Sigmon v. Goldman Sachs Mortgage Co.

539 B.R. 221, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131558, 2015 WL 5724675
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 29, 2015
DocketNo. 12 Civ. 3367(ALC)(GWG)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 539 B.R. 221 (Sigmon v. Goldman Sachs Mortgage Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sigmon v. Goldman Sachs Mortgage Co., 539 B.R. 221, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131558, 2015 WL 5724675 (S.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

CORRECTED ORDER AND OPINION

ANDREW L. CARTER, JR., District Judge.

Defendants Goldman Sachs Mortgage (“Goldman Sachs”) and MLQ DML Hotel, LLC, MLQ DML Spa LLC and MLQ DML Restaurant LLC (collectively, “MLQ Defendants” and together with Goldman Sachs, “Defendants”) move to dismiss the Amended Complaint in its entirety. Wayne Sigmon, the Trustee (“Trustee”) in the Chapter 7 bankruptcy of Karen Le-Bauer Hindin (“Hindin” or “Debtor”) brings three claims of constructive fraudulent transfer under the laws of New York, Utah and North Carolina (Claims 1-3), N.Y. DCL § 270 et seq.; Utah Code 25-6-6; N.C.G.S. § 39-23.4. The Trustee also brings a claim to void an entire agreement that effectuated the underlying transfer because of an allegedly unlawful provision therein (Claim 4). For the reasons discussed below, Defendants’ motion is granted in part and denied in part.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Debtor’s basis for claiming an interest is set forth as follows: On or about October 27, 2009, Debtor held a 50% interest in Dakota Mountain Lodge LLC (“Dakota”). Dakota in turn held a 50% interest in Duval Development Partners I Holdings (“DDP Holdings”), which held a 100% interest in Duval Development Partners I (“DDP”). In addition, Dakota held a 40% interest in DML Holdings, another limited liability company, which held a 100% interest in Dakota Hotel Unit LLC (“Dakota Hotel”) and Dakota Restaurant Unit LLC (“Dakota Restaurant”).

Goldman Sachs acted as lender under the Loan Agreement, dated June 29, 2006, with DDP Holdings and DDP (the “Original Borrowers”). DDP was the record owner of at least a portion of a luxury hotel and spa property in Park City, Utah (the “Property”) subject to a Construction Deed of Trust, Assignment of Rents and Leases, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing recorded on or after June 29, 2006 (the “Deed of Trust”). On June 22, 2009, Dakota Hotel and Dakota Restaurant acquired the Property from DDP by quitclaim deed, at which point Dakota Hotel and Dakota Restaurant became New Borrowers also liable for the obligations of the Loan Agreement.

Hindin was both an equity holder and a guarantor for the financing of the project. She was a 50% interest holder in Dakota and ostensibly a 20% interest holder in DML Holdings by virtue of Dakota’s 40% ownership of DML Holdings. She also signed. personal guaranties to increased amounts of maximum indebtedness under the Deed of Trust and subsequent amendments to the Deed of Trust, guaranteeing the full amount of the Deed of Trust.

The transfer at issue here was effectuated by the Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure Agreement (“Deed in Lieu Agreement”), executed on October 27, 2009 (Am. Compl. Ex. H). In accordance with the Deed in Lieu Agreement and “at the direction of Goldman,” DDP Holdings, DDP, Dakota [224]*224Hotel, and Dakota Restaurant (collectively, the “Borrowers”) conveyed the Property, including 100% interest in the Property, to the MLQ Defendants by special warranty deed (Am. Compl. ¶ 26).

The Deed in Lieu Agreement also included provisions that the loan exceeded the value of the Property but was not accompanied by an appraisal or valuation. (Am. Compl. ¶27). The Deed in Lieu Agreement stated a claimed indebtedness of $90,379,353.59, but the Trustee disputes the accuracy of this amount in the absence of a complete accounting. (Am. Compl. ¶ 34). The Deed in Lieu Agreement also included a provision of the Lender covenanting not to sue the Borrowers personally for any liability under the Loan Agreements and tentatively releasing Principals from their liabilities and obligations arising under the Guaranties, except for surviving liabilities, provided that an Interference Event did not occur within 91 days of the Transfer Date, i.e., the date of the Deed in Lieu Agreement. (“91 Day Clause”) (Deed in Lieu Agreement § 5).

When the Deed in Lieu Agreement was executed, Hindin signed in her capacity as a guarantor, but she was also a signatory for two of the Borrowers (DDP Holdings and DDP) as a member of Dakota.1 (See Am. Compl. Ex. H).

On April 28, 2010, Hindin filed her petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the Western District of North Carolina.

DISCUSSION

I. Motion to Dismiss

To survive a motion to dismiss under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), a claim must contain “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’ ” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). A claim has facial plausibility “when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the Court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937.

On a motion to dismiss, the court will accept the plaintiffs allegations as true, see Kassner v. 2nd Ave. Delicatessen Inc., 496 F.3d 229, 237 (2d Cir.2007), and must “draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff,” id. (citing Fernandez v. Chertoff, 471 F.3d 45, 51 (2d Cir.2006)). However, the court need not accept allegations that are merely conclusions of law. Kassner, 496 F.3d at 237 (complaint inadequate if it “merely offers labels and conclusions or a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action”). Therefore, on a motion to dismiss, “[t]he appropriate inquiry is not whether a plaintiff is likely to prevail, but whether he is entitled to offer evidence to support his claims.” Fernandez, 471 F.3d at 51 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

“In considering a motion to dismiss, the Court may consider documents attached as an exhibit thereto or incorporated by reference, documents that are “integral” to plaintiffs claims, even if not explicitly incorporated by reference, and matters of which judicial notice may be taken.” Thomas v. Westchester County Health Care Corp., 232 F.Supp.2d 273, 275 (S.D.N.Y.2002) (internal citations omitted). To incorporate a document by reference, “the Complaint must make a clear, definite and substantial reference to the docu[225]*225ment[ ].” Id. at 275-76. Moreover, “when a plaintiff chooses not to attach to the complaint or incorporate by reference a [document] upon which it solely relies and which is integral to the complaint, the defendant may produce [the document] when attacking the complaint for its failure to state a claim, because plaintiff should not so easily be allowed to escape the consequences of its own failure.” Cortec Industries, Inc. v. Sum Holding L.P., 949 F.2d 42, 47-48 (2d Cir.1991); Chambers v. Time Warner, Inc., 282 F.3d 147, 153 (2d Cir.2002) (on a motion to dismiss, a court may consider “documents attached to the complaint as an exhibit or incorporated in it by reference, ... matters of which judicial notice may be taken, or ...

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539 B.R. 221, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131558, 2015 WL 5724675, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sigmon-v-goldman-sachs-mortgage-co-nysd-2015.