800 Bourbon Street, LLC v. Bay Bridge Building Ltd. (In re 800 Bourbon Street)

557 B.R. 489
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedSeptember 7, 2016
DocketCASE NO. 14-12770; ADVERSARY NO. 15-1052
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 557 B.R. 489 (800 Bourbon Street, LLC v. Bay Bridge Building Ltd. (In re 800 Bourbon Street)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
800 Bourbon Street, LLC v. Bay Bridge Building Ltd. (In re 800 Bourbon Street), 557 B.R. 489 (La. 2016).

Opinion

REASONS FOR DECISION

Hon. Elizabeth W. Magner, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

The Motion to Reconsider and Amend Judgment (“Motion to Reconsider”) filed by 800 Bourbon Street, L.L.C. (“800 Bourbon”) came up for hearing on March 4, 2016.1 Following the hearing, the record remained open for the limited purpose of allowing the parties to submit transcript excerpts of the continued 2004 Examination of Johnny Chisholm as well as the subpoena response by Julian MacQueen to the Didriksen Law Firm dated September 23, 2014. The parties also requested and were granted a period within which to submit supplemental briefs. All additional evidence and briefing were submitted by April 29, 2016, after which the Court took the matter under advisement.

I. Findings of Fact

On June 11, 2008, 800 Bourbon Street filed a Voluntary Petition for Relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (“2008 [493]*493Bankruptcy”).2 Bay Bridge Building Limited Company, LLC (“Bay Bridge”) filed a secured claim in the amount of $1,360,571.00 (“2008 claim”) in 800 Bourbon’s case.3 The Court confirmed 800 Bourbon’s Plan of Reorganization in 2009 (“2009 Plan”). The 2009 Plan provides the following treatment for Bay Bridge’s 2008 claim:

Guarantor, John L. Chisholm, Jr., and Chisholm Properties Circuit Events, LLC,4 assume full payment of all obligations of the Debtor to this Class Claimant, ...
To the extent this Class Claimant has an allowed secured claim, the Collateral Mortgage, Collateral Mortgage Note, Hand Note, and/or auxiliary Promissory Notes, properly paraphed, shall remain as collateral security, but “in rem” only. Amended collateral security documents and notes will be prepared, executed and recorded in the Parish of Orleans if requested by this Class Claimant. ...5

No objection was filed to Bay Bridge’s 2008 Claim, and the 2008 Bankruptcy was closed on August 17, 2011.

On October 15, 2014, 800 Bourbon filed a second Voluntary Petition for Relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.6 This time Bay Bridge was listed as an unsecured creditor with the amount of its claim as $0.00. 800 Bourbon did not request that the Court enter an Order setting a deadline to file proofs of claim pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 3003.7

800 Bourbon and Louisiana Interests, Inc. (“La. Interests”)8 filed a Joint Disclosure Statement and Plan of Reorganization proposing an en globo sale by court auction of substantially all their assets. The auction was scheduled for the date of the confirmation hearing. The Court approved the Disclosure Statement for the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization (“Disclosure Statement”)9 on June 17, 2015.10 Also on June 17, 2015, the Court granted the Motion for Sale of Property Free and Clear of Liens which provided procedures for the Court conducted auction.11

On July 15, 2015, Bay Bridge filed Proof of Claim no. 5 in 800 Bourbon’s bankruptcy case. Bay Bridge claimed a debt of $1,979,886.47 secured by the building located at 800 Bourbon Street. Bay Bridge’s claim is evidenced by four (4) promissory notes signed by Johnny Chisholm on behalf of 800 Bourbon (“Notes”). Bay Bridge also holds a collateral mortgage note dated April 21, 2005, secured by a collateral mortgage (“Mortgage”) on the property located at 800 Bourbon Street. The Mortgage was signed by Johnny Chisholm and Doyle Yeager. The same Notes and Mort[494]*494gage formed the basis for Bay Bridge’s proof of claim in the 2008 Bankruptcy.

On July 21, 2015, 800 Bourbon filed the instant adversary proceeding objecting to Bay Bridge’s proof of claim.

On July 22, 2015, and directly prior to the confirmation hearing, the Court held an auction of substantially all of the assets of 800 Bourbon and La. Interests, including Bay Bridge’s collateral. The prevailing bid for $8,175,000.00 was approved by an Order entered on August 3, 2015.12 On that same date, the Court confirmed the Second Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan (“Plan”).13 By. agreement among Bay Bridge, 800 Bourbon, and La. Interests, the Order approving the sale and the Confirmation Order provided for the release of Bay Bridge’s lien on 800 Bourbon’s property and the escrow of $1,649,000 of sale proceeds subject to Bay Bridge’s lien. The escrow was to be held until further order of the Court.

The Original Complaint filed by 800 Bourbon against Bay Bridge included two (2) claims for relief: 1) Bay Bridge’s lien should be avoided pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 544; and 2) Bay Bridge’s claim was unenforceable against 800 Bourbon because of the 2009 Plan.14 800 Bourbon reserved the right to amend the Complaint to assert other causes of action.

800 Bourbon subsequently filed an Amended Complaint asserting two (2) additional causes of action : 1) Bay Bridge’s lien should be avoided due to untimely . reinscription; and 2) the attorney’s fees claimed by Bay Bridge were unsubstantiated and excessive.15 Again, 800 Bourbon reserved its right to further amend its Complaint. Bay Bridge subsequently waived its claim for attorney’s fees, so that claim became moot. An Answer was filed by Bay Bridge on August 21, 2015.16 800 Bourbon has not requested further amendment of the Complaint.

Pursuant to Local Rule 7016-1, once all answers have been filed in an adversary proceeding, the Court schedules a pretrial conference for the purpose of setting deadlines for discovery; the filing and consideration of dispositive motions; and a trial date. On September 1, 2015, 800 Bourbon filed a Motion for Summary Judgment (“MSJ”).17 The, MSJ asserted that Bay Bridge’s lien was avoidable, as a matter of law, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 544. 800 Bourbon prayed: “that summary judgment be entered in [its favor] avoiding any liens purportedly held by Bay Bridge, disallowing its claim, and for such other and further legal and equitable relief to which [it] may be justly entitled.”18

Bay Bridge opposed the MSJ and filed a Cross Motion for Summary Judgment (“Cross Motion”).19 Bay Bridge sought judgment, as a matter of law, that it “had a valid, perfected lien on the property at 800 Bourbon Street on the filing date, and ... on the proceeds of the sale.”20 Bay Bridge further prayed that 800 Bourbon’s Complaint be “dismissed, and the funds escrowed for Bay Bridge’s claim released.”21

[495]*495800 Bourbon and Bay Bridge noticed the respective MSJ and Cross Motion for hearing on September 29, 2015, a motion day.22 However, Section IV of the “Section A Procedures” posted on the Court’s website provides that motions for summary judgment are not to be heard on motion day. Instead, a party moving for summary judgment is to immediately contact the Court for a special setting.

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Bluebook (online)
557 B.R. 489, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/800-bourbon-street-llc-v-bay-bridge-building-ltd-in-re-800-bourbon-laeb-2016.