Judy L. Forster, Patrick Lacy, and Bruce Hirschfeld appeal the denial of their motion to initiate a supplementary proceeding against their former employer, Nations Funding Source, Inc., its successor entity, Nations Group USA, Inc. (collectively “Nations Group”), and its owner, Sookrani Narain. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 69; Fla. Stat. § 56.29. Forster, Lacy, and Hirschfeld obtained a default judgment against Nations Group and Narain for
We review de novo questions of law, including issues involving subject-matter jurisdiction. Nat’l Mar. Servs., Inc. v. Straub,
Under Florida law, a party “is entitled to ... proceedings supplementary to еxecution” if he “file[s] a motion and an affidavit” that (1) states he holds an unsatisfied judgment or judgment lien; (2) identifies the issuing court and case number; (3) states the unsatisfied amount of the judgment; and (4) confirms that execution is valid and outstanding. Fla. Stat. § 56.29(1). The trial court has authority “to order any property of the judgment debtor, not exempt from execution, in the hands of any person, ... to be applied toward the satisfаction of the judgment debt.” Id. § 56.29(5). The trial court can “enter any order or judgment, including a money judgment against any =... transferee,” id., or “any impleaded defendant irrespective of whether [he] has retained the property,” id. § 56.29(9). If the party satisfies the statutory requirements and alleges that the judgment debtor has transferred property “to delay, hinder, or defraud creditors,” id. § 56.29(6)(b), “[n]o other showing is necessary in order to implead the third party,” NTS Fort Lauderdale Office Joint Venture v. Serchay,
The district court erred by denying the former employees’ motion to initiate proceedings supplementary and to implead Narain. The former employees were entitled to prosecute the supplementary proceeding after filing their motion and supporting affidavits alleging that they had an unsatisfied judgment against Nations Group; they had been thwаrted in obtaining post-judgment discovery because Na-rain refused to complete fact information sheets, see Fla. R. Civ. P. Form 1.977, or to appear at a deposition duces tecum; and Narain had dеpleted the companies’ two bank accounts to prevent execution of the judgment. See Fla. Stat. § 56.29(5), (6)(b), (9). The motion did not opеrate to “circumvent the sanction” against the former employees because they did not seek to relitigate whether Nаrain violated the Age Discrimination Act. The former employees sought, as they are permitted to do in proceedings supрlementary, “to ferret out what assets [Nations Group] may have or what property ... others may be holding for [it], or may have reсeived from [it] to defeat the collection of the lien or claim, that might be subject to the execution.” Young v. McKenzie,
The district court also must determine whether it has subject matter jurisdiction to entertain the former employees’ complaint that Narain is individually liable for using Nations Group as an alter ego. Under Florida law, the owner of a corрoration may be held liable for its actions if the plaintiff proves (1) the owner dominated and controlled the corporаtion to such an extent that the owner was an alter ego of the corporation; (2) the corporate form was used fraudulently or for an improper purpose; and (3) the fraudulent or improper use of the corporate form injured the plаintiff. Molinos Valle Del Cibao v. Lama-Seliman,
We VACATE the order denying the former employees’ motion. We REMAND for the district court to commence supplementary proceedings and to implead Na-rain in executing the unsatisfied judgment against Nations Group and for the district court to dеtermine if it has jurisdiction to entertain the former employees’ complaint that Narain is liable under the alter ego doctrine.
VACATED AND REMANDED.
