UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
EASTERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
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In the
Matter of Case
No. 803-82409-511
Chapter 7
STEVE
TSIOLIS and PAULINE TSIOLIS,
COMPLAINT
Debtors.
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KENNETH
KIRSCHENBAUM, as Chapter 7
Bankruptcy
Trustee for the Estate of Steve Tsiolis
and
Pauline Tsiolis, Adv. Pro. No.
Plaintiff
-against-
498
DINER ENTERPRISES CORP. d/b/a
MAJESTIC
DINER, TOM TSIOLIS, CHRIS
TSIOLIS,
and STELIOS TSIOLIS,
Defendants.
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Plaintiff, by his attorneys, KIRSCHENBAUM
& KIRSCHENBAUM, P.C., as and for his complaint herein alleges:
THE
PARTIES
1.
Kenneth Kirschenbaum is the duly appointed, qualified, and acting
trustee of the estate of the above-named
debtors.
2.
At all times hereinafter mentioned, STEVE TSIOLIS (hereinafter the "debtor") and
PAULINE TSIOLIS
(hereinafter
the "debtor's spouse") were and still are the debtors in the
underlying bankruptcy proceeding.
3.
At all times mentioned herein, 498 DINER ENTERPRISES CORP. d/b/a
MAJESTIC DINER (hereinafter the
"Corporation"),
upon information and belief, was and still is a domestic corporation with a
place of business in the County
of
Nassau, State of New York.
4.
At all times mentioned herein, upon information and belief, TOM TSIOLIS,
CHRIS TSIOLIS and STELIOS
TSIOLIS
(the "debtor's sons") were and still are all residents of New York
and children of the debtors.
JURISDICTION
AND VENUE
5.
The debtors filed a voluntary petition for relief pursuant to Chapter 7
of Title 11 of the United States Code (the
"Bankruptcy
Code") on April 11, 2003 under case number 803-82409-511, and this
adversary proceeding arises out of and
relates
to the Chapter 7 case of the debtors on the docket of this Court.
6.
This adversary proceeding is commenced pursuant to 11 U.S.C. 548 and New
York Debtor & Creditor Law §§
270-281
to set aside a transfer of 50% of the outstanding shares of stock of the
corporation from the debtor to his three sons
as a
fraudulent conveyance.
7.
The Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to Sections 1334
and 157 of Title 28 of the United
States
Code.
8.
The trustee has authority to bring this adversary proceeding in
accordance with Rules 6009 and 7001 et
seq. of
the
Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.
9.
This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sections 157(b)(2)(A)(H)
and (O).
10.
Venue is proper in this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 1409.
GENERAL
ALLEGATIONS
11.
Upon information and belief, less than one year prior to the filing of
the underlying petition for relief, the
debtor
was the owner of 50% of the outstanding shares of stock in the corporation.
12.
During the 2002 calendar year, the debtor had a gross annual income of
$79,500.00.
13.
During the 2002 calendar year, the debtor's spouse had a gross annual
income of $14,440.00.
14.
Upon information and belief, at all times hereinafter mentioned the
debtors held joint title to two separate
properties,
located at 181 Brompton Road South, Garden City, New York, and 2 Jester Court,
Dix Hills, New York.
15.
Upon information and belief, on or about October 24, 2002, the debtor
executed a loan agreement with
Progressive
Credit Union ("Progressive") pursuant to which Progressive agreed to
lend the debtor the sum of
$2,075,000.00.
16.
In accordance with the terms of the loan agreement, the debtor executed
and delivered a promissory note to
Progressive
evidencing an indebtedness and a promise to pay Progressive the sum of
$2,075,000.00 over a period of 12
years.
17. On or about October 24, 2002, the debtors executed and delivered a
subordinate real property mortgage on the
Garden
City property to secure the guaranty of the payment on the note to Progressive.
18.
The maximum principal amount of the mortgage debt to be secured by the
subordinate real property mortgage
on the
Garden City property was $300,000.00.
19.
Upon information and belief, the total loan proceeds were used for the
benefit of the corporation, to wit:
refinancing
of existing corporate debt, renovations to the business premises, working
capital and closing costs.
20. Upon information and belief, no
portion of the loan proceeds were used by the debtors personally.
21.
By Agreement dated October 25, 2002, the debtor agreed to sell to his
sons Tom, Chris and Stelios 50% of the
outstanding
shares of stock in the defendant corporation which he owned.
22.
According to the terms of the sale agreement the purchase price of the
selling shares which the debtor agreed to
sell to
his sons was $30,000.00, subject to all liabilities and obligations of the
defendant corporation.
23.
Upon information and belief, on or about December 17, 2002, the debtor
conveyed his interest in his shares for
the sum
of $30,000.00 subject to all liabilities and obligations of the defendant
corporation.
24.
Upon information and belief, at the time of the sale, the debtor was
employed as the manager of the
corporation.
25.
Upon information and belief, at the time of the sale, the debtor's
spouse was engaged as a salesperson at the
Disney
Store.
26.
Upon information and belief, from the date of the conveyance up to and
including the date of the filing of the
petition,
the debtors were engaged in no other form of employment.
27.
Upon information and belief, upon the conveyance of his shares, the
debtor did not have sufficient income and
assets
to tender the monthly payments to Progressive as required under the terms of
the promissory note, and his liabilities
exceeded
his assets.
AS AND
FOR A FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION PURSUANT TO 11 U.S.C. §§548 and 544
&
NEW YORK DEBTOR CREDITOR LAW §§ 270-281 TO
SET
ASIDE A FRAUDULENT CONVEYANCE
28
The conveyance of the debtor's interest in the corporate shares of stock
was made within one year of the date of
the
filing of the debtors' petition.
29.
Upon information and belief, the debtor received less than a reasonably
equivalent value in exchange for the
conveyance
of his interest in the corporate stock.
30.
Upon information and belief, the debtor was insolvent on the date of the
transfer of his interest in the corporate
stock
or became insolvent as a result of the transfer.
31.
By reason of the foregoing, the transfer of the debtor's interest in the
shares of corporate stock constitutes a
Fraudulent
Conveyance as defined by 11 U.S.C. §548 and New York Debtor and Creditor Law §§
270-281.
32.
By virtue of the foregoing, the conveyance should be set aside pursuant
to 11 U.S.C. 544 (b).
AS AND
FOR A SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION PURSUANT TO 11 U.S.C. §§548 and 544 & NEW YORK
DEBTOR
CREDITOR
LAW §§ 270-281 TO
SET
ASIDE A FRAUDULENT CONVEYANCE
33.
The debtor transferred his interest in the shares of stock in the
corporation to his sons with actual intent to
hinder,
delay, or defraud any entity to which the debtor was or became, on or after the
date that such transfer was made,
indebted.
34.
By virtue of the foregoing, the conveyance should be set aside pursuant
to 11 U.S.C. Section 544(b).
AS AND
FOR A THIRD AND DISTINCT CAUSE OF ACTION
PURSUANT
TO NEW YORK DEBTOR & CREDITOR LAW §276-a
35.
By virtue of the foregoing, plaintiff has been required to retain the
services of
an
attorney to enforce his rights in and to the shares of corporate stock which
were conveyed from the debtor to the
defendant
sons.
36.
Pursuant to New York Debtor and Creditor Law §276-a, plaintiff is
entitled to
reasonable
attorney's fees in an amount as may be fixed by the Court.
WHEREFORE, plaintiff demands judgment
against defendants setting aside the conveyance from the debtor to the
debtor's
sons of the shares of stock in the corporate defendant, awarding the plaintiff
reasonable attorneys fees in an
amount
to be fixed by the Court, and granting such other and further relief as this Court
deems just and proper, including
costs
and disbursements.
Dated: Garden City, New York
September 15, 2003
KIRSCHENBAUM
& KIRSCHENBAUM, P.C.
Attorneys
for Plaintiff
___________________________________
By:
Steven B. Sheinwald, Esq. (SS-6336)
200 Garden City Plaza
Garden City, New York 11530
(516) 747-6700
I:\Bankruptcy\DEBTOR\Tsiolis\complaint.wpd
UNITED
STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
CASE NO. 803-82409-511
EASTERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
In the
Matter of
STEVE TSIOLIS and PAULINE TSIOLIS,
Debtors.
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KENNETH
KIRSCHENBAUM, as Chapter 7
Bankruptcy
Trustee for the Estate of Steve Tsiolis
and
Pauline Tsiolis, Adv. Pro. No.
Plaintiff
-against-
498
DINER ENTERPRISES CORP. d/b/a MAJESTIC
DINER,
TOM TSIOLIS, CHRIS TSIOLIS and STELIOS
TSIOLIS,
Defendants.
COMPLAINT
KIRSCHENBAUM & KIRSCHENBAUM, P.C.
Attorneys
for the Trustee/Plaintiff
200
Garden City Plaza
Garden
City, New York 11530
(516)
747-6700