Heritage Real Estate Investment, Inc.

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Mississippi·Decided May 12, 2021·No. 14-03603·Unknown

Opinion

SO ORDERED, 2 EP Sy Vp Aa * | A. Pv \ee hy ‘ □□□ ne w= Judge Neil potad ON ee aS United States Bankruptcy Jud ah □□ Gale Stns Rakonty Se STRICT The Order of the Court is set forth below. The docket reflects the date entered.

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI IN RE: HERITAGE REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT, INC., CASE NO. 14-03603-NPO DEBTOR. CHAPTER 7 MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER: (1) OVERRULING OBJECTION TO MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF AUCTION CONTRACT/ PROPOSAL, SALE OF PROPERTY, FREE AND CLEAR OF LIENS AND AUCTIONEER’S FEES AND EXPENSES AND (2) GRANTING MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF AUCTION CONTRACT/PROPOSAL, SALE OF PROPERTY, FREE AND CLEAR OF LIENS AND AUCTIONEER’S FEES AND EXPENSES This matter came before the Court for hearing on May 4, 2021 (the “Hearing’’) on the Motion for Approval of Auction Contract/Proposal, Sale of Property, Free and Clear of Liens and Auctioneer’s Fees and Expenses (the “Third Sale Motion”) (Bankr. Dkt. 626)! filed by the chapter 7 trustee, J. Stephen Smith (the “Trustee’”), of the bankruptcy estate of the debtor, Heritage Real Estate Investment, Inc. (“Heritage”), and the Objection to Motion for Approval of Auction Contract/Proposal, Sale of Property, Free and Clear of Liens and Auctioneer’s Fees and Expenses

' Citations to docket entries in the above-referenced bankruptcy case (the “Bankruptcy Case”) are cited as “(Bankr. Dkt.__)” and citations to docket entries in Harrison v. Heritage Real Estate Investment, Inc., adversary proceeding number 20-00029-NPO (the “Adversary”) are cited as “(Adv. Dkt. y’.

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(the “Objection”) (Bankr. Dkt. 639) filed by William Harrison (“Harrison”), the Estate of Bruce L. Johnson (“Johnson”),2 and Michael L. King (“King”) (collectively, the “Harrison Parties”) in the Bankruptcy Case. At the Hearing, Jim F. Spencer, Jr. represented the Trustee, and Jeff D. Rawlings represented the Harrison Parties. Before the Hearing, the Trustee and the Harrison Parties filed numerous exhibits using a docket event created for that purpose.3 Because neither

the Trustee nor the Harrison Parties introduced any of the exhibits into evidence at the Hearing, the Court does not consider them in reaching its decision. Jurisdiction The Court has jurisdiction over the parties to and subject matter of this proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334. This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A), (N), and (O). Notice of the Hearing was proper under the circumstances. Facts4 On August 25, 2011, the Harrison Parties obtained a default judgment against Heritage, Alabama-Mississippi Farm, Inc. (“AL-MS Farm”),5 Luke Edwards, and Apostolic Advancement

Association in the Circuit Court of Greene County, Alabama, in the amount of $6,599,648.00 (the “Alabama Default Judgment”). (Adv. Dkt. 1 at 2). A copy of the Alabama Default Judgment was filed with the Probate Office of Sumter County, Alabama.6 (Adv. Dkt. 1 at 2).

2 Johnson died in 2019. For brevity, all references to Johnson after 2019 are to his estate.

3 See Notice Regarding Hearings in Jackson Division (Judge Neil P. Olack) (July 1, 2020), mssb.uscourts.gov/special-notices/court-hearings/.

4 The Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law in accordance with Rule 7052 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.

5 AL-MS Farm commenced a bankruptcy case (No. 16-01156-NPO) on March 31, 2016.

6 There is a dispute as to whether this filing satisfied the requirements of Alabama law for the creation of a judicial lien, an issue that is not before the Court. See ALA. CODE § 6-9-210. In an attempt to collect the Alabama Default Judgment, the Harrison Parties filed the Complaint for Fraudulent Transfer of Real Estate and for an Injunction in the Circuit Court of Sumter County, Alabama (the “Alabama Fraudulent Transfer Litigation”) against Heritage. The Harrison Parties sought to set aside fourteen (14) quitclaim deeds signed by Heritage conveying

seventeen (17) tracts of land in Sumter County, Alabama (the “Sumter County Property”) to Dynasty Group, Inc. (“Dynasty”), a related entity. (Adv. Dkt. 1, Ex. A). They alleged that Heritage transferred the Sumter County Property to Dynasty for no consideration with the intent to defraud them in violation of the Alabama Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act. Bankruptcy Case On November 6, 2014, Heritage filed a petition for relief under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. (Bankr. Dkt. 1). On January 21, 2015, the Court converted the Bankruptcy Case to chapter 7 (Bankr. Dkt. 75) and appointed the Trustee to administer Heritage’s bankruptcy estate. The Trustee’s duties in the Bankruptcy Case include “collect[ing] and reduc[ing] to money the property of the estate” and “if a purpose would be served, . . . object[ing] to the allowance of

any claim that is improper.” 11 U.S.C. § 704(a)(1), (5). Adjudication of Proofs of Claim Two nearly identical proofs of claim were filed in the Bankruptcy Case on behalf of the Harrison Parties on May 21, 2015. (Bankr. Cl. 11-1, 13-1). Johnson filed a proof of claim on behalf of himself, King, and Harrison, asserting a secured claim in the amount of $9,094,862.00 (“POC 11”) (Bankr. Cl. 11-1). The basis for POC 11 was the Alabama Default Judgment, and the claim was purportedly secured by “Default Judgments.” (Bankr. Cl. 11-1). Harrison filed a separate proof of claim on behalf of “Johnson, et al” asserting a secured claim in the amount of $9,094,862.00 (“POC 13”) (Bankr. Cl. 13-1). The basis for POC 13 was the Alabama Default Judgment, and the claim was purportedly secured by the “Judgment.” (Bankr. Cl. 13-1). The Trustee filed objections to POC 11 and POC 13. (Bankr. Dkt. 308, 309). He filed the Trustee’s Objection to Proof of Claim No. 11 Filed by Bruce L. Johnson (the “Trustee’s Objection

to POC 11”) (Bankr. Dkt. 308), asserting that POC 11 was a duplicate of POC 13 and should be disallowed. He filed the Trustee’s Objection to Proof of Claim No. 13 Filed by William Harrison on Behalf of Johnson, et al. (“Trustee’s Objection to POC 13”) (Bankr. Dkt. 309), asking that POC 13 be allowed as a general unsecured claim in the amount of $8,047,163.52. The Trustee stated that he was unaware of any basis for POC 13 to be allowed as a secured claim and disputed the amount of the claim asserted by Harrison. Further, the Trustee asserted that a claim on behalf of the Harrison Parties also had been filed in the bankruptcy case of AL-MS Farm, thus “[a]ny disbursement of funds from this case to the parties, or from the AL-MS [Farm bankruptcy] case should be applied to the balance owed under the [Alabama Default] Judgment, in order to prevent any duplication of recovery on behalf of Johnson, Harrison, and King.” (Bankr. Dkt. 309). The

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Heritage Real Estate Investment, Inc., (Miss. 2021).

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