Iannacone v. Capital City Bank (In Re Richards)

58 B.R. 233, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 6776
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedFebruary 3, 1986
Docket18-33685
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 58 B.R. 233 (Iannacone v. Capital City Bank (In Re Richards)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Iannacone v. Capital City Bank (In Re Richards), 58 B.R. 233, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 6776 (Minn. 1986).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM ORDER FOR JUDGMENT

DENNIS D. O’BRIEN, Bankruptcy Judge.

This adversary proceeding came on for trial on October 28, 1985, by complaint of Michael Iannacone, trustee, seeking to avoid certain transfers as fraudulent pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 548 and seeking declaratory judgment of ownership, rights and priorities among the parties regarding a certain collection of artwork. The trustee appeared and represented himself; Defendants Capital City Bank and Oak Park Heights State Bank appeared by their attorney, Richard Donohoo; Defendant Cosmopolitan State Bank of Stillwater is represented in the proceedings by its attorney, Robert Briggs, but did not appear and was not represented at trial; and Defendant Heritage National Bank appeared by its attorney, Michael Fleming. Based upon *234 the testimony and documentary evidence received at trial, upon the arguments and briefs of counsel, and upon all of the records and files herein, and being fully advised in the matter, the Court now makes this Order pursuant to the Federal and Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.

I.

FACTS

This litigation concerns a certain collection of artwork referred to by the parties as “The Bob Brown Collection”. Michael Iannacone, trustee in these three bankruptcies, brought the action for judgment determining the rights of the parties in the artwork arising from a series of financial transactions crafted by Keith Richards and others.

Mr. Richards and his wife acquired the “The Bob Brown Collection” as an investment sometime prior to May 11, 1979. K-Pat, Inc., (K-Pat) is a corporation formed by the Richards on May 11, 1979, on advice of an accountant for the purpose of marketing the artwork and thereby realizing substantial tax savings to them. K-Pat did not receive title to “The Bob Brown Collection” until May 9, 1983, and was not, either before or after, an active corporation. It never filed any tax returns and the artwork was never marketed. The Richards are each 50 percent shareholders in K-Pat.

C.N.L., Inc., is a corporation organized by Mr. Richards in 1981 for the purpose of owning and operating a nightclub known as “The Hideaway”. He is the . corporation’s sole shareholder.

Mr. Richards filed for relief under Title 11 U.S.C. Chapter 11 on December 18, 1983. The case was subsequently converted to Chapter 7 on April 12, 1984. Prior to the filing, he incurred substantial indebtedness, both directly and by guarantee, as a result of personal and corporate business ventures. The Defendants in this proceeding are among those who became creditors of Mr. Richards or C.N.L., Inc., and each Defendant was granted a security interest in “The Bob Brown Collection” at some stage of financial dealing.

On December 23,1982, Mr. Richards executed a Note payable to Defendant Oak Park Heights State Bank (Oak Park) in the principal amount of $95,025.00. In that same month, C.N.L., Inc., executed a Note, guaranteed by Richards, payable to Defendant Capital City Bank (Capital) in the principal amount of $225,000.00. Both notes were unsecured and by the Spring of 1983, both were in default.

In March and April of 1983, Oak Park and Capital commenced discussions with Mr. Richards regarding the future of these loans. By April 18, as a result of several meetings wherein Mr. Richards’ overall financial circumstances were reviewed and various alternatives discussed, the Banks demanded the securing of their positions or full payment on the obligations. The only viable unsecured asset available to secure the Banks was “The Bob Brown Collection”. The parties apparently thought that the artwork had value in excess of $500,-000.00. However, its actual value did not likely exceed $150,000.00, which was substantially short of the combined obligations owing the two Banks. 1 Mr. Richards was insolvent at the time.

Based on prior financial statements issued by Mr. Richards and from the discussions that took place, Oak Park and Capital believed K-Pat to be the owner of the artwork. Accordingly, on April 20, 1983, the Banks obtained from K-Pat a security interest in the “The Bob Brown Collection” securing the debts owing by C.N.L., Inc., and Keith Richards. 2 Two days later, the Banks requested by letter that they be furnished evidence of ownership of the artwork in K-Pat.

In the meantime, on the same day that K-Pat granted Oak Park and Capital a *235 security interest in “The Bob Brown Collection”, C.N.L., Inc., by Keith Richards, its president, executed an agreement granting a security interest in the same artwork to Defendant Cosmopolitan State Bank of Stillwater securing a Note in the principal amount of $120,000.00. Later, Mr. Richards delivered to Oak Park and Capital a Bill of Sale, dated May 9,1983, executed by Keith R. Richards and Patricia L. Richards, wherein they conveyed “The Bob Brown Collection” to K-Pat.

Still later, on August 17, 1983, Keith Richards executed an agreement in his individual capacity granting a security interest in “The Bob Brown Collection” to Defendant Heritage National Bank securing a personal Note in the principal amount of $200,-000.00. In all instances, the individual or entity granting the security interests represented and warranted title in the grantor, and financing statements were duly recorded with the Minnesota Secretary of State.

On February 27, 1984, C.N.L., Inc., filed for relief under Title 11, Chapter 11, and K-Pat similarly filed on April 12, 1984. Both cases were converted to Chapter 7 by Orders of the Court dated July 7,1984, and May 17, 1984, respectively.

II.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY OF LITIGATION

The trustee commenced this action by complaint filed September 12, 1984. The original pleading alleged jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1471 and 11 U.S.C. § 548. 3 The complaint focused on two areas relevant to the case actually tried.

One was the transfer by Keith Richards of his interest in “The Bob Brown Collection” to K-Pat. It was alleged that the transfer was made sometime prior to March 1984, “for less than valuable consideration”; that the transfer was fraudulent within the meaning of The Minnesota Fraudulent Conveyance Act, Minn.Stat. Ann. § 513.21, et seq.; and, accordingly, the transfer is avoidable by the trustee pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 548. 4 The other area focused on by the complaint concerned the various security interests granted in the artwork (discussed supra) with a request for judgment determining ownership, rights and priorities of the parties.

Defendant Cosmopolitan State Bank filed its answer and participated in the initial pretrial proceedings.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 B.R. 233, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 6776, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/iannacone-v-capital-city-bank-in-re-richards-mnb-1986.