Siedlecki v. Casale (In re S & R Service, Inc.)

26 B.R. 865, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 7004
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida.
DecidedJanuary 19, 1983
DocketBankruptcy No. 82-02261-BKC-JAG; Adv. No. 82-1136-BKC-JAG-A
StatusPublished

This text of 26 B.R. 865 (Siedlecki v. Casale (In re S & R Service, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida. primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Siedlecki v. Casale (In re S & R Service, Inc.), 26 B.R. 865, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 7004 (Fla. 1983).

Opinion

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

JOSEPH A. GASSEN, Bankruptcy Judge.

This proceeding was commenced by an adversary complaint to lift stay filed against Richard A. Casale, which was amended to join the debtors as co-defendants. The debtors in the consolidated bankruptcy case are three related companies, S & R Service, Inc., Sunshine Services, Inc., and Discount Leasing Corporation. The three corporations together are in the business of operating a taxicab service, although S & R is the primary corporation. The three will be referred to collectively as “Debtor” or as “S & R”. Richard A. Casale [866]*866is presently the one-hundred percent shareholder of all three corporations.

Plaintiff seeks a lifting of the stay so he may continue with proceedings in state court to complete a purchase and sale agreement made with the state court receiver of S & R Services. Debtor filed in the main case a motion to reject this same contract, and hearing on debtor’s motion was had simultaneously with the trial of this adversary complaint. Plaintiff argues that the bankruptcy proceeding was brought in bad faith with regard to plaintiff’s contract, and that that is sufficient legal basis to lift the stay. Defendant concedes that bad faith can be a “cause” for lifting the stay under 11 U.S.C. § 362(d)(1) but does not concede that bad faith existed here. Plaintiff did not cite any case law or statutory authority throughout the case and debtor did not cite any other authority as to the adversary proceeding.

Many witnesses testified, some in direct contradiction of each other. It was evident that this court has become the forum for a power struggle between operators of taxicab fleets in Broward County, Florida. The real complaint underlying all plaintiff’s assertions is that the intent of Casale during the period in question was to do whatever was necessary, including putting the debtor into bankruptcy, in order to make debtors’ taxi permits available to Jessie Gaddis, the largest operator of taxis in Broward County. Casale, on the other hand, contends that his state court actions were brought so that he could regain control of his companies; that the state court receiver which was intended to be for his (Casale’s) protection improperly tried to sell the corporate assets to Siedlecki; and that the only “ulterior” motive in the bankruptcy proceeding was to protect his (Casale’s) position in the corporations once the state court proceedings got out of hand. Each individual argues that the corporate creditors will be paid in full if he obtains the assets and that the creditors will be harmed if the other gains control. The detailed facts are as follows.

Casale was originally a fifty percent shareholder of the debtor corporations and one Steven Kaplan was the other shareholder. Disagreements between the two shareholders over control led to litigation in Bro-ward County Circuit Court in which Casale obtained a judgment against Kaplan. The first litigation did not resolve all difficulties and Casale therefore filed another action against the corporations and Steven Kaplan under Florida statutes concerning deadlocked shareholders (Case No. 82-14203 CK-Garrett, in the Circuit Court for Bro-ward County Florida).

To protect his interests from Steven Ka-plan, Casale obtained the appointment of a receiver, Steven Rackmill, a former taxi driver and friend or acquaintance of Casale. Casale’s desire was to emerge from the state court litigation with his own corporation, Broward Checker Cab, Inc., essentially substituted for S & R. To that end, he, as president of Broward Checker entered into a contract with the receiver Steven Rack-mill, by which Broward Checker was to purchase all of the assets of the three debt- or corporations by the assumption of all liabilities of the corporations. (Plaintiff’s Exhibit No. 1). The assets consisted of fixtures, equipment, furniture, automobiles and, most important, approximately thirty taxicab permits, out of five-hundred existing in Broward County. The contract between Rackmill and Casale was entered into on September 14, 1982. On October 30, 1982 Rackmill entered into a similar agreement with Robert Siedlecki, plaintiff in this adversary proceeding. (Plaintiff’s Exhibit No. 2).

Plaintiff argues that Rackmill entered into the contract with him because it was apparent that Casale did not intend to close on his contract, and intended rather to ruin the company. However, the Siedlecki-Rackmill contract was made subject to the non-closing of the Casale-Rackmill contract. Casale argues that, on the contrary, he was prevented from closing on his contract because the receiver imposed additional conditions regarding escrow funds for contingent liabilities of the companies subsequent to execution of the contract, and otherwise [867]*867tried to prevent its closing. The evidence is fairly clear that Casale did not know of the Siedlecki-Rackmill contract until after it had been entered into. However, the evidence was conflicting as to whether there was an insurance crisis which led to the Siedlicki-Casale contract, and if so, whether or not it was contrived, and how much Casale knew about it. Rackmill testified that county authorities were suddenly concerned about the insufficiency of S & R’s liability insurance, that Casale would not address the problem quickly enough, and that Rackmill found he could obtain much cheaper insurance through Siedlecki, which he did, with Siedlecki providing $1,500 for the insurance. While working out the insurance situation over the weekend, Rack-mill also entered into the contract for sale to Siedlecki. The contract itself does not make any reference to insurance or any connection between the two transactions.

Some time during this period, Casale was able to purchase the S & R stock held by Steven Kaplan and Casale became one-hundred percent shareholder of S & R. These funds, as well as litigation funds and escrow funds for the purchase of the assets of the corporations from the receiver, totalling approximately $100,000, were obtained by Casale from Jessie Gaddis, the primary operator of taxis in Broward County. The loans are secured by mortgages on Casale’s home and gas station, and Casale and Gad-dis testified that Gaddis made no agreement to waive repayment under any circumstances.

When Casale perceived what he believed to be Rackmill’s attempt to take the corporations away from him through a sale of the assets to Siedlecki, and now having full ownership of S & R, Casale obtained the removal of Rackmill, and attempted to dismiss the Broward County Circuit Court case which he had brought against his companies. The Broward County Circuit judge refused to permit dismissal of the case and Siedlecki and Casale were appointed co-receivers (Defendant’s Exhibit D). Such an arrangement obviously could not work because the co-receivers were already fierce antagonists. Siedlecki set an emergency hearing (one of several) on his motion for contempt against Casale based on a restraining order which attorney William Blyler testified restrained only Steven Ka-plan. (Few of the pleadings or orders in the circuit court ease were offered into evidence in this proceeding). The motion was denied but Casale agreed to a restraining order preventing him from removing any assets of the corporation.

At that hearing, Siedlecki announced that he, as co-receiver and successor to Rackmill, intended to close on the contract with himself.

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

Related

Jackson Brewing Company v. Herpel
567 F.2d 618 (Fifth Circuit, 1978)
In Re J. H. Land & Cattle Company, Inc.
8 B.R. 237 (W.D. Oklahoma, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
26 B.R. 865, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 7004, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/siedlecki-v-casale-in-re-s-r-service-inc-flsb-1983.