Great-West Life & Annuity Assurance Co. v. Parke Imperial Canton, Ltd.

177 B.R. 843, 33 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 217, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 869, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19785, 1994 WL 761948
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedSeptember 23, 1994
Docket5:93 CV 2184. Bankruptcy No. 93-61004
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 177 B.R. 843 (Great-West Life & Annuity Assurance Co. v. Parke Imperial Canton, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Great-West Life & Annuity Assurance Co. v. Parke Imperial Canton, Ltd., 177 B.R. 843, 33 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 217, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 869, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19785, 1994 WL 761948 (N.D. Ohio 1994).

Opinion

*846 MEMORANDUM OPINION

DOWD, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Appellant, the Great-West Life & Annuity-Assurance Company (“Great-West”), pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 158(a) and Bankruptcy Rule 8001(b), appeals from the September 1, 1993 Memorandum of Decision and Order of Northern District of Ohio, Chief Bankruptcy Judge, James H. Williams. Appellee, Chapter 11 debtor in possession, Parke Imperial Canton, Ltd. a.k.a. Parke Hotel Canton (“Parke Imperial”) has filed its brief in opposition. On September 20, 1994 the Court heard oral argument.

II. DECISION OF THE COURT BELOW

In its September 1, 1993 Memorandum of Decision and Order, the Bankruptcy Court held (1) that Great-West had no security interest in the postpetition hotel room revenues and other operating revenues of Parke Imperial because those revenues did not constitute proceeds, rents or profits under 11 U.S.C. § 552(b); (2) that the Motion of Ap-pellee Parke Imperial for Authority to Use Cash Collateral be denied as moot; and (3) that the Court’s July 6, 1993 Order, which had been submitted pursuant to a stipulation between Greab-West and Park Imperial by way of an Agreement for Use of Cash Collateral on a Limited Basis (the “Agreed Order”), be vacated.

During the course of the bankruptcy proceedings below, Great-West hoped to secure its alleged priority position to Parke Imperial’s cash collateral vis a vis the United States Trustee and other secured creditors by obtaining court approval of an Agreed Order between itself and Parke-Imperial. The Trustee and the other creditors — including SouthTrust Bank, FSB (“SouthTrust”) and Imperial House Motel of Canton, Ltd. (“Imperial Motel”) — objected. Based on these objections, the Bankruptcy Court reversed its preliminary approval of the Agreed Order and denied Great-West’s claim that Park Imperial’s cash collateral constituted proceeds, rents or profits of real estate in which Great-West could hold a valid security interest pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 552(b).

The Bankruptcy Court found that because Great-West could not maintain any security interest in Parke Imperial’s postpetition hotel room receipts and operating revenues under 11 U.S.C. § 552(b), Parke Imperial would have no need of “adequate protection” pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363 from security interests which were unenforceable. By not recognizing any security interest held by Great-West in Parke Imperial’s cash collateral, the Bankruptcy Court described the motion to use that collateral as “unnecessary.” The instant appeal challenges the refusal of the Bankruptcy Court to accredit Great-West’s asserted security interest.

For the reasons set forth below, the September 1,1993 Memorandum of Decision and Order of the Bankruptcy Court is affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion. In sum, the Court holds that the question of whether section 552(b) of the Bankruptcy Code encompasses security interests in hotel room and banquet room revenue is a question decided by the interpretation of unique federal statutory law. A plain-language interpretation of section 552(b) indicates that the “profits” exception for the postpetition continuation of prepetition security interests is broad enough to include hotel room and banquet room revenues. Nevertheless, section 552(b) has the additional prerequisite that a creditor comply with the requirements of “applicable nonbankruptcy” law before its provisions will apply. Significantly, Ohio law governs the creation and perfection of security interests that otherwise would be eligible to section 552(b) protection. In this case, even if one assumed for purposes of review that Great-West and Park Imperial created a security interest in banquet room and hotel room revenue under Ohio law, Ohio law still requires such interests to be perfected in accordance with Article 9 of Ohio’s UCC, Ohio Rev.Code §§ 1309.01 to 1309.50. Without having a decision from the Bankruptcy Court as to whether or not Great West properly complied with Article 9 of Ohio’s UCC in attempting to perfect its asserted security interest, the case will be remanded for a *847 determination of Great-West’s compliance with Ohio law and, if necessary, for a determination of the applicability of the equitable exception outlined by 11 U.S.C. § 552(b).

III. BACKGROUND FACTS

On February 26,1974, Imperial House Motel of Canton, Ltd. (“Imperial Motel”) executed and delivered to Citizens Mortgage Corporation (“Citizens”), a mortgage note (the “Note”) in the principal sum of $2,500,000. As security for repayment of the Note, Imperial Motel executed and delivered to Citizens a mortgage (the “Mortgage”) on the hotel property at issue. On the same day, Citizens assigned the Note and the Mortgage to Appellant Great-West Life & Annuity Assurance Company (“Great-West”) with an endorsement upon the original instruments. The Mortgage was recorded on February 28, 1974, in Volume 3769, Page 925 of the Official Records of Stark County Ohio.

The Mortgage provided that Imperial Motel, as Mortgagor, in consideration of the $2,500,000, did,

hereby grant, bargain, sell, convey and warrant unto Mortgagee, its successors and assigns, the premises [of the hotel] ... TOGETHER with all ... the fixtures appurtenant thereto ..., and all property now or hereafter attached to or reasonably necessary to the use of the premises, all of which shall be deemed to be fixtures and shall be a part of the security for the indebtedness herein mentioned and shall be covered by this mortgage; and together with all ... the buildings, improvements,
... rights, liberties, privileges, tenements, hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto appertaining, and the reversions and remainders, rents, issues and profits thereof.

(Mortgage at 1-2).

Imperial Motel also promised that the

Mortgagee shall have the right, at all times while such default exists, forthwith to enter into and upon the premises hereinbe-fore conveyed and take possession thereof or to appoint an agent or trustee for collection of the rents, issues and profits thereof: the net income, after allowing a reasonable fee for the collection thereof and management of the property, may be applied toward payment of ...

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177 B.R. 843, 33 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 217, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 869, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19785, 1994 WL 761948, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/great-west-life-annuity-assurance-co-v-parke-imperial-canton-ltd-ohnd-1994.