Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. v. Nemko, Inc. (In re Nemko, Inc.)

241 B.R. 301, 1999 Bankr. LEXIS 1445, 35 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 75
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedNovember 23, 1999
DocketBankruptcy No. 190-11025-260; Adversary No. 191-1110-260
StatusPublished

This text of 241 B.R. 301 (Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. v. Nemko, Inc. (In re Nemko, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. v. Nemko, Inc. (In re Nemko, Inc.), 241 B.R. 301, 1999 Bankr. LEXIS 1445, 35 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 75 (N.Y. 1999).

Opinion

DECISION ON PLAINTIFF CHASE MANHATTAN BANK’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

CONRAD B. DUBERSTEIN, Chief Judge.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

This is a motion for summary judgment on the issue of prejudgment interest. The motion is granted.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND1

Plaintiff, The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., (“Chase”), instituted the within adversary proceeding on March 11, 1991 against Defendant, United Jersey Bank (“UJB”), the predecessor of Summit Bank, (“Summit”), and the Debtor, Nemko, Inc., (“Nemko”), to determine the extent and validity of hens covering Nemko’s accounts receivable.

Prior to filing for bankruptcy, Nemko was in the business of repairing buses and railway cars. In order to raise the capital needed to fund its operations. Nemko entered into a revolving loan agreement with UJB which also granted UJB a security interest in Nemko’s inventory, equipment and accounts receivable (“the collateral”). In exchange, UJB agreed to lend Nemko an amount equal to 80% of Nem-ko’s qualified accounts receivable. At that time, Nemko’s principal place of business was located at 164 Konner Avenue, Pine Brook, New Jersey, in Morris County. UJB perfected its security interest in the collateral on April 16,1986 by filing financing statements with the New Jersey Secretary of State and the Morris County Clerk’s Office. The financing statements listed the Konner Avenue address. Upon being informed of Nemko’s move to 346 Changebridge Road, also in Pine Brook, UJB filed amended financing statements listing the Changebridge Road address. In August of 1986, Nemko began leasing property at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, in Brooklyn, New York, where it converted buildings to a railcar and bus retrofit center as well as offices.

On February 6,1989, the New York City Transit Authority (“NYCTA”) awarded Nemko a contract to overhaul buses. In [303]*303order to arrange for government loans to cover improvements which Nemko was required to make to its existing facilities to perform the contract with NYCTA, it sought to obtain “bridge financing” from Chase. Nemko entered into a loan agreement with Chase and executed a security agreement granting Chase a security interest in the collateral. Chase filed the necessary financing statements required in governmental offices in New Jersey as well as New York. UJB participated in the negotiations between Nemko and Chase and acquiesced to Chase’s demand that UJB subordinate its security interest in Nemko’s equipment and inventory, but UJB retained a first priority position over Chase in regard to the accounts receivable.

Thereafter, events occurred which ultimately prevented Nemko from paying its bills as they matured and it was forced to file the petition for relief under Chapter 11 in this court on March 19,1990.

On April 19, 1990, UJB filed an application by order to show cause together with a temporary restraining order to prohibit Nemko from using UJB’s cash collateral consisting of proceeds derived from accounts receivable which was subject to UJB’s lien. In opposition, Nemko filed a sworn affidavit of Dino Catozzo (“Catoz-zo”), Nemko’s principal. The affidavit did not dispute the validity of UJB’s lien but instead requested the court for authority to use $450,000.00 of UJB’s cash collateral which Nemko needed to complete the work required of it under the NYCTA contract.

Counsel to UJB, Nemko and Chase were present when the application was heard at the hearing before this court to determine whether the court should grant the relief requested. Despite the affidavit of Catozzo, Nemko opposed UJB’s application at the hearing by questioning the perfection of UJB’s security interest in Nemko’s accounts receivable. Counsel to Nemko asserted that once Nemko’s retrofit operations at the Brooklyn Navy Yard became operational, there was an effective transfer of Nemko’s chief executive office from the Changebridge Road address to Brooklyn, New York. Thus, Nemko argued, the perfection of UJB’s security interest in Nemko’s accounts receivable lapsed due to UJB’s failure to file a financing statement in New York as required by section 9 — 103(3)(e) of the Uniform Commercial Code. Chase did not take a position regarding Nemko’s assertion but did argue that if Nemko was authorized to use cash collateral, Chase was entitled to adequate protection based on its own secondary security interest in Nemko’s accounts receivable. Nemko did not dispute the validity of Chase’s perfected security interest which was represented by filed statements in both Morris County, New Jersey and Kings County, New York. After hearing argument from all of the parties involved, this court ordered the parties to appear on April 27, 1990 and show cause why Nemko should not be prohibited from using cash collateral and further requiring Nemko to provide a full and complete accounting of its prepetition accounts receivable. Pending the April 27, 1990 hearing, the court authorized Nemko to use $15,-000.00 of the banks’ cash collateral.

Prior to the hearing, which had been adjourned on consent of the parties to April 30,1990, Nemko filed a second sworn affidavit of Catozzo in opposition to UJB’s application. In this second affidavit, Nem-ko continued to advocate the position that it had first raised at the April 19, 1990 hearing, namely that by the close of 1988, Nemko had effectively transferred its chief executive office from 346 Changebridge Road, Pine Brook, New Jersey to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York. Catozzo also asserted that UJB had been fully aware of the move and had in fact consented to it. Nemko contended that it had transferred its chief executive office from New Jersey to New York and therefore UJB’s lien was unperfected due to the fact that UJB had not filed a financing statement in New York.

In response to Catozzos’ affidavits, UJB filed a “Memorandum of Law to Establish [304]*304Security Interest.” The memorandum disputed Nemko’s contention that Nemko had transferred its chief executive office by citing numerous facts which demonstrated that Nemko used the Brooklyn Navy Yard solely as an engineering facility while its office at 346 Changebridge Road, Pine Brook, New Jersey continued to function as its headquarters.

Prior to the hearing on the order to show cause on April 30, 1990, an agreement was reached between Nemko, UJB and Chase which the court later “so ordered” on the record at the hearing. The agreement authorized Nemko to immediately use $50,000.00 of the banks’ cash collateral, with use of additional cash collateral to be determined at a future hearing. After several subsequent hearings, this court entered an order on July 12, 1990 directing the NYCTA to pay to Nem-ko $529,537.00 as an advance on the repair of eleven buses remaining under the contract. In exchange for their consent to Nemko’s use of the banks’ cash collateral to finish the repairs, the banks were given post-petition liens on all of Nemko’s property. The issue of which bank’s lien had priority in regard to Nemko’s accounts receivable was left open pending the court’s determination.

On July 27, 1990, UJB filed a motion to determine the validity of its lien. At the hearing on the motion, Nemko abandoned its previous position that it had transferred its chief executive office and recognized the first priority position of UJB’s lien. UJB then sought to withdraw its motion. The court allowed UJB to withdraw the motion without prejudice to other parties to question the status of UJB’s lien.

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241 B.R. 301, 1999 Bankr. LEXIS 1445, 35 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 75, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chase-manhattan-bank-na-v-nemko-inc-in-re-nemko-inc-nyeb-1999.