Angell v. Montague Farms, Inc. (In re Tanglewood Farms, Inc.)

515 B.R. 218
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedAugust 4, 2014
DocketCASE NUMBER: 10-06719-8-RDD; ADVERSARY PROCEEDING NUMBER: 12-00202-8-RDD
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 515 B.R. 218 (Angell v. Montague Farms, Inc. (In re Tanglewood Farms, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Angell v. Montague Farms, Inc. (In re Tanglewood Farms, Inc.), 515 B.R. 218 (N.C. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

Randy D. Doub, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Pending before the Court is the Plaintiffs Motion and Memorandum of Law in Support of Summary Judgment filed by the Chapter 7 Trustee (the “Trustee”) on January 7, 2014, the Response in Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion and Memorandum of Law in Support of Summary Judgment filed by Montague Farms, Inc. (“Montague”) on January 30, 2014, and the Supplemental Response in Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion and Memorandum of Law in Support of Summary Judgment filed by Montague on July 11, 2014. The Court conducted a hearing in Greenville, North Carolina on July 21, 2014, to consider these matters.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On August 20, 2012, the Trustee filed the complaint (the “Original Complaint”) initiating this adversary proceeding seeking to recover two transfers from Tangle-wood Farms, Inc., of Elizabeth City (the “Debtor”): (i) a 2008 transfer in the amount of $170,183.20 (the “November 2008 Payment”) to Montague; and (ii) a 2009 transfer in the amount of $80,076.40 (the “November 2009 Payment”) to Montague as constructively fraudulent transfers pursuant to § § 544, 548, 550 and 551 of the Bankruptcy Code and the North Carolina Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, N.C. Gen.Stat. § 39-23.1 et seq. Montague filed a motion to dismiss the Original Complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. On April 15, 2013, after a hearing on the motion to dismiss, the Honorable J. Rich Leonard entered an order denying in part and allowing in part the motion to dismiss. Judge Leonard found that the Trustee met the pleading requirements with respect to the November 2009 Pay[220]*220ment. With respect to the November 2008 Payment, Judge Leonard found that the allegations contained in the complaint were insufficient to plead insolvency. In his order, Judge Leonard did not address the Trustee’s request for leave to amend the complaint. The Trustee renewed his request for leave to amend the complaint and on October 28, 2013, the Honorable A. Thomas Small entered an order granting the Trustee’s motion for leave to amend the complaint finding that the proposed amendments were not clearly insufficient or frivolous on their face as to render the amendments futile. On October 24, 2018, the Trustee filed an amended complaint (the “Amended Complaint”) against Montague. Montague filed its motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint and its answer to the Amended Complaint on November 12, 2013.

On January 7, 2014, the Trustee filed a motion for summary judgment asserting no genuine issue of material fact exists that preclude avoidance and recovery of the transfers from Montague in the amount of $250,259.60. On that same date, Montague filed a motion for summary judgment asserting no genuine issue of material fact exists that preclude judgment from being entered in its favor. On January 28, 2014, the Trustee filed a response to Montague’s motion for summary judgment. On January 30, 2014, Montague filed its response to the Trustee’s motion for summary judgment.

On April 2, 2014, the Court conducted a hearing to consider Montague’s motion for summary judgment, Montague’s motion to dismiss, and the Trustee’s response thereto. On May 23, 2014, the Court entered the Order denying Montague’s motion for summary judgment1 and finding that there was a genuine issue of material fact with respect to whether the Debtor received less than a reasonably equivalent value for the transfers at issue, and as to insolvency. In addition, the Court noted that it was not clear from the evidence whether the “Seed Order Form” referenced in the contracts at issue, identified the Debtor as a responsible party to the transaction and this lack of clarity created a genuine issue of material fact. The Court conducted a hearing to consider the Trustee’s pending motion for summary judgment on July 21, 2014. At the hearing, the Trustee and counsel for Montague represented that although Montague commonly utilizes “Seed Order Forms” and both contracts refer to a “Seed Order Form,” this document never existed with respect to the 2008 and 2009 contracts.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS2

On August 20, 2010, the Debtor filed a petition for relief under chapter 11 of the [221]*221Bankruptcy Code. On July 12, 2011, the Debtor’s case was converted to one under chapter 7 and the Trustee was appointed. The Debtor, a granary facility in Pasquo-tank County, North Carolina, was operated by its president and sole shareholder, James Howard Winslow (“Mr. Winslow”). In that capacity, Mr. Winslow oversaw the Debtor’s purchase, sale and storage of corn, wheat and soybeans (collectively “grain”) and facilitated grain exchange between the Debtor, Winslow Farms3, grain suppliers, and purchasers. The Debtor purchased grain from Winslow Farms and stored grain Winslow Farms sold to third parties at its granary facility. Mr. Win-slow and his wife, Billie Reid Winslow (collectively the “Winslows”), filed a joint voluntary petition for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on August 23, 20104.

The Debtor’s schedules and statement of financial affairs, filed on September 3, 2010, reveal that the Debtor had total liabilities of $38,290,562.04 compared to total assets of $2,954,363.65 on the petition date. Its statement of financial affairs, however, lists gross income of $20,470,302.00 in 2008, $3,000,000.00 in 2009 and $2,410,440.82 from January to August 2010.

Montague is a specialty soybean grower, organized and existing under the laws of the State of Virginia. Montague sells high quality soybeans for use and consumption worldwide (“Proprietary Soybeans”). In order to grow Proprietary Soybeans in the amount and quality required by its customers, Montague sells proprietary soybean seeds to individuals or entities to grow. Montague then repurchases the Proprietary Soybeans from the individual or entity that purchased the proprietary soybean seeds.

Montague and the Debtor began doing business together around 1993 and since that time have annually entered into production contracts. In 2008 and 2009, Montague entered into two such written production contracts with Mr. Winslow to grow proprietary soybean seeds and then sell the Proprietary Soybeans back to Montague. Montague drafted both contracts. Both contracts refer to Mr. Win-slow as the “Grower.” The 2008 contract was signed by Mr. Winslow and Montague’s vice president, O. Bryan Taliaferro, on behalf of “MF.” The 2008 contract sets forth Mr. Winslow’s obligation to purchase the proprietary soybean seeds and states “[s]eed is to be purchased after the date of this Agreement from [Montague] or its authorized Dealer. Terms of purchase shall be specified on ‘Seed Order Form.’ Seed purchased from Dealer to be picked up at Dealer’s warehouse”. The 2009 contract was signed by Mr. Winslow and John Thomson on behalf of “Montague Farms, Inc.” The 2009 contract provides “[s]eed is to be purchased after the date of this contract given below from MFI. Terms of purchase shall be as described on the ‘Seed Order Form.’ MFI agrees to deliver such seed at a time and to location reasonably specified by Grower.” Both contracts provide that “Grower agrees to plant all seed obtained under this contract and to prevent transfer of such soybeans or seed to another party without consent of Mon[222]*222tague.” Although both contracts refer to “Seed Order Form”, this document never existed with respect to the 2008 and 2009 contracts.

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Bluebook (online)
515 B.R. 218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/angell-v-montague-farms-inc-in-re-tanglewood-farms-inc-nceb-2014.