Opinion ID: 2831353
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Claims Against Nighthawk

Text: Relators next assert that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction because Richey’s claims for deferred consideration and the unpaid $1 million loan are claims for a debt owed by Nighthawk, they must be filed against Nighthawk in bankruptcy court. But the trial court does not lack jurisdiction over Richey’s claims against Relators. Whether those claims should have been brought against another party (Nighthawk) is not a question of jurisdiction requiring dismissal, but is a question of liability. Relators did not argue in the trial court that they were the incorrect parties for Richey to bring the claims against. Relators have not shown themselves entitled to mandamus relief on this ground. Relators also argue that “proceeding with the debt claims against Nighthawk in the Wise County suit violates the automatic stay in bankruptcy.” But Nighthawk is not a defendant in the Wise County suit and the automatic bankruptcy stay does not extend to non-debtors. Reliant Energy Servs., Inc. v. Enron Canada Corp., 349 F.3d 816, 825 (5th Cir. 2003) (noting that by its terms, the automatic stay applies only to the debtor); Texas-Ohio Gas, Inc. v. Mecom, 28 S.W.3d 129, 144 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2000, no pet.) (holding that the bankruptcy stay does not extend “to separate legal entities such as corporate affiliates, partners in debtor partnerships or to codefendants in pending litigation.” (quoting Patton v. Bearden, 8 F.3d 343, 349 (6th Cir. 1993)); see also In re Pegasus Funds, 345 S.W.3d 175, 176 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2011, orig. proceeding). Relators argue that the bankruptcy stay should extend to them because the stay applies to a non-debtor “when there is such identity between the debtor and the third-party defendant that the debtor may be said to be the real party defendant and that a judgment against the third-party defendant will in effect be a 7 judgment or finding against the debtor.” See A.H. Robins Co. v. Piccinin, 788 F.2d 994, 999 (4th Cir. 1986). Relators have not shown that this is the situation here.