In Re Angeles Corp.

177 B.R. 920, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 211, 1995 WL 82972
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California
DecidedFebruary 24, 1995
DocketBankruptcy LA 93-25603-KM, LA 94-13411-KM, LA-94-15091-KM and LA 94-15093-KM
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 177 B.R. 920 (In Re Angeles Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Angeles Corp., 177 B.R. 920, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 211, 1995 WL 82972 (Cal. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION ON MOTIONS OBJECTING TO CLAIMS FILED BY 6,977 LIMITED PARTNERS OF NONDEBTOR PARTNERSHIPS AND OPINION ON MOTION TO SUBORDINATE 6,977 CLAIMS FILED BY LIMITED PARTNERS

KATHLEEN P. MARCH, Bankruptcy Judge.

I. MOTIONS OF CREDITORS’ COMMITTEE OBJECTING TO CLAIMS FILED IN ANGELES CORPORATION BANKRUPTCY CASE BY 7,000 PLUS PERSONS WHO PURCHASED LIMITED PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS IN 16 NONDEBTOR PARTNERSHIPS

A. BACKGROUND

On May 3, 1993, Angeles Corporation (hereinafter “Debtor Angeles”), a publicly *922 traded company, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in this District. Debtor Angeles’ is a holding company. Subsequently, three of Debtor Angeles wholly owned subsidiaries filed bankruptcy. These three additional debtors are Angeles Funding Corporation, Argeles Real Estate Corporation and Ange-les Leasing Corporation. The four bankruptcy eases are jointly administered, but not substantively consolidated.

B. MOTIONS OBJECTING TO CLAIMS

The first 32 motions on calendar for today, which are on calendar for continued hearing, are the motions brought by the Official Committee of Creditors holding Unsecured Claims (hereinafter “Creditors’ Committee”) of Debtor Angeles. These 32 motions object to 6,977 claims filed in the Angeles Corporation bankruptcy case by limited partners of some 16 partnerships. The 16 partnerships in issue are listed on Exhibit 1 to this Opinion. None of these 16 partnerships is a debtor in any of these four administratively consolidated bankruptcy cases. These 32 motions are brought in the Argeles Corporation bankruptcy case only, because the 6,977 of the claims being objected to are all filed in the Angeles Corporation bankruptcy case.

C. GROUNDS ALLEGED IN MOTIONS

The Creditors’ Committee objects to the 6,977 claims on the grounds that any claims by the limited partners of the 16 partnerships would lie only against entities other than Debtor Angeles. The objections argue that any claim by the limited partners of the 16 partnerships would lie only against the 16 partnerships themselves, or would lie against the general partners of the 16 partnerships. None of the 16 partnerships is a debtor in this ease, and none of the general partners of the partnerships is a debtor in this case. In essence the objection to the 6,977 claims filed by limited partners is that the facts alleged in the claims cannot give rise to any claims against Debtor Angeles, but are limited to claims against the 16 partnerships (none of which is Debtor Angeles) or the general partners of those 16 partnerships (none of which is Debtor Angeles).

The Creditors’ Committee also argues that the limited partners lack standing to make claims for damage against the general partners, or on behalf of the partnerships, for damages arising from the mismanagement of the partnerships and other torts; that any right to recover for mismanagement or other torts would run only to the partnerships themselves, not to individual partners. This argument is discussed at Section I.E.9 infra of this Opinion.

D. RULING

The Court overrules the Creditors’ Committee’s objection to 34 of the 6,977 claims filed by the limited partners; and sustains the objection as to the remaining 6,943 claims filed by the limited partners here objected to, as follows:

E. ANALYSIS

34 of the 6,977 claims filed by limited partners allege various kinds of mismanagement, misconduct, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and other wrongful acts by Debtor An-geles in relation to the 16 partnerships, damaging the limited partners of those partnerships. These 34 claims are the first 34 claims listed in Exhibit 2 to this Opinion.

1. Evidentiary Effect of Bankruptcy Rule 3001(f)

Pursuant to Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 3001(f), claims which are properly executed and filed in accordance with the Rules are prima facie evidence of the validity and amount of the claim. [Bankruptcy Rule 3001(f): “Evidentiary Effect. A proof of claim executed and filed in accordance with these rules shall constitute prima facie evidence of the validity and amount of the claim.”] Thus, the claims filed by the limited partners alleging mismanagement and other wrongdoing by Debtor Aigeles in relation to the 16 partnerships constituted *923 prima facie evidence that such wrongdoing had occurred.

2.The Need for Countervailing Evidence

Consequently, the Creditors’ Committee’s objection to those claims could not properly be sustained against these claims unless the Creditors’ Committee provided some admissible evidence to rebut the prima facie evidence of wrongdoing that the claims allege. As part of the original objection, the Creditors’ Committee failed to present any evidence whatsoever to rebut such claims of wrongdoing. The Court continued the hearing on the objections to allow the Creditors’ Committee an opportunity to present admissible evidence that Debtor Angeles had not committed wrongful acts in relation to the 16 partnerships alleged in the claims.

3.Movant’s Attempt to Supply Countervailing Evidence

The Creditors’ Committee responded to the Court’s request for evidence by filing four declarations in support of the Creditors’ Committee’s objections, for today’s continued hearing on the objections. These are the declarations of William Tuthill, Robert Goodman, Rachel Canon and Bruce Nii. These declarations are insufficient to disprove mismanagement and other wrong doing by Debtor Angeles in relation to the 16 partnerships at issue.

4.Analysis of Movant’s Evidence

William Tuthill, President and Chief Executive Officer of Debtor Angeles, disclaims having done any “day-to-day” management of the limited partnerships in issue. (Tuthill Deel. paragraph 4) This begs the question, because people without day to day responsibility, but who are at the top of management and have decision making power can often mismanage much more successfully than subordinates who have day to day responsibility for management. Mr. Tuthill does not say in his declaration that he personally did not mismanage or commit the alleged bad acts. One inference to be drawn from this omission is that Mr. Tuthill didn’t deny personal wrongdoing because he couldn’t. Mr. Tuthill was also a director of Angeles. (Tuthill Decl. paragraph 3). Regarding his activities as a director, he states: “As a director, I did not personally participate in the management and operation of the Partnerships, or in the solicitation of partnership investments. All of the individuals who were directly involved with the solicitation of investors and management of the Partnerships are no longer associated with Debtor Angeles or any of its subsidiaries.” (Tuthill Decl. paragraph 4).

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Bluebook (online)
177 B.R. 920, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 211, 1995 WL 82972, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-angeles-corp-cacb-1995.