Graphic Productions Corp. v. WWF Paper Corp. (In Re Graphic Productions Corp.)

176 B.R. 65, 8 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 262, 32 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 879, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 2011, 26 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 545
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida.
DecidedDecember 13, 1994
Docket18-26158
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 176 B.R. 65 (Graphic Productions Corp. v. WWF Paper Corp. (In Re Graphic Productions Corp.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida. primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Graphic Productions Corp. v. WWF Paper Corp. (In Re Graphic Productions Corp.), 176 B.R. 65, 8 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 262, 32 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 879, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 2011, 26 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 545 (Fla. 1994).

Opinion

*68 FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

A. JAY CRISTOL, Chief Judge.

This adversary proceeding seeking to avoid prepetition transfers as preferences came before the Court for a trial on September 21, 1994. Upon the evidence presented, the Court enters the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

Findings of Fact

Plaintiff, Graphic Productions Corporation (“GPC”), is seeking to avoid two prepetition transfers made to WWF Paper Corporation (“WWF”). The first is a payment of $149,-554.53 made by GPC to WWF for the sale of paper and the second is the return of six truckloads of paper by GPC to WWF. WWF contends, among other things, that (i) the transfers were made in the ordinary course of business pursuant to § 547(c)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code and (ii) the paper returned to WWF was reclaimed so that, pursuant to § 546(c), the debtor cannot avoid the transfer as a preference.

A. The $14-9,558.53 Payment

At the time the transfers occurred, Miami Paper was a division of WWF. Miami Paper was a wholesale distributor of joblot and excess tonnage paper. 1 GPC was a mid-size printer.

For several years prior to the petition date, Miami Paper sold joblot and excess tonnage paper to GPC on a regular basis.

The President of Miami Paper, AI Kaplan, who was responsible for WWF’s account with GPC, testified that the payment terms between GPC and WWF were 60 days from the Invoice date but that GPC usually paid WWF several weeks after the 60 day period expired. GPC’s president, Pete Pizarro, confirmed that GPC typically paid WWF 90 days from the invoice date.

During the two years preceding GPC’s Chapter 11 petition, WWF and GPC engaged in 20 transactions. Those transactions are summarized as follows:

Invoice # Invoice Date Invoice Amount Date Pmts Received Amount Paid Days Between Invoice Date and Date Payments Received
153456 07/16/91 $ 709.80 09/26/91 $ 709.80 72
154081 07/17/91 392.00 09/26/91 392.00 71
154369 07/18/91 804.44 09/26/91 804.44 70
155988 07/23/91 920.70 09/26/91 920.70 65
156141 07/24/91 770.40 09/26/91 770.40 64
169406 08/02/91 3,665.20 10/23/91 3,665.20 82
171173 09/09/91 36,967.78 11/20/91 36,967.78 72
171192 10/04/91 37,832.90 12/11/91 37.832.90 68
178312 10/14/91 37,227.56* 12/18/91 33,875.58 ■ 65
10/14/91 10/06/92 3,351.98 (358)
199103 11/29/91 70,206.68* 01/17/92 35,206.68 (49)
11/29/91 02/06/92 35,000.00 69
189968 02/03/92 72,659.04* 05/15/92 69,814.12 102
02/03/92 10/06/92 2,626.24 (246)
216954 03/19/92 89,717.61 06/30/92 89,717.61 103
237724 06/03/92 90,289.90* 08/14/92 45,000.00 (72)
06/03/92 08/31/92 45.289.90 89
275898 07/24/92 34,424.25 10/16/92 34,424.25 84
280026 08/06/92 19,351.44 11/24/92 19,351.44 110
283518 08/19/92 19,477.92 11/24/92 19,477.92 97
287821 09/03/92 19,857.36* 12/30/92 10,000.00 (118)
09/03/92 01/29/93 9,857.36 148
*69 Invoice # Days Between Invoice Date and Invoice Invoice Date Pmts Date Payments Date Amount Received Amount Paid Received
293141 09/22/92 19,686.61 01/29/93 19,686.61 129
354495 03/19/93 74,720.53 06/11/93. 74,720.53 84
354498 03/19/93 74,834.00 06/11/93 74,834.00 84
* denotes multiple payments on one invoice 2

The alleged preferential payment of $149,-554.53 was made on June 8, 1993 and received by WWF on June 11 which is 84 days after the invoice date of March 19, 1993. This payment was not made in response to any collection procedures by WWF.

B. Return of the Paper

On April 8, 1993, GPC ordered 14 truckloads of paper from WWF. Six truckloads were actually delivered by WWF to GPC. Two truckloads were delivered on June 8, 1993. Two truckloads were delivered on June 9,1993. Two truckloads were delivered on June 10, 1993 (collectively, the “Paper”).

On or about the time the Paper was delivered, GPC’s purchasing agent, Carol Alvarado, telephoned Don Palmer, WWF’s Vice President, and asked him to cancel all outstanding purchase orders. Mr. Palmer testified that Ms. Alvarado told him that the orders were being canceled because GPC did not need this Paper and would not be using this quality of paper anymore. On the next day, Mr. Kaplan telephoned Ms. Alvarado and asked her why the purchase orders were canceled. Ms. Alvarado did not confirm that the purchase orders were canceled and did not discuss the return of the Paper which GPC had just received.

On June 12, 1993, GPC sold its stock to Penta Management Group, Inc. (“Penta”). Pete Pizarro, the current president of GPC, was the president of Penta at the time of the sale. Noel Hernandez was the principal shareholder of GPC before the stock sale. Mr. Hernandez personally guaranteed payment of all paper delivered by WWF to GPC. As part of the stock-sale, Penta agreed to indemnify Mr. Hernandez for any payments he made on his personal guarantee if GPC filed bankruptcy.

On June 16, 1993, Mr. Hernandez sent a letter to Mr. Kaplan requesting that his personal guarantee be revoked. On the next day, WWF’s Credit Manager, Doug Powell, sent a letter to Mr. Hernandez refusing to revoke the personal guarantee until the Paper was paid for.

On June 18,1993, Ms. Alvarado telephoned Mr. Kaplan and informed him that GPC had moved the Paper to Security Bonded Warehouse and would return the Paper to WWF if Mr. Kaplan wrote her a letter demanding return of the paper and stating that WWF would pay the storage and transportation charges. 3 In accordance with Ms. Alvarado’s instruction, on that same day, Mr. Kaplan sent a letter by facsimile to Ms. Alvarado requesting that the Paper be transferred to WWF and stating that WWF would pay the transportation and storage charges. On June 21, 1993, GPC returned the Paper to WWF. On June 22, 1993, Mr. Pizarro informed Mr. Kaplan for the first time that GPC’s stock had been sold.

Conclusions of Law

A. The $14,9,554-. S3 Payment

1. The $14-9,554.53 payment was made in the ordinary course of business under § 547(c)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code.

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176 B.R. 65, 8 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 262, 32 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 879, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 2011, 26 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 545, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/graphic-productions-corp-v-wwf-paper-corp-in-re-graphic-productions-flsb-1994.