Filed: Aug. 04, 2015
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 1 of 5 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ No. 14-13224 Non-Argument Calendar _ D.C. Docket Nos. 1:14-cv-21146-CMA; 11-bkc-20436-AJC In Re: BERNARD SEIDLING, Debtor. _ CHRISTINE SEIDLING, Plaintiff - Appellant, versus PAUL KELLY, Defendant - Appellee. _ No. 14-13391 Non-Argument Calendar _ D.C. Docket Nos. 1:14-cv-21148-CMA; 11-bkc-20436-MIA Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 2 of 5 In Re: BERNAR
Summary: Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 1 of 5 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ No. 14-13224 Non-Argument Calendar _ D.C. Docket Nos. 1:14-cv-21146-CMA; 11-bkc-20436-AJC In Re: BERNARD SEIDLING, Debtor. _ CHRISTINE SEIDLING, Plaintiff - Appellant, versus PAUL KELLY, Defendant - Appellee. _ No. 14-13391 Non-Argument Calendar _ D.C. Docket Nos. 1:14-cv-21148-CMA; 11-bkc-20436-MIA Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 2 of 5 In Re: BERNARD..
More
Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 1 of 5
[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________
No. 14-13224
Non-Argument Calendar
________________________
D.C. Docket Nos. 1:14-cv-21146-CMA; 11-bkc-20436-AJC
In Re: BERNARD SEIDLING,
Debtor.
____________________________________________________
CHRISTINE SEIDLING,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
versus
PAUL KELLY,
Defendant - Appellee.
________________________
No. 14-13391
Non-Argument Calendar
________________________
D.C. Docket Nos. 1:14-cv-21148-CMA; 11-bkc-20436-MIA
Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 2 of 5
In Re: BERNARD C. SEIDLING,
Debtor.
______________________________________________________
CHRISTINE SEIDLING,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
versus
ANTHONY SCHEUER,
Defendant - Appellee.
________________________
Appeals from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Florida
________________________
(August 4, 2015)
Before HULL, JULIE CARNES and BLACK, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Christine Seidling (Seidling) appeals the district court’s affirmance of the
bankruptcy court’s order allowing creditor Paul Kelly’s claim against Seidling’s
ex-husband’s estate. After careful consideration, we affirm. 1
1
In addition to the Kelly appeal (No. 14-13224), Seidling also appeals from a similar
bankruptcy court order in favor of another creditor, Anthony S. Scheur (No. 14-13391). Both the
Kelly and Scheur appeals involve many identical issues, and we affirm for substantially the same
reasons. With respect to the two distinct issues raised in the Scheur appeal, we agree with the
district court these arguments were waived. See Hurley v. Moore,
233 F.3d 1295, 1297 (11th
Cir. 2000) (“Arguments raised for the first time on appeal are not properly before this Court.”).
2
Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 3 of 5
I. BACKGROUND
Bernard Seidling (Debtor) filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Kelly filed a proof
of claim based on Debtor’s involvement in a bad-faith involuntary bankruptcy
against Kelly’s son. Debtor and Seidling each filed objections to Kelly’s claim.
After roughly one year of litigation between the Seidlings and Kelly, Debtor
admitted, by failing to respond to a request for admission, see Fed. R. Civ. P.
(a)(3), that he “entered into a conspiracy to file a bad faith involuntary bankruptcy”
against Kelly’s son. Accordingly, Debtor withdrew his objection to Kelly’s claim.
With only Seidling’s objection outstanding, Kelly moved for final judgment
and liquidation of his claim. The bankruptcy court granted the motion, holding
Seidling no longer had standing to raise an objection to Kelly’s claim and allowing
Kelly’s claim against the estate in the full amount of $640,000. Seidling appealed
to the district court. The district court affirmed, and Seidling now appeals to this
Court.
II. DISCUSSION
1. Debtor’s Admission
The primary issue in this appeal is whether the bankruptcy court erred in
allowing Kelly’s claim against Debtor’s estate based, in part, on Debtor’s
admission that Kelly’s bad faith claim had merit. The bankruptcy court did not err
in relying on Debtor’s admissions. Cf. Conlon v. United States,
474 F.3d 616, 621
3
Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 4 of 5
(9th Cir. 2007) (“Unanswered requests for admissions may be relied on as the basis
for granting summary judgment.”). The only authority Seidling cites to support
her position is Rule 36(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which states a
party’s admission “is not an admission for any other purpose and cannot be used
against the party in any other proceeding.” As the district court pointed out,
however, the bankruptcy court’s use of Debtor’s admissions did not violate Rule
36(b). Debtor’s admission was used against the same party (Debtor) in the same
proceeding. Accordingly, the district court did not err in relying on Debtor’s
admissions.
Furthermore, the bankruptcy court held Seidling lacked standing to object to
Kelly’s claim, and Seidling has not challenged that holding. Given that Seidling’s
objections were not legally operative, and given that the only other objection was
withdrawn, the bankruptcy court had no basis for disallowing Kelly’s claim. See
Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3001(f) (“A proof of claim executed and filed in accordance with
these rules shall constitute prima facie evidence of the validity and amount of the
claim.”); see also In re Lampe,
665 F.3d 506, 514 (3d Cir. 2011) (“[A] proof of
claim that alleges sufficient facts to support liability satisfies the claimant’s initial
obligation to proceed, after which the burden shifts to the objector to produce
sufficient evidence to negate the prima facie validity of the filed claim.”).
4
Case: 14-13224 Date Filed: 08/04/2015 Page: 5 of 5
2. Other Issues
Seidling’s appeal raises several other issues, including: (i) the sua sponte
overruling of Seidling’s objection; (ii) lack of notice; (iii) denial of due process;
(iv) the requirement of a trial on damages; (v) insufficient evidence to support the
damage award; and (vi) punitive damages improperly awarded. We do not address
the merits of these issues because, as the district court found, they have been
waived. Bankruptcy Rule 8006 requires an appellant to file and serve, within 14
days after filing a notice of appeal, “a designation of the items to be included in the
record on appeal and a statement of the issues to be presented.” Fed. R. Bankr. P.
8006. “An issue that is not listed pursuant to [Rule 8006] and is not inferable from
the issues that are listed is deemed waived and will not be considered on appeal.”
In re Freeman,
956 F.2d 252, 255 (11th Cir. 1992).
When Seidling appealed to the district court, she filed a Rule 8006 statement
of issues that raised only one question: whether “the Court erred” in entering the
order. As the district court explained, “[a] statement of issues that merely accuses
the bankruptcy court of having ‘erred’ is insufficient to infer specific grounds for
error upon appeal.” (District Court Opinion at 6.) Accordingly, the district court
did not err in holding these issues were waived.
III. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the district court’s judgments are AFFIRMED.
5