Szilagyi v. LeMire (In re LeMire)

40 B.R. 841, 1984 Bankr. LEXIS 5464
CourtDistrict Court, D. Rhode Island
DecidedJune 19, 1984
DocketBankruptcy No. 8300094; Adv. No. 830137
StatusPublished

This text of 40 B.R. 841 (Szilagyi v. LeMire (In re LeMire)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Szilagyi v. LeMire (In re LeMire), 40 B.R. 841, 1984 Bankr. LEXIS 5464 (D.R.I. 1984).

Opinion

DECISION

ARTHUR N. VOTOLATO, Jr., Bankruptcy Judge.

Plaintiff Dr. Paul J. Szilagyi has filed a complaint to determine the dischargeability of two alleged debts, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a). In Count I, Szilagyi alleges that Edward Lemire, the debtor, willfully and maliciously converted the plaintiff’s personal property in the amount of 112,00o,1 and asks that this debt be held nondischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6). In Count II,2 Dr. Szilagyi alleges that the debtor fraudulently induced him to sign a promissory note and a personal guaranty, both in the amount of $25,000. The plaintiff asserts that the debtor should indemnify him for any claim brought by the holder of the note and guaranty, and that this indemnification should be held nondis-chargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4).

FACTUAL BACKGROUND3

Rubicon International, Ltd., a Rhode Island corporation, was founded in January 1980 by Edward Lemire, George LeMire,4 and others not relevant to this proceeding. The company was formed to operate as a consulting firm to service the jewelry and precious metals industry. In May or June of 1981, when Edward Lemire and George LeMire were the only remaining principals of Rubicon, Dr. Szilagyi, an organic chemist, was hired as technical director. In the fall of 1981 “Rubicon Analytical and Assay Laboratories” was incorporated as an independent analytical laboratory, but a division of Rubicon International.

It is undisputed that Dr. Szilagyi wished to become a shareholder in Rubicon International, and several drafts of contracts to accomplish that end were prepared, but none was ever executed. Although Dr. Szilagyi used the title “Senior Vice President”, and was involved to some degree in the day to day affairs of the business, his status in the corporation was different from that of the two principals. For example, while George LeMire and Edward Le-mire were drawing only enough for subsistence, Szilagyi was being paid $1000 per week from the time he joined Rubicon International in mid-1981 until the end of that year. The corporation was then in poor financial shape and unable to continue paying him, and he left to spend several weeks in Florida.

In January 1982, while Szilagyi was still in Florida, Rubicon Analytical and Assay Laboratories moved from Warwick to 147 [843]*843South Street, Providence. After Dr. Szila-gyi’s return from Florida, he worked at the South Street location, where Rubicon Research Laboratories also began operating. Although Dr. Szilagyi contends that the Research Laboratory was his own business, the debtor contends that the Assay Laboratory and the Research Laboratory were one and the same. In any event, it is undisputed that the two laboratories were located at the same address, and in the same room.

From the beginning of Dr. Szilagyi’s association with Rubicon International, that corporation was in financial difficulty. In October 1981 the company arranged to borrow $25,000 to set up the Assay Laboratory. Although Edward Lemire testified that the loan was also needed and intended to keep Rubicon International in business, Dr. Szilagyi asserted that he would not have agreed to be a co-signer and personal guarantor of the note if he had not been assured that the funds would be used solely to equip the assay laboratory. Dr. Szila-gyi, Edward Lemire, and George LeMire each signed the note (Plaintiff’s Exhibit 19) and the personal guaranty (Plaintiff’s Exhibit 20). These funds were exhausted within two months, and an assay laboratory had not yet been equipped. Rubicon International then obtained a loan in the amount of $19,000 from People’s Bank in March 1982, and personal guaranties again were executed by Dr. Szilagyi, Edward Le-mire, and George LeMire. In addition, Rubicon gave as collateral “all equipment now owned or hereafter acquired.... The collateral is located at 147 South Street, Providence, Rhode Island.” (Defendant’s Exhibit 19 — UCC-1 statement.)

By the fall of 1982 relations between the parties had really deteriorated, and Rubicon International was in dire financial straits. In September 1982 Dr. Szilagyi incorporated his own company, Aquonics Research Laboratories, and began operating it at the South Street address. Edward Lemire, stating that he “felt betrayed” by Szilagyi’s incorporation and operation of Aquonics, and asserting that his attorney advised him to secure the premises, placed chain locks on the doors of the South Street laboratories; Dr. Szilagyi then had the locks changed. Lemire then arranged to have virtually all the equipment owned by the several companies placed in storage. On October 27, 1982, George LeMire, as President of Rubicon International, and Edward Lemire, as Vice President, sent Dr. Szilagyi a letter terminating his employment “as Rubicon’s Senior Vice President & Technical Director over Rubicon Analytical & Assay Laboratories and Rubicon Research Laboratory.” (Defendant’s Exhibit 42.) Soon thereafter, Rubicon International was placed into receivership, and on February 8, 1983, Edward Lemire filed his Chapter 7 petition with this Court.

COUNT I

In Count I of his complaint Dr. Szilagyi alleges that the debtor, Edward Le-mire, willfully and maliciously converted his personal property, and asks that a debt in the amount of $12,000 be determined to be nondischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6). This section provides as follows:

(a) A discharge under section 727, 1141, or 1328(b) of this title does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt—
(6) for willful and malicious injury by the debtor to another entity or to the property of another entity.

It is clear from the legislative history that this provision contemplates “a willful and malicious conversion.” 124 Cong.Rec. Hll,095-96 (daily ed. Sept. 28, 1978); S17,-412-13 (daily ed. Oct. 6, 1978), cited in 3 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶ 523.16[3] (15th ed. 1984). It is also clear that “a technical conversion may very well lack any element of willfulness or maliciousness necessary to except the liability from discharge.” 3 Collier on Bankruptcy at ¶ 523.16[1] (citations omitted). Furthermore, to be nondis-chargeable as a “willful and malicious injury,” the conversion of another’s property must be “without his knowledge or con[844]*844sent, done intentionally and without justification or excuse, to the other’s injury.” Id.

Based on all the evidence, the Court finds that the plaintiff has failed to meet his burden of proof that the debtor willfully and maliciously converted his personal property. The Court makes the following findings and conclusions with respect to Count I:

1. On the advice of his attorney and the FBI, Edward Lemire attached chain locks to the doors of the South Street laboratories because he wanted to ensure that no items of disputed ownership were removed from the premises.

2. After Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
40 B.R. 841, 1984 Bankr. LEXIS 5464, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/szilagyi-v-lemire-in-re-lemire-rid-1984.