Evans v. Dearborn MacHinery Movers Co., Inc

200 F.2d 125
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 14, 1953
Docket11515
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 200 F.2d 125 (Evans v. Dearborn MacHinery Movers Co., Inc) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Evans v. Dearborn MacHinery Movers Co., Inc, 200 F.2d 125 (6th Cir. 1953).

Opinion

McALLISTER, Circuit Judge.

Appellant seeks review of an order of the district court enjoining him from prosecuting a suit against the Dearborn Machinery Movers Co., Inc., appellee herein, in the Circuit Court of Wayne County, Michigan, or in any other court, either at law or in equity. Appellee, prior to the institution of such suit, had completed its reorganization in the district court under Chapter X of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S. C.A. § .501 et seq. . .

• Appellant was not listed as a creditor and did not participate in the reorganization proceedings as such, although during their pendency, the trustees, by authority of the district court, made settlement with appellant 'for rent due by him to appellee. The district court found that, at that time, appellant must have become aware that reorganization proceedings were pending, and that he made no claim for damages against the appellee corporation notwithstanding that he should then have 'known of any damages for the recovery of which he might, in the future, make claim.

The damages upon which appellant relied, in the state court, arose out of alleged negligence and breach of contract on the part of appellee caused by improper storage of a large quantity of Silica Gel owned by appellant, which he claimed had been left exposed to the elements, with the result that he was later obliged to sell the material for salvage value only.

‘In its order of confirmation and for consummation of the Plan of Reorganization, the district court directed that, upon the entry of its order, all property and assets of appellee debtor, of whatever nature and description, dealt with by the Plan should be and become vested by operation of law in the debtor, in accordance with the provisions of Section 70 of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C.A. § 110, and that no formal transfer thereof would be necessary. The order further recited: “Thereupon all said property, assets and business of the Debtor shall be returned to the Debtor, and that the same shall be free and clear of all claims and interests of the Debtor’s creditors and stockholders, except only such claims and interests as are specifically provided for in the Plan of Reorganization, as amended, or in this order confirming the Plan.” The claim of appellant was not one of those specifically excepted in the above provision of the order. Thereafter, a final decree was entered by. the district court discharging the debtor of all of its debts and liabilities, with exceptions not here pertinent, • and decreeing that “any and all persons, firms, or corporations having kny claim based upon any debt or liability which have been and are discharged under the provisions of Chapter X of the Bankruptcy Act or of ■this Decree be, and they héreby are forever restrained and enjoined firom prosecuting, either at law or in equity, kny claim against *127 the Debtor based upon such discharged debt or liability.”

Approximately two weeks after the entry of the above decree, appellant instituted his suit at law in the Circuit Court 'for the County of Wayne, State of Michigan, for the damages above mentioned; and appel-lee thereupon filed a petition for an order to show cause why appellant should not be restrained from taking and instituting any further proceedings in connection with the suit. In answer to the order to show cause, appellant claimed that he was a stranger to all of the proceedings referred to in the petition; that he had no knowledge of the reorganization proceedings; that he was not listed as a creditor; that he was not served with any process in said proceedings, and did not voluntarily submit to the same; that the district court, therefore, acquired no jurisdiction over him for any purpose whatsoever; and that appellee’s remedy was to plead the decrees entered in the reorganization proceedings as a defense in the state court suit.

In Title 11 U.S.C.A. § 624, with respect to corporate reorganizations under Chapter X of the Bankruptcy Act, it is provided:

“Effect of confirmation
“Upon confirmation of a plan—
“(.1) the plan and its provisions shall be binding upon the debtor, upon every other corporation issuing securities or acquiring property under the plan, and upon all creditors and stockholders, whether or not such creditors and stockholders are affected by the plan or have accepted it or have filed proofs of their claims or interests and whether or not their claims or interests have been scheduled or allowed or are allowable”.

A consummated reorganization plan in bankruptcy is binding even as against creditors who are not scheduled and who did not know of the proceedings. North American Car Corp. v. Peerless Weighing & Vending Mach. Corp., 2 Cir., 143 F.2d 938. See also Mohonk Realty Corp. v. Wise Shoe (Stores, Inc., 2 Cir., Ill F.2d 287. Appellant’s claim that he was a stranger to the proceedings referred to in the petition, that he had no knowledge of the reorganization and was not listed therein as a creditor or served with process, and did not voluntarily submit to the jurisdiction of the court, is, therefore, no defense to the petition for injunctive relief.

It is further contended by appellant that there was no reservation of jurisdiction by the district court in the final decree in the reorganization proceedings, and that, accordingly, it was without jurisdiction to entertain these proceedings for relief and to enter an order therein after the conclusion of the reorganization proceedings. Appellee, the debtor in the reorganization proceedings, had obtained a full discharge of all debts provable. The final decree in the reorganization proceedings had expressly stated this fact, and specifically enjoined any and all persons, firms, or corporations having any claim based upon any debt or liability which had been and was discharged, from prosecuting, either at law or in equity, any claim against appellee based upon such discharged debt or liability.

The district court, in the instant case, pointed out that the reorganization proceedings did not constitute merely “a plain bankruptcy adjudication.” It declared that the bankrupt’s interests were not alone to be considered but that the efforts of many persons to salvage an otherwise defunct organization were of transcendent importance. It is not in every case that the bankruptcy court is bound to exercise its jurisdiction to issue injunctive relief against the maintenance of suits against a bankrupt debtor. See Local Loan Co. v. Hunt, 292 U.S. 234, 54 S.Ct. 695, 78 L.Ed. 1230. However, where it is necessary to prevent the defeat or impairment of its jurisdiction, a court of bankruptcy clearly has the power to issue injunctive process against creditors of the bankrupt. See Holmes v. Rowe, 9 Cir., 97 F.2d 537.

In the statute setting up courts of bankruptcy and defining their jurisdiction and powers, it is provided that they are invested with such jurisdiction at law and in equity as will enable them to exercise original jurisdiction in bankruptcy proceedings, in the adjudication of persons as *128

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Bluebook (online)
200 F.2d 125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evans-v-dearborn-machinery-movers-co-inc-ca6-1953.