Charlestown Holdings, Inc. v. Federal Deposit Insurance (In re Competrol Acquisition Partnership, L.P.)

176 B.R. 723, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 2128
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware
DecidedAugust 12, 1994
DocketBankruptcy Nos. 94-622 (PJW) to 94-626 (PJW); Adv. No. 94-90
StatusPublished

This text of 176 B.R. 723 (Charlestown Holdings, Inc. v. Federal Deposit Insurance (In re Competrol Acquisition Partnership, L.P.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Charlestown Holdings, Inc. v. Federal Deposit Insurance (In re Competrol Acquisition Partnership, L.P.), 176 B.R. 723, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 2128 (Del. 1994).

Opinion

PETER J. WALSH, Bankruptcy Judge.

INTRODUCTION

Before the court are Counts I and II of an adversary proceeding brought by the Plaintiffs-Debtors against Defendants Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Recoil Management Corporation in which Plaintiffs seek (a) as Count I, the enforcement of the automatic stay of 11 U.S.C. § 362(a) and damages relating to the violation thereof and (b) as Count II, the turnover of certain property of the Debtors’ estates in accordance with 11 U.S.C. § 542.1

For the reasons set forth below I find for the Plaintiffs on Count I. In light of that finding I need not decide Count II.

FACTS

Nature & Stage of Proceedings

Plaintiffs are Charlestown Holdings, Inc. (“CHI”), Immobiliare New England, L.P. (“INE”), Navy Yard Realty Trust (“Navy Yard”) and Shipyard Marina Trust (“Shipyard”). (The Plaintiffs are hereinafter referred to collectively as “Debtors”.) INE and its general partner, CHI, have a management agreement with the Raymond Group (“Raymond”) to operate a marina complex known as the Shipyard Quarters Marina located on Piers 6 and 8 in the Charlestown Navy Yard on Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts (“the Marina”). Navy Yard and Shipyard are Massachusetts real estate trusts which hold title to Piers 6 and 8, respectively, on behalf of INE. Piers 6 and 8 are encumbered by separate mortgages and assignments of rents granted by Navy Yard and Shipyard to secure an $8 million note by INE to the Bank of New England, N.A. The mortgage obligations have been in default since July 25, 1991, at which time a principal balance of $6 million was due.

Defendants are the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Recoil Management Corporation (“Recoil”). Recoil is a real estate management company and attorney-in-fact for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the latter’s capacity as receiver of the New Bank of New England, N.A. and Bank of New England, N.A. (The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Recoil are hereinafter referred to collectively as “FDIC”.)

Debtors filed Chapter 11 petitions at approximately 8:30 a.m. on June £7, 1994. The FDIC was at the same time attempting to take possession of the Marina as a mortgagee-in-possession. On June 29, 1994, Debtors filed this adversary proceeding and moved under Bankruptcy Rule 7065 for entry of a temporary restraining order restraining FDIC from further exercise of control over the Marina. After a hearing on June 30, 1994, the court entered a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) directing the turnover of the Marina to the Debtors and enjoining any further efforts by FDIC to exercise control over the Marina. Within an hour of entry of the TRO, FDIC returned control of the Marina to the Debtors. After briefing and a hearing on July 12, 1994, the court granted Debtors’ application for a preliminary injunction, which continued the relief granted by the TRO, and scheduled a trial on the merits.

Prior to trial, Debtors amended their Complaint of right, Defendants not having answered the original Complaint.2 Debtors dropped the original Count III and added a new Count III requesting determination by the court of the value of the property encumbered by the lien of FDIC pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 506. Count III will be tried at a later date.

Trial was held on August 8-9, 1994.

[726]*726 Background & FDIC Takeover of the Marina

Certain of the Debtors were involved in shareholder disputes in a New York state court in 1993. In June of that year, an involuntary Chapter 11 petition was filed in Massachusetts against CHI by Competrol Real Estate Limited (“Competrol”), an unsecured creditor and shareholder of CHI. Competrol moved to have a trustee appointed, alleging “gridlock in the management and control of the affairs of CHI and its affiliated entities, including INE”. Testimony indicates that the bankruptcy case was ultimately dismissed, with the Massachusetts bankruptcy judge abstaining, apparently due to the shareholder suits in New York. Immediately prior to these June 27,1994 bankruptcy filings the parties settled the shareholder suits.

On April 22,1994, David Brown (“Brown”), a loan officer employed by Recoil, along with other employees of Recoil, entered Pier 6 and Pier 8 to take possession of the Marina as a mortgagee-in-possession in accordance with Massachusetts law and the relevant loan documents. Employees of Raymond objected to Recoil’s taking possession, and after several hours in possession Recoil left the property and initiated a Massachusetts state court action against INE, CHI and others. Recoil requested an injunction requiring the defendants to deliver the premises to Recoil.

The parties to the state court action negotiated a stipulation and order which, among other things, provided for a 45-day standstill period during which the parties would attempt to settle their differences. The standstill period expired on June 25, 1994.

Recoil then attempted to take possession of the Marina once more. Brown first walked onto Pier 6 on June 27, 1994 at approximately 7:30 a.m., but left after approximately five minutes. He returned to Pier 6 at approximately 7:45 a.m.

Brown and others from Recoil, including Timothy Fife and Kirk Roth, gathered on Pier 7, which is between Pier 6 and Pier 8 but which is not owned by the Debtors, and then walked onto Pier 8 at approximately 8:00 a.m. While standing on Pier 8 and in front of the Marina office building, Brown read the text of an entry statement sometime between 8:10 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. He recalls that it took him about 1 minute to do so, although Fife recalls that it took him approximately 5 minutes to do so. Brown testified that in addition to Fife and Roth, those present included Recoil’s attorney; Holly Fitzgerald of Capstan Management, a marina manager retained by Recoil; a constable and notary; and a videotape operator. Roth and Fife then executed a certificate of entry which was notarized by the constable. Recoil personnel began scotch taping notices they had brought with them to the outside of the Marina office and the Pier 8 gate.

Doug Mason (“Mason”), a Raymond employee and co-manager of the Marina, arrived at Pier 8 at approximately 8:25 a.m., just as Brown had completed his entry speech. Just before 8:30 a.m., Mason opened the Marina office door and let members of the Recoil party into the main reception area of the office. It is necessary to pass through, or by, the office to obtain access to the floating docks which are secured by gates controlled by combination locks.

Brown testified that persons from Recoil asked for keys to the Marina offices and safe but that he was not sure whether anyone specifically asked for access cards to the main gates which control vehicular entry to each pier. He also testified that persons from Recoil already had the combination to the locks on the gates controlling access to the floating docks. No one from Recoil changed either the cards or the combination.

Debtors filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions at approximately 8:30 a.m. or shortly thereafter.3

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Bluebook (online)
176 B.R. 723, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 2128, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/charlestown-holdings-inc-v-federal-deposit-insurance-in-re-competrol-deb-1994.