Vice v. Vieira (In re Legacy Development SC Group, LLC)

551 B.R. 209, 2015 WL 7312893
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Carolina
DecidedNovember 18, 2015
DocketCase No.: 4:15-cv-01966-RBH
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 551 B.R. 209 (Vice v. Vieira (In re Legacy Development SC Group, LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vice v. Vieira (In re Legacy Development SC Group, LLC), 551 B.R. 209, 2015 WL 7312893 (D.S.C. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER

R. Bryan Harwell, United States District Judge

This matter is before the Court on appeal of Appellants, Richard L. Vice and Dinah B. Vice, (“Appellants” or “Vices”) from an order issued by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina granting summary judgment in favor of Appellee, Michelle L. Vieira, Chapter 7 Trustee for Legacy Development SC Group, LLC (“Appellee” or “Trustee”). For the reasons set forth below, the Court hereby reverses the Bankruptcy Court’s order granting summary judgment in favor of Appellee, Michelle L. Vieira, and remands this matter for further proceedings.

Factual and Procedural Background

This appeal arises from an adversary proceeding brought by Appellee, Michelle L. Vieira, Chapter 7 Trustee for Legacy Development SC Group, LLC (“Trustee”) against Appellants, Richard L. Vice and Dinah B. Vice, for breach of contract for failure to make payments on a promissory note. The Bankruptcy Court granted summary judgment in favor of the Trustee on the breach of contract claim and awarded judgment in the amount of $286,665.62, with interest accruing at $70.83 per diem. In its Amended Order Granting the Trustee’s Motion for Summary Judgment, the Bankruptcy Court issued Findings of Fact [ECF #4-1], which are not .challenged in this appeal. The Bankruptcy Court’s Findings of Fact are as follows:

1. Legacy Development SC Group, LLC (“Legacy” or “Debtor”) is a limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of Florida. Compl. II 1; Answer ¶ 2.
2. Ronald and Beverly LeGrand co- . own 53.75% of Legacy. C/A No. 12-06435-dd; Dkt. 12.
3. Legacy and [the Vices] entered into a real estate purchase agreement on March 26, 2008. Pi’s Mem. Supp. Mot. Summ. J., Ex. G; Def.’s Obj. Mot. Summ. J., Ex. A.
4. On April 8, 2008, the Vices purchased a parcel of real property from Legacy for $670,000. Compl. ¶ 12; Answer ¶ 7.
5. As part of the transaction, the Vices signed a promissory note (“Note”) in favor of Legacy for $170,000. Compl. ¶ 13; Answer ¶ 8.
6. The Note provides for interest accruing at 5% per annum until the maturity date, and 15% thereafter. PL’s Mem. Supp. Mot. Summ. J., Ex. A.
7. The Note also provides that if it is “placed in the hands of an attorney for collection or is collected through any legal proceedings, Borrower promises to pay all expenses of collection and reasonable attorney’s fees incurred by Lender,” Id.
8. In November 2008, the Vices received a letter from LeGrand verifying the payoff amount of the [212]*212Note and advising them .of the option to pay off the Note early at a discount. Def.’s Obj. Mot. Summ. J., Ex. B.
9. On October 16, 2012, an involuntary petition under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code was filed against Legacy. C/A No.l2-06435-dd; Dkt. 1. The Court entered the Order for Relief on November 13, 2012, and Michelle Vieira was appointed trustee. Id., Dkt. 7.
10. The Note matured on April 15, 2013. Pi’s Mem. Supp. Mot. Summ. J., Ex. A. The Vices have not made any payments on the Note. Compl. ¶ 18; Answer ¶ 11.
11. Sometime after it matured, the Trustee provided written notice to the Vices of the default and made a written demand for payment. Compl. ¶ 19; Answer ¶ 12.
12. The Vices have not paid the Note and refuse to pay. Compl. ¶ 20; Answer ¶ 13.
13. On August 8, 2014, the Trustee filed this adversary proceeding to enforce the Note. Dkt. 1.
14. The Vices timely responded, conceding the underlying facts asserted by the Trustee but arguing that the Note is unenforceable due to the circumstances surrounding the Vices’ signing of the Note and real estate purchase agreement. Dkt. 5.
15. In late 2007, Ronald Vice attended a seminar conducted by Ronald LeGrand and learned about Legacy’s development, Legacy Estates at Barefoot, in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Defi’s Obj. Mot. Summ. J., Aff. Vice ¶¶ 3-4.
16. Shortly thereafter, the Vices visited Legacy Estates at Barefoot and met with Kenneth H. Gwynn (“Gwynn”), Legacy’s manager. Id. ¶¶ 4-6.
17. Gwynn provided the Vices with marketing materials for the development and told the Vices that they would be entitled to amenities, including a $75,000 membership to the Dye Country Club at Barefoot, a Salmon Falls trip for two, spa privileges, and concierge services upon purchasing a lot in the development. Id. ¶¶ 6, 7.
18. The Vices bought the property with the intention of building a house on it. Id. ¶ 16.
19. The Vices were told by Gwynn that the portion of the purchase price represented by the Note was “for the purpose of marketing.” Id. ¶ 10. Gwynn represented that the Note would be enforced only upon sale of the property. Id.
20. After' the Vices received notification of the payoff option from Le-Grand in 2008, the Vices contacted Gwynn, who confirmed that they only need pay the Note if the property was sold. Id. ¶ 14.
21. The Vices have never received the promised amenities and the development has not been completed as was represented in the marketing materials. Id. ¶ 15.

[Amended Order granting Plaintiff/Trustee’s motion for summary judgment, ECF #4-1, at 2-4].

Judgment in favor of the Trustee in the amount of $286,665.62, with interest accruing at $70.83 per diem, was entered on April 23, 2015. The Vices timely filed a notice of appeal from the Bankruptcy Court order and judgment on May 8, 2015. The Vices and the Trustee each filed briefs and statements regarding oral argument. The Vices requested oral argument; the [213]*213Trustee stated oral argument was not needed. The Court agrees with the Trustee. The facts and legal arguments are adequately presented in the briefs and record and the decisional process would not be significantly aided by oral argument.

Standard of Review

Title 28 U.S.C. § 158 authorizes district courts to act as appellate tribunals for final orders from bankruptcy courts. 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1). A district court reviews the bankruptcy court’s findings of fact for clear error, and its legal conclusions de novo. See Nat’l Heritage Found., Inc. v. Highbourne Found., 760 F.3d 344, 347 (4th Cir.2014); SG Homes Assoc., LP v. Merinucci, 718 F.3d 327, 334 (4th Cir.2013).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
551 B.R. 209, 2015 WL 7312893, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vice-v-vieira-in-re-legacy-development-sc-group-llc-scd-2015.