Williams v. Houston Plants & Garden World, Inc.

508 B.R. 11, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42793, 2014 WL 1312140
District Court, S.D. Texas·Decided March 31, 2014·No. Civil Action No. H-11-2545·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

[14]*14MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

LEE H. ROSENTHAL, District Judge.

This is an adversary proceeding in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Randy Williams, the trustee, seeks to avoid certain transfers made by the debtor, Green Valley Growers, Inc. (“GVG”). Defendant O. Wayne Massey co-owned GVG, as well as OTWM and Houston Plants and Garden World (“HPGW”). Williams has moved for summary judgment that he is entitled to avoid and recover the transfers, and to his attorney’s fees. After careful consideration of the record, the motions and responses, and the applicable law, Williams’s motion for summary judgment, (Docket Entry No. 86), is denied. The reasons are explained below.

I. Factual Background

GVG’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings began on March 9, 2009. It was converted to a Chapter 7 proceeding on April 5, 2011. GVG was a plant nursery owned that operated on land owned by OTWM. HPGW was a plant retailer. In the year before the bankruptcy began, GVG made multiple transfers to HPGW that totaled $10,986,784. GVG also transferred $441,401 to OTWM and $915,270.33 to Massey. Williams has moved for summary judgment to avoid and recover the transfers under 11 U.S.C. § 548 and the Texas Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, (“TUFTA”).1 The defendants respond that the claims fail as a matter of law and are unsupported by the summary judgment record. (Docket Entry No. 116). The arguments and responses are considered below.

II. The Legal Standard for Summary Judgment

“The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. PROC. 56(a). “A party asserting that a fact cannot be or is genuinely disputed must support the assertion by citing to particular parts of materials in the record.... ” Fed. R. Civ. PROC. 56(c)(1)(A). “[T]he plain language of Rule 56[ ] mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

“Initially, the moving party bears the burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.” Cannata v. Catholic Diocese of Austin, 700 F.3d 169, 172 (5th Cir.2012) (citing Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548). If the burden of proof at trial lies with the nonmoving party, the movant may satisfy its initial burden by “ ‘showing’ — that is, pointing out to the district court — that there is an absence of evidence to support the non-moving party’s case.” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 325, 106 S.Ct. 2548. While the party moving for summary judgment must demonstrate the absence of a genuine dispute of material fact, it does not need to negate the elements of the nonmovant’s case. Duffie v. United States, 600 F.3d 362, 371 (5th Cir.2010).

“A fact is ‘material’ if its resolution in favor of one party might affect the out[15]*15come of the lawsuit under governing law.” Sossamon v. Lone Star State of Tex., 560 F.3d 316, 326 (5th Cir.2009) (quotation omitted). “If the moving party fails to meet its initial burden, the motion for summary judgment must be denied, regardless of the nonmovant’s response.” Duffie, 600 F.3d at 371 (internal quotation marks omitted).

“When the moving party has met its Rule 56[] burden, the nonmoving party cannot survive a summary judgment motion by resting on the mere allegations of its pleadings.” Id. The nonmovant must identify specific evidence in the record and articulate how that evidence supports that party’s claim. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). “This burden will not be satisfied by ‘some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts, by conclusory allegations, by unsubstantiated assertions, or by only a scintilla of evidence.’ ” Boudreaux v. Swift Transp. Co., 402 F.3d 536, 540 (5th Cir.2005) (quoting Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir.1994) (en banc)). “In deciding a summary judgment motion, the court draws all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.” Duffie, 600 F.3d at 371.

III. TUFTA

Texas law permits the avoidance of transfers made “with actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud any creditor of the debtor.” Tex. Bus. & Com.Code § 24.005(a)(1). A trustee may assert state law claims under the “strong arm” provision of 11 U.S.C. § 544, which “allows the trustee to step into the shoes of a creditor for the purpose of asserting causes of action under state fraudulent conveyance laws.” Matter of Zedda, 103 F.3d 1195, 1201 (5th Cir.1997). “The trustee’s successor rights arise under federal law, but the extent of those rights depends entirely on applicable state law.” In re Moore, 608 F.3d 253, 260 (5th Cir.2010).

Williams’s complaint alleges claims under TUFTA, but it does not specifically state that he is asserting those claims through § 544. (See Docket Entry No. 17 ¶¶ 264-272). Williams does state that his right to recovery under TUFTA will be under § 550, which states that “to the extent that a transfer is avoided under section 544, 545, 547, 548, 549, 553(b), or 724(a) of this title, the trustee may recover, for the benefit of the estate, the property transferred, or, if the court so orders, the value of such property.” 11 U.S.C. § 550.

The defendants argue that Williams “did not plead section[ ] 544” and that they “are entitled to rely on the Trustee’s pleadings.” (Docket Entry No. 116 at 3). Williams argues that he is entitled to relief under TUFTA through § 550. Section 550 permits the recovery of transfers avoided under § 544. Williams clearly alleged that he is entitled to relief under § 550 and TUFTA, which is directly tied to avoidance under § 544. His pleadings are sufficient. See Krupski v. Costa Crociere S.p.A., 560 U.S. 538, 550, 130 S.Ct. 2485, 177 L.Ed.2d 48 (2010).

A trustee may avoid a transfer as fraudulent if it was made “with actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud any creditor of the debtor.” Tex. Bus. & Com.Code § 24.005(a)(1).

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Williams v. Houston Plants & Garden World, Inc., 508 B.R. 11, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42793, 2014 WL 1312140 (S.D. Tex. 2014).

508 B.R. 11 (Williams v. Houston Plants & Garden World, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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