Abbott v. Arch Wood Protection, Inc. (In re Wood Treaters, LLC)

479 B.R. 122
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedJuly 25, 2012
DocketBankruptcy No. 3:09-bk-1895-PMG; Adversary No. 3:11-ap-205-PMG
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 479 B.R. 122 (Abbott v. Arch Wood Protection, Inc. (In re Wood Treaters, LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Abbott v. Arch Wood Protection, Inc. (In re Wood Treaters, LLC), 479 B.R. 122 (Fla. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER ON (1) PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, AND (2) DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

PAUL M. GLENN, Bankruptcy Judge.

THIS CASE came before the Court for hearing to consider (1) the Motion for Summary Judgment Sled by the Plaintiff, Doreen Abbott, as Chapter 7 Trustee, and also to consider (2) the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the Defendant, Arch Wood Protection, Inc.

On March 16, 2009, Wood Treaters, LLC, filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. While the Debtor operated as a Chapter 11 Debtor in Possession, it used its secured creditors’ cash collateral to purchase certain goods from the Defendant. After the purchases were made, the case was converted to a case under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code.

In this adversary proceeding, the Chapter 7 Trustee seeks to avoid and recover the payments made by the Debtor to the Defendant as unauthorized, postpetition transfers of cash collateral pursuant to § 549 of the Bankruptcy Code. According to the Trustee, the transfers were not authorized because they were made without the lienholder’s consent, and in violation of certain Cash Collateral Orders that had been entered in the Chapter 11 case.

The Motions for Summary Judgment filed by the Trustee and the Defendant should be denied. First, as a jurisdictional matter, the Trustee must establish that the estate suffered an injury that is re-dressable by a judgment in her favor. In this case, summary judgment is not appropriate because issues of fact exist regarding whether the estate was diminished as a result of the Debtor’s transfers to the Defendant.

Additionally, in order to prevail under § 549, the Trustee must show that the [124]*124transfers were not authorized either by the Bankruptcy Code or by the Court. In this case, summary judgment is not appropriate because issues of fact exist regarding (1) whether the Debtor’s secured creditors had consented to the use of their cash collateral within the meaning of § 363(c)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code, and (2) whether the transfers were made at a time when the Debtor was not in compliance with the Cash Collateral Orders.

Background

The Debtor filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on March 16, 2009. The business of the Debtor involved the manufacture and sale of preserved wood products and other building supplies. On March 18, 2009, the Court entered an Order authorizing the Debtor to operate its business.

On the schedules initially filed by the Debtor, Regions Bank was listed as a secured creditor holding a “blanket lien on all assets and accounts” of the Debtor. On March 25, 2009, the Debtor filed a Motion for Authority to use the cash collateral of Regions Bank during its Chapter 11 case.

Pursuant to the Debtor’s Motion and the parties’ agreement, the Court entered three Cash Collateral Orders in this case: (1) on April 22, 2009, the Court entered a Consent Order Allowing the Use of Cash Collateral for the Period Ending May 15, 2009; (2) on May 19, 2009, the Court entered a Consent Order Allowing Interim Use of Cash Collateral for the Period Ending July 15, 2009; and (3) on August 12, 2009, the Court entered a Final Consent Order Allowing the Use of Cash Collateral. Generally, the Final Consent Order provided that the Debtor was authorized to use Regions Bank’s cash collateral subject to the conditions contained in the agreed Order. Paragraph 8 of the Final Consent Order provided:

8. On the date Debtor filed its Bankruptcy, pursuant to Debtor’s Bankruptcy Schedules, the combined value of its accounts receivables and inventory totaled $1,425,026 (hereinafter “Baseline Balance”) .... If the combined value of Debtor’s deposit accounts, Eligible Accounts and inventory (hereinafter “Combined Balance”) decreases below the Baseline Balance, Debtor shall pay Regions an additional adequate protection payment in the amount equal to the Baseline Balance less the Combined Balance of deposit accounts, Eligible Accounts and inventory (hereinafter “Additional Adequate Protection Payment”). The Additional Adequate Protection Payment shall be due within five (5) days after the Combined Balance decreases below the Baseline Balance. If the Combined Balance decreases below the Baseline Balance, Debtor shall not be authorized to use Cash Collateral until Debtor pays Regions the Additional Adequate Protection Payment.

(Doc. 56, pp. 4-5)(Emphasis supplied). Paragraph 9 of the Final Consent Order authorized the Debtor to use cash collateral “in the ordinary course of business to make disbursements in accordance with the projected monthly budget.” (Doc. 56, p. 5).

After the Final Consent Order was entered, between February of 2010 and April 14, 2010, the Debtor purchased certain products from the Defendant in three separate transactions. In connection with the transactions, the Debtor paid the Defendant the sums of $49,693.72, $49,733.97, and $49,673.60, respectively.

On April 15, 2010, Regions Bank assigned its secured claim to 2010 Angelina Capital Fund, LLC (Angelina).

Between May of 2010 and July of 2010, the Debtor purchased certain products from the Defendant in five additional [125]*125transactions. In connection with these transactions, the Debtor paid the Defendant the sums of $18.88, $49,693.72, $49,693.72, $488.05, and $48,027.64, respectively.

On July 19, 2010, Angelina filed an Emergency Motion to Terminate Use of Cash Collateral Based on Debtor’s Violation of Cash Collateral Order.

On July 26, 2010, the Court entered an Order Terminating the Debtor’s Authority to Use Cash Collateral, and the case was converted to a case under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Doreen Abbott was appointed as the Chapter 7 Trustee.

Discussion

On April 19, 2011, the Trustee commenced an adversary proceeding to avoid and recover the payments made by the Debtor to the Defendant as unauthorized postpetition transfers. The action is brought pursuant to § 549(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, which provides:

11 U.S.C. § 549. Postpetition transactions
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of this section, the trustee may avoid a transfer of property of the estate—
(1) that occurs after the commencement of the case; and
(2)(A) that is authorized only under section 303(f) or 542(c) of this title; or
(B) that is not authorized under this title or by the court.

11 U.S.C. § 549(a) (Emphasis supplied). A Chapter 11 debtor’s authorization to use cash collateral “under this title or by the court” is governed by § 363(c)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code. Section 363(c)(2) provides:

11 U.S.C. § 363. Use, sale, or lease of property
(c)(2) The trustee may not use, sell, or lease cash collateral under paragraph (1) of this subsection unless—
(A) each entity that has an interest in such cash collateral consents; or

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Bluebook (online)
479 B.R. 122, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/abbott-v-arch-wood-protection-inc-in-re-wood-treaters-llc-flmb-2012.