Walz v. Smith (In re Smith)

592 B.R. 390
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedOctober 3, 2018
DocketCASE NO. 17-56312-WLH; ADVERSARY PROCEEDING NO. 17-5173-WLH
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 592 B.R. 390 (Walz v. Smith (In re Smith)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Walz v. Smith (In re Smith), 592 B.R. 390 (Ga. 2018).

Opinion

Wendy L. Hagenau, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge

THIS MATTER is before the Court on Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (the "Motion"). This matter is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(J), and the Court has jurisdiction over the proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157.

I. FACTS

Defendant and others hosted and promoted events at nightclubs and other venues in the Atlanta area. Defendant sent blast texts to encourage others to attend these events. Between December 2012 and November 2015, Defendant used an automated system to send Plaintiff 112 text messages promoting such events. Plaintiff responded to the messages and requested Defendant to stop contacting him; he also registered on the national "do-not-call" registry. Defendant continued to contact Plaintiff.

In August 2015, Plaintiff named Defendant as a defendant in a lawsuit in DeKalb County Superior Court and alleged Defendant violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (the "TCPA")'s "robocall" and do not call restrictions by repeatedly sending him text messages after he asked Defendant to stop contacting him. No judgment was entered against Defendant, and the lawsuit was administratively closed on March 29, 2018.

Defendant filed a petition under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code on April 4, 2017. Plaintiff filed the complaint on July 3, 2017 *394seeking a determination a debt owed to him is nondischargeable pursuant to section 523(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code and to deny Defendant a discharge pursuant to sections 727(a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(4), and (a)(5) of the Bankruptcy Code. On July 16, 2018, Plaintiff filed the Motion. Plaintiff asks the Court to find Defendant liable under the TCPA in the amount of $112,000 in actual damages, to treble the damages to $336,000, and to determine the claim is nondischargeable pursuant to section 523(a)(6). Plaintiff also seeks to deny Defendant a discharge pursuant to section 727(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code for failing to keep records of compensation he received in exchange for promoting events. Defendant responded to the Motion, Plaintiff filed a reply in support of the Motion, and Defendant filed a sur-reply. For the reasons stated below, the Court denies the Motion.

II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

Summary judgment is appropriate when "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) ; Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c) ; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7056(c). "The substantive law [applicable to the case] will identify which facts are material." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The party moving for summary judgment has the burden of proving there are no disputes as to any material facts. Hairston v. Gainesville Sun Pub. Co., 9 F.3d 913, 918 (11th Cir. 1993). A factual dispute is genuine "if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party." Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The party moving for summary judgment has "the initial responsibility of informing the ... court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of 'the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits if any' which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact." U.S. v. Four Parcels of Real Prop., 941 F.2d 1428, 1437 (11th Cir. 1991) (citing Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. at 2553 ). What is required of the moving party, however, varies depending on whether the moving party has the ultimate burden of proof on the issue at trial. Once this burden is met, the nonmoving party cannot merely rely on allegations or denials in its own pleadings. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e). Rather, the nonmoving party must present specific facts to demonstrate there is a genuine dispute over material facts. Hairston, 9 F.3d at 918. When reviewing a motion for summary judgment, a court must examine the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and all reasonable doubts and inferences should be resolved in favor of the nonmoving party. Id.

III. DISCUSSION

a. The undisputed facts do not prove by a preponderance of the evidence Defendant committed a willful and malicious injury within the meaning of section 523(a)(6)

Plaintiff contends he has a claim that is nondischargeable as a matter of law pursuant to section 523(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code. A presumption exists that all debts owed by the debtor are dischargeable unless the party contending otherwise proves nondischargeability.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
592 B.R. 390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walz-v-smith-in-re-smith-ganb-2018.