Court Opinion

ID: 9647567
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:40:47.539722+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:50.850404
License: Public Domain

CORDOVA, Bankruptcy Judge,
Dissenting.
The Chanute Production Credit Association (“CPCA”) appeals from an order of the United States bankruptcy court for the District of Kansas denying its Motion to Reopen the Chapter 7 case of the Debtor, Michael Charles Schicke. The majority concludes that the bankruptcy court did not abuse its discretion in denying the Motion to Reopen, and affirms the bankruptcy court’s judgment. For the following reasons, I respectfully dissent.
I agree that the bankruptcy judge did not err in denying the Motion to Reopen simply because it was not necessary to do so to hear CPCA’s complaint. Watson v. Parker (In re Parker), 313 F.3d 1267 (10th Cir.2002). Section 523(a)(3)(B)1 is a “stand alone” exception to discharge, excepting debts that were not listed or scheduled in time for a creditor to file a timely complaint under §§ 523(a)(2), (4), or (6). CPCA obtained a judgment against the Debtor based on fraud and therefore could have brought a complaint under § 523(a)(2), but because it had no knowledge or notice of the bankruptcy that would have allowed it to timely file such a complaint, it should have been permitted to prosecute its complaint under § 523(a)(3)(B). I disagree that CPCA should be barred from bringing an action under § 523(a)(3)(B) to determine dis-chargeability of its judgment.
Based on the facts as set forth in the record and ably recounted in the majority’s opinion, I conclude that the Debtor failed to give adequate and effective notice of the filing of the bankruptcy case to the creditor, CPCA. The record is clear and the evidence is undisputed that CPCA received no formal notice that the Debtor filed a bankruptcy petition, and had no actual knowledge of the filing prior to the entry of discharge. The only testimony regarding notice came from CPCA’s officer, who stated CPCA had neither notice nor knowledge in time for them to have filed a complaint under § 523(a)(2),(4), or (6) prior to the Debtor’s discharge. Further, it is undisputed that the Debtor sent notice of his bankruptcy fifing to CPCA in care of the law firm of Coombs and Hull, at the law firm’s address. While William D. Coombs of Coombs and Pringle had represented CPCA in obtaining the judgment against the Debtor in 1981, neither Coombs & Pringle nor Coombs & Hull represented CPCA in the bankruptcy case.
*807Furthermore, at the time of the filing, the address listed for Coombs and Hull was an incorrect address. In fact, although the testimony at trial indicated that Mr. Hull had once been Mr. Coombs’ partner, and documents produced at trial indicate that Mr. Coombs had owned the post office box known as P.O. Box 306, Cha-nute, Kansas 66720 in 1996, there is no document in the record that refers to Coombs & Hull. The April 16, 1984 Journal Entry in the Montgomery County Court case was filed by Mr. Pringle of Coombs and Pringle, 10 South Steuben, Chanute, Kansas, 66720. The March 14, 1989 Notice of Appearance for CPCA and the July 18, 1991 Praecipe for Execution, both filed in the Montgomery County case, were filed by Frank Beyerl, Whittaker & Beyerl, Chartered, 223 N. Main, P.O. Box 188, Eureka, Kansas, 67045. The October 22, 1991 Request for Execution filed in the Montgomery County case is the only document in the record signed by Mr. Coombs, and he lists his firm as Coombs & Pringle. That document includes a telephone number, but no address. In addition, Mr. Pringle’s affidavit states that his address since 1994 has been 702 E. Main, Suite B, P.O. Box 748, Chanute, Kansas 66720. (See Appellant’s Appendix, Transcript of Hearing, with attached exhibits admitted at hearing).
The Debtor admitted he did not send notice directly to CPCA because he claimed he could not find its name in the Chanute, Kansas telephone book and could not otherwise find an address for it. I conclude that his efforts to obtain a current address were insufficient and not reasonably calculated to give notice to CPCA. Creditors are entitled to procedural due process and adequate notice, and these rights may not be dispensed with for the sake of convenience or simplicity. Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co., 339 U.S. 306, 313, 70 S.Ct. 652, 94 L.Ed. 865 (1950).
Section 521(1) requires a debtor to file a list of creditors with the bankruptcy petition. Rule 1007(a)(1)2 directs a debtor to provide the names and addresses of those creditors. Rule 2002(a) states that these creditors are to be given at least 20 days notice of the first meeting of creditors under § 341(b), and Rule 2002(f)(5) specifies that they be given notice of the time for filing a complaint to determine the dischargeability of a debt pursuant to § 523, as provided by Rule 4007. Rule 4007, in turn, requires that creditors be afforded 30 days notice of the time fixed for filing a complaint under § 523(a), and the complaint must be filed within 60 days of the date first set for the § 341 meeting. If a creditor fails to file a timely complaint under §§ 523(a)(2), (4), and (6), the debt is discharged.
In this case, CPCA did not file a complaint within the 60 day period because it had no notice or actual knowledge of the filing. There is no proof that the law firm of Coombs and Hull received or delivered the initial notice to CPCA. The bankruptcy court imputed the law firm’s receipt of the subsequent discharge notice as proof that the firm had received the initial notice and forwarded it to CPCA. There is no factual or legal basis for making such a “leap of faith,” especially in the face of evidence to the contrary. Proof of receipt of a document does not constitute proof of receipt of an earlier document. To find as the bankruptcy court did dispenses with the necessity for complying with procedural rules, and countenances the listing of an attorney’s address rather than the creditor’s, even if that attorney neither represents the creditor in the bankruptcy case, nor has a continuing attorney-client relation*808ship. Finding that giving notice to Coombs and Hull constituted adequate notice to CPCA because William D. Coombs represented CPCA in obtaining a judgment some 12 years previously, and was therefore CPCA’s agent, simply manufactures a connection between the firm and CPCA that is too attenuated to meet due process standards.
The legal standard for notice is whether the notice given was reasonably calculated to give notice to a party, or was reasonably calculated under all of the circumstances to apprise interested parties of the pen-dency of the action and afford them an opportunity to present their objections. Mullane, 339 U.S. at 313, 70 S.Ct. 652. In Yukon Self Storage Fund v. Green (In re Green), 876 F.2d 854, 856-57 (10th Cir.1989), the Tenth Circuit found that formal notice to a creditor was not required in a Chapter 7 case where the creditor had actual, timely notice of the bar date. In this case the creditor had neither.
The failure to give adequate notice to CPCA in this case is especially egregious considering that CPCA held a judgment against the Debtor in the amount of $583,186.00 based on fraud. Debtor listed only three other unsecured claims totaling $29,605.00. The Debtor's efforts to give notice fell far short of someone genuinely interested in providing a creditor with notice and an opportunity to file a complaint. It is fair to conclude that actual notice was never contemplated.
In conclusion, the facts of this case do not support the proposition that CPCA received notice or had actual knowledge of the filing. Further, there is no factual or legal basis upon which to find implied notice based on a previous attorney-client relationship. Therefore, I dissent.

. Unless otherwise stated, all statutory refer-enees are to title 11 of the United States Code.

. All Rule references are to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.