Hunter Savings Ass'n v. Georgetown of Kettering Ltd. (In Re Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd.)

14 B.R. 72, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 3032
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedSeptember 2, 1981
DocketAdv. No. 3-81-0324, Bankruptcy No. 3-81-00700
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 14 B.R. 72 (Hunter Savings Ass'n v. Georgetown of Kettering Ltd. (In Re Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hunter Savings Ass'n v. Georgetown of Kettering Ltd. (In Re Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd.), 14 B.R. 72, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 3032 (Ohio 1981).

Opinion

DECISION

CHARLES A. ANDERSON, Bankruptcy Judge.

PRELIMINARY PROCEDURE

On 29 August 1980, Hunter Savings Association filed a complaint in foreclosure in the Common Pleas Court of Montgomery County, Ohio against Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd. et al.

On 4 March 1981 an involuntary petition was filed by a partner in the Bankruptcy Court against Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd., an Ohio Limited Partnership, under 11 U.S.C. Chapter 11, in which an Order for Relief was entered on 1 May 1981.

The state court foreclosure suit was removed to the Bankruptcy Court on 19 May 1981.

Upon completion of pretrial discovery proceedings, and a pretrial conference on 25 June 1981, a pretrial order was finalized and entered on 20 July 1981, bifurcating the issues so that the only issues to be tried pertained to the action on the promissory notes, secured by real estate on the Chapter 11 res, reserving all questions as to disposition of the property to be resolved conform-ably to the Chapter 11 process and preserving all stays effective in the bankruptcy case, at the instance of the Bankruptcy Judge.

The matter is now before the Court upon the pleadings, the Pretrial Order, and the evidence adduced at a trial conducted on 20 July 1981.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Plaintiff’s complaint sues eight Defendants, as follows: (1) Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd., a limited partnership holding title to the multi-family apartment mortgaged to secure two promissory notes made to Plaintiff and the subject of the foreclosure action; (2) W & F Investment Co., a general partner of GWF Investment, Ltd.; (3) GWF Investment, Ltd., which holds the sole general partnership interest in Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd. and Acme Precision Bldg., Ltd.; (4) Acme Precision Bldg., Ltd., a limited partnership owning property on Findlay Street in the City of Dayton, Ohio, which property was mortgaged to Hunter under a guaranty agreement; (5) Frederic E. Gagel, a partner in GWF Investment, Ltd., and a comaker of the notes and mortgages in this action; (6) H. Garrett Frey, a partner in W & F Investment Co., and, also, a comaker of the notes and mortgages in this action; John L. Evans, Jr., as Executor of the Estate of Steven W. Williams, deceased, who held a partnership interest in W & F Investment Co., and a co-maker on the notes and mortgages in this action, who also signed as President of Wilfrey Management Co., a comaker.

Acme Precision Bldg., Ltd. filed a Chapter 11 Reorganization on 29 October, 1980 and GWF Investment, Ltd. filed a Chapter 11 Reorganization on 4 March 1981.

In early 1978, H. Garrett Frey, Steven Williams and Frederic Gagel formed a limited partnership known as Georgetown of *74 Kettering, Ltd. for purpose of acquiring a loan and purchasing the apartment complex known as “Georgetown of Kettering”. Said partners initially sought a 9V2% loan with Hunter Savings Association (Hunter). Gagel, Williams and Frey were negotiating with other lenders at the same time that talks were going on with Hunter. As a part of the negotiations Hunter represented they would make every effort to sell the contemplated $5,000,000.00 note and mortgage to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”). Frey, Williams and Gagel understood such sale to FHLMC would remove them from personal liability on the loan and entered into the loan transaction with Hunter on that basis. Hunter raised the rate of interest from the original 9%% level to 9%% as a result of such arrangement.

The loan officers at Hunter admitted that they had not had experience with FHLMC previously but would draft all documents with the purpose of complying with the underwriting documentation requirements of FHLMC, with the purpose of eliminating the personal liability of the partners as comakers. Accordingly, the loan documents prepared by Hunters were forwarded to the partners early in February for their approval as to form.

On March 2, 1978, defendants, Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd. Steven F. Williams, individually, (now deceased and represented in these proceedings by defendant, John L. Evans, Jr., as Executor of the Estate of Steven F. Williams, Deceased), H. Garrett Frey, individually, and Frederic F. Gagel, individually, executed and delivered to plaintiff, Hunter Savings Association, their “Multi-Family Note” on a “FNMA/FHLMC Uniform Instrument”, in the principal sum of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00), with the added guaranties and security mentioned previously from other legal entities.

Also on March 2, 1978, the defendants Georgetown of Kettering, Ltd., the said Steven F. Williams, individually, H. Garrett Frey, individually, and Frederic E. Gagel, individually, executed and delivered to plaintiff, Hunter Savings Association, their note in the principal sum of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), representing the amount of the loan not transferable to FHLMC.

Both of the mortgages were duly entered of record on March 3 in the office of the Recorder of Montgomery County, Ohio. The 5-million multi-family mortgage was on an FHLMC form, and the $150,000.00 mortgage was on a standard Hunter form.

Another document prepared by Hunter and executed simultaneously by the same parties on 2 March 1978 was a Mortgage Loan Modification Agreement to change the rate of interest chargeable in the event of default and the formula for calculation of “late charges” (referring to paragraph 3 and 4 in the $5-million note and covenant 19 of the mortgage), reciting that, “Hunter is contemplating a possible sale of the loan to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) in the future.” The effect of the modification was to raise the default rates, prepayment penalty clause, and the acceleration upon sale and other contingencies, to make endorsement more appealing on FHLMC terms.

Another document prepared by Hunter and executed simultaneously by the same parties at the closing on 2 March 1978 was a Loan Agreement, required by Hunter augment to “terms and conditions given in the other instruments evidencing and securing” the $5-million loan. In pertinent part, collateral required in addition to the multifamily apartment complex (17+ acres of additional land and an industrial building at 215 N. Findlay Street, Dayton, Ohio) was to be released (before payment of the entire debt) “when this loan is sold to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)” or the lump sum payment of $150,000.00 for either of the extra properties. It was also provided that $200,000.00 of the loan proceeds would be held in escrow pending completion of a list of capital improvements (which was later disbursed); and, $200,000.00 would be held in escrow until verified actual rentals received from the apartment project “were, or will reach $1,000,000.00 for any twelve month period.” *75 This latter $200,000.00 escrow fund was to be placed by Hunter in a six-month certificate of deposit at 6%. There were, in addition, several other extensive provisions one of which required the borrowers to deposit all security deposits for a year unto a Hunter passbook savings account as additional collateral and maintained at $33,000.00 for five years; and, to furnish to Hunter monthly financial statements and annual “audited statements” by March 31st of each year.

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14 B.R. 72, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 3032, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hunter-savings-assn-v-georgetown-of-kettering-ltd-in-re-georgetown-of-ohsb-1981.