In re Air Cargo Enterprises, Inc.

72 B.R. 289, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 500
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedMarch 31, 1987
DocketBankruptcy No. 81-00032
StatusPublished

This text of 72 B.R. 289 (In re Air Cargo Enterprises, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Air Cargo Enterprises, Inc., 72 B.R. 289, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 500 (Haw. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER RE: COMPENSATION

JON J. CHINEN, Bankruptcy Judge.

On January 10, 1987, two motions were filed with the Court. The first was an Application of the Law Offices of John A. Chanin (“Applicant”) for Compensation for Services Rendered and For Reimbursement of Costs and Expenses Incurred as Attorney for Debtor (“Application”) for the period from July 17, 1985 up to and including the closing of the estate. Applicant requests the following sums:

1. The sum of $6,708.86, including general excise tax, for services rendered up to and including January 10, 1987.

2. The sum of $210.00 for costs incurred.

3. The sum of $1000.00, including general excise tax and costs, for services to be performed from the filing of the Application until closing of the case.

The second motion was a Motion for Approval of Distribution of NAV, INC. Proceeds and Entry of Order Dismissing Case. In this motion, Debtor requested that the proceeds from NAV, INC. be distributed among the wage claimants, the taxing authorities and the Applicant for its fees and costs and, thereafter, that the case be dismissed.

On January 23, 1987, the United States of America (“United States”) filed its objection to Fee Application of the Law Office of John A. Chanin. The United States contends that Applicant should not be paid for services performed after the entry of the July 12, 1985 Order Re: Dismissal of Case. The United States argues that, had Applicant exercised proper care in performing its duties up to the entry of the July 12, 1985 order, none of the additional controversies would have arisen.

A hearing was held on January 30, 1987 on the Motion to Approve Distribution of proceeds, which included distribution of the compensation requested by Applicant. Present at the hearing were James Agena, Esq., representing Air Cargo Enterprises, Inc. (“Debtor”) and Applicant; Henry O’Neill, Esq., representing the United States, Howard Green, Esq., representing Virginia Farrell, and Wilfredo Tungal, Esq., representing the Department of Labor, State of Hawaii. Also present was Mr. William Klopp.

[291]*291Following the hearing, the court approved certain distributions as set forth in the Order filed on March 5, 1987. However, the matter of Applicant’s request for compensation and reimbursement of costs was taken under advisement so that the Court may review the file and the transcript of the hearing held on May 12, 1986. The Court, having reviewed the file and said transcript, now renders this Memorandum Decision and Order.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. On January 21, 1985, Debtor, through Applicant, its counsel, filed a Motion to'Dismiss Case. In its Memorandum in support of the Motion to Dismiss, Debtor represented that all of the known assets of Debtor had been converted, sold or liquidated, with the exception of NAV, INC. and that efforts to market NAV, INC. have been fruitless. Debtor, through its counsel, further suggested that:

2. The liquidated assets are to be distributed as follows: Vferd to Applicant, V3rd to the taxing authorities on a pro-rata basis and V3rd to valid post-petition wage claimants on a pro rata basis.

2. NAV, INC. is to be marketed by Applicant. The sale is to be consummated within 3 months of this order, or the property is to abandoned. If sold, the proceeds from NAV, INC. are to be distributed in the manner as above set-forth.

At the hearing on the Motion to Dismiss which was heard on February 15, 1985, a Stipulation To Dismiss Case was executed by Debtor, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), State Department of Taxation and the State Department of Transportation. At the hearing, the City and County of Honolulu (“City & County”) orally objected to the Motion to Dismiss Case, then filed a written objection on February 21, 1985. After a review of the objection by the City & County, the Court allowed its claim for delinquent taxes to be paid on a pro-rata basis with the IRS and the State Department of Taxation, and approved the Dismissal of Case, on condition that NAV, INC. will be sold at auction by Applicant and the net proceeds distributed pursuant to the Order re: Dismissal of Case. And, on July 12, 1985, the Court filed an Order Re: Dismissal of Case.

Pursuant to the order dismissing the case, Applicant published a Notice to Bidders for the sale of NAV, INC. The bid was to be opened, read and awarded on August 16, 1985. However, because of allegation of improper conduct in the bidding process, the original bid was not confirmed. And, on January 16, 1986, the Court issued an Amended Order Concerning the Sale of NAV, INC. wherein the Estate Administrator was authorized to receive sealed bids.

Pursuant to the Amended Order of January 16, 1986, a Second Amended Notice to Bidders was published on February 10, 1986. Thereafter, on March 28, 1986, a hearing was held on the Motion to Confirm Sale filed by Debtor, at which hearing, present were James Agena, Esq. representing Debtor, and Carol Muranaka, Esq. representing the United States of America. Following the hearing, the Court confirmed the sale of NAV, INC., for $4,004.00, with the proceeds from the sale to be held in an interest bearing account, after deduction of the costs of the sale. An Order Confirming Sale of NAV, INC. was filed on April 3, 1986.

On April 21, 1986, Debtor filed a Motion for Instruction, requesting the Court for instructions on the distribution of $9,200.00 in the First Hawaiian Bank in the name of NAV, Inc., generated before the sale of NAV, Inc.

At the hearing held on May 2, 1986, several parties claimed that they were entitled to the $9,200.00. As a result, the Court denied the Motion for Instruction and directed counsel to file an adversary proceeding.

On May 6, 1986, the United States on behalf of the IRS filed a Motion to Vacate Order Confirming Sale of NAV, Inc., alleging that a former employee of NAV, Inc. had disclosed the existence of approximately $37,000.00 in cash and $20,000.00 in accounts receivable which were not known at the time of the hearing on the confirmation [292]*292of the sale. The United States contended that the sale was the result of a mistake and that it was not the intent of the Court to confer a windfall to the purchaser.

A hearing was held on May 12 and 13, 1986, at which hearing, present were James Agena, Esq., representing Debtor, Henry O’Neill, Esq., representing the United States, and Charles Loomis, Esq. representing V. Farrell, the purchaser. At the hearing, a stipulation was entered among counsel present whereby the sale to Farrell was re-confirmed for $4,004.00. The stipulation provided, among others, that V. Farrell would relinquish all claims to the accounts receivable owed to NAV, INC. prior to August 9, 1986 and V. Farrell would also relinquish all claims to the cash which existed in the First Hawaiian Bank Savings Account.

On June 6, 1986, a Motion for Order to Show Cause was filed by the City & County against Debtor and its attorney for failure to make payments pursuant to the Order of Dismissal filed on July 12, 1985. At the hearing held on June 17, 1986, the Order to Show Cause was denied, for it was learned that Debtor’s counsel was awaiting the final claim of IRS for delinquent taxes before making the distribution pursuant to the July 12, 1985 order.

On January 10, 1987, the following motions and application were filed:

1.

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

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
72 B.R. 289, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-air-cargo-enterprises-inc-hib-1987.