Court Opinion

ID: 9940958
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-15 18:02:37.285738+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:46:04.719403
License: Public Domain

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY APPELLATE PANEL
           FOR TH E FIRST C IRCUIT
                _______________________________

                     BAP NO. M W 99-110
                _______________________________

                   In re: ROBERT J. BRUNO,
                            Debtor.
                _______________________________

         SUSAN K. WALTON, CHAPTER 7 TRUSTEE,
                    Plaintiff/Appellant,

                                V.

ROBERT J. BRUNO, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEE OF KAB
  REALTY TRUST AND CARLA M. BRUNO, INDIVIDUALLY
       AND AS TRUSTEE OF KAB REALTY TRUST,
                   Defendants/Appellees.
              ______________________________

        Appeal from the United States Bankruptcy Court
       for the District of Massachusetts, Western Division
      [Hon. James F. Queenan, Jr., U.S. Bankruptcy Judge]
                ______________________________

                              Before

   GOOD MAN , HAINES a nd DEAS Y, U.S. Bankruptcy Ju dges.
              ______________________________

    Jeffrey D. G anz and R iemer & B raunstein, LL P for App ellant.

    Robert V. Eberle for Appellee.

                 ______________________________

                         March 31, 2000
                 ______________________________
PER CURIAM.

     On December 1, 1999, the Bankruptcy Court entered a judgment

wherein it found the following: (1) KAB Realty Trust held only

record title to the property located at 6 Wildflower Lane,

Weston, Massachusetts (the “Property”) and that beneficial

ownership of the Property was held by the Debtor and his wife,

Carla M. Bruno; and (2) the Debtor and his wife held such

beneficial ownership as tenants by the entirety.   See Judgment

dated December 1, 1999.   The Chapter 7 Trustee appeals only the

second ruling contained in the Bankruptcy Court’s judgment; i.e.,

that the Debtor and his wife owned the Property as tenants by the

entirety.1

     A review of the record in this proceeding indicates that

little substantive evidence was presented by the parties

concerning the ownership character of the Debtor and his wife’s

interest in the Property.   That issue does not appear to have

been addressed by the parties at trial from either a factual or

legal perspective.   In addition, the Bankruptcy Court did not

articulate its reasons for concluding that the Debtor and his

wife owned the Property as tenants by the entirety.   See, e.g.,

Transcript of Trial at 156-58.   Therefore, there is nothing in

the record upon which the Panel may conduct a reasoned review.

     1
       Although counsel for both the Appellant and the Appellee
appeared at the hearing on the Appellant’s appeal, counsel for
the Appellee was precluded from presenting argument given that he
failed to file a brief.
Accordingly, the Bankruptcy Court’s second ruling that the Debtor

and his wife held the property as tenants by the entirety should

be reconsidered against the backdrop of a full record concerning

the issue.2

     The Bankruptcy Court’s ruling that the Debtor and his wife

held the property as tenants by the entirety is VACATED and

REMANDED to the Bankruptcy Court for further proceedings

consistent with our decision.

     2
      Because the Chapter 7 Trustee does not question the
Bankruptcy Court’s ruling that the Debtor and his wife, as
opposed to KAB Realty Trust, held beneficial ownership of the
Property, this Panel’s decision has no effect on that ruling.