Berg v. TM Carlton House Partners, Ltd. (In Re TM Carlton House Partners, Ltd.)

110 B.R. 185, 22 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 972, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 241, 20 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 152, 1990 WL 10307
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 7, 1990
Docket19-10765
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 110 B.R. 185 (Berg v. TM Carlton House Partners, Ltd. (In Re TM Carlton House Partners, Ltd.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Berg v. TM Carlton House Partners, Ltd. (In Re TM Carlton House Partners, Ltd.), 110 B.R. 185, 22 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 972, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 241, 20 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 152, 1990 WL 10307 (Pa. 1990).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

DAVID A. SCHOLL, Bankruptcy Judge.

In the instant adversarial proceeding, filed on November 29, 1989, JOHN G. BERG (hereinafter “the Plaintiff”), seeks, in a pro se Complaint 1 filed pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1144, to have this court revoke for fraud its Order confirming the Plan of Reorganization of a large Chapter 11 Debtor, TM CARLTON HOUSE PARTNERS, LTD. (hereinafter “the Debtor”). On December 15, 1989, the Debtor responded by filing a Motion to Dismiss the Complaint based upon the lack of this court’s jurisdiction due to the allegedly untimely filing of the Complaint; the Plaintiff’s alleged failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because of the absence of particular averments of fraud; and the Plaintiff’s alleged lack of standing.

We conclude that the 180-day time limit set forth in § 1144 must be measured from the date of confirmation of a modified Plan on June 14, 1989, rendering the filing of the Complaint timely; that the Plaintiff appears to be within the broad category of a “party in interest” having standing to maintain this proceeding; and that the Plaintiff’s failure to aver fraud with particularity can be cured in an Amended Complaint. Therefore, the Debtor’s motion will be granted only insofar as the Plaintiff will be obliged to file an Amended Complaint.

On March 7, 1988, the Plaintiff joined two other creditors in filing an involuntary bankruptcy petition against the Debtor. Subsequently, on March 31,1988, this court entered a consensual Order for relief, and the Debtor commenced the Chapter 11 reorganization process. The history of the case, involving reorganization of a large commercial and residential building covering an entire block in center city Philadelphia, and, to some extent, the Plaintiff’s relationship to this case, is chronicled in (1) An Adjudication of December 15, 1989, denying the claim of a broker for a finder’s fee for bringing together the Plaintiff, as *187 principal of the seller, and Steven M. Mullins (hereinafter “Mullins”), as principal of the buyer, in the sale of the Debtor’s building, slip op. at 2-9; (2) An Opinion published at 93 B.R. 859, 861-62 (Bankr.E.D.Pa. 1988), resolving a dispute with a large tenant; and (3) An Opinion published at 91 B.R. 349, 351-53 (Bankr.E.D.Pa.1988), allowing the Debtor to use cash collateral in the face of opposition by a mortgagee, Skokie Federal Savings and Loan Association (hereinafter “Skokie”).

The history recited in those sources need not be reiterated. It should be noted, however, that, prior to a hearing to consider confirmation of the Debtor’s Amended Plan on May 31, 1989, the Plaintiff executed a May 1, 1989, settlement agreement with Skokie in which he sold his $5 million claim against the Debtor to Skokie for $2 million.

A court order confirming the Plan was entered on June 1, 1989. On June 8, 1989, the Debtor filed a motion to modify the confirmed Plan in several respects deemed sufficiently technical to not require the preparation of an Amended Disclosure Statement. 2 After notice and a hearing held on June 14, 1989, this court confirmed the Plan as modified and entered another Order confirming same on June 16, 1989. Appeals from the Orders of June 1, 1989, and June 16, 1989, were taken by only the Committee of the Debtor’s Equity Secured Holders, which resulted in denial of a stay pending appeal and, ultimately, withdrawal of the appeals.

On November 29, 1989, the Plaintiff filed the instant adversary proceeding. The Complaint is only three pages in length. It alleges, in somewhat generalized fashion, that the Personal Financial Statement of Mullins, a general partner of the Debtor, attached to the Debtor’s final Disclosure Statement was materially false and that the alleged fraud arising from publication of this Statement induced the Plaintiff to enter into his deal with Skokie and may have influenced other creditors to vote for the Plan. The Complaint invokes 11 U.S.C. § 1144 and requests specifically that the confirmation Order of June 1, 1989, be revoked.

Upon receipt of the Debtor’s motion, we entered an Order of December 22, 1989, directing the Plaintiff to answer the Motion by December 22, 1989, and the parties to file Briefs supporting their respective positions relevant to it on or before January 10, 1990 (the Debtor), and January 22, 1990 (the Plaintiff). We also stayed discovery, which the Plaintiff sought to expedite, pending disposition of this Motion.

The Debtor recites no Bankruptcy Rule (hereinafter “B.Rule”) or correlative Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (hereinafter “F.R.Civ.P.”) pursuant to which its motion is made. The motion does, however, contain the phrases “lack of jurisdiction” and “failure to state a cause of action upon which relief can be granted.” We therefore surmise that it is based upon B. Rule 7012(b) and F.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1) and (b)(6). The burden upon the moving party in a 12(b)(6) motion is rigorous, as we stated in In re Dinkins, 79 B.R. 253, 256-57 (Bankr.E.D.Pa.1987):

It is black-letter law that a motion to dismiss “is viewed with disfavor and is rarely granted” and that such relief is “to be granted only in the unusual case in which the plaintiff includes allegations that show on the face of the complaint that there is some insuperable bar to relief.” 5 C. WRIGHT & A. MILLER, FEDERAL PRACTICE & PROCEDURE, § 1357, at 598, 604 (1969), Put otherwise, “the court should deny a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim ‘unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.’” 2A J. MOORE, FEDERAL PRACTICE, § 12.07[2.5], at 12-65 (2d ed. 1987) (quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 101-02, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957)).

See also, e.g., McLain v. Real Estate Bd. of New Orleans, 444 U.S. 232, 246, 100 *188 S.Ct. 502, 511, 62 L.Ed.2d 441 (1980); Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 1686, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974); Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520, 92 S.Ct. 594, 595-96, 30 L.Ed.2d 652 (1972); and O’Boyle v. Jiffy Lube Int'l, Inc., 866 F.2d 88, 93 (3d Cir.1989).

With respect to the Debtor’s limitations claim, we begin by observing that “[tjhere can be no question that the time bar of 11 U.S.C. § 1144 is jurisdictional.” In re Wilson Foods Cory., 45 B.R. 776, 778 (Bankr.W.D.Okla.1985).

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110 B.R. 185, 22 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 972, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 241, 20 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 152, 1990 WL 10307, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berg-v-tm-carlton-house-partners-ltd-in-re-tm-carlton-house-partners-paeb-1990.