinski’s problem pregnancy.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
290 B.R. 16, 2003 Bankr. LEXIS 224, 2003 WL 360016, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanderson-v-ptasinski-in-re-ptasinski-nywb-2003.