Community Finance Group, Inc. v. Fields (In re Fields)

510 B.R. 227
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedMarch 26, 2014
DocketBAP No. 13-6061
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 510 B.R. 227 (Community Finance Group, Inc. v. Fields (In re Fields)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Community Finance Group, Inc. v. Fields (In re Fields), 510 B.R. 227 (bap8 2014).

Opinion

SCHERMER, Bankruptcy Judge.

Robert L. Fields (the “Debtor”) appeals from the judgment of the bankruptcy court1 excepting a debt owed to Communi[230]*230ty Finance Group, Inc. (“CFG”) from the Debtor’s discharge under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A). We have jurisdiction over this appeal from the final order of the bankruptcy court. See 28 U.S.C. § 158(b). We affirm.

ISSUES

The issues in this appeal are whether the bankruptcy court clearly erred when it found that: (1) the Debtor made a misrepresentation to CFG regarding how the proceeds of the loan would be used; and (2) CFG justifiably relied on the misrepresentation. We also examine whether the bankruptcy court appropriately determined that the Debtor’s misrepresentation was made with the requisite knowledge and intent to deceive. We see no clear error in the bankruptcy court’s decision.

BACKGROUND

On February 15, 2010, the Debtor filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”). At that time, Main Street Otsego, LLC (“MSO”), a company formed by the Debtor to pursue a commercial real estate project, was in default on its loan obligations to CFG. The dispute in this case arises from that default.

The Debtor was the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Manager of MSO. He had considerable experience in the construction and real estate industries, as he was involved in the development of real estate and construction of buildings for a significant period of time, and owned and operated numerous entities involved in those businesses. The Debtor formed LandCor Construction, Inc. (“LCCI”) and LandCor, Inc. (“LandCor”) to handle construction and property management.

The bankruptcy court found that throughout his many years in the commercial real estate industry, the Debtor had worked with lenders to obtain loans, and he was familiar with the requirements of lenders. The Debtor knew that a material consideration for lenders was the borrower’s intended use for the funds. He also knew that lenders expected, and relied upon, a potential borrower’s representations being accurate and complete. In the past, the Debtor acted as an investor in and board member of a bank. In that capacity, he reviewed applications for credit.

MSO held two buildings on a parcel of property that was part of the Debtor’s larger development of a multi-parcel real estate project, commenced before 2005, and known casually as “the Waterfront development” or “Main Street Otsego.” Each parcel for the project was owned by a separate entity and had its own financing.

GCI Capital, Inc. (“GCI”) provided the initial financing for MSO’s project, through the grant of a $7,500,000 line of credit.2 Although MSO was permitted to draw on the line of credit as needed, GCI had the power to suspend MSO’s right to make draws. The line of credit was secured by a first mortgage on the property. In addition, the Debtor personally guaranteed MSO’s obligations to GCI.

By April, 2008, a time when MSO had drawn approximately $5,800,000 on the line of credit, MSO experienced difficulty satisfying its obligation to pay interest to GCI, and GCI froze MSO’s ability to make [231]*231draws. In April, 2008, GCI and MSO entered into a forbearance agreement. Part of the forbearance agreement required MSO to pay remaining accrued interest when the full principal amount of the note came due four months later, on August 15, 2008, under the original terms of the loan.

Notwithstanding the Debtor’s persistent requests for GCI to renegotiate the terms of the loan, to allow MSO to make an additional draw on the line of credit, and to change the arrangement into a “permanent loan with a long-term amortization,” GCI was not willing to do so. GCI would not discuss the situation with MSO absent a full cure of MSO’s interest arrearages. And, as the bankruptcy court stated, “[mjore crucially, [GCI] would promise to discuss no more than an extension of the due date for a fixed period of a few months beyond that reset under the forbearance.”

During the summer and early fall of 2008, MSO had difficulty securing tenants for its property. It had two or three signed leases, and none of the other possibilities for tenants moved toward a signed lease that summer.

Aside from revenue from the two or three leases, MSO had little or no other capital during the summer and early fall of 2008. The prospects for accommodation to MSO from GCI did not improve during that time. And, on October 6, 2008, GCI issued a notice of default and demand for payment from MSO of the full debt. In the meantime, the Debtor was experiencing similar problems satisfying the obligations for several of his other real estate entities. In September, 2008, the Debtor was desperate.

Andrew Vilenchik was CFG’s General Manager. Vilenchik described CFG at trial as “ ‘mainly a residential mortgage originator,’ that also ‘conducted some commercial transactions.’ ” The parties stipulated that CFG “is a Minnesota finance company that provides a wide range of real estate based financial services to residential and commercial clients with all types of income and credit backgrounds.”

In mid-October, 2008, the Debtor and Vilenchik first met. After their first encounter, the two met later in October, 2008 to discuss the possibility of CFG providing commercial financing for the Debtor’s projects. The bankruptcy court found that the Debtor told Vilenchik that his personal funds had been frozen due to an investigation by the FDIC of a bank in which the Debtor was an owner and principal. After describing CFG’s lending guidelines and the circumstances under which CFG would provide a loan, Vilenchik indicated the Debtor could submit a loan application. Three days later, the Debtor and Vilenchik met again, at which time the Debtor submitted to Vilenchik what he called a “bank book,” a compilation of documents including information he submitted to support MSO’s request for a loan. The bank book included various documents such as a “rent roll” for MSO’s properties. In response to Vilenchik’s inquiry as to why the bank book included financial documents for LCCI and LandCor, but not for MSO, the Debtor stated the LCCI and LandCor fi-nancials were relevant since MSO was “just a shell company.” The Debtor did not submit a written loan application to CFG.

Prior to a meeting between the Debtor and Vilenchik four days later, Vilenchik had a real estate service company that he owned conduct a search of the public records with respect to the MSO property. The GCI mortgage was the only lien or encumbrance that appeared of record, but outstanding real estate taxes owed by MSO were noted. Vilenchik performed an external inspection of the MSO properties and determined that the properties were “well-managed.” During the site visit, the [232]*232Debtor told Vilenchik that GCI froze MSO’s line of credit.

A third-party, Duane Kropuenske, accompanied the Debtor and Vilenchik on the site visit. Kropuenske testified that he attended the site visit “as a friend to ride along with [the Debtor].” At the time, Kropuenske worked with the Debtor on a commission basis. In the past, Kro-puenske had been the president of a bank for which the Debtor was an investor and a fellow board member.

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Bluebook (online)
510 B.R. 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/community-finance-group-inc-v-fields-in-re-fields-bap8-2014.