Homeowner's Rehab, Inc. v. Related Corporate V SLP, LP

34 Mass. L. Rptr. 14
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court, Suffolk County
DecidedSeptember 13, 2016
DocketSUCV20143807BLS2
StatusPublished

This text of 34 Mass. L. Rptr. 14 (Homeowner's Rehab, Inc. v. Related Corporate V SLP, LP) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court, Suffolk County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Homeowner's Rehab, Inc. v. Related Corporate V SLP, LP, 34 Mass. L. Rptr. 14 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2016).

Opinion

Sanders, Janet L., J.

This case arises from competing interpretations of agreements executed in connection with the rehabilitation of an affordable housing complex in Cambridge. Plaintiff Homeowner’s Rehab Inc. (HRI) was the nonprofit sponsor of the development. Plaintiff Memorial Drive Housing, Inc. (Memorial Drive) is the General Partner under a Limited Partnership Agreement entered into among the par[15]*15ties. Plaintiffs instituted this action against the Limited Partners, contending that the defendants’ interpretation of that agreement together with a related Option Agreement effectively prevents HRI from exercising a right of first refusal conferred upon it when the partnership was formed. The defendants have asserted counterclaims alleging among other things that, in an effort to trigger that right of first refusal in favor of HRI, plaintiffs breached their fiduciary duties to defendants.

In July 2015 this Court (Roach, J.) denied plaintiffs’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (the July 2015 Decision). Although the Court noted that the plaintiffs appeared to be on strong ground in their interpretation of the relevant documents and that “much of what will ultimately be required to construe the Agreement is already available,” Judge Roach agreed with the defendants that there were factual issues remaining as to whether plaintiffs had put their own interests first in the manner by which they had gone about invoking their rights and obtaining an offer on the Property, particularly since she was bound at that stage in the proceedings to take as true all the factual allegations contained in defendants’ counterclaims. Judge Roach also pointed out that Memorial Drive apparently had not given defendants access to the partnership’s books and records, which might be relevant to the issues before the Court. Discovery was conducted, and the plaintiffs, essentially renewing the arguments they made before Judge Roach but on a more complete factual record, now move for summary judgment in their favor. This Court concludes that the plaintiffs’ Motion must be Allowed.

BACKGROUND

The summary judgment record contains the following undisputed facts. In July 1997, the parties entered into an extensively negotiated and documented deal for the redevelopment, rehabilitation and financing of land and buildings located at 808-812 Memorial Drive in Cambridge as affordable housing (the Property). In furtherance of that project, the parties established a Limited Partnership, with their rights and obligations set forth in a Limited Partnership Agreement. Memorial Drive is the General Partner of the partnership. Defendant Centerline Corporate Partners V L.P. (Cen-terline) is the Limited Partner, and the defendant Related Corporate V SLP L.P. (Related) is the Special Limited Partner or SLP. HRI was the nonprofit sponsor of the redevelopment of the Property and a majority owner of Memorial Drive. The partnership acquired a 99-year lease for the Properly. The Properly is owned by a charitable trust created by HRI, with HRI designated as the trust’s sole beneficiary.

The Properly consists of 211 affordable apartment units, 89 market rate units, commercial space and a 262-space parking garage. As a “qualified low-income housing project,” it was eligible for financing under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) provision of the Internal Revenue Code., 26 U.S.C. §42 (Section 42). LIHTC projects generate tax credits for equity investors over a ten-year period and are subject to a 15-year “compliance” period in which they must be maintained as affordable housing if investors are to avoid recapture of the tax benefits. The compliance period for the Property here ended December 31,2012.

Pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, the defendants as Limited Partners acquired a 99.98 percent interest in the partnership and made capital contributions of $6.9 million — an amount directly tied to the amount of tax credits that the Limited Partners anticipated receiving. As General Partner, Memorial Drive made a small capital contribution but was to have “full and complete charge of the management of the business of the partnership in accordance with its purpose,” Section 5.1A. That purpose is defined in Section 2.5A of the Partnership Agreement as “investment in real properly and the provision of low income housing through the construction, renovation, rehabilitation, operation and leasing” of the Properly.

As part of the deal and in accordance with Section 42, the Partnership executed a Right of First Refusal and Option Agreement (the Option Agreement). The Option Agreement was between the Limited Partnership and HRI (described as the “Holder”). The Option Agreement provided HRI with two potential mechanisms by which it could acquire the Partnership’s interest in the Property. The first mechanism was set forth in Section 2 and 3 and gave HRI a Right of First Refusal (ROFR), described as “absolute, exclusive, and continuing.” Section 2 described how and when this right could be exercised:

Notice of Disposition: At any time commencing on the date hereof and ending on the date which is four years after the last day of the 15-year compliance period with respect to the Property pursuant to Section 42 of the Code, the Partnership shall not directly or indirectly grant, sell, transfer, exchange, assign, give or otherwise dispose of its interest in the Properly without it first being offered in writing to the Holder in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and until at least ninety (90) days after the Partnership shall have delivered to the Holder notice of an offer to purchase the Property from such purchaser (hereinafter the “Disposition Notice”). The Disposition Notice shall specify the portion of the Property proposed to be disposed, the names and addresses of each person or entity to whom the Partnership proposes to make such disposition, the consideration payable therefore (“the Third-Party Price”), and all other terms of the proposed disposition, together with a copy of any executed or proposed agreement(s) setting forth the terms of the proposed disposition and all other instruments related thereto, a statement indicating whether the Partnership is willing to accept the offer and the Partnership’s estimate of the Restricted Market Price as hereinafter defined.

As to the price that HRI would pay if it were to exercise its ROFR, that was described in Section 3 of [16]*16the Option Agreement: HRI could acquire the Partnership’s interest for the lesser of three prices: a) the “Section 42 Price” (a term defined by 26 U.S.C. 42 ((i) (7)); b) the “Third-Party Price as specified in the Disposition Notice”; or c) the “Restricted Market Price.” The Restricted Market Price is fair market value, subject to certain restrictions encumbering the Property.

The second mechanism by which HRI could acquire the interest of the Partnership was set forth in Section 6 of the Option Agreement. That provision stated that HRI could, at the end of the 15-year compliance period, make its own offer to acquire the Property. As to what the purchase price would be, only one option was given: HRI had to pay the Restricted Market Price. Under this provision, the Partnership could dispute the price proposed by HRI and the matter would then be submitted to an appraiser.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Donahue v. Rodd Electrotype Co. of New England, Inc.
328 N.E.2d 505 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1975)
Fronk v. Fowler
923 N.E.2d 503 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2010)
Blank v. Chelmsford Ob/Gyn, P.C.
649 N.E.2d 1102 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1995)
Krapf v. Krapf
786 N.E.2d 318 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2003)
Uno Restaurants, Inc. v. Boston Kenmore Realty Corp.
805 N.E.2d 957 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2004)
Chokel v. Genzyme Corp.
867 N.E.2d 325 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 Mass. L. Rptr. 14, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/homeowners-rehab-inc-v-related-corporate-v-slp-lp-masssuperctsuff-2016.