Seibels, Bruce & Co. v. England (In re England)

63 B.R. 76, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 5686
CourtDistrict Court, D. Georgia
DecidedJuly 15, 1986
DocketBankruptcy No. A85-00045-ADK; Adv. No. 85-0238A
StatusPublished

This text of 63 B.R. 76 (Seibels, Bruce & Co. v. England (In re England)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Seibels, Bruce & Co. v. England (In re England), 63 B.R. 76, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 5686 (gad 1986).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF OPINION AND ORDER

A.D. KAHN, Bankruptcy Judge.

Plaintiff filed the above-styled adversary complaint to determine the dischargeability of a debt pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4). It is before the Court on Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment. The Court finds this matter to constitute a core proceeding within the meaning of 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2). The Court had previously requested additional briefs from the Parties. After considering the same, the Court concludes that Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment should be granted.

Plaintiff’s Statement of Material Facts of Which There is No Dispute remains unchallenged by Defendant-Debtor and is quoted in part below.

1.
Movant Seibels, Bruce is a South Carolina corporation qualified to do business in the State of Georgia, the principal place of business of which within that state being at 1957 Lakeside Parkway, Tucker, Georgia 30084.
2.
On January 26, 1981, John Allen England (hereinafter “England”) was serving as the President and chief operating officer of Amtrux Insurance Managers, Inc. (hereinafter “Amtrux”), a Georgia corporation incorporated on January 12, 1981....
3.
On January 26, 1981, an “Agency Agreement” was executed by England and Seibels, Bruce wherein Amtrux inter alia agreed to remit to Seibels, Bruce net premium monies collected for insurance contracts placed by Amtrux with Seibels, Bruce after Amxtrux [sic] had retained out of said premium monies commissions at rates agreed upon by the two parties ....
4.
On January 28, 1981, a written personal Guaranty of the obligations of Amtrux under the Agency Agreement was executed by England....
[77]*775.
That on the date of execution of the above-noted Agency Agreement and personal Guaranty, England was duly licensed in the State of Georgia to solicit and accept from the public applications for contracts of insurance, and after-wards did, in fact, solicit and accept from the public applications for contracts of insurance which were placed with Sei-bels, Bruce.
6.
Under the terms of the Agency Agreement and his written personal Guaranty, England was liable for the full, prompt and faithful payment performance and discharge by Amtrux of its obligations under the Agency Agreement to include Amtrux’s express obligation to remit net premium monies collected by Amtrux from its customer-insureds to Seibels, Bruce.
[[Image here]]
8.
On November 5, 1982, England, as President of Amtrux, executed a Promissory Note in favor of Seibels, Bruce obligating Amtrux to pay Seibels, Bruce $575,000.00 over a term of thirteen (13) months ..., which indebtedness was further personally guaranteed by England in a written Guaranty executed on the same date....
9.
That the indebtedness of $575,000.00 owed to Seibels, Bruce from Amtrux and guaranteed by England as reflected in the Promissory Note and written Guaranty described in paragraph 8 above constituted net premium collected yet un-remitted by Amtrux to Seibels, Bruce as of November 5, 1982....
10.
On April 1, 1983, Seibels, Bruce filed suit against England in the State Court of DeKalb - County in Civil Action No. F04789-2 alleging that Amtrux had breached the terms of both its Agency Agreement and the November 5, 1982 Promissory Note and that England had further breached the terms of his written personal guaranties of the indebtedness-es of Amtrux arising under the Agency Agreement and Promissory Note by England’s failure to pay said indebtednesses when due to Seibels, Bruce.
[[Image here]]

Plaintiff’s Statement of Material Facts of Which There is No Dispute at 1-4.

11.
On July 21, 1983, a judgment in damages was entered upon a jury verdict in favor of Seibels, Bruce & Company and against England in the amount of $276,-326.64, together with attorneys’ fees in the amount of 15% of the judgment, plus the cost of the action totalling $317,-806.63.

Amendment to Plaintiff’s Statement of Material Facts Not in Dispute at 1-2.

Plaintiff contends that Defendant-Debt- or, as president, director, and 51% shareholder of Amtrux Insurance Managers, Inc., is liable for a nondischargeable debt for failure to remit net insurance premiums to Plaintiff pursuant to § 523(a)(4). Section 523(a)(4) provides that a debt is nondis-chargeable if it is one “for fraud or defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capaci-ty_” There is no dispute as to liability. See Judgment of State Court of DeKalb County, Georgia entered July 21, 1983 against Defendant-Debtor and in favor of Plaintiff in the amount of $276,326.64, attached to Plaintiff’s Statement of Material Facts of Which There is No Dispute. There is no dispute that there was a fiduciary relationship between Defendant-Debtor and Plaintiff. See this Court’s Order entered January 15, 1986.

In support of its contention that the debt in question should be held to be nondis-chargeable in bankruptcy, Plaintiff relies upon the case of Capitol Indem. Corp. v. Interstate Agency, Inc. (In re Interstate Agency, Inc.), 760 F.2d 121 (6th Cir.1985), [78]*78which appears to be on all fours with the case sub judice. In In re Interstate Agency, Inc., Lilly was president, major stockholder, and director of Interstate Agency, Inc. Lilly executed an agency agreement with Capitol Indemnity Corp. on behalf of Interstate in his capacity as president. Lilly also signed a personal guarantee. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the debt owed to Capitol for the failure of Interstate to remit premiums due was a nondischargeable debt as to Lilly pursuant to § 17(a)(4) of the Bankruptcy Act of 1898.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In Re Interstate Agency, Inc.
760 F.2d 121 (Sixth Circuit, 1985)
Baugh v. Matheson (In Re Matheson)
10 B.R. 652 (S.D. Alabama, 1981)
Landvest Associates v. Owens (In Re Owens)
54 B.R. 162 (D. South Carolina, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 B.R. 76, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 5686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seibels-bruce-co-v-england-in-re-england-gad-1986.