Harrison Properties, Ltd. v. Spears (In re Swaffar)

222 B.R. 326, 1998 Bankr. LEXIS 813
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Arkansas
DecidedJuly 8, 1998
DocketBankruptcy No. 95-40532M; Adversary No. 96-4146
StatusPublished

This text of 222 B.R. 326 (Harrison Properties, Ltd. v. Spears (In re Swaffar)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harrison Properties, Ltd. v. Spears (In re Swaffar), 222 B.R. 326, 1998 Bankr. LEXIS 813 (Ark. 1998).

Opinion

ORDER

JAMES G. MIXON, Chief Judge.

On July 22,1996, Harrison Properties Ltd. and Gary R. “Butch” McCallum (“McCal-lum”) filed the above-captioned complaint against Shantilal Patel, Pragna Patel (“the Patels”), an entity styled AMBA, LLC (“AMBA”), and other defendants. The relief sought against AMBA and the Patels is a determination that AMBA holds title to certain real estate (“the motel property”) located in Boone County, Arkansas, in trust for Harrison Properties, Ltd. and/or McCallum.

On February 19, 1998, McCallum and Harrison Properties filed a motion for partial summary judgment for the return of the real property in question. On March 18, 1998, the Patels and AMBA filed a counter motion for summary judgment.

The proceeding before the Court is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(0), and the Court has jurisdiction to enter a final judgment in the case. The following shall constitute the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7052.

STANDARD FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Summary judgment should be granted only where it appears that there is no genuine dispute as to material facts and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Fed.R.Bankr.P. [328]*3287056; Fields v. Gander, 734 F.2d 1313, 1314 (8th Cir.1984); Schieffler v. Pulaski Bank & Trust Co. (In re Molitor), 183 B.R. 547, 549 (Bankr.E.D.Ark.1995); Toshiba Am. Inc. v. Video King of Ill., Inc. (In re Video King of Ill., Inc.), 100 B.R. 1008, 1012 (Bankr.N.D.Ill.1989). In determining whether a genuine issue of material fact exists, the Court must view the facts in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion for summary judgment and must give that party the benefit of all reasonable inferences drawn from the underlying facts. AgriStor Leasing v. Farrow, 826 F.2d 732, 734 (8th Cir.1987)(citing Economy Housing Co. v. Continental Forest Products, Inc. 757 F.2d 200, 203 (8th Cir.1985)); Fields, 734 F.2d at 1314. To be material, the fact in dispute must affect the outcome of the suit. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

A party opposing a motion for summary judgment may not rely upon the mere allegations of its pleadings hut must instead set forth, by affidavit or otherwise, specific facts showing that a genuine issue exists for trial. Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(e); Fed.R.Bankr.P. 7056. Chauffeurs, Teamsters & Helpers Local Union 238 v. C.R.S.T., Inc., 795 F.2d 1400, 1402-03 (8th Cir.), (citing Fed.R.Bankr.P. 54(e); Buford v. Tremayne, 747 F.2d 445, 447 (8th Cir.1984); Bouta v. American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, 746 F.2d 453, 454 (8th Cir.1984)).

UNDISPUTED FACTS

Both parties attached affidavits and other written materials in support of their respective motions for summary judgment and from a review of these documents, the following facts appear to be undisputed:

1. Eldenrod Partnership is a general partnership whose partners are Thomas J. Simpson, M.D., Alice Laule, Don Collins, and E.V. Monson, Jr. Harrison Properties, Ltd., is a general partnership that, when formed April 1, 1986, consisted of the following partners and ownership interests: Eldenrod Partnership (48%), Joe T. Swaffar (26%), and Gary M. “Butch” McCallum (26%).

2. The motel property located in Boone County, Arkansas, was transferred from the First National Bank of Harrison, Arkansas, to Harrison Properties, Ltd. by deed dated August 6,1985.

3. The partnership agreement of Harrison Properties, Ltd. provided in part as follows:

Title to real property if any, although in the name of the Partner or Partners, shall be deemed to be held by the partnership as if conveyed by such Partner or Partners to the partnership by appropriate deed of conveyance.
No Partner shall, without the consent of the other partners, ... shall, on behalf of the partnership ... sell or contract to sell, any property ... of the partnership other than the type of property bought and sold in the regular course of its business.

(Harrison Properties, Ltd. Partnership Agreement at ¶¶ 6(b) & 8.)

4. On March 28, 1991, McCallum gave notice of his intention to withdraw from Harrison Properties, Ltd., and the offer to withdraw was accepted May 23, 1991. Thereafter, McCallum and Swaffar engaged in litigation concerning the issue of the value of the withdrawing partner’s interest in an action in the Chancery Court of Pulaski County, Arkansas.

5. On March 5, 1993, a foreclosure suit and accompanying Lis Pendens was filed against the motel property by National Mortgage Company which held a first mortgage on the motel property. The foreclosure action was dismissed and the lis pendens notice was satisfied on August 19,1993.

6. On August 15, 1993, Swaffar, acting as “managing” partner of Harrison Properties, Ltd., executed a deed to the motel property to Motel Managers, Inc., for a purchase price of $1,500,000. The sale proceeds were disbursed as follows:

Excess deposit $200,000.00
Settlement charges 11,900.00
Payoff first mortgage 975,000.00
Payoff second mortgage 66,860.73
Payoff UBT 189,512,81
Payoff to BOM 53,258.06
County taxes 3,468.40
Total $1,500,000.00

[329]*3297. Motel Managers, Inc. is a corporation owned by Donald Spears and Nell Spears.

8. On November 17, 1994, the Honorable Annabelle Imber, Chancellor, issued an Order valuing McCallum’s interest as a withdrawing partner at $160,451.72. The Order further provided that if the amount of McCallum’s interest was not paid by 4:30 p.m. Friday, November 18,1994, then “Plaintiff [McCallum] shall retain ownership of his 26% partnership interest in Harrison Properties, Ltd., with all rights, powers and privileges attendant thereto.” (Patel Motion for Summary Judgment, Ex. 6.)

9.

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Related

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Zach v. Schulman
210 S.W.2d 124 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1948)
Abbott v. Parker
147 S.W. 70 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1912)
Weiser-Brown Oil Co. v. Sneed
577 S.W.2d 1 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1979)
Fields v. Gander
734 F.2d 1313 (Eighth Circuit, 1984)
Buford v. Tremayne
747 F.2d 445 (Eighth Circuit, 1984)
AgriStor Leasing v. Farrow
826 F.2d 732 (Eighth Circuit, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
222 B.R. 326, 1998 Bankr. LEXIS 813, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harrison-properties-ltd-v-spears-in-re-swaffar-areb-1998.