Taylor Electric Co. v. Ettinger (In re Ettinger)

68 B.R. 993, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 52
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedJanuary 21, 1987
DocketBankruptcy No. 85-01998-R; Adv. No. 86-0567-R
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 68 B.R. 993 (Taylor Electric Co. v. Ettinger (In re Ettinger)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor Electric Co. v. Ettinger (In re Ettinger), 68 B.R. 993, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 52 (E.D. Mich. 1987).

Opinion

SUPPLEMENTAL MEMORANDUM OPINION

STEVEN W. RHODES, Bankruptcy Judge.

I.

This matter is before the Court following trial on the plaintiff’s complaint. The plaintiff is Taylor Electric Company, a former supplier of the debtor/defendant, Max Ettinger, who did business as Computer Corner. The plaintiff specifically contends that a debt in the amount of $10,658.29 is non-dischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2), as a result of the debtor’s fraud. Specifically, the plaintiff contends that this debt arose from 30 checks which the debtor wrote without sufficient funds in his account from December 12, 1985 through December 23, 1985, which was approximately when the case was converted from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7. These checks were written pursuant to a COD arrangement between the parties when merchandise was delivered by common carrier from the plaintiff to the defendant. The defendant’s checks were made payable to the plaintiff, and the defendant gave them to the carrier for forwarding to the plaintiff.

The defendant contends that there was no fraudulent intent in that he did not intend not to pay for the merchandise which he had received from the plaintiff.

II.

Section 523(a)(2) generally provides that a discharge under § 727 does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt to the extent obtained by false pretenses, a false representation or actual fraud. 3 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶ 523.08 at 523-43 et seq. (15th ed. 1985):

The frauds included in the portion of section 523(a)(3)(A) under discussion are those which in fact involve moral turpitude or intentional wrong; fraud implied in law which may exist without imputation of bad faith or immorality, is insufficient. It must further affirmatively appear that such representations were [995]*995knowingly and fraudulently made, and that were relied upon by the other party.

This authority further states:

Actual fraud, by definition, consists of any deceit, artifice, trick, or design involving direct and active operation of the mind, used to circumvent and cheat another — something said, done or omitted with the design of perpetrating what is known to be a cheat or deception. Id. at 523-50.

In the case of Martin v. Bank of Germantown, 761 F.2d 1163 (6th Cir.1985), the court held that a party seeking an exception from discharge under § 523(a)(2) has the burden of proof by clear and convincing evidence. Accordingly, in this case the plaintiff, Taylor Electric, bears the burden of showing the defendant’s fraud by clear and convincing evidence.

III.

The evidence in this case establishes that the debtor filed a Chapter 11 petition on June 13, 1985. In each month while the case was in Chapter 11, the debtor suffered fairly significant losses. On November 20, 1985, this Court issued an order to show cause why the case should not be dismissed or converted to a case under Chapter 7, because the debtor had not filed a business plan, as previously ordered, and showed no reasonable likelihood of reorganization in light of his continuing losses. This matter was set for hearing on December 16, 1985.

On November 27,1985, the debtor’s landlord filed an application to evict the debtor from one of his locations. This matter was also set for hearing on December 16, 1985, concurrently with the order to show cause regarding conversion.

On the morning of December 12, 1985, the debtor wrote 19 checks to the plaintiff for merchandise that he received that morning. Later that afternoon in his attorney’s office, the debtor signed a consent to convert this case to Chapter 7, and this consent was filed at 3:27 p.m. that same afternoon.

Nevertheless, despite this conversion, the debtor continued to do business. At the December 16, 1985 hearing, the landlord’s application for eviction was granted and the Court indicated that it would enter an order converting the case.

On the next day, December 17, 1985, the debtor wrote four more checks to the plaintiff for merchandise received on that day. Likewise on December 18,1985, the defendant wrote two more checks to the plaintiff. On December 19, 1985, an order of conversion was entered and an order granting the landlord’s motion was entered. On December 23,1985, the defendant wrote five more checks to the plaintiff for merchandise received by common carrier on that day.

A trustee was appointed by the Court on January 6,1986. At that time, the plaintiff received the first notice that some of the checks had been returned due to insufficient funds, and then a short time later the plaintiff received an additional notice that the balance of the 30 checks had been returned for the same reason. When the plaintiff attempted to re-deposit these checks, they were returned because the debtor’s accounts had then been closed.

IV.

A number of these checks were written after the conversion of this case to Chapter 7; this is significant because any debt which arises from post-conversion checks would not be dischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 727, regardless of fraud. Thus, the initial issue is whether the conversion occurred on December 12, 1985, when the debtor filed his consent to convert, or on December 19, 1985, when the Court entered the order of conversion. This issue is significant in addressing the debt arising from the checks written on December 17 and 18, 1985.

The Court concludes that this issue can be resolved by reference to the language of 11 U.S.C. § 1112, which provides:

(a) The debtor may convert a case under this chapter [11 USCS §§ 1101 et seq.] to a case under chapter 7 of this title [11 USCS §§ 701 et seq.] unless—
(1) the debtor is not a debtor in possession;
[996]*996(2) the case originally was commenced as an involuntary case under this chapter [11 USCS §§ 1101 et seq.]; or
(3) the case was converted to a case under this chapter [11 USCS §§ 1101 et seq.] other than on the debtor’s request.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, on request of aparty in interest, and after notice and a hearing, the court may convert a case under this chapter [11 USCS §§ 1101 et seq.] to a case under chapter 7 of this title [11 USCS §§ 701 et seq.] or may dismiss a case under this chapter [11 USCS §§ 1101 et seq.], whichever is in the best interest of creditors and the estate, for cause, including—
******

[Emphasis added.]

The distinction set forth in these two subsections is clear; under subsection (a), the debtor may convert the case1 to a case under Chapter 7 (without any notice or hearing), while under subsection (b), the court may convert the case (on motion of a party in interest after notice and a hearing).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
68 B.R. 993, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 52, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-electric-co-v-ettinger-in-re-ettinger-mied-1987.