Weinberg v. Boyle (In Re Weinberg)

153 B.R. 286, 28 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1170, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 491, 24 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 240, 1993 WL 108052
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedApril 6, 1993
Docket13-40588
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 153 B.R. 286 (Weinberg v. Boyle (In Re Weinberg)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Weinberg v. Boyle (In Re Weinberg), 153 B.R. 286, 28 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1170, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 491, 24 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 240, 1993 WL 108052 (S.D. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

PEDER K. ECKER, Bankruptcy Judge.

The matter before the Court is a 28 U.S.C. § 1334 motion to abstain, filed by Omaha, Nebraska, Attorneys Harry D. Dixon, Jr., and T. Randall Wright, and by Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Attorney Robert E. Hayes on behalf of Defendant Bonnie Weinberg [hereinafter “Defendant”] and Defendant Weinberg-PM, Inc., requesting the Court to abstain from any decision or further proceedings relative to an adversary complaint filed by Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Attorney Cecelia A. Grunewaldt on behalf of Plaintiff/Debtor which seeks a turnover of property or mon *288 ey on behalf of the bankruptcy estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 541, 543 and a rejection of a property settlement agreement pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 365 which was reached between Debtor and Defendant during marriage dissolution proceedings in a Nebraska state court. This Memorandum Decision shall constitute Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law as required by Federal Bankruptcy Rule of Procedure 7052. This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(1).

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The pleadings and exhibits indicate Debt- or and Defendant married in 1976 in Dakota County, Nebraska. During the marriage, the couple purchased, developed, and managed various real estate holdings, many of which consisted of limited partnerships which owned apartment properties. In 1988, divorce proceedings commenced, and at that time, the couple owned either together or individually interests in some 20 real estate partnerships as well as interests in various other real estate projects and corporations. Despite vigorously contested dissolution proceedings, a property settlement agreement [hereinafter “PSA”] was reached, signed, and approved by the District Court of Dakota County, Nebraska, wherein the various real estate and partnership holdings were divided. 1 The state court filed its decree of marriage dissolution and PSA approval August 1, 1989.

In October, 1990, Defendant filed an “Application for Clarification of Property Settlement Agreement” to resolve disagreement over numerous issues relating to the PSA and decree of divorce. In addition to seeking a clarification of partnership distributions to be made to the parties and clarification of property management rights as acting general partners of certain partnerships, Defendant also sought an order from the court requiring Debtor’s cooperation in effectuating a: 1) tax-free transfer of Defendant’s divided one-half interest in certain limited partnerships; 2) turnover of a $750,000 note held by Debtor; and 3) an accounting of all receipts and disbursements made pursuant to the PSA.

Before Defendant’s action was resolved, however, Debtor filed a declaratory judgment action seeking a determination of: 1) rights and responsibilities of the parties under the PSA; 2) liability for tax consequences of transfers of assets between and among the parties as referred to in the PSA; and 3) the performance or non-performance of the PSA and decree by the parties. Defendant Weinberg-PM, Inc., one of the real estate management corporations held by the couple, filed a Motion for Interpleader in the declaratory judgment action, offering to tender into court $33,-451.20, a sum derived from distributions available from real estate properties it managed. 2 Defendant filed a counterclaim also seeking a declaration of debts and obligations as between the two parties.

These tandem proceedings reached fever pitch when the District Court for Dakota County responded to Defendant’s application for a show cause hearing and held Debtor in contempt for violating the PSA and divorce decree by withdrawing about $251,000 from various partnership accounts and “for refusing to answer questions and related offenses” at the March 18, 1991, hearing. 3 Debtor subsequently took advantage of the opportunity to purge the *289 contempt citation by depositing the money with the clerk of court.

As of January 13, 1992, when Debtor filed this Chapter 11 petition for relief, Defendant’s application for clarification of the PSA remained unresolved and Debtor’s declaratory judgment action had reached the discovery stage, however, both matters were stayed pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(a).

On November 6, 1992, Debtor filed a “Complaint for Turnover and Rejection of Executory Contract,” an adversary matter consisting of seven counts requesting an order for turnover of property to the estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 541, 543 4 and one count for authority to reject the PSA as an executory contract. 5 Two of the three defendants named in the complaint filed a motion 6 requesting the Court to abstain from deciding the adversary matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334(c)(1) and/or (c)(2). Movants claim the issues and controversies in the adversary complaint were being litigated in state court divorce proceedings, and if the Court does not abstain, it will, in effect, be acting as a state domestic relations court and will be required to decide whether to overrule or enforce state court orders which were in effect prior to the filing of this bankruptcy case. In resisting the motion, Debtor states most of the assets in this case involve interests in South Dakota real estate limited partnerships, therefore, this matter involves interpretation of South Dakota partnership law and Internal Revenue Code provisions as opposed to any peculiarly state domestic relations law. Furthermore, the decree of divorce has previously been entered, so Nebraska domestic relations law is not being considered, despite the fact numerous actions have been filed by the parties which, Debtor notes, have not even progressed through the discovery phase. Finally, the adversary complaint is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b), meaning abstention is not mandatory, but rather, is a voluntary possibility, depending on the Court’s discretion. After a hearing on December 16, 1992, the Court took the matter under advisement and issued a scheduling order for submitting written briefs.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
153 B.R. 286, 28 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1170, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 491, 24 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 240, 1993 WL 108052, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/weinberg-v-boyle-in-re-weinberg-sdb-1993.