Torres v. Asociacion Residentes Miraflores (In re Torres)

544 B.R. 741
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedOctober 5, 2015
DocketCASE NO. 10-09343; ADV. PROC. 14-00063
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 544 B.R. 741 (Torres v. Asociacion Residentes Miraflores (In re Torres)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Torres v. Asociacion Residentes Miraflores (In re Torres), 544 B.R. 741 (prb 2015).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

Enrique S. Lamoutte, United States Bankruptcy Judge

This case is before the court upon Mr. Carlos Soto Torres and Mrs. Gloria Cortés Robles (hereinafter referred to as “Plaintiffs” or “Debtors”) Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and Memorandum of Law in Support Thereof seeking a determination that the Asociación de Residentes de Miraflores (hereinafter referred to as the “HOA” or “Defendant”) willfully violated the automatic stay provisions pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(a)(6) when it deactivated Debtors’ remote controls in November 2013, thus denying them access to enter their housing complex through the residents’ entrance and having to use the visitors’ entrance. The HOA filed its Opposition to Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and Counter Motion for Partial Summary Judgment seeking a determination that it did not violate the automatic stay provisions because there is no evidence that the Defendant requested from Plaintiffs payment of pre-petition and/or post-petition arrears. The Defendant argues that the Debtors’ privileges were curtailed because they were in arrears as to interest generated from the late payment of their dues and annual quotas, thus violating the HOA’s General Bylaws. The Plaintiffs requests this court to award them actual damages estimated in an amount no less than $50,000; punitive damages in an amount no less than $50,000; and reasonable 'attorney’s fees under 11 U.S.C. § 362(k)(l) and (2). For the reasons stated herein the Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is denied, and the Defendant’s Cross Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is denied.

Jurisdiction

The Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(b) and 157(a). This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(1) and (b)(2). Venue of this proceeding is proper under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 and 1409.

Facts and Procedural Background

The Debtors filed a bankruptcy petition under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code on October 4, 2010 (lead case, No. 10-093431). The Debtors in their Schedule D-Creditors Holding Secured Claims, listed the HOA as a secured creditor in the amount of $4,352.08 for past due maintenance fees for residence (lead case, Docket No. 1). The 341 meeting of the creditors was held and closed on November 12, 2010 (lead case, Docket Nos. 5 & 13). On January 24, 2011, the HOA filed proof of claim # 14-1 as a secured claim based on a judgment over property maintenance fees in the amount of $4,507.40. The Chapter 13 Trustee filed an Objection to Claim Number 14, filed by Asoc. De Residentes de Miraflores Notice and Certificate of Service (lead case, Docket No. 46) because it failed to provide evidence of perfection [743]*743of security. On February 24, 2011, the HOA filed amended proof of claims # 14-2 and 14-3. On March 7, 2011, the court denied as moot the Chapter 13 Trustee’s objection to claim # 14 because the HOA had filed amended claims # 14-2 and 14-3 (lead case, Docket No. 61).

On March 11, 2011, the Debtors’ amended Chapter 13 plan was confirmed (lead case, Docket No. 67). The Debtors’ amended plan provided for the payment of pre-petition arrears in full to the HOA in the amount of $4,352.08 (lead case, Docket No. 56).

On August 31, 2011, the HOA filed a Motion to Dismiss (lead case, Docket No. 87) for failure to make pre-petition and post-petition payments. The HOA stated that the Debtors failed to include in their plan the amount of $1,438.71 for pre-petition arrears which consisted of the following: (a) six (6) monthly payments of $120 each; (b) five (5) late charges and interest charges: $70.39 (May 2010); $74.20 (June 2010); $83.09 (July 2010); $87.15 (August 2010); $113.88 (September 2010) and one (1) annual fee $250 which was payable on June 1, 2010. The post-petition payments owed are in the amount of $490 (2 monthly payments of $120 and 1 annual payment of $250). On October 27, 2011, the Debtors filed their Opposition to Motion to Dismiss (lead case, Docket No. 96) in which they provided the court with evidence that they had made the post-petition payments. On October 28, 2011, the court denied the HOA’s motion to dismiss based on the Debtors’ reply (lead case, Docket No. 97).

On March 10, 2014, the Debtors initiated this adversary proceeding based upon an alleged willful violation of the automatic stay pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(a)(6) and for actual damages, punitive damages and legal fees under 11 U.S.C. § 362(k)(l) and (k)(2) stemming from the alleged willful violation. The alleged -wilful violation consists of the following: (i) in November 2013 the Defendant deactivated the Debtors’ remote controls and the same are still deactivated as of the date of this filing (March 10, 2014). The Debtors have to use the visitor’s entrance. The HOA does not allow the entry of guests to their residential complex, unless the Debtors go personally to the entrance gate and escort their guests to their residence. The Defendant does not permit the Debtors to use the community facilities (such as the swimming pool and gym) of the residential complex; and (ii) the HOA has continued to accrue postpetition interest, fees and penalties to their pre-petition claim (Docket No. 1). On May 14; 2014, HOA filed its Answer to the Complaint and Counterclaim (Docket No. 14). HOA in its Counterclaim alleges that Plaintiffs have failed to keep up with their post-petition payment of their dues and they owe $1,200. On May 21, 2014, the Defendants filed their Answer to Counterclaim (Docket No. 15).

On November 14, 2014, the parties filed the Joint Proposed Pre-Trial Report (Docket No. 21). On March 2, 2015, the Plaintiffs filed their Statement of Uncontested Material Facts (Docket No. 25) and their Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and Memorandum of Law in Support Thereof (Docket No. 26). The Plaintiffs in their motion for partial summary judgment argue that the following actions taken by the Defendant constitute collection actions (of a prepetition debt) under section 362(a)(6): (1) deactivation of Plaintiffs’ remote controls to open the gate to the community; (2) deny the Plaintiffs access and use of communal facilities such as swimming pool and gym; and (3) if the Plaintiffs had guests, they would have to personally arrive at the entrance gate in order for their guests to be granted access to Plaintiffs’ residential community. The [744]*744Plaintiffs further argue that: (i) "... it is not difficult to conclude that the formerly described actions are designed to serve both as a deterrent and as a way to force the resident into bringing then.’ payments up to date.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Ard v. Zold
D. South Carolina, 2025

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
544 B.R. 741, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/torres-v-asociacion-residentes-miraflores-in-re-torres-prb-2015.