In re 31 West 72nd Street Corp.

20 F. Supp. 971, 1937 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1515
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 3, 1937
StatusPublished

This text of 20 F. Supp. 971 (In re 31 West 72nd Street Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re 31 West 72nd Street Corp., 20 F. Supp. 971, 1937 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1515 (S.D.N.Y. 1937).

Opinion

LEIBELL, District Judge.

The debtor herein filed a petition in this court on August 3, 1936, for reorganization under section 77B of the Bankruptcy Act (11 U.S.C.A. § 207). Its principal obligation was on a real estate bond with an unpaid balance due thereon of $1,384,750, secured by a mortgage on the debtor’s principal asset, the hotel premises known as the Hotel Olcott at the above address. The- mortgage on said premises had been certificated in the manner hereinafter set forth. A plan of reorganization was offered by the debtor to its creditors, who were principally the owners of the mortgage certificates, and was duly accepted by the creditors and confirmed by this court.

In respect to a fund of $15,090 held by the Central Hanover Bank & Trust Company, as depositary, the order confirming [972]*972the plan of reorganization contained a recital and provision as follows:

“* * *; and
“The Court having been advised by Larkin, Rathbone & Perry, by Henry Kelly, attorneys for the Central Hanover Bank & Trust Company, the depositary of the Consolidated First Mortgage herein, that certain claims have been made against the fund of $15,090 now held by it, which fund is referred to in the Plan of Reorganization on page No. 12, paragraph marked ‘4’, by certain Certificate Holders who claim that said fund is applicable in its entirety to the retirement of certificates held by them, and the Court having been further advised that there are objections to the said claims of said certain Certificate Holders, and it appearing that the issue raised as to the ownership and proper disposition of said fund of $15,090 remains undetermined at this time; and the said Central Planover Bank & Trust Com'pany having applied to this Court for instructions as to the disposition of said fund; and * * *
“It is Ordered * * *
“20. That the fund of $15,090, now in the possession of Central Hanover Bank & Trust Company, remain in its possession until the final determination by this Court as to the ownership and disposition of said fund, which determination shall be- made by this Court after hearing all 'claimants to the said fund as well as all parties who have intervened in these proceedings, which hearing is to be held on a day to be fixed by this Court and upon no less than five days’ written notice thereof to be given by the Debtor herein, of said hearing, to all claimants to said fund and all parties who have intervened or otherwise appeared in these proceedings, and upon the final determination of the ownership of 'said fund and the proper distribution to be made thereof by the Court, said Central Hanover Bank & Trust Company shall make such distribution of said fund of $15,090 as this Court shall direct, and in the event that the Court shall determine that said fund or any part thereof is not to be applied to. the retirement of any specific certificates but is to be used generally for amortization or sinking fund purposes,-then and in that event such fund or such portion thereof shall be paid over by said Central Hanover Bank &; Trust Company to the Trustee herein named, and the Trustee shall upon receipt of same apply it to the purchase and retirement of certificates in the manner provided for in said Indenture and Extension and Modification Agreement. The Debtor’s Plan of Reorganization shall be deemed amended in accordance with the foregoing provision, and it appearing to the Court that such fund will in any event be applied to the amortization of the Debtor’s Consolidated First Mortgage, the foregoing amendment is hereby adjudged to be not materially adverse to the interest of any creditor or stockholder of the Debtor.”

By an order, dated July 13, 1937, this court set a date for a hearing in respect to claims to said fund. The order provided :

“Ordered, that a hearing be held before this Court in Room 506 of the United States Court House, Foley Square, in the Borough of Manhattan, City of New York, on the 2nd day of August, 1937, at 10:30 A. M. for the purpose of hearing all claimants to the said fund, as well as all parties who have intervened or appeared in these proceedings; and it is further
“Ordered, that all those claiming that said fund is applicable to the retirement only of certificates held by them, maturing April 1, 1933 and October 1, 1933 file verified statements setting forth such claims in detail with Shaine & Weinrib, attorneys for the Debtor herein,-at their office, No. 295 Madison Avenue, Borough of Man.hattan, City of New York, on or before the 27th day of July, 1937; and it is further
“Ordered, that the service of a copy of this order on all claimants to the said fund holding certificates of participation maturing April 1, 1933 and October 1, 1933, as well as all parties who have intervened or otherwise appeared in these proceedings, on or before the 19th day of July, 1937, shall be deemed good and sufficient service hereof.”

Only one claimant, City Bank-Farmers Trust Company, as trustee, filed a notice of claim to the fund pursuant to said order.

On the return day, an affidavit was filed showing proper .service of the order on all certificate holders who might claim priority in respect to said fund and also on all parties to this proceeding. The court took proof in respect to the alleged priority of City Bank-Farmers Trust Company, as trustee, the holder of certificates for $506 [973]*973and $8,600 and of the trustees of Prudence Company, Inc., a holder of an $84 certificate. The court also heard representatives of committees of certificate holders, and also the debtor, who contended that this fund should be placed in an amortization fund for the benefit of all the certificate holders, and used to redeem certificates in the manner set forth in the amended plan, as confirmed by the court.

The debtor, 31 West 72nd Street Corporation, entered into an agreement with Prudence-Bonds Corporation on July 15, 1931, whereby the liens of some seven mortgages were consolidated as a single first mortgage for $1,457,250 on the premises of the debtor, and the time of the payment of the said sum was extended until April 1, 1936, with a provision that certain installments of $14,500 each were to be paid on account of principal semiannually beginning October 1, 1931.

On July 30, 1931, Prudence-Bonds made a deposit agreement with Central Hanover, under which title to the consolidated mortgage was transferred to the depositary and Prudence-Bonds was authorized to issue certificates of participation in the mortgage.

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Related

§ 207
11 U.S.C. § 207

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Bluebook (online)
20 F. Supp. 971, 1937 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1515, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-31-west-72nd-street-corp-nysd-1937.