--- name: fraudulent-conveyance-complaint title: Fraudulent Conveyance Complaint description: 'Drafts a U.S. fraudulent conveyance complaint to avoid and recover debtor asset transfers under UFTA, UVTA, or state equivalents. Covers actual fraud (UVTA § 4(a)(1)), constructive fraud theories, badges of fraud, provisional remedies, and full prayer for relief. Use when a creditor needs to challenge a transfer made to hinder, delay, or defraud creditors, including bankruptcy adversary proceedings. Triggers: fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, voidable transaction, badges of fraud, asset concealment, debtor insolvency, UFTA, UVTA, avoidance action.' author: CaseMark author_url: https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/fraudulent-conveyance-complaint license: Apache-2.0 version: 0.1.0 execution_mode: open jurisdiction: us practice: litigation language: en --- # Fraudulent Conveyance Complaint Drafts a litigation-ready complaint to avoid a debtor's fraudulent asset transfer and recover value for creditors under UFTA, UVTA, or state equivalents. ## Quick Start Gather from the user: 1. **Creditor's claim** — nature of debt, date incurred, amount, judgment status 2. **Transfer details** — asset description (legal description if real property), date, transferee, stated vs. actual consideration 3. **Debtor financial condition** — insolvency evidence (balance sheet, cash-flow, or unreasonably small capital) 4. **Badges of fraud** — insider relationship, retention of control, concealment, timing, consideration adequacy 5. **Jurisdiction** — governing statute (UFTA, UVTA, or state-specific); federal vs. state court; bankruptcy adversary proceeding Then produce the complaint following the workflow below. ## Core Workflow ### 1. Caption ``` [COURT NAME] [DISTRICT/COUNTY] [PLAINTIFF], Plaintiff, v. [DEBTOR-TRANSFEROR] and [TRANSFEREE], Defendants. Case No. [________] COMPLAINT FOR FRAUDULENT CONVEYANCE ``` Apply FRCP 10 (federal) or local rules (state). ### 2. Parties | Party | Required Allegations | |---|---| | Plaintiff-creditor | Legal name, entity type, standing basis, nature and amount of debt | | Debtor-transferor | Identity, entity type, insider status if applicable | | Transferee | Identity, consideration paid, knowledge of debtor's intent | | Subsequent transferees | Downstream recipients; good-faith purchaser status if asserted | ### 3. Jurisdiction & Venue | Basis | Requirements | |---|---| | Federal diversity | 28 U.S.C. § 1332 — citizenship of each party, amount > $75,000 | | Federal bankruptcy | 28 U.S.C. §§ 157, 1334 — adversary proceeding under FRBP 7001 | | State court | Jurisdictional statute + amount-in-controversy threshold | | Personal jurisdiction | Residence, principal place of business, property situs, or where transfer executed | | Venue | Defendant's residence, where cause arose, or where property located | ### 4. Factual Allegations Plead in numbered paragraphs, chronologically: 1. Origin, nature, and amount of claim; date debt incurred; judgment status 2. Whether claim is pre-transfer or post-transfer (determines available theories) 3. Debtor's financial condition at time of transfer — plead all that apply: - Liabilities exceeded assets at fair valuation (balance sheet insolvency) - Unable to pay debts as due (cash-flow insolvency) - Transfer left debtor with unreasonably small capital 4. Transfer description: asset, date, transferee, stated consideration, fair market value 5. Badges of fraud: | Badge | Allegation | |---|---| | Insider transfer | Relationship: family member, officer, affiliate, controlled entity | | Retention of control | Debtor continued to use, possess, or control asset post-transfer | | Concealment | Transfer not recorded, disclosed, or reported to creditors | | Substantially all assets | Scope of asset depletion relative to debtor's total estate | | Inadequate consideration | FMV vs. consideration actually received | | Timing | Transfer occurred [X days] before/after debt incurred or suit filed | | Prior pattern | History of transfers or asset-shifting | 6. Transferee's actual or constructive knowledge of debtor's fraudulent intent (if applicable) ### 5. Causes of Action **Count I — Actual Fraudulent Transfer** - UVTA § 4(a)(1) [VERIFY state codification] - Elements: (1) transfer by debtor; (2) actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud any creditor - Incorporate badges of fraud and direct evidence of intent - Available to present and future creditors **Count II — Constructive Fraud (Insolvency)** - UVTA § 4(a)(2) [VERIFY state codification] - Elements: (1) transfer without reasonably equivalent value; (2) debtor insolvent at time or became insolvent as result - Plead in the alternative to Count I **Count III — Constructive Fraud (Insider Antecedent Debt)** *(if applicable)* - UVTA § 5(b) [VERIFY state codification] - Elements: (1) transfer to insider; (2) for antecedent debt; (3) debtor insolvent; (4) insider had reasonable cause to believe debtor insolvent **Additional claims** *(as applicable)*: conspiracy to defraud creditors, aiding and abetting, successor liability, lis pendens (real property — file with complaint) ### 6. Prayer for Relief ``` - [ ] Avoidance of the transfer to extent necessary to satisfy plaintiff's claim - [ ] Recovery of transferred property or its value from transferee - [ ] Money judgment against debtor for underlying debt (if not already obtained) - [ ] Money judgment against transferee to extent of asset value received - [ ] Attachment, garnishment, or receiver to preserve assets pending judgment - [ ] Preliminary injunction against further dissipation (if imminent risk) - [ ] Pre- and post-judgment interest at statutory rate - [ ] Costs of suit - [ ] Attorney's fees (if permitted by statute — verify jurisdiction) - [ ] Such other relief as the court deems just and proper ``` ### 7. Signature Block & Verification - Attorney: name, bar number, firm, address, phone, email; FRCP 11 or state-equivalent certification - **Verification**: many jurisdictions require verification for fraudulent conveyance complaints, especially when seeking provisional remedies — confirm local rules; some require notarization, others accept unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury ## Pitfalls - **UFTA vs. UVTA** — Most states adopted UVTA (2014) but effective dates vary. [VERIFY] current state codification before citing section numbers. - **Statute of limitations** — UVTA § 9: 4 years from transfer (actual fraud); 4 years or 1 year after discovery, whichever is later (constructive fraud). [VERIFY state equivalent.] - **Bankruptcy intersection** — 11 U.S.C. § 548 reaches transfers within 2 years of petition; trustee may also invoke state UFTA/UVTA via § 544(b) for longer state limitations periods. - **Good-faith defense** — Transferee who took for value and in good faith may retain the transfer. Plead facts negating good faith where known; affects remedy (avoidance vs. money judgment). - **Reasonably equivalent value** — Distinct from fair market value; courts apply totality-of-circumstances. Inadequate price alone is not constructive fraud without insolvency. - **Provisional remedies** — If dissipation risk is imminent, prepare TRO/preliminary injunction for concurrent filing; allege irreparable harm and likelihood of success. - **Insider definition** — UVTA § 1(8) defines insiders broadly: relatives, general partners, directors, officers, affiliates. [VERIFY state definition.]