Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co. v. Memphis St. Ry. Co.

11 F. Supp. 682, 1935 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1442
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Tennessee
DecidedJuly 24, 1935
DocketNos. 11792, 1205
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 11 F. Supp. 682 (Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co. v. Memphis St. Ry. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co. v. Memphis St. Ry. Co., 11 F. Supp. 682, 1935 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1442 (W.D. Tenn. 1935).

Opinion

MARTIN, District Judge.

The original bill in equity receivership case 1205 was filed on July 21, 1933, by the Central Hanover Bank, trustee, through Messrs. Armstrong, McCadden & Allen, of Memphis, and Larkin, Rathbone & Perry, of New York, as solicitors for the complainant. The bill was filed as a foreclosure proceeding under the consolidated mortgage on the property of the defendant, Memphis Street Railway Company. On the day that the bill was filed. July 21, 1933, the Memphis Street Railway Company, through Messrs, Waring, Walker & Cox, filed an answer, admitting the allegations of the bill, and on the same date an order was entered, appointing Messrs. E. W. Ford and J. H. Townsend receivers, and Hon. Walter P. Armstrong, attorney for the receivers.

On July 22, 1933, an order was entered, fixing the fees of Receiver E. W. Ford at $600 per month, and Receiver J. II. Townsend at $300 per mouth. This order was succinct, distinct, and clear-cut, and made no reservation whatever of the right to allow any additional compensation to the receivers. That no additional compensation was contemplated is evidenced by the fact that, on August 21, 1933, an order was entered that: “Walter P. Armstrong, as attorney, solicitor and counsel for said receivers, be, and he is hereby allowed the sum of $1,000.00 a month from and after July 21, 1933, on account of his services as such attorney, solicitor and counsel All other matters, including the final compensation of said attorney, solicitor and counsel, are reserved.”

On August 26, 1933, an intervening petition was filed by Messrs. Frederic J. Fuller, Earl G. Johnston, J. K. Newman, A. B. Ruddock, and Paul H. Saunders, through Messrs. Larkin, Rathbone & Perry, of New York, and Roane Waring, attorney, of Memphis, in which a plan of reorganization was presented by the petitioners, as a reorganization committee.

It appears fully from the record that in January, 1932, these same gentlemen had been constituted a bondholders’ protective committee, and had, as such, devoted much time to the formulation of a plan of reorganization for the Memphis Street Railway Company, and in the course of their [684]*684work had retained as counsel for the said committee the firm of Larkin, Rathbone & Perry, of New York City.

On July 9, 1934, there was entered, nunc pro tunc, as of June 26, 1934, an order approving the fairness, timeliness, and equitableness of the reorganization plan. It has been shown that there were only minor deviations in the plan, as finally confirmed, from the original plan of the bondholders’ protective committee.

On October 13, 1934, the Memphis Street Railway Company, through attorneys Waring, Walker & Cox, filed a debtor petition for the reorganization of the company under section 77B of the amendments to the National1 Bankruptcy Act (11 USCA § 207); and on the same date an order was entered approving the filing of the petition, and appointing Messrs. E. W. Ford and J. H. Townsend as temporary trustees. This order contains the following provision: “The compensation of the respective trustees shall be at the same rate as was fixed for their compensation as receivers by order of this court in the prior proceeding. The trustees are: hereby authorized to retain and employ Walter P. Armstrong, as their solicitor, upon the same terms as fixed by the order of this court in the prior proceeding.”

It was further provided that the court “reserved the full right and jurisdiction to make such orders for the payment of such reasonable administration expenses and allowances in the prior proceeding as may be fixed by the court in the prior proceeding.”

On November 3, 1934, an order was entered, making permanent the appointment of said trustees.

On November 17, 1934, an order confirming the plan of reorganization was entered, in which it was provided: “That all amounts to be paid by the debtor, and all amounts to be paid to said Reorganization Committee for services or expenses incident to the reorganization are to be subject to the approval of this Court.”

All of the aforesaid orders were entered and proceedings were had during the tenure of office of the predecessor judge of this court, the distinguished and late lamented, Honorable Harry B. Anderson.

It now becomes- the duty of the successor judge of this court to pass upon the several petitions for allowances and expenses in the equity receivership cause, and also in the debtor proceeding under section 77B. A complete hearing has. been held on these petitions. Much testimony has been adduced, and arguments have been made.

It is not a pleasant duty for a judge to pass upon the value of services of eminent and able counsel, whose skill is well known to him, but it is his duty to do so when petitions of the character now before the court are presented for consideration and action.

At the outset, let it be said that this court, as has been frequently heretofore pronounced, is firmly of the opinion that it is essential, to a proper administration of insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings, in the disastrous era in which our country has .been placed, to hold down the expenses of reorganization to as low a basis as is consistent with fairness to parties who have rendered services to creditors in such proceedings or to the debtor.

In the recent case of Realty Associates Securities Corporation v. O’Connor, decided in the spring of this year and reported in 295 U. S. 295, 55 S. Ct. 663, 665, 79 L. Ed. 1446, the Supreme Court of the United States, speaking unanimously through Mr. Justice Cardozo has said: “Extravagant costs of administration in the winding up of estates in bankruptcy have been denounced as crying evils. Strengthening Procedure in the Bankruptcy System, Sen. Doc. No. 65, 72d Congress, 1st Sess. (1932), p. 53; also H. R. Rep. 65, 55th Congress, 2d Sess. (1898), p. 44. In response to those complaints, Congress has attempted in the enactment of the present statute to fix a limit for expenses growing out of the services of referees and receivers.” Citing sections of the Bankruptcy Act.

Thus the highest court in the land has declared this policy in favor of the economical administration of matters in bankruptcy and receiverships.

In Re Insull Utility Investments, Inc. (D. C. Ill. 1933) 6 F. Supp. 653, 661, Evans, Circuit Judge, said: “And finally, in determining compensation, it must be kept in mind that 1933 is not 1929. The wages and salaries of all kinds were much lower in 1932 than in the twenties. The difference must be reflected in the compensation of receivers and their counsel, as it is in other fields.”

In a recent District Court decision, In re Wayne Pump Co. (D. C. Ind. 1935) 9 F. Supp. 940, 942, the court said:

[685]*685“It might be well to remind all claimants that this procedure is under an act of Congress designated 'An act for the relief of debtors.’ If relief is to be extended, it must be real and not illusive or imaginary. Reorganization must result in benefits to the distressed debtor. To accomplish this, the expense must bear a proper relation to the advantage gained.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
11 F. Supp. 682, 1935 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1442, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/central-hanover-bank-trust-co-v-memphis-st-ry-co-tnwd-1935.