Big Yank Corp. v. Bank One, Lexington, N.A. (In re Water Valley Finishing, Inc.)

170 B.R. 831, 31 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1042, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1217, 25 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 1579
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 11, 1994
DocketBankruptcy Nos. 93 B 44780 (BRL) to 93 B 44782 (BRL); Adv. No. 93-1084A
StatusPublished

This text of 170 B.R. 831 (Big Yank Corp. v. Bank One, Lexington, N.A. (In re Water Valley Finishing, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Big Yank Corp. v. Bank One, Lexington, N.A. (In re Water Valley Finishing, Inc.), 170 B.R. 831, 31 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1042, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1217, 25 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 1579 (S.D.N.Y. 1994).

Opinion

AMENDED ABSTRACT OF BENCH RULING ON CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

BURTON R. LIFLAND, Chief Judge.

Big Yank Corporation (“Big Yank” or “Debtor”) seeks to avoid Bank One, Lexington N.A.’s (“Bank One”) alleged interest under a certain mortgage (the “Mortgage”) in the Debtor’s Lexington, Kentucky warehouse and distribution center (the “Property”). Bank One, within ninety days prior to the filing of the Debtor’s chapter 11 petition, inadvertently released and then attempted to unilaterally reinstate its Mortgage. The Debtor has moved for summary judgment, asserting that Bank One’s interest in the Property under the Mortgage is avoidable because it results from a preferential transfer. The Debtor argues, in the alternative, that Bank One’s interest is avoidable pursuant to the debtor in possession’s § 544 strong-arm powers.1 Bank One opposes the Debtor’s motion, arguing that no transfer of the Debtor’s interest in the Property was made within the ninety-day preference period. Bank One has also cross-moved for summary judgment, arguing that it holds an equitable mortgage in the Property which cannot be avoided under § 544(a)(3).

I. Background

In April 1990, the Debtor borrowed $4 million from Bank One to finance the purchase of the Property. The parties executed a promissory note (the “1990 Note”), a security agreement and the Mortgage. Bank One properly filed the Mortgage and a financing statement, which evidenced Bank One’s security interest in fixtures attached to the Property (the “1990 Fixture Filing”), in the Fayette County, Kentucky Clerk’s Office on April 30, 1990. When the 1990 Note matured in April 1993, the parties executed a new note for approximately $3.9 million (the “1993 Note”) and a certain Commercial Amortizing Mortgage Loan Agreement which provided that the Mortgage would secure the 1993 Note.

On July 26, 1993, Bank One inadvertently executed a Satisfaction and Full Release of Mortgage (the “Satisfaction and Full Release”). The Satisfaction and Full Release states, in pertinent part, that Bank One “for good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, does hereby Release and Discharge the Mortgage executed by BIG YANK CORPORATION in favor of Bank One, dated the 30TH day of APRIL, 1990, and recorded on the 30TH day of APRIL, 1990[.]” (capitalization in original). Bank One recorded the Satisfaction and Full Release in the Fayette County Clerk’s Office on July 28, 1993.

Bank One discovered its error and on September 13, 1993 filed an “Affidavit to Reinstate Mortgage” (the “Affidavit”) in the Fay-ette County Clerk’s Office. The Affidavit indicates that the Satisfaction and Full Release was “prepared, executed and recorded ... inadvertently in error and that the underlying note which the subject mortgage secures has not been paid in full and consequently, such Satisfaction and Full Release of Mortgage is void and of no effect.” Affidavit ¶ 5. The Affidavit further asserts that “the Mortgage described herein shall continue to encumber the real property described herein and that all the terms, obligations and privileges of said mortgage are binding on the parties thereto[.]” Id. ¶7. On September 24, 1993, eleven days later, the Debtor filed its chapter 11 petition.

The Debtor argues that the Affidavit re-perfected the Mortgage, thus effecting a transfer of the Debtor’s interest in the Property within ninety days prior to the commencement of the Debtor’s voluntary chapter [833]*83311 ease. The Debtor asserts that Bank One’s interest in the Property is an avoidable preference because this alleged security interest would allow Bank One to receive more than it would if the transfer had not occurred and the Debtor’s estate were liquidated under chapter 7. Bank One, in addition to raising the defense of equitable estoppel, asserts that the Affidavit, while intended to reperfect the Mortgage, did not obtain this result under applicable Kentucky law.2 In other words, Bank One asserts that the Affidavit did not effect a transfer of the Debtor’s interest in the Property during the ninety-day preference period. Bank One concedes that if its equitable estoppel defense is not successful, the Debtor need only demonstrate that a transfer of the Debtor’s interest in the Property was made within the preference period to carry its burden under § 547(b).

Bank One claims that an equitable mortgage arose in its favor as a result of the accidental execution and filing of the Satisfaction and Full Release. Bank One seeks summary judgment on its counter-claim for a declaratory judgment that its equitable mortgage is not subject to the Debtor’s § 544(a)(3) strong-arm avoiding power.3 The Debtor argues that even assuming that Bank One holds an equitable mortgage in the Property, this interest is avoidable because it is not enforceable against a subsequent bona fide purchaser (“BFP”) of the Property and a debtor in possession stands in the shoes of a BFP of real property under § 544(a)(3) of the Code.

II. Discussion

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c), made applicable here through Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7056, provides that a court shall grant summary judgment when there is “no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (internal quotations omitted). The party moving for summary judgment is required to demonstrate that there is an absence of evidence which supports the nonmovant’s case. Id. at 325, 106 S.Ct. at 2553-54. All facts, and all inferences to be drawn from such facts, are viewed in a light most favorable to the non-moving party. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587-88, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356-57, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). As the parties’ respective Local Rule 13(h) statements indicate that there are no material facts in dispute,4 this adversary proceeding may be resolved by summary judgment. See also U.S. Lines, Inc. v. American S.S. Owners Mut. Protection & Indem. Assoc., 169 B.R. 804, 811 (Bankr.S.D.N.Y.1994) (“The primary purpose in granting summary judgment is to avoid unnecessary trials where no genuine issue of material fact is in dispute.”).

A. Preference Analysis

Although the Debtor has the ultimate burden to prove the five elements of a preference under § 547(b), the only disputed issue of law here is whether a transfer of the Debtor’s interest in the Property was made to Bank One within the ninety-day prepetition period. See 11 U.S.C. § 547(b)(4)(A) (A debtor in possession “may avoid any transfer of an interest of the debtor in property ... [834]*834made on or within 90 days before the date of the filing of the petition[.]”)

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170 B.R. 831, 31 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1042, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1217, 25 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 1579, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/big-yank-corp-v-bank-one-lexington-na-in-re-water-valley-finishing-nysd-1994.