Yaikian v. Yaikian (In re Yaikian)

508 B.R. 175, 2014 WL 1318851, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 1476, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 83
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. California
DecidedMarch 31, 2014
DocketBankruptcy No. 12-12625-MM7; Adversary No. 12-90431-MM
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 508 B.R. 175 (Yaikian v. Yaikian (In re Yaikian)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yaikian v. Yaikian (In re Yaikian), 508 B.R. 175, 2014 WL 1318851, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 1476, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 83 (Cal. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

MARGARET M. MANN, Bankruptcy Judge.

This case involves a father, Karapet Yai-kian (“Karapet”),1 who sued his son, Michael Yaikian (“Michael”), for fraud; first in state court resulting in a stipulated judgment, and then in this Court when Michael filed bankruptcy. Karapet’s conduct observed and recounted at trial did not reflect high personal standards, and included arson, bribery of prison officials, evading collection of a restitution judgment, intentionally misleading immigration authorities, and submitting a false declaration in this case. Karapet also contradicted himself on the witness stand, suffered from significant memory lapses, was evasive as a witness, and even appeared to sleep during some of the proceedings. The clearly biased testimony of Karapet’s state court counsel did not assuage these credibility problems. Certain of Michael’s actions, such as maintaining inadequate records and not reading the documents he signed, may not have been according to Hoyle, but on balance, Michael’s testimony was largely credible.

While the Court thus can easily conclude Karapet failed to carry his burden of prov[179]*179ing his nondischargeability claims, Grogan v. Garner, 498 U.S. 279, 283, 111 S.Ct. 654, 112 L.Ed.2d 755 (1991) (burden of proof on the plaintiff), it must still address issue preclusion. Karapet and Michael had stipulated to judgment in state court on both breach of contract and fraud grounds, and also that the stipulated judgment would be nondischargeable in bankruptcy. Karapet based his claims on Michael’s admission of fraud in state court, and later asserted that the fraud stipulation should be afforded preclusive effect. Given Karapet’s credibility challenges, issue preclusion is the only ground on which he could prevail, and may be outcome determinative. See also Gayden v. Nourbakhsh (In re Nour-bakhsh), 67 F.3d 798, 801 (9th Cir.1995) (per curiam) (“The full faith and credit requirement of [28 U.S.C.] § 1738 compels a bankruptcy court in a § 523(a)(2)(A) non-dischargeability proceeding to give collateral estoppel effect to a prior state court judgment.”).

Karapet also has the burden of proof on the preclusion issue, but fails to sustain it. Generally, stipulated judgments in California are afforded claim preclusive effect, but not issue preclusive effect. The reason is that these judgments are the product, not of litigation but of negotiation. The role of the state court in entering the judgment on a stipulation is more circumscribed so that unless the state court record reflects that it considered evidence of the wrongdoing at issue, the substantive issues are neither actually nor necessary decided by the state court. While stipulated judgments can preclude relitigation of specified issues if the parties make that intent sufficiently clear, the evident goal of Karapet’s stipulated judgment was only to except Michael’s debt from discharge in bankruptcy. This intention cannot be enforced by this Court as a matter of public policy. Because issue preclusion does not apply here, this case will be decided on the evidence at trial that Michael did not defraud his father.

I. JURISDICTION

This Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1334(b), and constitutional authority to enter a final judgment in this action. Deitz v. Ford (In re Deitz), 469 B.R. 11, 24 (9th Cir. BAP 2012) (citing Sasson v. Sokoloff (In re Sasson), 424 F.3d 864, 867 (9th Cir.2005)). This discharge-ability matter was identified as statutorily core, and the parties also implicitly consented to the Court’s final adjudication of it. Exec. Benefits Ins. Agency v. Arkison (In re Bellingham Ins. Agency), 702 F.3d 553 (9th Cir.2012), cert. granted by — U.S. -, 133 S.Ct. 2880, 186 L.Ed.2d 908 (2013).

II. FINDINGS OF FACT

In the fall of 2002, Michael’s parents, Maria and Karapet began divorce proceedings in which restraining orders were issued against Karapet. The restraining orders and Karapet’s severe alcoholism made it difficult for him to retain any role in the family business, San Diego Country Caterers, Inc. (“SDCC”) in which Michael had also worked since the age of 15 and was owned by Michael and his parents. SDCC serviced catering trucks and also owned a gas station in Chula Vista, California. To facilitate the divorce and extricate Karapet from the business, Michael as the president of SDCC and his parents began negotiating a Stock Repurchase Agreement (“SRA”). Karapet was assisted by separate counsel. Under the SRA, Karapet was promised lifetime financial support from SDCC in exchange for his sale of his interests in SDCC back to the corporation.

The final version of the SRA was not signed until March 13, 2003, about a half year after the negotiations began, because [180]*180Karapet repeatedly evaded signing it. Despite this later execution date, the SRA was expressly made effective as of December 31, 2002. The support SDCC agreed to provide to Karapet constituted weekly payments of $750 plus health insurance for life, and advance notice to Karapet if the assets of SDCC were later sold. Although they were individual parties to the SRA, Michael and Maria had no direct payment obligations under the SRA. They did, however, personally guarantee SDCC’s obligations under the SRA. After the SRA was signed, SDCC made 12 of the required payments to Karapet and also provided health insurance.

Despite the adversarial nature of his parent’s divorce, Michael remained on friendly terms with Karapet. When Kara-pet was required to move out of the family home in the fall of 2002, he moved in with Michael before moving to Los Angeles to live with Karapet’s sister.

In January 2003, after the effective date of the SRA but before it was signed, Kara-pet for “secret” reasons set fire to Maria’s house with gasoline. Karapet explained that he was angry about losing the house in the divorce. Twelve people, including Michael, Maria and other family members, were present inside when the fire was set. Everyone inside managed to escape and no one was harmed, but Karapet was arrested and charged with arson.

Karapet underwent detoxification for his alcoholism in a substance abuse treatment program called the Etheridge Center in April 2003. While there, Karapet severely burned his foot, and he was hospitalized in June for that problem and also for pneumonia and delirium tremors from detox. He suffered a heart attack while hospitalized and remained there for a month. Ka-rapet later sued the Etheridge Center, and the case was settled for an undisclosed amount. Michael remained supportive of his father and paid the legal fees and assisted the prosecution of that civil suit.

After pleading guilty in August 2003 to the arson charges, Karapet was sentenced to three years in prison. A $350,000 restitution judgment was entered against him as part of the criminal proceedings. Michael assisted his father’s criminal defense by testifying at his sentencing hearing.

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Bluebook (online)
508 B.R. 175, 2014 WL 1318851, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 1476, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 83, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yaikian-v-yaikian-in-re-yaikian-casb-2014.