Bank of New York v. University Partners, Ltd.

719 F. Supp. 1479, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10041, 1989 WL 98956
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Arkansas
DecidedAugust 3, 1989
DocketCiv. No. 87-5113
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 719 F. Supp. 1479 (Bank of New York v. University Partners, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bank of New York v. University Partners, Ltd., 719 F. Supp. 1479, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10041, 1989 WL 98956 (W.D. Ark. 1989).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

H. FRANKLIN WATERS, Chief Judge.

I. Introduction

Pending before the court are various motions and cross-motions for summary judgment filed by the respective parties. Ultimately at issue is the right of the plaintiff, the Bank of New York (hereafter BONY) to judgment on a note, trust indenture, and loan agreement executed by defendants, University Partners, Ltd. (formerly University Hilton Partners, Ltd.) (hereafter University Partners), Sumner and Greener (a Texas general partnership), and Charles W. Greener and Alan R. Sumner, individually [1480]*1480(hereinafter referred to collectively as Obligors).

The note and debt of the Obligors is secured by a lien on certain real and personal property constituting the Fayetteville Hilton Hotel. The trust indenture is a mortgage and lien on the Fayetteville Hilton. BONY seeks to foreclose on the Fayetteville Hilton pursuant to the terms of the trust indenture.

Defendant, Sunbelt Service Corporation, a Texas corporation (hereafter Sunbelt) and Edward Peterson, trustee, claim an interest in the Fayetteville Hilton pursuant to a deed of trust and a correction deed of trust filed subsequent to the trust indenture in favor of BONY.

Sunbelt disputes BONY’s right to foreclose on the property and attacks the validity, priority and superiority of BONY’s lien.

II. Facts

The following synopsis of the factual background is taken from the statements of uncontested facts filed by the parties, and the voluminous documentary evidence submitted in support of and in opposition to the various pending motions.

On November 13, 1979, the Board of Directors and Mayor of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, passed Resolution No. 110-79, authorizing the execution of a Memorandum of Intent involving the City of Fayetteville and Sumner and Greener, proposing that a hotel be acquired, constructed and equipped for the purpose of developing tourism and economic growth in Fayetteville and adjacent areas.

On April 15, 1980, the Board and Mayor of Fayetteville enacted Ordinance No. 2627, authorizing the issuance of $9,850,000 of “Tourism Revenue Bonds.” Ordinance No. 2627 was amended by Ordinance 2770 on November 3, 1981, to provide for the issuance of Tourism Revenue Bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $10,000,000 amending the rate of interest on the bonds to a rate “not to exceed the maximum rate permitted by applicable law at the time of issuance.”

On February 24, 1982, University Partners executed and delivered a promissory note in the principal amount of $10,000,000 payable to the order of BONY. The note provides, inter alia:

(i) Interest Rate. Interest shall be paid at a rate per annum (based on a 360-day year, based on actual days elapsed), equal to 70% of the Prime Rate. “Prime Rate” as used herein shall mean that rate of interest which The Bank of New York announces from time to time at its principal domestic office as its prime rate. The Prime Rate shall change when and as the prime rate of The Bank of New York changes. In no event shall the rate payable on this Note ever be less than 9% per annum or more than 17% per annum.
(ii) Payment Amount and Dates, (a) Interest shall be payable in monthly installments, the first installment shall be payable April 15, 1982, and subsequent installments shall be payable on the same day of each succeeding month until this note is paid in full____

The note was executed by University partners in connection with the issuance of $10,000,000 in bonds by the City of Fayetteville. The interest and payment provisions of the bonds are identical to the terms of the note. Each bond provides:

This Bond is one of an issue of Bonds in the principal amount of $10,000,000 (the “Bonds”) issued pursuant to the hereinafter described Act and to a Trust Indenture duly executed and delivered by the Issuer, Greener and Sumner Architects, Inc., a Texas corporation (the “Corporation”), Alan W. Sumner (“Sumner”), Charles R. Greener (“Greener”), Sumner & Greener, a Texas general partnership (the “General Partnership”), and the Borrower (identified below) to the Trustee and The Bank of New York, in its corporate capacity and not as Trustee (the “Bank”) (the “Indenture”) for the purpose of providing funds to refinance the cost of acquiring, equipment and constructing a certain site and building located thereon together with certain other property in connection therewith constituting tourism facilities (the “Project”) and paying expenses incidental thereto, [1481]*1481to the end that the Issuer may be able to promote the economic and general welfare within the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas____

As indicated, the bonds and the note are secured by the aforementioned Trust Indenture encumbering the Fayetteville Hilton. The Trust Indenture was filed for record on March 2, 1982. The loan agreement is dated January 1, 1982. The note is dated February 24, 1982.

The proceeds from the sale of the bonds were loaned to the Obligors under the note, Trust Indenture, and loan agreement as part of the financing for the construction of the Fayetteville Hilton. A Deed of Trust encumbering the property in favor of Sunbelt was filed for record on November 1, 1984, and a Correction Deed of Trust was filed on November 4, 1985. The Deed of Trust evidenced an agreement between University Partners and Sunbelt as part of University Partners’ overall financing package.

Proceeds of the bonds in the amount of $9,709,557 were applied on March 4, 1982, to an interim construction loan issued by BONY. After application of the bond proceeds, in addition to the bond obligation of $9,709,557 there remained owing on the construction loan the sum of $283,925 plus construction interest of $692,904.

BONY initiated this foreclosure action on September 3, 1987, claiming a prior and superior lien on the Fayetteville Hilton. In the amended answer of Sunbelt and Peterson, these parties alleged that the bond issue was invalid, and therefore that BONY’s mortgage was also not valid, making Sunbelt the superior lien holder. Additionally, Sunbelt alleged that the BONY debt was usurious, that the statute of limitations prevents BONY from maintaining an action against the Obligors, and that, as a result Sunbelt and Peterson may pursue any of their remedies unimpeded by any claim of BONY.

BONY subsequently filed a motion for Summary judgment and Sunbelt timely responded and filed a cross-motion for summary judgment. The issues have been fully briefed by the parties and the court is prepared to dispose of these motions.

III. Discussion

The first issues that must be addressed is whether Sunbelt and Peterson have standing to challenge the validity of the bonds and whether the validity of the bonds is relevant to the validity of the Obligors debt to BONY.

(a) Standing.

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Bluebook (online)
719 F. Supp. 1479, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10041, 1989 WL 98956, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bank-of-new-york-v-university-partners-ltd-arwd-1989.