World's Foremost Bank v. Del Aguila (In re Del Aguila)

556 B.R. 917
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedSeptember 1, 2016
DocketCase No. 16-21255-svk; Adversary No. 16-02191
StatusPublished

This text of 556 B.R. 917 (World's Foremost Bank v. Del Aguila (In re Del Aguila)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
World's Foremost Bank v. Del Aguila (In re Del Aguila), 556 B.R. 917 (Wis. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION DENYING MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Susan V. Kelley, Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

The Plaintiff, World’s Foremost Bank, filed an adversary complaint requesting a determination that certain credit card debt incurred by the Debtor-Defendant is non-dischargeable under the fraud or luxury goods exceptions of 11 U.S.C. §§ 523(a)(2)(A) and (C). 'The Defendant answered and also filed a motion for summary judgment.

Summary judgment is appropriate if the pleadings and affidavits on file show there [919]*919is no genuine dispute as to any material fact, and the Defendant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7056; Fed. R. Civ. P. 56; Omega Healthcare Inv’rs, Inc. v. Res-Care, Inc., 475 F.3d 853, 857 (7th Cir.2007). The Court views all facts and draws all inferences in the light most favorable to the Plaintiff as the non-moving party. Omega Healthcare Inv’rs, Inc., 475 F.3d at 857.

The Complaint alleges that within 90 days of the petition, the Defendant incurred credit card debt aggregating more than $650 to purchase luxury goods or services, raising the presumption of non-dischargeability under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(C)(i)(I). The Bankruptcy Code states that “the term ‘luxury goods or services’ does not include goods or services reasonably necessary for the support or maintenance of the debtor or a dependent of the debtor.” 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(C)(ii)(II). The Defendant’s primary argument is that the Complaint only specifically identifies two purchases, aggregating less than $650, and that because the Plaintiff did not appear at the Section 341 meeting of creditors or conduct a Rule 2004 examination, the Plaintiff cannot establish that the purchases were luxuries.

But the Defendant has not disputed the validity of the account statements attached to the Complaint as Exhibit A. (Docket No. 7 at 3.) The Defendant claims that only one purchase “can possibly be considered a luxury service, namely, the charge at Walker’s Point Tattoo for $345,” but the statement shows another charge at Walker’s Point Tattoo for $250, for a total of $595 at that establishment. (Docket No. 7 at 5; see Docket No. 1, Exhibit A at 3.) The Plaintiff also highlights a $210.91 charge at Maggiano’s Restaurant and charges at Target, Walgreens, Time Warner Cable, Sirius XM, and Starbucks, arguably qualifying as luxury goods or services. (Docket No. 10 at 5-6.) Drawing all inferences in favor of the Plaintiff, the restaurant charge is not reasonably necessary for the support or maintenance of the Defendant and his family. Combining the restaurant charge with the tattoo parlor expenses, the Plaintiff clears the $650 threshold, and the rebuttable presumption of nondischargeability arises. Given the disputed facts as to whether the charges are for luxury goods, summary judgment is not appropriate on the first count of the Complaint.

The Complaint also alleges that the debt is nondischargeable under Section 523(a)(2)(A) as a debt obtained by “false pretenses, a false representation, or actual fraud, other than a statement respecting the debtor’s or an insider’s financial condition.” The Defendant first argues that the Plaintiffs claim depends on statements about his financial condition, and because Section 523(a)(2)(A) excludes such claims, he is entitled to summary judgment. The Court rejects this argument; the exception is intended to confine claims based on a debtor’s false financial statement to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(B).

Application of Section 523(a)(2)(A) to credit card transactions is not straightforward, because a credit card user does not make an express representation to the issuer of the card when making a purchase. See Capital One Bank v. Bungert (In re Bungert), 315 B.R. 735, 737-40 (Bankr.E.D.Wis.2004). In applying the statute, courts have developed several approaches, and this Court noted that “a credit card issuer may establish actual fraud for purposes of Section 523(a)(2)(A) by proving that the debtor’s use of the card was made with an actual, subjective [920]*920intent not to repay the issuer by discharging the debt in bankruptcy or otherwise.” Id. at 739 (quoting Citibank (South Dakota), N.A. v. Brobsten (In re Brobsten), Ch. 7 Case No. 99-82598, 2001 WL 34076352, at *4, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 2121 at *12 (Bankr.C.D.Ill. Nov. 20, 2001)). The Court based its analysis on McClellan v. Cantrell, 217 F.3d 890, 892-93 (7th Cir.2000), in which the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals defined “actual fraud” as used in Section 523(a)(2)(A) to include “any deceit, artifice, trick, or design involving direct and active operation of the mind, used to circumvent and cheat another.” Recently, the Supreme Court reaffirmed this approach. See. Husky Int’l Elecs., Inc. v. Ritz, — U.S. -, 136 S.Ct. 1581, 194 L.Ed.2d 655 (2016) (holding “actual fraud” under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A) includes fraudulent conveyance schemes not involving a misrepresentation). !

The Defendant recognizes that the. Plaintiffs theory alternatively relies on an assertion that the Defendant engaged in a scheme to defraud the Plaintiff, and asserts there is “no basis in fact or in reality” for this. (Docket No. 12 at 6.) However, the Defendant cannot prevail on summary judgment unless he “established] with undisputed facts [his] subjective intent was to repay Plaintiff.” See FIA Card Servs. N.A. v. Quinn (In re Quinn), 492 B.R. 341, 347 (Bankr.N.D.Ga.2013). Here, the Plaintiff has provided enough evidence to show a genuine dispute as to whether the Defendant intended to repay. “Since debtors rarely admit to an intent not to repay, the plaintiff must resort to circumstantial evidence to prove the debt- or’s state of mind.” Bungert, 315 B.R. at 739. This determination is fact-sensitive, and the Court turned to twelve factors in Bungert, 315 B.R. at 739-40 and Chase Bank USA, N.A. v. Landry (In re Landry), Ch. 7 Case No. 08-22584-svk, Adv. No. 08-02150 (Bankr.E.D.Wis. Oct. 6, 2008), aff'd, No. 08-C-947, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29927 (E.D.Wis. Apr. 7, 2009):

1. The length of time between charges made and bankruptcy filing.

2. Whether an attorney was consulted regarding bankruptcy before the charges were made.

3. The number of charges made.

4. The amount of the charges.

5. The debtor’s financial condition when the charges were made.

6. Whether the charges exceeded the credit limit of the card.

7. Whether multiple charges were made on the same day.

8. Whether the debtor was employed.

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

Related

Harold W. McClellan v. Bobbie Darrell Cantrell
217 F.3d 890 (Seventh Circuit, 2000)
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. v. Res-Care, Inc.
475 F.3d 853 (Seventh Circuit, 2007)
Capital One Bank v. Bungert (In Re Bungert)
315 B.R. 735 (E.D. Wisconsin, 2004)
At & T Universal Card Services v. Alvi (In Re Alvi)
191 B.R. 724 (N.D. Illinois, 1996)
FIA Card Services, N.A. v. George (In Re George)
381 B.R. 911 (M.D. Florida, 2007)
Husky International Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz
578 U.S. 355 (Supreme Court, 2016)
FIA Card Services N.A. v. Quinn (In re Quinn)
492 B.R. 341 (N.D. Georgia, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
556 B.R. 917, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/worlds-foremost-bank-v-del-aguila-in-re-del-aguila-wieb-2016.