Eller Industries, Inc. v. Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing, Inc. (In re Indian Motorcycle Trademark Litigation)

281 B.R. 775, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18201
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedJuly 30, 2002
DocketNos. Civ.A. 02-11522-REK, Civ.A. 95-CV-777; Bankruptcy Nos. 93-41954-HJB, 93-41955-HJB, 94-42288-HJB
StatusPublished

This text of 281 B.R. 775 (Eller Industries, Inc. v. Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing, Inc. (In re Indian Motorcycle Trademark Litigation)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eller Industries, Inc. v. Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing, Inc. (In re Indian Motorcycle Trademark Litigation), 281 B.R. 775, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18201 (D. Mass. 2002).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM IN EXPLANATION AND PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE ORDER

Order No. 1

YOUNG, Chief Judge.

A Case Management Conference (CMC) in these Consolidated Proceedings is set for 9:00 a.m., on Wednesday, September 4, 2002, in Courtroom 3 of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

The next CMC is set for November 15, 2002, at 9:00 a.m., in the same location.

MEMORANDUM IN EXPLANATION

I.

These Consolidated Proceedings have come to this court as a result of an agreement among United States District Judge Rita Weinshienk of the District of Colorado, Magistrate Judge Schlatter of that District, and United States Bankruptcy Judge Henry J. Boroff of the District of Massachusetts, which was accepted and approved by Chief Judge William Young, acting for the United States District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Under the terms of that agreement, Judge Weinsh-ienk and Judge Schlatter transferred proceedings in the District of Colorado to the District of Massachusetts on condition that Bankruptcy Judge Henry J. Boroff recommend withdrawal of the reference to the Bankruptcy Court and that the District Court for the District of Massachusetts approve that recommendation and withdraw the reference to the Bankruptcy Court of all these Consolidated Proceedings.

The consolidation having been ordered, the Consolidated Proceedings have been assigned to the undersigned judge.

[776]*776II.

The first in time of filing of the separate proceedings now consolidated in this Civil Action No. 02-11522-REK in the District of Massachusetts was the Chapter 7 Case, In re Indian Motorcycle Company, Inc., Bankruptcy Case No. 93-41954-HJB.

The following summarized history of the various proceedings is borrowed primarily from the Recommendation of Bankruptcy Judge (Boroff) That District Court Withdraw the Order of Reference.

On July 15, 1993, the involuntary Chapter 7 petition was filed in the District of Massachusetts against Indian Motorcycle Company, Inc., and Indian Motorcycle Apparel and Accessories Company, Inc., affiliated corporations. Id. at 2.

In February of 1994, Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing, Inc., filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of North Carolina. Venue was transferred to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts. This case was later converted to Chapter 7. Id.

In January of 1995, Bankruptcy Judge Boroff ordered that these three bankruptcy estates be jointly administered, and he appointed a single Chapter 7 Trustee. Id.

Later in 1995 a federal receivership proceeding was commenced in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado against Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing, Inc., as Civil Action 95-Z-777 (D.Colo.) (the Receivership Proceeding). Sterling Consulting Corp. was appointed Receiver. Id. at 3.

In October 1995 the Receiver claimed to have purchased 100% of the stock of the bankruptcy debtors as well as certain (but not all) claims against them. The Receiver then claimed to be both a creditor of the bankruptcy debtors and the owner of their equity. Id.

The Trustee and the Receiver engaged in ongoing disputes, negotiations, and ligation, and focused primarily on trademarks and intellectual property claims. Over time, these disputes and efforts to resolve them have resulted in contentious and strained relationships among the Trustee, the Receiver, and many other individuals and entities. Id. at 3-4.

One of the early incidents in this ongoing controversy was the filing by the Receiver on December 12, 1995, of a Motion for Approval of Receiver’s Request for Procedural Order Approving a Procedural Plan for a Coordinated Sale and Coordinated Interim Administration of the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Cases and the Receivership. Id. at 3-4.

Differences between the parties remained, but they too were settled, and the Trustee and the Receiver subsequently filed their “Joint Motion for Approval Stipulation Regarding Coordinated Sale and Coordinated Administration.” Bankruptcy Judge Boroff approved that Stipulation. In essence, the parties agreed that the value in the Trademarks was so great that all creditors in both the receivership and bankruptcy cases would be paid in full. Accordingly, the Receiver and the Trustee agreed to put aside temporarily their conflicting claims to the Trademarks and work together to locate a buyer. Further, in light of the seemingly overlapping jurisdiction by the Bankruptcy Court and the Colorado District Court over the Trademarks until title thereto was determined, it was agreed that the Receiver would take the lead role in locating and negotiating with an appropriate buyer, but no sale could be consummated absent the joint approval of the Colorado District Court and the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court. Id. at 4.

[777]*777Problems continued, notwithstanding the Receiver’s earlier promises to ensure that all bankruptcy creditors would be paid in full. When a buyer (IMCOA Licensing American, Inc. (“IMCOA”)) for the Trademarks was located in late 1998, the Receiver sought in the sale agreements to impose a cap on funds to be paid on account of the bankruptcy estate creditors or exclude some bankruptcy estate creditors altogether. Id. at 4.

When Bankruptcy Judge Boroff indicated his inclination not to approve the sale under those conditions, the Trustee and the Receiver agreed to settle their newest dispute by placing in escrow under their joint signature and control the sum of $3.5 million of the total sale price of $17.3 million (plus other consideration). Id. at 4.

Although the Receiver reserved his right to assert competing claims to those escrowed funds, the Trustee assured Bankruptcy Judge Boroff that the amount escrowed was more than sufficient to pay all bankruptcy estate claims in full. Id. at 4-5.

Accordingly, on January 13, 1999, Bankruptcy Judge Boroff approved the sale to IMCOA. But, in a separate unpublished Memorandum of Decision of even date, he severely criticized the Receiver for what appeared to him to be inappropriate conduct, including actions seemingly designed to goad a jurisdictional dispute between the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court and the Colorado District Court. Id. at 5.

Not unexpectedly, following the approval of the sale, the Receiver and the Trustee had multiple disagreements as to the disposition of the $3.5 million held in escrow, including claims by the Receiver that he was entitled to certain of the funds. But, on September 9, 1999, the Trustee filed a “Motion of Trustee to Authorize and Approve Mutual Release and Settlement Agreement with Sterling Consulting Corporation, as Receiver” (the “Settlement Motion”; the Release and “Settlement Agreement”).

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Bluebook (online)
281 B.R. 775, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18201, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eller-industries-inc-v-indian-motorcycle-manufacturing-inc-in-re-mad-2002.