Toledo Trust Co. v. Poole (In Re Poole)

15 B.R. 422, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 2647
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedNovember 3, 1981
Docket19-50487
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 15 B.R. 422 (Toledo Trust Co. v. Poole (In Re Poole)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Toledo Trust Co. v. Poole (In Re Poole), 15 B.R. 422, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 2647 (Ohio 1981).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

WALTER J. KRASNIEWSKI, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter came on to be heard on Plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction restraining Defendants from certain actions in connection with their respective interests in the assets and income of the Defendant B & B Realty Company except upon prior approval of this Court. Upon consideration of the evidence adduced at the hearing, the relevant standard governing the grant or denial of a preliminary injunction, and the briefs of counsel, it is the decision of this Court that Plaintiff is entitled to partial relief under its motion.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

This case concerns an alleged fraudulent conveyance from Defendant Robert E. Poole to Defendant Dorothy D. Poole, his wife, of his 50% interest in the B & B Realty Company, a real estate partnership the primary asset of which consists of a parcel of real estate valued at $500,000.00. The Plaintiff, The Toledo Trust Company, a judgment creditor of Defendant Robert E. Poole in the amount of $265,800.00, is seeking to set aside the conveyance on the grounds that it was made while Robert E. Poole was insolvent, or was thereby rendered insolvent. Alternatively, it is alleged that the transfer was made with actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud his present or future creditors. These allegations are asserted as causes of action under the provisions of Sections 1336.04 and 1336.-07 of the Ohio Revised Code respectively.

This case was originally brought in the Common Pleas Court of Lucas County, Ohio. Upon the filing by Robert E. Poole of a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, it was subsequently removed to this Court pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 1471 and § 1478.

While the circumstances underlying this dispute are complicated and the proofs adduced in support of each parties position in the motion for preliminary injunction are somewhat confusing and incomplete, this Court will endeavor, to the best of its ability, to set forth the facts, as discerned from the evidence submitted thus far, that are at the heart of this controversy. Emphasis will be given to those facts showing Robert E. Poole’s solvency or insolvency at or near August 8, 1978, the time of the alleged fraudulent transfer, and to facts establishing or negating an actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud creditors, as a result of the conveyance.

*425 A. SOLVENCY 1

Prior to August 8, 1978, Robert E. Poole (Poole) and Sam B. Spizman were equal partners in the B&B Realty Company (B&B) pursuant to the terms and conditions of a written partnership agreement.

On August 8, 1978 the partnership, as formerly constituted, was dissolved and a new partnership agreement entered into. Under the new “Articles of Co-Partnership” Poole had transferred the entirety of his 50% interest in B&B to his wife, Dorothy D. Poole, and Sam B. Spizman had assigned one-half of his 50% interest in B&B to his daughter, Marcia Sterns. Poole’s transfer of his 50% interest in B&B to his wife is the alleged fraudulent transfer.

The primary asset of B&B was, and continues to be, a parcel of real estate with building thereon located in Lucas County, Ohio. This asset is presently the subject of a business property lease for a term of one year commencing on April of 1981 with an option to extend the term of the lease for an additional year. The rent under the lease is $6000 a month, the largest part of which is apparently being distributed as profits to the current co-partners in B&B. Also, lessee enjoys an option to purchase the real estate during the term of the lease for a price in excess of $500,000.

On or about August 8, 1978 Poole was a principal in, or involved with, several other business entities. Seaway Carpets, Inc. (Seaway) was incorporated in approximately 1963. Seaway was, up until it went out of business in 1980, a retail distributor of carpeting and carpet accessories. Poole was president of Seaway.

Seaway and Poole were co-makers on a series of demand notes given to The Toledo Trust Company to evidence borrowings on a line of credit. On or about August 8,1978 a sum of approximately $700,000 was outstanding on the Toledo Trust Obligation. According to Poole’s testimony, the Toledo Trust obligation was secured by accounts receivable of $1,435,709.00 and inventory of approximately $350,000 to $375,000. In December of 1980, Seaway went out of business and the notes then outstanding were defaulted. Toledo Trust subsequently took possession of the remaining inventory and attempted collection on the Seaway accounts receivable. As a result of the liquidation of inventory and collection of accounts receivable, Seaway’s obligation to Toledo Trust has currently been reduced to $265,800, the amount for which Toledo Trust took judgment against Poole and Seaway in June of 1981.

Since about 1975 Seaway also borrowed money from the Citizens and Southern Financial Corporation (C&S). C&S is an Atlanta based corporation in the business of commercial financing and leasing. Mr. Poole, pursuant to a written agreement executed on October of 1975, signed as the guarantor of any Seaway obligations to C&S. On August 8, 1978 the amount outstanding on the C&S obligation was somewhere between $580,000 and $640,000. C&S reportedly had a security interest in $500,-000 to $540,000 of Seaway inventory to secure this obligation. The amount of Seaway’s current obligation to C&S, after a liquidation of the inventory held as security, is in excess of $228,000.

Mr. Poole also acted as guarantor on Seaway obligations to the Meinhardt Commercial Corporation and to Northwest Factors. The liability on the Meinhardt obligation in August of 1978 was reportedly $50,000 and that to Northwest Factors was from $50,000 to $100,000. There was a cross-corporate guarantee on the Meinhardt obligation from the Poole Distributing Company whose net worth was reportedly about $220,000. Seaway’s net worth at this time was reportedly $487,000.

Poole was also president, in August of 1978, of the Poole Distributing Company (PDC) and Enterprise Carpets, Inc. (Enterprise). PDC, whose business began in 1958, was a wholesale distributor of hard surface floor covering and ceramic wall tile. Enterprise sold contract carpet on a direct basis *426 for large jobs. Its business commenced in 1969 or 1970.

Enterprise, in August of 1978, owed Ohio Citizens approximately $67,204.00. Mr. Poole and Robert Burnard were guarantors of this obligation which was also secured by reported PDC accounts receivable of $178,-924.00. Current liability on this obligation is reportedly $15,000 to $16,000.

Mr. Poole also had, at this time, dealings with National Clothes Exchange, a Lansing, Michigan based discount clothing company of which Mr. Poole owned 37% of the stock. Mr. Poole executed a personal guarantee to the Bank of Lansing for $50,000 to secure National Clothes Exchange’s obligation at this time of $50,000. Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
15 B.R. 422, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 2647, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/toledo-trust-co-v-poole-in-re-poole-ohnb-1981.