Taub v. Taub (In re Taub)

413 B.R. 69, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 2382
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedAugust 14, 2009
DocketBankruptcy No. 08-44210-ess; Adversary No. 08-1170-ess
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 413 B.R. 69 (Taub v. Taub (In re Taub)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taub v. Taub (In re Taub), 413 B.R. 69, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 2382 (N.Y. 2009).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION ON MOTION TO ABSTAIN

ELIZABETH S. STONG, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the Court is a motion by Simon Taub, the defendant, seeking this Court’s abstention from deciding certain claims (the “Abstention Motion”) in this adversary proceeding (the “Adversary Proceeding”). Mr. Taub is the estranged husband of Chana Taub, the plaintiff, and the debt- or (the “Debtor”) in this Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. He seeks an order pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157, 1334(c)(1), and 1334(c)(2), providing that this Court abstain from deciding the claims in this Adversary Proceeding on grounds that those claims are based on equitable distribution claims asserted by the Debtor in New York State Supreme Court, County of Kings (the “Supreme Court, Kings County”).

A hearing on the Abstention Motion was held on July 22, 2009, at which counsel for Mr. Taub, counsel for the Debtor, and counsel for Esther Newhouse appeared and were heard. Based upon the entire record and consideration of the relevant factors, the arguments of counsel, and for the reasons stated below, the Abstention Motion is denied.

Jurisdiction

The Court has jurisdiction over this Chapter 11 bankruptcy case pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(b) and 157(b)(1), and over this Abstention Motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(3).

Procedural History

On July 1, 2008 (the “Petition Date”), the Debtor filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. The Debtor continues to operate and manage her business and property as a debtor in possession in accordance with 11 U.S.C. §§ 1107 and 1108.

On July 29, 2008, the Debtor filed this Adversary Proceeding against Mr. Taub. Docket No. 1. In the complaint (the “Complaint”), the Debtor seeks a turnover and accounting of rents that she alleges were improperly collected by Mr. Taub from certain properties that the Debtor claims to own, as well as injunctive relief against Mr. Taub restraining him from collecting rents and requiring him either to vacate or to pay rent on an apartment that he occupies in a building that she claims to own. Id.

On September 15, 2008, Mr. Taub filed an answer to the Complaint in which he denies the allegations of the Complaint and requests, among other things, that the Court abstain from hearing the issues [72]*72raised in this Adversary Proceeding and any claims that are the subject of equitable distribution. Docket No. 8.

On June 1, 2009, Mr. Taub filed the Abstention Motion for an order providing that this Court abstain from hearing the issues raised in the Complaint. Docket No. 30. In support of the Abstention Motion, Mr. Taub filed an application (the “Deft’s App.”) and his affirmation.

On June 1, 2009, Mr. Taub also filed a motion for abstention in Chana Taub v. Simon Taub, 10 Grand Avenue LLC, Rachel Taub and Perl Fein, Adv. Pro. No. 09-1027 (Bankr.E.D.N.Y.) (the “09-1027 Abstention Motion”). Adv. Pro. No. 09-1027, Docket No. 10. On the same date, Mr. Taub filed a motion (the “Lift Stay Motion”) in the Debtor’s bankruptcy case for an order terminating the automatic stay to allow Mr. Taub and the Debtor to proceed to conclusion up until judgment with the matrimonial action (the “Second Divorce Action”) pending in the Supreme Court, Kings County. Case No. 08-44210, Docket No. 260.

On June 23, 2009, the Debtor filed a Brief of Debtor/Plaintiff in Opposition to Defendant’s Abstention Motion (the “Debt- or’s Opp.”), as well as her affirmation and the affirmation of Dennis Houdek (the “Houdek Affirm.”). Docket Nos. 33-35.

On June 25, 2009, Esther Newhouse, a creditor in the Debtor’s bankruptcy case, filed a Joinder In Support of Brief of Debtor in Opposition to Simon Taub’s Motion for Abstention (the “Newhouse Join-der”). Docket No. 36.

On July 6, 2009, Mr. Taub filed a reply to the Debtor’s Opposition to the Abstention Motion (the “Deft’s Reply”). Docket No. 37. Mr. Taub also filed replies to the Debtor’s opposition to the 09-1027 Abstention Motion, and the Lift Stay Motion. See Adv. Pro. No. 09-1027, Docket No. 17; Case No. 08-44210, Docket No. 281.

Background

The Debtor and Mr. Taub have been engaged in contentious and acrimonious litigation, including two divorce actions, in the New York state courts since 2005. The Debtor commenced a divorce action against Mr. Taub in the Supreme Court, Kings County on June 17, 2005 (the “First Divorce Action”). Debtor’s Opp. at 2. The First Divorce Action was dismissed after a jury trial on March 27, 2007. Debtor’s Opp. at 4; Deft’s App. ¶ 1. During the pendency of the First Divorce Action, three of the four judges to whom the matter was assigned recused themselves. Deft’s App. ¶¶ 6-7.

As the schedules filed with the Debtor’s bankruptcy petition reflect, the Debtor claims an interest in several properties, including the properties that are the subject of this Adversary Proceeding. In particular, the Debtor’s schedules state that she claims an interest in three properties titled solely in her name located at 1259 52nd Street (the “52nd Street Property”), 4819 14th Avenue (the “14th Avenue Property”), and 1405 49th Street (the “49th Street Property”), in Brooklyn, New York, and in property titled jointly in the Debt- or’s and Mr. Taub’s names located at 85 Forshay Road, Monsey, New York (the “Forshay Road Property”). Case No. 08-44210, Docket No. 12 (Schedule A). These four properties are also the subject of Adversary Proceeding No. 08-1424 filed by Pnina Kaufman as guardian for Moshe Taub, Mr. Taub’s father, against the Debt- or, in which Ms. Kaufman seeks the imposition of a constructive trust in favor of Moshe Taub on grounds that he placed these properties in the Debtor’s name in reliance on promises that she would recon-vey them to him upon his request. Adv. Pro. No. 08-1424, Docket No. 1. And the [73]*73properties are the subject of an action in the Supreme Court, Kings County brought by Ms. Kaufman on February 21, 2006, seeking similar relief (the “Kaufman State Court Action”). Deft’s App. Exh. E (Complaint ¶ 28).

The Debtor also claims an equitable interest in three properties which were titled solely in Mr. Taub’s name and conveyed by Mr. Taub to his daughters following the First Divorce Action. Case No. 08-44210, Docket No. 12 (Schedule A). These three properties are located at 6-8 Grand Avenue, 10 Grand Avenue, and 23-27 Grand Avenue, in Brooklyn, New York (the “Grand Avenue Properties”), and are the subject of Adversary Proceeding No. 09-1027, the 09-1027 Abstention Motion, and the Kaufman State Court Action.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
413 B.R. 69, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 2382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taub-v-taub-in-re-taub-nyeb-2009.