Thompson v. Barbee (In re Barbee)

479 B.R. 193
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedSeptember 25, 2012
DocketBankruptcy No. 10-12496; Adversary No. 11-01006
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 479 B.R. 193 (Thompson v. Barbee (In re Barbee)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. Barbee (In re Barbee), 479 B.R. 193 (Ga. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

SUSAN D. BARRETT, Chief Judge.

Before the Court is the complaint filed by John L. Thompson, George N. Snelling, T. Factor, LLC and SA, LLC (collectively “Plaintiffs”) seeking a denial of discharge of all David McDowell Barbee, Jr.’s (“Debtor”[’s]) debts pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(4)(A), and alternatively seeking a determination that the $100,000.00 loan from Plaintiffs to Debtor is non-discharge-able pursuant 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A), (4) and (6) and such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper. This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I) and (J) and jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1334. For the following reasons, I find Debtor is entitled to a discharge, but $44,462.27 is nondis-chargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2) and (a)(6).

FINDINGS OF FACT

Debtor filed his chapter 7 bankruptcy petition on October 28, 2010.1 Debtor is one of the shareholders in a corporation known as HRP Nursing Services, Inc. (“HRP”). Debtor’s mother, Deborah H. Barbee, is the only other shareholder of [198]*198HRP. She has not filed a bankruptcy petition.

HRP was a nurse staffing business that provided nurses to various hospitals and other medical facilities in Georgia and South Carolina. HRP was paid by the hospitals and other medical facilities on a per hour basis for the nurses supplied by HRP. HRP, in turn, paid the nurses. All of the nurses were acting as independent contractors. The hospitals would remit a gross amount to HRP to cover both the payment to the nurses and a placement fee to HRP. Typically 75% went to the nurse and 25% went to HRP. The nurses would go to HRP’s offices to collect their payments shortly after their shift. HRP’s latest financial troubles began when the business model changed resulting in HRP not receiving payment from the hospitals as quickly. Also, as part of various cost saving initiatives, some hospitals began to directly supply the nurses which drastically reduced HRP’s revenues. HRP ultimately ceased operations in September 2010.

For a number of years prior to November 1, 2007, Plaintiffs had provided financing to HRP in various forms, including a factoring arrangement by which HRP’s accounts receivable served as collateral. On November 1, 2007, the financing arrangements between HRP, Plaintiff John L. Thompson (acting individually or through the assets of John L. Thompson, P.C. Profit Sharing Plan) (collectively “Thompson”) and Plaintiff George N. Snelling (acting individually or through the assets of SA, LLC) (collectively “Snelling”) were renewed and formalized in a series of documents consisting of the following:

Financial Agreement — November 1, 2007 [Pis.’ Ex. No. 1];
Receivables Security Agreemenb-No-vember 1, 2007 [Pis.’ Ex. No. 2];
Stock Pledge Agreement — November 1, 2007 [Pis.’ Ex. No. 3];
Guaranty — November 1, 2007 [Pis.’ Ex. No. 4];
Agency Agreement — November 1, 2007 [Pis.’ Ex. No. 5];
Promissory Note — November 1, 2007-$123,000.00 [Pis.’ Ex. No. 6];
Promissory Note — November 1, 2007-$265,000.00 [Pis.’ Ex. No. 7]; and
Promissory Note — November 1, 2007-$92,000.00 [Pis.’ Ex. No. 8],

On November 1, 2007, Thompson renewed the prior loans (the original loans having been made in approximately 2002) to HRP in the sums of $265,000.00 and $123,000.00, respectively, which represented a line of credit for HRP. HRP executed promissory notes for these loan renewals. Pis.’ Ex. Nos. 6 and 7. Debtor personally guaranteed these two debts. Id. Debtor’s bankruptcy schedules reflect that Thompson has a $388,000.00 claim. Chap. 7 Case No. 10-12496, Dckt. No. 1, Sch. F, p. 19.

On November 1, 2007, Snelling loaned HRP the sum of $92,000.00, also to be used as a line of credit for HRP’s operations. HRP executed a promissory note payable to Snelling for this loan. Pis.’ Ex. No. 8. Debtor personally guaranteed this debt. Id. The debt to Snelling is reflected in Debtor’s Schedule F in the amount of $89,000.00. Chap. 7 Case No. 10-12496, Dckt. No. 1, Sch. F, p. 19.

Thompson and Snelling each appointed T. Factor, LLC to act as paying agent. Pis.’ Ex. No. 5. On November 1, 2007, HRP and T. Factor, LLC executed a Financial Agreement governing the terms of HRP’s obligations to T. Factor, LLC, as agent for Plaintiffs. Pis.’ Ex. No. 1. The Financial Agreement provided that the parties (including Debtor) would enter into a Stock Pledge Agreement, a Receivable Security Agreement, and a Guaranty [199]*199Agreement further securing HRP and Debtor’s obligations to T. Factor, LLC as agent for Plaintiffs. HRP executed a Receivables Security Agreement, assigning to T. Factor, LLC a security interest in HRP’s accounts receivable and Plaintiffs perfected this interest through a UCC Financing Statement. Pis.’ Ex. No. 2. There are no allegations that these loans were not duly perfected.

In 2008, Debtor failed to timely remit some payroll withholding taxes to the IRS for approximately five non-nurse employees,2 including Debtor and his mother. This resulted in HRP and Debtor being assessed a tax liability. Debtor did not advise the Plaintiffs about this tax liability until late summer or early fall, 2009. This tax liability ultimately reached $44,462.27.

The changing business model caused HRP cash flow difficulties because it increased the lag between when HRP had to pay the nurses and its receipt of funds from the respective hospitals. HRP needed a cash infusion to address this change in business model and to address this tax liability. After discussions, Plaintiffs agreed to provide an additional loan to HRP of $100,000.00 in February 2010 to be used for nurse payroll funding. Plaintiffs were willing to loan these additional funds to HRP on the condition that certain strict terms regarding the management of the business and the use of the revenues were agreed to by Debtor and HRP. The parties incorporated the new terms into a document known as “Reorganization Agreement for HRP Nursing Services, Inc.” (“Reorganization Agreement”) dated February 24, 2010. Pis.’ Ex. No. 9.

Under the Reorganization Agreement, all accounts receivable of HRP were to be deposited into an account controlled by T. Factor, LLC. More specifically, the Reorganization Agreement provided as follows:

George N. Snelling and John L. Thompson will provide an additional $100,000.00 for nurse payroll funding. The funding shall be through a new T-Factor Account. T. Factor will write all checks to the company upon receipt of nurse funding request. All payments from hospitals shall be sent directly to T-Factor.

Pis.’ Ex. No. 9. In this manner, Plaintiffs would have control over the receivables of HRP which served as collateral for their loan.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
479 B.R. 193, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-barbee-in-re-barbee-gasb-2012.