American Properties, Inc. v. Topeka Bank & Trust (In Re American Properties, Inc.)

8 B.R. 68, 1980 Bankr. LEXIS 3981
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Kansas
DecidedDecember 8, 1980
Docket19-20055
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 8 B.R. 68 (American Properties, Inc. v. Topeka Bank & Trust (In Re American Properties, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Properties, Inc. v. Topeka Bank & Trust (In Re American Properties, Inc.), 8 B.R. 68, 1980 Bankr. LEXIS 3981 (Kan. 1980).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

JAMES A. PUSATERI, Bankruptcy Judge.

The above numbered adversary proceedings have been joined for the purpose of this decision as they are interdependent, a decision in one necessarily affects a decision in the other.

Adversary number 80-0141 was initiated on September 10, 1980 by the debtor in possession (debtor) requesting release of insurance proceeds held by the Topeka Bank and Trust of Topeka, Kansas (TBT). The funds are a portion of an insurance settlement paid as a result of fire damage to the debtor’s Topeka office and warehouse facility. That premise is mortgaged to TBT and three other banks, University State Bank of Lawrence, Kansas (USB), First National Bank and Trust Company of Kearney, Nebraska (FNB) and First Westroads Bank of Omaha, Nebraska (FWB).

Adversary number 80-0142 was initiated on September 11, 1980 by those four banks seeking relief from the stay imposed by 11 U.S.C. § 362 in order to foreclose or in the alternative adequate protection pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 361.

The primary issue is whether the debtor is to retain the premises and if so, under what conditions. Secondary issues involve release of the insurance proceeds to the debtor, marshalling as requested by FNB as it affects TBT, estoppel and waiver as it may apply to TBT concerning the fire insurance proceeds and voidable preference between the debtor and FNB.

The issues were formulated at a hearing before the Court on September 22, 1980. The parties have submitted legal memoran-da, the last of which was received by the Court on November 3, 1980.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The real property which is purported to be the collateral of the four banks is owned and occupied by the debtor and is an office and warehouse facility located in Topeka, Kansas. The facility is currently in use by the debtor and the debtor intends to repair and use the premises in its reorganized business.

TBT possesses a first mortgage on the real property dated December 14, 1972. The original note to TBT was in the amount of $120,000 payable in 120 monthly payments of $1,003.80 bearing interest at 8%. The balance on the note is $104,806. TBT holds $37,046.72 in proceeds from the fire loss in a non-interest bearing account with the debtor called “fire loss reserve account.” The account had a beginning balance on May 22,1979 of $52,686.11. Since that time the account has been drawn down to its present balance by payments to Coleman American Moving Service, Shrake Electric, College Hill Plumbing, Ray Anderson, J. Bausch, City of Topeka and Mel Ralston. All of these draws against the account were for improvements to the real property necessitated by the fire damage or for removal of debris caused by the fire. Should the debtor rebuild the damaged portion of the office/warehouse facility, an additional $19,000 in insurance proceeds would be available from the insurance carrier.

The USB possesses a mortgage, junior to TBT, dated January 17, 1978. The original note to USB was in the amount of $90,000 payable at $5,000 per month with the balance due January 17, 1979 bearing interest at 10%. The balance apparently due on the note is $44,815.10.

*70 The FNB possesses a mortgage, junior to USB, dated December 18, 1979. The notes to FNB were in the respective amounts of $126,155.82 bearing interest at 7% and $85,-349.81 bearing interest at 10%. The balance due on the notes is $212,435.80. Prior to December 18, 1979 FNB did business with the debtor Coleman Moving Services, Inc. That debtor was indebted to FNB for all but $75,000 of the current debt to FNB. On or about December 18, 1979 American Properties, a sister entity to Coleman Moving Services, Inc., received from FNB $75,-000 plus cash or its equivalent in the exact amount of the existing debt of Coleman Moving Services, Inc. to FNB. As security for the loan FNB received for the first time a mortgage on the Topeka realty. American Properties utilized the $75,000 in the company’s business and placed the remaining funds in the Coleman Moving Services, Inc. account in order to make good that company’s previously issued checks to FNB in payment of the original debt to FNB. The debtor states that FNB was fully aware of the entire transaction including the fact that only $75,000 in new cash was accruing to American Properties’ benefit with the remainder actually going to Coleman Moving Services, Inc. for retirement of its debt to FNB. FNB denies precise knowledge of what the debtor did with the money which FNB claims was loaned strictly to American Properties. In any event, the debtor stated through the testimony of James Coleman that at the time of the transaction with FNB its assets at going concern value probably exceeded its debts.

The FWB apparently possessed a mortgage junior to FNB with a balance of $102,-000 owed. Though the complaint herein was filed on September 11, 1980, the final date for filing claims was September 9, 1980 and FWB’s claim, filed on September 8,1980 does not claim a real property mortgage. FWB in a separate proceeding has announced it makes no claim against the real property but only against corporate receivables.

Real property taxes payable to the office of the Shawnee County Treasurer are due and unpaid for the following years: 1977— $1,265.28; 1978 — $2,574.41 and 1979 — $2,-478.46. These unpaid taxes constitute a lien on the premises in question.

A mechanics lien in the amount of $4,281 was filed against the property in July, 1980. This lien is a result of apparent non-payment for work completed on the fire damaged portion of the premises. The fire which destroyed portions of the premises occurred in January of 1979.

TBT produced an appraisal concluding that the value of the premise was $275,000 and that the proper valuation basis was the income approach. The same appraisal shows value by the market approach to be $285,000 and by the cost approach $300,000. The debtor introduced an appraisal from the file of FNB utilizing market approach and valuing the premise at $390,000 assuming replacement of the burned areas in workmanlike manner with quality products. The appraisal broke out the land as having the value $72,500 and the building and improvements having the value of $317,500. TBT’s appraiser recited a $74,800 value for the land. The debtor, through its president, stated the value of the property to be $300,-000 in its present condition and $400,000 repaired. The debtor indicated that its scheduled properties were valued at distress sale values which the debtor indicated were 60% of actual value. The value in debtor’s schedules for this property is $180,000.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

On the date of the Chapter 11 filing the real property was encumbered by a number of mortgages and by real property taxes. Subsequent to the Chapter 11 filing, a mechanics lien was filed and now creates an additional lien on the property. This type of lien is ordinarily subservient to the existing mortgages and for the purpose of this discussion will be so considered. The mechanics lien claimant is not a party to this proceeding and thus nothing herein should preclude that claimant’s right to litigate its claim at a later date.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
8 B.R. 68, 1980 Bankr. LEXIS 3981, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-properties-inc-v-topeka-bank-trust-in-re-american-ksb-1980.