Lieberman v. Corporacion Experienca Unica, S.A.
Richard LIEBERMAN v. CORPORACION EXPERIENCA UNICA, S.A., Defendants Richard Kreibich v. Playa Dulce Vida, S.A.
Attorneys
Philip S. Rosenzweig, Kevin J. Silver-ang, Silverang, Donohoe, Rosenzweig & Haltzman, LLC, St. Davids, PA, for Plaintiff., Patrick Joseph Troy, William E. Viss, Sirlin Lesser & Benson PC, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendants.
Full Opinion (html_with_citations)
MEMORANDUM
I.FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY.. .456
II. MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS.. .458
III. MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT... 460
A. Breach of Contract.. .460
1. Timeliness.. .461
â 2. Merits... 462
B. Piercing the Corporate Veil... 467
C. Fraud...471
D. Tortious Interference.. .472
IV. MOTION TO APPOINT RECEIVER...473
V. CONCLUSION...474
These two casesâconsolidated for pretrial purposesâinvolve several investments in a resort located in Costa Rica. Following discovery, the parties have filed a number of motions. For the reasons that follow, the Court will: (1) deny the Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; (2) grant in part the Motion for Summary Judgment; and (3) deny the Motion to Appoint a Receiver.
1. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Playa Dulce Vida, S.A. (âPDVâ) is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Costa Rica. David Callan Deck ¶2, Kreibich ECF No. 33âl.
In 2004, Plaintiff Richard Lieberman became aware of the opportunity to invest in PDV by purchasing a condo-apartment, or unit, at the Resort. Another investor, Glenn Jampol, introduced Lieberman to Gary Haynes,
Thereafter, in November 2004, Lieberman bought twenty-five preferred shares, representing unit 603 (âthe Lieberman Unitâ) at the Resort. Id. ¶¶ 65, 79-80. His purchase was memorialized by three stock certificates (collectively, âthe Stock Certificatesâ). Id. ¶ 81. In the course of his purchase of shares, Lieberman signed a set of documents: a Reciprocal Promise of Purchase and Sale (âthe PSAâ), a Rental Pool Agreement (âthe RPAâ), the Regulations, and a Purchase/Sale Contract for Shares (âthe PSCFSâ) (collectively, âthe Contractâ). See Defs.â Mot. Summ. J. Ex. D, Kreibich ECF No. 33-4.
The following year, Plaintiffs Richard Kreibich and Susan Kreibich (âthe Krei-bichsâ) also learned about the opportunity to invest in the Resort. Specifically, they were introduced to Defendant David Cal-lan, who informed the Kreibichs that he was a licensed financial advisor, an officer of PDV, a member of the PDV Board, and a member of the PDV Executive Committee. First Am. Compl. ¶¶ 54-60, Kreibich ECF No. 9. Callan explained that purchasing preferred shares would give the Krei-bichs usage rights to a particular unit, as well as income from their unitâs placement in the Resort rental pool. Id. ¶¶ 62-65.
As a result, in February 2006, the Krei-bichs purchased fifteen preferred shares, representing unit 501 (âthe Kreibich Unitâ) at the Resort. Id. ¶¶ 80, 90-95. The Kreibichs, like Lieberman, signed the Contract with PDV.
In February 2011, several years after the Resort opened, the PDV board of directors issued a letter to the preferred shareholders (âthe Preferred Shareholders Letterâ or âthe Letterâ). Second Am. Compl. Ex. J, Lieberman ECF No. 19-3. The Letter explained that in order for the Resort to be a financial success, the company was undergoing an âimportant ownership restructuring.â Id. at 1. As part of the restructuring, the company offered to preferred shareholders the option to convert their preferred sharesâthat is, their contractual rights to their respective units at the Resortâto common stock. Id. at 3. The Letter explained that preferred shareholders who exercised that option would âcontinue to receive usage rights[,] but as common shareholders.â Id. The usage rights for common shareholders were set forth in the Letter, id at 5, and, as the Letter noted, could âbe modified by the Board of Directors,â id at 3. Thus, the Letter cautioned preferred shareholders that âif usage is a critical reason for ownership, then one needs to weigh the cost/benefit analysis of giving up that usage right.â Id. The Kreibichs opted to convert their preferred shares into common shares. Kreibich First Am. Compl. ¶ 140. Lieberman did not. Lieberman Second Am. Compl. ¶ 128.
Neither Lieberman nor the Kreibichs have received any income distributions from their respective investments in the Resort. Id. ¶ 117; Pis.â Mem. Law Oppân at 5, Kreibich ECF No. 35. They also contend that Defendants have, in violation of the Contract, failed to provide audited financial statements for certain fiscal years. Lieberman Second Am. Compl. ¶¶ 110-12; Kreibich First Am. Compl. ¶¶ 110-14.
Lieberman filed a Complaint against PDV, Hawk Management L.P. (âHawk Managementâ), and HWC, LLC (âHWCâ), on June 10, 2014.
The Kreibichs filed a Complaint against PDV, HOF, Hawk Management, HWC, and David Callan on September 5, 2014. Kreibich ECF No. 1. They later filed a First Amended Complaint, Kreibich ECF No. 9, which was dismissed in part, Krei-bich ECF No. 18. The following claims remain in that case: (1) alter ego liability/piercing the corporate veil; (2) breach of contract; (3) fraud/misrepresentation; (4) tortious interference with contract; and (5) fraud in the inducement.
The Court consolidated these two cases for pretrial purposes.
II. MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS
Though Defendantsâ motion for judgment on the pleadings was filed after their motion for summary judgment, the Court must address it first because it challenges the Courtâs subject matter jurisdiction.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c) provides that, â[a]fter the pleadings are closedâbut early enough not to delay trialâa party may move for judgment on the pleadings.â
In their motion for judgment on the pleadings, Defendants argue that the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this case because Plaintiffs lack standing to bring it. Specifically, Defendants believe that Plaintiffsâ claims are derivative, not direct, and thus that they cannot be brought in Plaintiffsâ personal capacities.
In Pennsylvania, a shareholder lacks standing âto institute a direct suit for âa harm [that is] peculiar to the corporation and [that is] only [ ] indirectly injurious to [the] shareholder.â â Hill v. Ofalt, 85 A.3d 540, 548 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2014) (alterations in original) (quoting Reifsnyder v. Pittsburgh Outdoor Advertising Co., 405 Pa. 142, 173 A.2d 319, 321 (1961)). Instead, âsuch a claim belongs to, and is an asset of, the corporation.â Id. This type of claimâ one belonging to the corporation, rather than the shareholderâis called a derivative claim.
In order to have standing to bring a direct suitâthat is, to sue individually, rather than on behalf of the corporationâ a shareholder âmust allege a direct, personal injuryâthat is independent of any injury to the corporationâand the shareholder must be entitled to receive the benefit of any recovery.â Id. âIf the injury is one to the plaintiff as a stockholder and to him individually, and not to the corporation, it is an individual action.â Fishkin v. Hi-Acres, Inc., 462 Pa. 309, 341 A.2d 95, 98 n.4 (1975) (quoting 13 Fletcher Cyclopedia Corporations § 5911 (Perm. Ed.)).
Accordingly, a court facing the question of whether an action is direct or derivative must approach the inquiry as follows:
.., Whether a cause of action is individual- or derivative must be determined from the nature of the wrong alleged and the relief, if any, that could result if the plaintiff were to prevail.
In determining the nature of the wrong alleged, the court must look to the body of the complaint, not to the plaintiffs designation or stated intention. The action is derivative if the gravamen of the complaint is injury to the corporation, or to the whole body of its stock or property without any severance or distribution among individual holders, or if it seeks to recover assets for the corporation or to prevent dissipation of its assets..... If damages to a shareholder result indirectly, as the result of any injury to the corporation, and not directly, the shareholder cannot sue as an individual.
Hill, 85 A.3d at 549 (quoting 12B Fletcher Cyclopedia of the' Law of Corporations § 5911 (2013)). âIf the court determines that a claim is actually derivative in nature, the plaintiff is precluded from proceeding directly.â Resh v. Bortner, No. 16-02437, 2016 WL 6834104, at *5 (E.D. Pa. Nov. 21, 2016).
Looking to the bodies of Plaintiffsâ complaints, as well as the relief they seek, it is evident that Plaintiffs allege direct, rather than derivative, claims.
Second, Plaintiffs would be âentitled to receive the benefit of any recovery.â Id. The requested recovery would not go to PDV, where it would trickle down to Plaintiffs in the form of increased stock value, but instead would go directly to Plaintiffs.
Therefore, Plaintiffsâ claims are direct, rather than derivative, and Plaintiffs have standing to pursue them.
III. MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
Summary judgment is appropriate if there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). âA motion for summary judgment will not be defeated by âthe mere existenceâ of some disputed facts, but will be denied when there is a genuine issue of material fact.â Am. Eagle Outfitters v. Lyle & Scott Ltd., 584 F.3d 575, 581 (3d Cir. 2009) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)). A fact is âmaterialâ if proof of its existence or nonexistence might affect the outcome of the litigation, and a dispute is âgenuineâ if âthe evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.â Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505.
The Court will view the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. âAfter making all reasonable inferences in the nonmoving partyâs favor, there is a genuine issue of material fact if a reasonable jury could find for the nonmoving party.â Pignataro v. Port Auth., 593 F.3d 265, 268 (3d Cir. 2010). In short, the essential question is âwhether the evidence presents a sufficient disagreement to require submission to a jury or whether it is so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of law.â Anderson, 477 U.S. at 251-52, 106 S.Ct. 2505.
Defendants move to dismiss some, but not all, of the claims in these two cases.
A. Breach of Contract
Both Lieberman and the Kreibichs bring breach of contract claims. Lieberman contends that Defendants breached the Contract by: (1) failing to provide audited financial statements for fiscal years 2004 to 2006 and 2011 until at least 2014, Lieberman Second Am. Compl. ¶¶ 221-23; (2)
Defendants move for summary judgment on only a portion of these breach of contract claims: the claim that Defendants breached the Contract by manipulating PDVâs accounting in such a way that allowed PDV to avoid paying distributions to its preferred shareholders, including Lieberman and the Kreibichs. Defendants argue that this claim is (1) barred by the statute of limitations, and (2) foreclosed by the language of the Contract.
1. Timeliness
First, Defendants argue that this breach of contract claim is untimely.
The parties agree that Pennsylvaniaâs four-year statute of limitations applies to this claim.
Curiously, Defendants do not actually state a specific date on which they believe this claim accrued. They suggest that it may have accrued sometime in 2008, because âthere is no question that Plaintiffs[ ] were aware that PDV had financial issues in 2008â but âdid nothing for seven years until filing these actions.â Defs.â Mem. Law at 13, Kreibich ECF No. 32. But this is not a coherent argument concerning the accrual of the breach of contract claim; the claim is not about PDVâs âfinancial issuesâ generally, but PDVâs specific failure to pay distributions from the rental pool. To that end, Defendants do state that distributions, if any, should have been paid on November 29, 2008; November 29, 2009; and November 29, 2010. Id.
Most obviously, any claim for distributions that should have been paid on November 29, 2010, is not time-barred, because Plaintiffs filed their claims on June 10, 2014 (Lieberman), and September 5, 2014 (the Kreibichs)âwithin the four-year limitations period, which did not expire until November 2014.
As to the 2008 and 2009 non-distributions, Plaintiffs invoke Pennsylvaniaâs discovery rule to argue that those claims did not accrue until February 15, 2011, when
The discovery rule âtolls the accrual of the statute of limitations when a plaintiff is unable, âdespite the exercise of due diligence, to know of the injury or its cause.ââ Mest v. Cabot Corp., 449 F.3d 502, 510 (3d Cir. 2006) (quoting Pocono Intâl Raceway, Inc. v. Pocono Produce, Inc., 503 Pa. 80, 468 A.2d 468, 471 (1983)); see also City of Philadelphia v. One Reading Ctr. Assocs., 143 F.Supp.2d 508, 526 (E.D. Pa. 2001) (âThe discovery rule is based on the notion that it would be unjust to deprive a party of a cause of action before that party has a reasonable basis for concluding that a viable claim exists.â). The rule âfocuses not on âthe plaintiffs actual knowledge, but rather on whether the knowledge was known, or through the exercise of diligence, knowable toâ the plaintiff.â Mest, 449 F.3d at 510 (quoting Bohus v. Beloff, 950 F.2d 919, 925 (3d Cir. 1991)). In order to demonstrate that he exercised such âreasonable diligence,â a plaintiff must show âthat he pursued the cause of his injury with those qualities of attention, knowledge, intelligence and judgment which society requires of its members for the protection of their own interests and the interests of others.â Id. (quoting Cochran v. GAF Corp., 542 Pa. 210, 666 A.2d 245, 249 (1995)).
â[W]hether a plaintiff has exercised reasonable diligence is generally a factual question reserved for the jury,â id. at 512, because of âthe fact intensive nature of the inquiry,â Gleason, 15 A.3d at 485. Only if âthe facts are so clear that reasonable minds could not differâ may a court determine that, as a matter of law, a party was not reasonably diligent. Id.; see also Mest, 449 F.3d at 512. Here, then, the question is whether the facts are so clear that reasonable minds could not determine that Plaintiffs were reasonably diligent in discovering their alleged injuries.
On the record before the Court at this time, the facts are not so clear, as potentially relevant questions remain unanswered. For example, though Plaintiffs have admitted that they did not contact PDV after they did not receive rental pool distributions for the fiscal years at issue, Pis.â Interrog. Resps. ¶¶ 22-27, Defs.â Mot. Summ. J. Ex. G, EOF Nos. 33-7, 33-8, the record appears to be silent as to whether Plaintiffs actually had reason to expect rental pool distributions those years. If they did notâor, especially, if they had reason not to expect distributionsâreasonable minds could conclude that failing to contact PDV about that issue does not evidence a lack of diligence. Accordingly, the Court will decline to remove this question from the juryâs purview by granting judgment at this time.
To summarize, Plaintiffsâ claims concerning distributions that should have been paid on November 29, 2010, are not time-barred, and factual questions remain concerning distributions that should have been paid in 2008 and 2009. Accordingly, the Court will deny the motion for summary judgment as to the timeliness of Plaintiffsâ breach of contract claims.
2. Merits
Defendants also argue that they are entitled, as a matter of law, to judgment on Plaintiffsâ claims that Defendants breached the Contract by using improper accounting methodologies and, as a result, failing to pay rental pool income distributions.
The Rental Pool Agreement, or RPA, provides that preferred shareholders âshall
the sum total income calculated after the deduction of credit charges, insurance policies, institutional deductions, commissions to travel agents and tour operators, costs of discounts as a result of exchanges, municipal and other (government) taxes, as well as the cost to maintain and operate the rented facilities, including operating personnel, maintenance in general, gardeners, service of maids, electric power, water and telephone, security and repairs, whose costs shall be deducted from the income to be distributed.
The dispute here is whether this definition permits Defendants to deduct âdebt service, depreciation[,] and capital expendituresâ from PDVâs calculation of net income.
A federal court sitting in diversity must apply the substantive law as decided by the highest court of the state whose law governs the action. Erie R.R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64, 78, 58 S.Ct. 817, 82 L.Ed. 1188 (1938); Orson, Inc. v. Miramax Film Corp., 79 F.3d 1358, 1373 n.15 (3d Cir. 1996). Here, the parties agree that Pennsylvania contract law controls. See Defs.â Mem. Law at 7 (citing Pennsylvania contract law); Pis.â Mem. Law at 13 (citing Pennsylvania contract law).
In American Eagle Outfitters v. Lyle & Scott Ltd., 584 F.3d 575 (3d Cir. 2009), the Third Circuit, applying Pennsylvania law, prescribed the methodology that a court should use when interpreting a
When interpreting a contract, the court begins with the âfirmly settledâ principle that âthe intent of the parties to a written contract is contained in the writing itself.â Id. (quoting Krizovensky v. Krizovensky, 425 Pa.Super. 204, 624 A.2d 638, 642 (1993)). Where the words of a contract are clear and unambiguous, its meaning must be determined by its contents alone, without reference to extrinsic aids or evidence. Id. (quoting Steuart v. McChesney, 498 Pa. 45, 444 A.2d 659, 661 (1982)).
On the other hand, âa contract is ambiguous, and thus presents a question of interpretation for a jury, if the contract âis reasonably susceptible of different constructions and capable of being understood in more than one sense.ââ Id. (quoting Allegheny Intâl, 40 F.3d at 1425). Under such circumstances, a court âmay look âoutside the four corners of the contractâ â and âreceive extrinsic evidence ... to resolve the ambiguity.â Id. at 588 (quoting Duquesne Light Co., 66 F.3d at 614).
In summary,
[a] contract is ambiguous if it is reasonably susceptible of different constructions and capable of being understood in more than one sense. The court, as a matter of law, determines the existence of an ambiguity and interprets the contract whereas the resolution of conflicting parol evidence relevant to what the parties intended by the ambiguous provision is for the trier of fact.
In re Old Summit Mfg., LLC, 523 F.3d 134, 137 (3d Cir. 2008)(quoting Hutchison v. Sunbeam Coal Corp., 513 Pa. 192, 519 A.2d 385, 390 (1986)). The first question, then, is whether the Contract in this case is clear or ambiguous concerning the scope of the deductions permitted in PDVâs calculation of ânet income.â
Defendants do not argue that the expense categories at issue actually fall into any of the categories explicitly articulated in the RPAâs definition of net income. Certainly, at least, they do not point to any particular portion of the definition. As a result, Defendants arguably concede that the deductions at issue do not appear in the plain words of the Contract. To cure this problem, they argue that them own reading of the RPA is âthe only sensible and reasonable interpretationâ of the contract because Plaintiffsâ interpretation would essentially require PDV to âdefault on its mortgage and divert the funds properly due under the loan to the Rental Pool for the preferred shareholdersâ benefit.â Defs.â Reply at 4-5, Kreibich ECF No. 37-1. If PDV was forced to follow this path, Defendants say, âthe lender would foreclose on the Resort, and all shareholders, Plaintiffs included, would be in peril of completely losing their investment.â Id.
It is true that, where âthe plain meaning of a contract term would lead to an interpretation that is absurd and unreasonable, Pennsylvania contract law allows a court to construe the contract otherwise in order to reach âthe only sensible and reasonable interpretationâ of the contract.â Bohler-Uddeholm Am., Inc. v. Ellwood Grp., Inc., 247 F.3d 79, 98 (3d Cir. 2001)
Defendants also argue that when the Contract is read in its entirety,
âą Article 9(a) of the Regulations requires preferred shareholders to âcover the expenses of management, preservation and operation of common areas, services and assets in the amount corresponding to the preferred shares in accordance with the Rental Pool Agreement and all other agreements herewith attached and subscribed to for the [sic] purpose.â Contract at 8.
âą Article 9(b) of the Regulations obligates preferred shareholders to âcover, in proportion to their number of shares, the expenses incurred for expansion, reconstruction or improvement of common areas, or for acquisition of assets and common equipment when authorized in accordance by [sic] the By-Laws or a resolution adopted by a majority vote of the preferred shareholders.â Id. at 9.
âą Article 10(b) of the Regulations requires preferred shareholders to âpay any admission, special and/or maintenance fees established by the Board of Directors.â Id. at 9.
âą Article 13 of the Regulations states that, for the purposes of Article 10, âcommon expensesâ include â[l]ocal taxes and municipal charges which may affect the company, the owner- âą ship of the [Resort] and any other compulsory chargeâ; and expenses âincurred for maintenance and preservation of services, real property and common equipment.â Id. at 10.
âą Section F of the PSCFS, entitled âInsurance & All General Expenses,â provides that the Resortâs insurance â policy, âlike all operating expenses as described herein these contracts and Annexes herewith attached, are and will be paid annually through the income of the rental pool, and if those funds are not sufficient from the âpoolâ to cover said policy and expenses, then the Shareholder/Condo Apartment Owner will be billed their proportional amount according to their total ownership of preferred shares.â Id. at 14.
For the most part, these excerpts do not, as Defendants claim, create indisputable clarity concerning the Contract. Indeed, in some ways, they increase the amount of ambiguity here. Each excerpt is taken in turn below.
First, one plausible reading of Article 9(a) might suggest that one or more of the disputed categories are covered by the Contract. Specifically, a broad reading of
Article 9(b) does clearly appear to cover the disputed category of capital costs, which Plaintiffs define as âthe payment of money to acquire, construct or improve fixed, tangible assets including but not limited to land, buildings, construction and equipment.â Pis.â Interrog. Resps. ¶17. This language is similar to Article 9(b), which requires preferred shareholders to cover âthe expenses incurred for expansion, reconstruction or improvement of common areas, or for acquisition of assets and common equipment.â Accepting Plaintiffsâ own definition of capital costs, the only reasonable reading of Article 9(b) includes a requirement to pay those capital costs. However, Article 9(b) qualifies its requirement by stating that the expenses must be âauthorized in accordance by the By-Laws or a resolution adopted by a majority vote of the preferred shareholders.â Contract at 9. The parties do not discuss whether the specific capital costs in dispute were properly authorized. Accordingly, genuine issues of material fact remain concerning the category of capital costs.
Article 10(b), which requires preferred shareholders to âpay any admission, special and/or maintenance fees established by the Board of Directors,â id. at 9, is ambiguous. In particular, the word âspecialâ is inherently unclear. Defendants contend that the Board could simply classify PDVs mortgage payments as a âspecialâ fee and charge it to the preferred shareholders. Defs.â Mem. Law at 10. Even assuming that argument is true under one plausible reading of Article 10(b), Defendants haveâagainânot explained why it is the only plausible reading, particularly in light of the broad implications of their argument. Indeed, because âspecialâ appears in the same list of fees as admission fees and maintenance fees,
At a broad level, Article 13 is simply confusing, and may be the result of a drafting error. It begins: âFor purposes of Article 10, the following are some of the common expenses.â Contract at 10. It then goes on to list a number of different types of expenses. But Article 10âwhich Article 13 is apparently intended to illuminateâ makes no mention of âcommon expenses.â
Finally, Section F of the PSCFS simply clarifies that âall operating expenses as described herein these contractsâ are to be paid by deducting them from the rental pool income. Contract at 14. This section provides no additional clarity concerning which operating expenses are âdescribed herein these contracts.â If the Contract does not contemplate a particular operating expense, it appearsâor at least, it is reasonable to conclude thatâthat expense is not relevant to Section F, and vice versa.
In short, the contractâby and largeâ remains ambiguous.
To summarize, Defendants appear to concede that the plain language of the RPA does not support its interpretation. At best, then, for Defendants, either them interpretation is the only reasonable oneâ an argument that requires the demonstration of disputed factsâor the Contract is ambiguous. And because contractual ambiguities are also to be resolved by triers of fact, the Court will deny the motion for summary judgment as to Plaintiffsâ claims for breach of contract.
B. Piercing the Corporate Veil
As a general rule, members of a limited liability company or shareholders of corporations are ânot personally liable to perform corporate obligations.â Kaplan v. First Options of Chicago, Inc., 19 F.3d 1503, 1520-21 (3d Cir. 1994). But in some rare instances, courts will disregard that rule by âpiercing the corporate veil,â which is âan equitable remedy whereby a court disregards âthe existence of a corporation to make the corporationâs individual principals and their personal assets liable for the debts of the corporation.â â In re Blatstein, 192 F.3d 88, 100 (3d Cir. 1999) (quoting In re Schuster, 132 B.R. 604, 607 (Bankr. D. Minn. 1991)). A court should pierce the corporate veil only when âthe corporation was an artifice and a sham to execute illegitimate purposes and [an] abuse of the corporate fiction and immunity that it carries.â Kaplan, 19 F.3d at 1521 (alteration in original) (quoting Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. v. Intersteel, Inc., 758 F.Supp. 1054, 1058 (W.D. Pa. 1990)).
The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil encompasses several different theories. Here, Plaintiffs apparently seek to pierce the corporate veil through
In determining whether to pierce the corporate veil, courts are instructed to consider, among other things, whether: (1) the company is undercapitalized; (2) there has been a failure to observe corporate formalities; (3) the company is not paying dividends; (4) the dominant shareholder has siphoned funds from the company; (5) other officers or directors are not functioning; (6) there is an absence of corporate records; and (7) âthe corporation is merely a facade for the operations of the dominant stockholder or stockholders.â Id. (quoting United States v. Pisani, 646 F.2d 83, 88 (3d Cir. 1981)).
Here, Plaintiffs allege that âDefendant Callan used co-Defendants PDV, Hawk Management, HWC, and HOF extensively and interchangeably in his fraudulent dealings with Plaintiffs.â Pis.â Mem. Law at 21. Defendants, in their motion for summary judgment, argue that Plaintiffs have âpresented scant evidenceâ in support of this
Defendants are correct. Though Plaintiffs have put forth evidence showing that all Defendants were connected in various ways, they have not demonstrated that PDV is a âsham used to disguiseâ the misdeeds of Callan and/or the Hawk Defendants. Kaplan, 19 F.3d at 1521.
Plaintiffs point to four of the relevant factors. Pis.â Mem. Law at 28-30. First, they argue that PDV was undercapi-talized, as evidenced by its failure to pay income distributions, as well as its need to take out a mortgage on the property and to receive advanced funding from HOF in order to complete construction of the hotel. But these facts are insufficient to support veil-piercing: PDVâs failure to pay income distributions is evidence not of undercapi-talization, but of underperformance, and it is patently absurd to suggest that the need to borrow moneyâespecially at the beginning of a projectâproves, on its own, that a company is undercapitalized. Indeed, that conclusion would, presumably, expose nearly every company to the possibility of veil-piercing. Moreover, Plaintiff has failed to present âany evidence ... as to the level of capital required for a corporation of [PDVs] size to conductâ its business. Trs. of Natâl Elevator Indus. Pension, Health Benefit & Educ. Funds v. Lutyk, 332 F.3d 188, 197 (3d Cir. 2003). Accordingly, the record contains no basis upon which a reasonable finder of fact could conclude that PDVs initial capitalization was not âsufficient for that corporate undertaking under normal operating conditions.â Id.
Second, Plaintiffs argue that PDV failed to observe corporate formalities, as evidenced by:
a) Callanâs attempts to place investors into PDV and HOF as an investment vehicle; b) the significant overlap in ownership among PDV, HOF, HWC, and Hawk Management; c) the entities[â] operation out of the exact same address; d) the instructions of PDV for investors to send their funds to HOF; e) PDVs instructions to return subscription forms for PDV to Hawk Management; f) the dominant control exerted by HOF over PDV; g) Hawk Managementâs role as general partner of and sole investment adviser to HOF with exclusive discretion to manage and invest its assets; and h) HWCâs role as general partner of Hawk Management and ownership thereof along with its only two limited partners, Callan and [Scott] Williams.
Pis.â Mem. Law at 28-29. These assertions are, by and large, entirely irrelevant to the question of whether PDV observed corporate formalities. Rather, they form the basis of a general argument that the entities (and Callan) were impermissibly intertwined. Plaintiffs do not attempt to refute Defendantsâ contentions that PDV adhered to âformalities such as conducting board and shareholder meetings, maintaining insurance, filing tax returns, electing officers, titling assets in the corporate name, keeping books and records, and producing audited financial statements.â Defs.â Mem. Law at 19.
Third, Plaintiffs argue that there âis significant evidence of intermingling of funds among the entities.â Pis.â Mem. Law at 29. Apparently, Plaintiffs intend this allegation to relate to Pennsylvaniaâs rule that âsubstantial intermingling of corporate and personal affairsâ may, in part, justify piercing the corporate veil. Lumax Indus., Inc. v. Aultman, 543 Pa. 38, 669 A.2d 893, 895 (1995) (quoting Kaites v. Dept. of Envtl. Res., 108 Pa.Cmwlth. 267,-529 A.2d 1148, 1151 (1987)). In support of this claim, Plaintiffs cite to several trans
Fourth, Plaintiffs contend that âPDV was clearly used by Gallan and the other Defendants to perpetuate a fraud.â Pis.â Mem. Law at 29. Specifically, they say, â[t]here is substantial evidence to support a finding that the co-Defendants defrauded Plaintiffs into converting their preferred shares into worthless common shares. There is also ample evidence to support a finding that PDVâs co-Defendants actively worked to deny Plaintiffs their rightful distributions under the rental pool agreements.â Id. at 29-30. Plaintiffs do not cite to any of this evidenceâor, in fact, to anything at all, in support of this argument. Broad assertions without any specific evidence whatsoever are insufficient to support a claim at summary judgment. See Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (â[I]n the face of [a] defendantâs properly supported motion for summary judgment, the plaintiff [cannot] rest on his allegations ... to get to a jury without âany significant probative evidence tending to support the complaint.â â (quoting First Natâl Bank of Arizona v. Cities Serv. Co., 391 U.S. 253, 290, 88 S.Ct. 1575, 20 L.Ed.2d 569 (1968))).
Finally, Plaintiffs also generally contend that Callan, PDV, and the relevant Hawk entities have a fatal âdegree of commonality of ownership and function.â Pis.â Mem. Law at 22. Plaintiffs point specifically to the facts that HOF owns a majority of outstanding PDV common stock, and that Callan is PDVâs President and Director while also a principal of HOF, owner of Hawk Management, and member of HWC. Id. But these relationships do not justify piercing the corporate veil. âControl through the ownership of shares does not fuse the corporations, even when the directors are common to each.â United States v. Bestfoods, 524 U.S. 51, 69, 118 S.Ct. 1876, 141 L.Ed.2d 43 (1998) (quoting Kingston Dry Dock Co. v. Lake Champlain Transp. Co., 31 F.2d 265, 267 (2d Cir. 1929)). Moreover, even where âdual officers and directors ma[k]e policy decisions and supervise[ ] activitiesâ at the other company, liability does not exist unless a party can present facts showing that, âdespite the general presumption to the contrary, the officers and directors were acting in their capacities asâ officers and directors for the wrong company âwhen they committed those acts.â Id. at 69-70, 118 S.Ct. 1876. If no such evidence exists, the âgeneral presumptionâ holds: âdirectors and officers holding positions with a parent and its subsidiary can and do âchange hatsâ to represent the two corporations separately, despite their common ownership.â Id. at 69, 118 S.Ct. 1876 (quoting Lusk v. Foxmeyer Health Corp., 129 F.3d 773, 779 (5th Cir. 1997)). Plaintiffs repeatedly suggest that common ownership itself is evidence of PDVâs corporate unity with the Hawk Defendants. It is not.
Plaintiffs do provide a few instances that, Plaintiffs believe, demonstrate that PDV was, in effect, a single entity with the Hawk Defendants. For example, a portion of the Kreibichsâ investment in PDV was paid to HOF, and Callan suggested that the Kreibichs could âparticipate in [the
To summarize, Plaintiffs have failed to offer evidence from which a reasonable jury could conclude that PDV and Defendants, âin all aspects of the[ir] businesses, ... actually functioned as a single entity and should be treated as such.â Pearson v. Component Tech. Corp., 247 F.3d 471, 485 (3d Cir. 2001). Nor have they demonstrated that PDV might be merely âan artifice and a sham to execute illegitimate purposes and [an] abuse of the corporate fiction and immunity that it carries.â Kaplan, 19 F.3d at 1521 (alteration in original) (quoting Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp., 758 F.Supp. at 1058). Accordingly, the Court will grant judgment to Defendants on Plaintiffsâ claims of piercing the corporate veil.
C. Fraud
Next, Defendants argue that they are entitled to summary judgment on the Kreibichsâ fraud claims. Two fraud-based counts remain: Count 5 (fraud/misrepresentation) and Count 8 (fraud in the inducement). In both claims,, the Kreibichs allege that Defendants committed fraud in their efforts to convince the Kreibichs to convert their preferred shares to common stock. Defendants argue that (1) these claims are barred by the statute of limitations and (2) Defendants did not, as a matter of law, commit fraud.
The parties agree that a two-year statute of limitations applies to these claims. Defs.â Mem. Law at 24; Pis.â Mem. Law at 31. Defendants argue that the time period began to run no later than July 2011, when the conversion of the stock was completed. Defs.â Mem. Law at 24. If Defendants are correct, Plaintiffsâ claimsâfiled in September 2014âwere more than a year too late. Plaintiffs, on the other hand, assert the discovery rule again: they argue that the two-year period did not begin to run until May 2014, when they learned in a phone call with Callan what their PDV shares were then worth. Pis.â Mem. Law at 31.
Again, the discovery rule âtolls the accrual of the statute of limitations when a plaintiff is unable, âdespite the exercise of due diligence, to know of the injury or its cause.ââ Mest, 449 F.3d at 510 (quoting Pocono Intâl Raceway, Inc., 468 A.2d at 471). The rule âfocuses not on âthe plaintiffs actual knowledge, but rather on whether the knowledge was known, or through the exercise of diligence, knowable toâ the plaintiff.â Mest, 449 F.3d at 511 (quoting Bohus, 950 F.2d at 925). In order to demonstrate that he exercised such âreasonable diligence,â a plaintiff must show âthat he pursued the cause of his injury with those qualities of attention, knowledge, intelligence and judgment which society requires of its members for the protection of their own interests and the interests of others.â Id. (quoting Cochran, 666 A.2d at 249).
As with Plaintiffsâ breach of contract claims, the question whether the Kreibichs exercised reasonable diligence in discovering their alleged injuries is a question properly reserved for the jury. See id. at 512. Accordingly, the statute of limitations does not provide a basis for entering judg
Defendants also briefly argue that they are entitled to judgment on the fraud claims because, in the Preferred Shareholders Letter at issue, âthere was no representations [sic] made falsely, with knowledge of its falsity or recklessness as to whether it is true or false or made with the intent of misleading another into relying on it.â Defs.â Mem. Law at 25. Curiously, Defendants raise this argument in only five sentences, one of which is a citation. They do not even set forth the legal standards governing fraud/misrepresentation or fraud in the inducement. Nor do they undergo any meaningful analysis of the issues at stake, including the specific portions of the Letter that Plaintiffs claim were fraudulent. Accordingly, the Court will deny Defendantsâ motion for summary judgment as to the Kreibichsâ claims of fraud.
D. Tortious Interference
Finally, Defendants argue that they are entitled to summary judgment on Plaintiffsâ tortious interference claims against Callan and the Hawk Defendants. In those claims, Plaintiffs allege that Cal-lan and the Hawk Defendants caused âPDV to withhold contractually obligated net income distributions from preferred shareholders.â Kreibich First Am. Compl. ¶214. Lieberman further contends that these Defendants deprived him of his use and enjoyment in his Unit, Lieberman Second Am. Compl. ¶267, and the Kreibichs further claim that these Defendants interfered with the Contract by convincing the Kreibichs to convert them stock, Kreibich First Am. Compl. ¶ 215.
In order to prove tortious interference under Pennsylvania law, Plaintiffs must establish:
(1) the existence of a contractual, or prospective contractual relation between the complainant and a third party; (2) purposeful action on the part of the defendant, specifically intended to harm the existing relation, or to prevent a prospective relation from occurring; (3) the absence of privilege or justification on the part of the defendant; and (4) the occasioning of actual legal damage as a result of the defendantâs conduct.
CGB Occupational Therapy, Inc. v. RHA Health Servs. Inc., 357 F.3d 375, 384 (3d Cir. 2004) (quoting Crivelli v. Gen. Motors Corp., 215 F.3d 386, 394 (3d Cir. 2000)). Defendants contend that Plaintiffs have not presented evidence of the second elementâthat is, that they have not demonstrated a purposeful action on the part of Callan and/or the Hawk Defendants. Indeed, Defendants say, Plaintiffs offer no relevant facts, but make only âconclusory statements that [Defendants] are all alter egos of each other.â Defs.â Mem. Law at 25-26.
In response, Plaintiffs offer only two allegedly relevant facts (both of which relate only to the Kreibichs, not to Lieberman). First, they say that Callan âpurposefully induced [the Kreibichs] to convert their preferred shares of PDV into common shares so as to deprive them of their distribution rights from the rental pool, as well as to deprive them of rights to their Unit.â Pis.â Mem. Law at 34. But, as discussed above, the law presumes that Cal-lan was acting on behalf of PDV, not himself or the Hawk Defendants, when he took those actions. See Bestfoods, 524 U.S. at 67-70, 118 S.Ct. 1876. Plaintiffs have not offered any evidence that overcomes that presumption. Second, Plaintiffs say that Callan ârepeatedly, albeit unsuccessfully, attempted to have Plaintiffs convert their PDV common shares into shares of Defendant HOF.â Pis.â Mem. Law at 34. But Plaintiffs do not explain how, if Callanâs efforts were unsuccessful, they suffered âactual legal damageâ as a result of these
Defendants correctly identify that Plaintiffs have offered no specific facts demonstrating action with the intent to interfere on the part of Callan or any of the Hawk Defendants.
IY. MOTION TO APPOINT RECEIVER
Plaintiffsâand non-party Richard Trout, who is currently suing PDV in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas
âThe appointment of a receiver is an equitable remedy ... available at the discretion of the court.â Mintzer v. Arthur L. Wright & Co., 263 F.2d 823, 824 (3d Cir. 1959). There is no precise formula for determining whether a receiver should be appointed, but the parties agree that the Court should consider the following factors:
(1) the probability of the plaintiffs success in the action;
(2) the possibility of irreparable injury to the plaintiffs interests in the property;
(3) the inadequacy of the security to satisfy the debt;
(4) the probability that fraudulent conduct has occurred or will occur to frustrate the plaintiffs claim;
(5) the financial position of the debtor;
(6) the imminent danger of the property being lost, concealed, injured, diminished in value, or squandered;
(7) the inadequacy of available legal remedies;
(8) the lack of a less drastic equitable remedy; and
(9) the likelihood that appointing a receiver will do more harm than good.
Comerica Bank v. State Petroleum Distribs., Inc., No. 08-678, 2008 WL 2550553, at *4 (M.D. Pa. June 2, 2008).
Considered in sum, these factors weigh against appointing a receiver.
Plaintiffs argue that the first factorâthe probability of their successâweighs in their favor because the remaining claims survived Defendantsâ motions to dismiss. Pis.â Mem. Law at 20-21. However, all that means is that they stated claims upon which relief could be granted; surviving a motion to dismiss does not necessarily mean that the claim is likely to succeed. Indeed, if survival of a motion to dismiss was all that was required to demonstrate a probability of success, this factor would be virtually meaningless.
As to the second factor, Plaintiffs contend that their interests in PDV may be irreparably injured because only a receiver could âcapture the full storyâ of PDVâs finances. Id. at 21-22. This argument is not responsive to the second factor, however,
The parties agree that the third factorâ the adequacy of the securityâis irrelevant here. Id. at 22; Defs.â Mem, Law at 10.
Regarding the fourth factorâthe probability of fraudâPlaintiffs say that âPDV has continuously and systematically fraudulently withheld distribution payments to preferred shareholders.â Pis.â Mem. Law at 23. But that is the basis of Plaintiffsâ breach of contract claim, not a fraud claimâPlaintiffs have not even brought claims of fraud with respect to this conduct. And certainly, not all claims for breach of contract involve fraudulent actions. Accordingly, Plaintiffs have not shown that there is a probability of fraud.
The parties agree that the fifth factorâ the financial position of the debtor'âis not relevant here. Id. at 24; Defs.â Mem. Law at 10.
The sixth factor is whether there is an imminent danger of property being lost, concealed, injured, diminished in value, or squandered. Plaintiffs argue that the financial and accounting books and records of PDV may be in imminent danger because PDV has previously failed to provide timely financial statements. Pis.â Mem. Law at 24-25. But Plaintiffs do not claim that any of the requested financial statements remain missing; indeed, they managed to make detailed and specific calculationsâbased oh the financial statementsâ in responding to the motion for summary judgment, Nor have Plaintiffs pointed to any reasons to believe that Defendants are likely to destroy documents, or that the money to which Plaintiffs believe they are entitled is likely to go missing.
As to the seventh factorâthe inadequacy of available legal remediesâPlaintiffs argue that receivership is the sole adequate legal remedy because they seek a receiver for the limited purpose of reviewing PDVs financial information. Id. at 25. But Plaintiffs fail to explain why a receiver is even necessary, much less the sole legal remedy, when the damages they seek are already defined. That is, Plaintiffs have determinedâbased on PDVâs financial statementsâhow much money to which they are entitled under their interpretation of the contract. It is not a mystery to be revealed at some future date through financial statements that remain missing. And, critically, if their interpretation of the contract is wrongâwhich is yet to be determinedâthey are not entitled to that money anyway.
The eighth factor is whether another equitable remedy is available to movants. As it seems there are no such remedies, this factor may weigh in favor of Plaintiffs. But, as discussed above, Plaintiffs have not persuasively explained why any equitable remedy is necessary in the first place.
Similarly, the ninth and final factorâ whether a receiver would do more harm than goodâalso does not help Plaintiffs much. That is, they have not demonstrated that a receiver would even do good in the first place, under the circumstances of this case.
Considering all of these factors, Plaintiffs have failed to show that they are entitled to the appointment of a financial receiver. Accordingly, the Court will deny this motion.
V. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court will: (1) deny Defendantsâ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; (2) grant Defendantsâ Motion for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiffsâ claims of piercing the corporate veil and tortious interference with contract, but deny the remainder of the
. The Court consolidated these cases for pretrial purposes. Defendants then filed a single motion for summary judgment, addressing both cases, in Kreibich. Citations to either docket are marked accordingly.
. Jampol and Haynes are not parties here.
. The first complaint also named as a defendant CorporaciĂłn Experienca Unica, S.A., which was not named as a defendant in the amended complaints.
. The Second Amended Complaint added David Callan as a defendant.
. Both cases were filed as actions in diversity, Lieberman Second Am. Compl. ¶ 23; Krei-bich First Am. Compl. ¶ 21. Defendants challenged the Courtâs personal jurisdiction over PDV at the motion to dismiss stage, Kreibich ECF No. 11, butâwith one exception, as discussed belowâhave not raised jurisdictional issues since then.
. Plaintiffs also filed, with respect to this motion, a motion for leave to file a reply brief, Lieberman No. 49, which the Court will grant.
. Defendants also filed, with respect to this motion, a motion for leave to file a reply brief, Lieberman ECF No. 60, which the Court will grant.
. Defendants also filed, with respect to this motion, a motion for leave to file a reply brief, Kreibich ECF No. 37, which the Court will grant. Plaintiffs then filed motions for leave to file sur-replies, Kreibich ECF Nos. 38, 39, which the Court will also grant.
. Though this motion for judgment on the pleadings comes unusually late in the litigation, no trial date has yet been scheduled in this case, and thus the trial has not been delayed by the filing of this motion. Moreover, "[cjhallenges to subject-matter jurisdiction can of course be raised at any time prior to final judgment.â Grupo Dataflux v. Atlas
. Specifically, Defendants do not move for summary judgment on Liebermanâs claims of conversion, private nuisance, or promissory estoppel. They also do not move for summary judgment as to portions of Plaintiffsâ breach of contract claims.
. ''[A] federal court must apply the substantive laws of its forum state in diversity actions, and these include state statutes of limitations.â Stephens v. Clash, 796 F.3d 281, 289 (3d Cir. 2015) (alteration in original) (quoting Lafferty v. St. Riel, 495 F.3d 72, 76 (3d Cir. 2007)).
. They also mention November 29, 2005; November 29, 2006; and November 29, 2007, Defs.â Mem. Law at 13, but those dates are irrelevant because âPlaintiffs are not seeking rental pool distributions forâ those fiscal years. Pis.â Mem. Law at 17 n.6, Kreibich ECF No. 35.
. Cited page numbers for any portion of the Contract refer to the page numbers imposed by ECF.
. For these purposes, at least, Defendants appear to accept Plaintiffsâ definitions of these terms. Defs.â Mem. Law at 8 n.6. Plaintiffs define "debt serviceâ as "the payment of interest on borrowed moneyâ; "depreciation expenseâ as "a non-cash accounting method of allocating the cost of a tangible asset over its useful lifeâ; and "capital costsâ as "the payment of money to acquire, construct or improve fixed, tangible assets including but not limited to land, buildings, construction and equipment.â Pis.â Interrog. Resps. ¶¶ 15-17.
.For example, the Kreibichs converted their preferred shares to common shares at some point ĂĄnd thus are presumably ineligible for rental pool distributions originating after that conversion took effect (a date which is in dispute).
. See Commonwealth ex rel. Kane v. UPMC, 129 A.3d 441, 463-64 (Pa. 2015) ("[T]he entire contract should be read as a whole ... to give effect to its true purpose.â (ellipsis in original) (quoting Pritchard v. Wick, 406 Pa. 598, 178 A.2d 725, 727 (1962))).
. Elsewhere, for example, the Contract clarifies that there is an annual "established maintenance fee of [$]70.Q0 per share owned, per year,â which is "to cover the costs of any general maintenance, alterations, additions, improvements of the ground and installations, minor repairs, and external paint of the apartment,â Contract at 14. This fee is to "be deducted from net profits derived per the Rental pool agreement.â Id.
. Article 10 does contain the clause requiring preferred shareholders to "pay any admission, special and/or maintenance fees established by the Board of Directors.â Contract at 9. It is conceivable that these fees might be the Article 13 "common expenses.â But Defendant has not argued as much, or explained why that would be the only reasonable reading of these two articlesâespecially considering the fact that not all of the expenses listed in Article 13 would be set by the Board of Directors,
. The only exception is the question of capital costs, as discussed above, which must also survive summary judgment due to general issues of material fact.
. Plaintiffsâ intentions are not particularly clear; indeed, they actually conflate several meanings of "alter ego liability.â In their complaints, they style this claim as "Alter Ego Liability/Piercing the Corporate Veil,â and cite a case about piercing the corporate veil in support of their description of the alter ego theory. Lieberman Second Am. Compl. ¶ 203; Kreibich First Am. Compl. ¶ 152. It thus appears from the complaints that they intend to pierce the corporate veil under a theory of alter ego liability. But in their response to the motion for summary judgmentâwhich itself confuses the issue as wellâthey assume that alter ego liability and piercing the corporate veil are two "separate[ ]" theories of liability. Pis.â Mem. Law at 27. Indeed, they even cite two different legal standards for alter ego liability and piercing the corporate veil. Id. at 21, 28.
However, the âalter ego liabilityâ to which Plaintiffs refer and cite in that response is alter ego liability for the purposes of jurisdiction. That is, "a court may exercise personal jurisdiction, consistent with the Constitution, over a corporate entity that is the alter ego of a party over which jurisdiction is proper.â Atl. Pier Assocs., LLC v. Boardakan Rest. Partners L.P., No. 08-4564, 2010 WL 3069607, at *3 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 2, 2010) (citing Simeone ex rel. Estate of Albert Francis Si-meone, Jr. v. Bombardier-Rotax GmbH, 360 F.Supp.2d 665, 675 (E.D. Pa. 2005)). As a result, courts have developed a number of factors that bear on whether entities are alter egos for the purposes of jurisdictionâand Plaintiffs cite to cases explaining tĂrese factors. See Renner v. Roundo AB, No. 08-209, 2010 WL 3906242, at *5 (W.D. Pa. Sept. 29, 2010); Atl. Pier Assocs., 2010 WL 3069607, at *3; Oeschle v. Pro-Tech Power, Inc., No. 03-6875, 2006 WL 680908, at *4 (E.D. Pa. Mar. 15, 2006); Gammino v. Verizon Commc'ns, Inc., No. 03-5579, 2005 WL 3560799, at *4 (E.D. Pa. Dec. 27, 2005); In re Latex Gloves Prods. Liab. Litig., No. MDL 1148, 2001 WL 964105, at *3-4 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 22, 2001). But what Plaintiff does not acknowledge is that these cases all specifically address the question of jurisdiction, and no moreâthis particular use for alter ego liability ends when jurisdiction is or is not found to exist.
Though Defendants challenged personal jurisdiction at the motion to dismiss stage, they are not challenging personal jurisdiction in their motion for summary judgment. Accordingly, the type of alter ego liability addressed by Plaintiffs is no longer relevant. Rather, the relevant standard now is alter ego liability for the purposes of piercing the corporate veil.
. Plaintiffs also reference a number of transfers between HOF and HWC, and between HOF and Callan, but do not explain how those transfers, which did not involve PDV, are relevant when the question is whether to pierce PDVâs corporate veil.
. As an aside, this claim appears to conflict with Plaintiffs' insistence that all of the Defendants are alter egos of each other. That is, if Callan or the Hawk Defendants are actually alter egos of PDVâand thus, one entity for legal purposesâthere presumably could be no "third partyâ here and thus no possibility of tortious interference.
At any rate, because the Court is granting judgment as to alter ego liability, the Court need not wade into this particular thicket.
. A motion for summary judgment is pending in that case.