Shappell's Inc. v. Perry (In Re Perry)

252 B.R. 541, 13 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 311, 2000 Bankr. LEXIS 889, 2000 WL 1195530
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedMay 11, 2000
DocketBankruptcy No. 99-02824-3F7. Adversary No. 99-288
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 252 B.R. 541 (Shappell's Inc. v. Perry (In Re Perry)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shappell's Inc. v. Perry (In Re Perry), 252 B.R. 541, 13 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 311, 2000 Bankr. LEXIS 889, 2000 WL 1195530 (Fla. 2000).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

JERRY A. FUNK, Bankruptcy Judge.

This Proceeding is before the Court on the Complaint Objecting to Discharge and/or to Except Debt from Discharge filed by Shapell’s Inc. (“Plaintiff’) on September 30, 1999. Defendant, Brian 6. Perry (“Debtor”) filed an answer on November 2, 1999. The Court conducted a trial on March 28-29, 2000. In lieu of closing argument, the Court asked the parties to submit proposed findings of facts and conclusions of law, proposed judgments, and memoranda of law. Upon review of the evidence presented and the submissions of counsel, the Court makes *545 the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

FINDINGS OF FACT

In February 1997, Debtor began doing business as Big Cat Construction (“BCC”). BCC cleared real property for new construction but did no vertical construction. BCC would contract with dirt hauling companies, such as Plaintiff, to assist in clearing lots. Debtor claimed that he underbid a project for a large developer that eventually forced him to cease doing business as BCC. While doing business as BCC, Debt- or maintained an office at 3750 Kori Road, Jacksonville, FL, a mailing address of P.O. Box 56933, and a telephone number of (904) 262-3880. Debtor claimed that he shut down BCC around June or July of 1998. At that time Debtor claimed that BCC’s only assets were leased equipment and account receivables. Debtor claimed that as these receivables were paid, he would pay BCC bills.

On February 21, 1997 Cheryl L. Styers, Debtor’s sister-in-law, registered the fictitious name and began business as Concrete Land and Site Development (“CLSD”). Shortly after Debtor ceased doing business as BCC, he began working at CLSD. While working with CLSD, Debtor did the same kind of land clearing work he did as BCC.

On August 25, 1998, C.R. Styers, Debt- or’s mother-in-law, incorporated Big Cat Construction, Inc. (“BCC, Inc.”). On November 5, 1998, C.R. Styers incorporated Concrete, Land and Site Development, Inc. (“CLSD, Inc.”). 1 BCC, Inc. and CLSD, Inc. had the same listed address, mailing address, and telephone number as BCC.

Sunshine Companies, Inc. provided employees for all of these business entities. Debtor worked for Sunshine Companies, Inc. for over three years, serving as a leased employee to these business entities. No matter which entity Debtor worked for at the time, the same payroll account was used to make payroll with Sunshine Companies, Inc. from September 27, 1996 to June 10, 1999. Additionally, BCC and CLSD were co-insured under the same general liability policy.

Debtor testified as to various financial transactions between these entities. Debt- or’s attitude toward the Court carried the same disregard and disarray as he did toward organization in his business affairs. During June 1998, when Debtor testified that he was closing down BCC, BCC’s ledger indicates cash withdrawals of $37,-739.91. Debtor testified that this money went to CLSD to pay his creditors. In July 1998, Debtor made additional cash withdrawals from BCC in the amount of $6,996.35 and paid $40,731.63 to CLSD. Debtor could not properly account for these transactions and did not introduce any evidence to show that any creditors received payment and if so, in what amount. Debtor testified that one of the reasons he withdrew cash from BCC was to prevent creditors from levying on his assets.

Debtor failed to produce business records. 2 Debtor claimed BCC’s business records no longer existed because business records and a computer containing business records were stolen from the office. Debtor presented no evidence to corroborate this testimony. Debtor testified that his bankruptcy schedules were incorrect, but he intended to file corrected schedules. 3 Debtor testified that CLSD, and *546 subsequently CLSD, Inc., took control of BCC’s leased equipment and assumed lease payments, but that the equipment was later repossessed. Debtor did not know how much, if any, was owed to the equipment leasing companies.

At some point prior to trial Debtor advised Plaintiff that no records existed for BCC, Inc. because BCC, Inc. was never operated as a business. However, BCC, Inc. maintained a bank account at South Trust Bank in Jacksonville, Florida, performed work, collected monies, and disbursed monies. In October of 1998, after BCC had supposedly shutdown, BCC, Inc. received $22,280.00 from BCC and unex-plainably disbursed $25,000.00 to CLSD, Inc. BCC, Inc., CLSD, and BCC frequently wrote checks to each other. Debtor characterized some of these transfers as loans, but these “loans” were not documented.

Charles Styers, Debtor’s father-in-law, testified to the history of these business entities and provided some clarity to Debt- or’s vague recollection of business operations. On the second day of the trial, Charles Styers presented a summary he had prepared after discovering financial documents after the first day of trial. These BCC documents were intermingled with those of CLSD and CLSD, Inc. and showed that CLSD received approximately $76,741.57 from Debtor.

On October 30, 1998 Plaintiff obtained a Final Judgment against Debtor in Case Number 98-4636-CA in the Circuit Court, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County, Florida, in the amount of $70,729.87. On April 19, 1999, Debtor filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief. On June 17, 1999, Norman P. Freedman, Plaintiffs counsel, issued a subpoena for Rule 2004 examination that commanded C.R. Styers to produce various documents. C.R. Styers did not produce any of the listed documents at the July 9, 1999 2004 examination. On September 30, 1999, Plaintiff filed a Complaint Objecting to Discharge and/or to Except Debt from Discharge. Plaintiff objects to Debtor’s discharge on various grounds. On November 2, 1999, Debtor filed an answer denying material allegations in Plaintiffs Complaint.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

Having disposed of issues concerning dischargeability under Section 523 at trial, the only issue that remains is whether Debtor is entitled to a discharge under Section 727 of the Bankruptcy Code. Section 727 provides in pertinent part that:

The court shall grant the debtor a discharge, unless—

(2) the debtor, with intent to hinder, delay, or defraud a creditor or an officer of the estate charged with custody of property under this title, has transferred, removed, destroyed, mutilated, or concealed, or has permitted to be transferred, removed, destroyed, mutilated, or concealed' — ■
(A) property of the debtor, within one year before the date of the filing of the petition; or
(B) property of the estate, after the date of the filing of the petition;
(3) the debtor has concealed, destroyed, mutilated, falsified, or failed to keep or preserve any recorded information, including books, documents, records, and papers, from which the debtor’s financial condition or business transactions might be ascertained, unless such act or failure to act was justified under all of the circumstances of the case;

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Bluebook (online)
252 B.R. 541, 13 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 311, 2000 Bankr. LEXIS 889, 2000 WL 1195530, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shappells-inc-v-perry-in-re-perry-flmb-2000.