13 B 38149, 14 A 00177
In this Chapter 7 adversary proceeding, Plaintiff Kenneth Wians, as Independent Administrator of the Estate of Clara Wians, filed a Motion for entry of Summary Judgment against Defendant Dennis Wians on a complaint seeking to except a debt from discharge under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4).  The Plaintiff alleged that the Defendant converted assets belonging to his elderly and disabled mother, while he held powers of attorney for healthcare and property.

In support of his Motion, the Plaintiff asserted that the doctrine of collateral estoppel precluded the Defendant from relitigating the issues previously resolved in a prior state court matter, which proceeded to final judgment, creating the $196,000 debt at issue herein.

The Court granted the Motion, finding that the prior state court order contained specific findings establishing that a fiduciary relationship existed between the Defendant and his mother, within the meaning of § 523(a)(4) and that Defendant committed acts of defalcation with the requisite state of mind, as required by the Supreme Court in Bullock v. BankChampaign N.A.,133 S. Ct. 1754, 1759 (2013).