Barnes v. Alrac Corp.

550 F.2d 1314, 12 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 172, 1977 U.S. App. LEXIS 14459, 3 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 105
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedMarch 3, 1977
DocketNo. 62, Docket 76-5014
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 550 F.2d 1314 (Barnes v. Alrac Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barnes v. Alrac Corp., 550 F.2d 1314, 12 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 172, 1977 U.S. App. LEXIS 14459, 3 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 105 (2d Cir. 1977).

Opinion

ROBERT P. ANDERSON, Circuit Judge:

On August 12, 1974, Carl and Sarah Barnes filed an involuntary petition in bankruptcy against Alrac Corporation, and on August 20, 1974, Alrac filed its petition under Chapter XI, § 321 of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C. § 721. Carl Barnes, a creditor and major stockholder of Alrac, objected to the proposed Chapter XI arrangement and moved to have the proceedings transferred to Chapter X. On December 30, 1974, the bankruptcy court denied Barnes’ motion; and on the following day, the bankruptcy court confirmed the arrangement proposed by Alrac under Chapter XI. Barnes appealed both orders to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut which affirmed the orders of the bankruptcy court in an opinion dated February 9, 1976. Judgment was entered accordingly on February 20th. Barnes appeals from that decision. We affirm.

Barnes originally owned the patents on an improved type of nylon, called Nylon-4; and he was instrumental in organizing the Alrac Corporation in 1968 to develop a manufacturing process to exploit them. He was president and also a director of the corporation.

The critical problem which plagued the enterprise from the beginning was a shortage of working capital. As expedients it first merged with a publicly held corporation, Radiation Research Corp., but this did not afford a sufficient transfusion to accomplish the purpose. The merged company, under the name of Alrac, sold 3 million in debentures, then over a half a million in long term notes and over a million in short term notes. These measures, however, proved inadequate and Alrac then sought out a major corporation to take over Alrac Corporation. Ultimately acquisition terms were offered by Chevron Research Corporation which was very interested in the development of the Nylon-4 patents. Barnes, however, was in strong disagreement with the terms of the offer and, as the controlling interest favored it, Barnes resigned as a director in June of 1974 and the next month he was removed as president. After Barnes filed the involuntary petition in [1317]*1317bankruptcy against Alrac, the terms of the acquisition agreement were worked out between Alrac and Chevron. One of its provisions was that Alrac would petition for an arrangement under Chapter XI. The remaining principal items, in brief, were interim funding of Alrac by Chevron during the Chapter XI proceedings; the transfer of substantially all of Alrac’s rights in the Nylon-4 patents in return for minimum1 annual royalty payments of $500,000, 1977 through 1990;2 at closing Chevron was to pay $450,000; and a transfer from Alrac to Chevron of the rights to the development and marketing of Nylon-4 products.

The bankruptcy court, Seidman, Judge, granted permission to Alrac to enter into the agreement with Chevron. This enabled Alrac to to submit its proposed Chapter XI arrangement to the creditors with reasonable assurance that the suggested payment schedules could be met. The plan of arrangement divided the general creditors into the following classes:

Class I All persons or companies having supplied merchandise or services and who had claims up to $20,000.3
Class II All persons or companies having supplied merchandise or services and who had claims in excess of $20,000 and/or were holders of short term notes and/or were holders of senior notes.4
Class III All persons or companies having subordinated convertible debentures.5

The arrangement provided for full payment to Class I creditors with claims up to $100 and payments of $100 or 15%, whichever was greater, on claims in excess of $100. Class II and Class III creditors were to receive full payment of the principal amount of their debts with interest computed to August 20, 1974. The Class II debts were to be paid in installments over seven years according to a schedule annexed to the plan, which also provided that each Class II creditor was to receive a pro rata share of 750,000 shares of Alrac common stock to be issued. Class III creditors were to participate, pro rata, in another block of 750,000 shares of Alrac common to be issued in installments extending over eleven years.

On December 20, 1974, an adjourned meeting of creditors was held in the bankruptcy court for the purpose of determining whether a majority in number and amount of each class of creditors had accepted the plan as required by § 362 of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C.A. § 762. Class II creditors accepted the plan by a large majority, and Class III members unanimously approved. The computation of acceptances of these groups is not disputed on this appeal. Barnes contends, however, that the bankruptcy court erred in concluding that a majority in number and amount of Class I creditors had accepted the plan. At the December 20th hearing, Alrac presented its computation of acceptances by Class I creditors. The original computation showed that their claims totalled $93,335.09 and that creditors holding claims amounting to $67,-192.37, which constituted a majority in number, had voted in favor of the plan. The bankruptcy court viewed the computation and, when Barnes objected that he had had no time to examine the claims and acceptances, the court granted a recess and gave Barnes as much time as he needed to review the relevant documents. In lieu of a recess, counsel for Barnes attempted to secure a ruling that objections to the eompu-[1318]*1318tation could be preserved pending an opportunity to examine the claims and acceptances in detail. The bankruptcy court, however, informed him that he would either have to accept Alrac’s computation or take advantage of the recess to examine the documents and raise any objections when the hearing resumed.

Following the recess, counsel for all parties agreed that there were slight discrepancies in the Class I computation but these did not change the outcome. An amended computation, reflecting the changes necessary to eliminate the errors contained in the original calculation of acceptances, was filed with the court. This showed that the total amount of Class I claims equalled $88,-156.73 and that thirty out of forty-three creditors with aggregate claims of $62,-014.01 had accepted the plan. The bankruptcy court closed the creditors’ meeting with a finding that a majority in number and amount of creditors had accepted the plan. In its December 31, 1974 order confirming the plan of arrangement, the bankruptcy court reaffirmed this finding and concluded that the arrangement was both in the best interests of the creditors and feasible.

Barnes raised no objections to the amended computation on December 20th, but, in effect, seeks to do so now on this appeal by a highly technical argument of issues not raised or considered below, and based upon evidentiary material not presented at the trial. This he cannot do. Hormel v. Helvering, 312 U.S. 552, 556, 61 S.Ct. 719, 85 L.Ed. 1037 (1941); List v. Fashion Park, Inc., 340 F.2d 457, 461 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 382 U.S. 811, 86 S.Ct. 23, 15 L.Ed.2d 60 (1965).

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433 F. Supp. 994 (S.D. New York, 1977)
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Bluebook (online)
550 F.2d 1314, 12 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 172, 1977 U.S. App. LEXIS 14459, 3 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barnes-v-alrac-corp-ca2-1977.