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CARROLS CORPORATION, Respondent, v. CANDY CANDY, INC., f/k/a Specialty Retail Concepts, Inc., Appellant.
Supreme Court properly granted the motion of plaintiff for summary judgment on its cause of action for contractual indemnification. We reject defendant's contention that the indemnification cause of action was discharged in bankruptcy. Although plaintiff failed to file a proof of claim in Bankruptcy Court after defendant filed for reorganization pursuant to chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (11 USC), the “discharge of a debt of the debtor does not affect the liability of any other entity on, or the property of any other entity for, such debt” (11 USC § 524[e] ). Because plaintiff sought “to proceed against a discharged debtor only for the purpose of recovering against [defendant's insurer],” the indemnification cause of action is not barred by the discharge injunction of the Bankruptcy Code (Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co. v. Morse Shoe Co., 218 A.D.2d 624, 625, 630 N.Y.S.2d 1003, citing Matter of Edgeworth, 993 F.2d 51, 54, n. 6 [5th Cir.] and Green v. Welsh, 956 F.2d 30 [2d Cir.] ).
We further conclude that this action is not barred by res judicata. Although plaintiff asserted a cross claim for contractual indemnification against defendant in a prior action, that claim was not submitted to the jury or ruled upon by the court (see, Savage v. Specialty Retail Concepts [appeal No. 6], 179 A.D.2d 1059, 580 N.Y.S.2d 675). The judgment in this action does not destroy or impair rights or interests established by the judgment in the prior action (see, Schuykill Fuel Corp. v. B. & C. Nieberg Realty Corp., 250 N.Y. 304, 306-307, 165 N.E. 456). Because the court properly granted summary judgment to plaintiff on the first cause of action, we need not reach defendant's remaining contention that the second cause of action is untimely.
Order unanimously affirmed without costs.
MEMORANDUM:
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Decided: July 03, 1997
Court: Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, New York.
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