BlockFi Inc.

CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedFebruary 8, 2024
Docket22-19361
StatusUnknown

This text of BlockFi Inc. (BlockFi Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
BlockFi Inc., (N.J. 2024).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY Caption in Compliance with D.N.J. LBR Case No. 22-19361 (MBK) 9004-2(c) Hearing Date: January 16, 2024 In Re: BlockFi, Inc., Debtors Chapter 11

Judge: Michael B. Kaplan

MEMORANDUM DECISION

This matter comes before the Court upon Mr. Van Tubergen’s (“Van Tubergen”) response (ECF No. 1496) to Debtor BlockFi, Inc.’s (“BlockFi”) Seventh Omnibus Objection to Certain Claims (ECF No. 1311). In his submission, Van Tubergen asks this Court to overrule BlockFi’s objection to his claims. BlockFi responded to Van Tubergen’s submission and the parties briefed the issue. The Court fully considered the parties’ submissions, as well as the arguments, evidence and testimony presented during the hearing on January 16, 2024. For the reasons set forth below, the Court overrules Van Tubergen’s opposition and sustains BlockFi’s claim objection. Van Tubergen’s claim is reduced to reflect Van Tubergen’s true claim amount set forth in BlockFi’s books and records in the amount of $19.07. I. Jurisdiction The Court has jurisdiction over this contested matter under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(a) and 157(a) and the Standing Order of the United States District Court dated July 10, 1984, as amended September 18, 2012, referring all bankruptcy cases to the bankruptcy court. The claims review process is a statutory core proceeding and this Court has constitutional authority to enter a final order. 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(B). Venue is proper in this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 and 1409. The following constitutes the Court’s finding of fact pursuant to FED. R. BANKR. P. 7052.1 II. Background and Procedural History The Court limits its recitation of the factual and procedural history of this case to the

information pertinent to the matter being presently decided. Beginning on April 17, 2019, BlockFi Lending LLC, and Van Tubergen entered a prepetition lending relationship. See Wind Down Debtors’ Reply to Response to Debtors’ Seventh Omnibus Objection to Claim No. 7233 of John V. Van Tubergen Jr. (“Wind Down Debtors’ Reply”), Exhibit I, Flori Marquez Cert., ¶ 5, ECF No. 1963-10. The lending relationship resulted in the issuance of a series of loans (the “Loans”) to Van Tubergen. Id. Van Tubergen secured the loans by posting collateral in the form of Bitcoin (“BTC”) and Etherium (“ETH”), collectively referred to as (the “Collateral”). See Wind Down Debtors’ Reply ¶¶ 1, 14, ECF No. 1963. Since then, Van Tubergen and BlockFi have entered into thirty- seven (37) separate loan agreements. Id. Each of the loans had a one-year term and called for interest payments only until the loan reached maturity. Id.

The Loan Service Agreements (“LSA”) functioned as the controlling document for all issued loans. Id. The LSAs granted BlockFi a security interest in, among other things, Van Tubergen’s BTC and ETH. Id. The LSAs required Van Tubergen to maintain a Loan to Value (“LTV”) ratio where the outstanding principal balance of the loan was less than or equal to a certain percentage of the market value of the collateral. Id. at ¶ 1. Significantly, the LSAs established a specific LTV ratio requirement that authorized BlockFi to liquidate the Collateral with seventy-two (72) hours’ notice if the LTV ratio of the Collateral rose above 70% (“Triggering Point”).2 See JVT Cert.,

1 To the extent that any of the findings of fact might constitute conclusions of law, they are adopted as such. Conversely, to the extent that any conclusions of law constitute findings of fact, they are adopted as such.

2 With the exception of Loan No. 1a118e43, which had an 80% Triggering Point. Exhibit B ¶ 7(a), ECF No. 1496-3. Once BlockFi gave such notice, the LSAs provided that Van Tubergen could avoid liquidation by depositing additional collateral into his account to re-establish an LTV of 50-70%. Id. The LSAs additionally gave BlockFi the right to immediately liquidate the loan, without notice, if the LTV ratio rose above 80%. Id.

BlockFi’s borrowers received separate email notifications when the LTV on their loans approached or surpassed the Triggering Point. See Flori Marquez Cert. ¶ 6, ECF No. 1963-10. In addition, BlockFi’s borrowers received separate email notifications when BlockFi sold collateral pursuant to the LSA. Id. When the LTVs for each of Van Tubergen’s respective loans reached their Triggering Points, BlockFi notified Van Tubergen that—because the price of BTC and ETH had dropped—he was required to post additional collateral to avoid liquidation. See Wind Down Debtors’ Reply ¶¶ 1, 14, ECF No. 1963. Van Tubergen did not timely reply to BlockFi’s margin calls and BlockFi liquidated the Collateral to bring the loans into compliance with their required LTV ratios. After BlockFi filed for bankruptcy, Van Tubergen filed proof of claim number 7233 (the “JVT

Claim”) on March 15, 2023. Van Tubergen made the claim against the Debtor entity, BlockFi Lending LLC in the amount of $10 million dollars. In the proof of claim, Van Tubergen describes the basis of his claim as “my collateral that is owed to me from my loans due to false force liquidations from BlockFi.” JVT Cert., Ex. A at 3, ECF No. 1496-2. BlockFi filed its Seventh Omnibus Claim Objection on August 3, 2023, seeking—in relevant part—to modify the JVT Claim to correctly reflect BlockFi’s books and records. Van Tubergen then filed a response to the Debtors’ Seventh Omnibus Objection that is the subject of the instant Opinion. III. Discussion Initially, a claimant must allege facts sufficient to support their claim. FED. R. BANKR. P. 3001(f). At the outset, a properly filed proof of claim is prima facie evidence of the validity and the amount of the claim. Id. The burden then shifts to the objector to produce evidence sufficient

to negate the prima facie validity of the filed claim. See In re Allegheny Int'l, Inc., 954 F.2d 167,

173 (3d Cir. 1992); see also In re Saha, No. 22-15419, 2023 WL 2144437, at *3 (Bankr. D.N.J.

Feb. 21, 2023). To successfully object, the objector must produce evidence “which if believed would refute at least one of the allegations that is essential to the claim’s legal sufficiency.” Id. at 174. Once an objector produces sufficient evidence to negate the validity of one or more of the sworn facts in the proof of claim, the burden shifts back to the claimant. Id. The claimant then bears the ultimate burden of establishing a valid claim by a preponderance of the evidence. Id. Here, BlockFi produced sufficient evidence in its Seventh Omnibus Objection to negate the prima facie validity of the JVT Claim. The burden now shifts back to Van Tubergen to show that his claim is valid by a preponderance of the evidence. Van Tubergen fails to meet this standard. The instant dispute concerns the LSAs at issue, which individually function as contracts. When the terms of a contract are clear and unambiguous, the Court will interpret such terms according to their ordinary and usual meaning. In re Hosp. Acquisition LLC, 625 B.R. 835, 841 (Bankr. D. Del. 2020). In construing the terms of a contract, the Court should look to the language of the contract. Id. Contracts should be construed according to their plain and ordinary terms. and the writing as a rule should be enforced according to its terms. Air Express Int'l v. LOG-NET, Inc., 2015 WL 404494, at *3 (D.N.J. Jan. 29, 2015) (quoting Mollo v.

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