In Re Arcadia Enterprises, Inc.

440 B.R. 1, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 3861, 2010 WL 4340694
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedOctober 27, 2010
Docket19-10884
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 440 B.R. 1 (In Re Arcadia Enterprises, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Arcadia Enterprises, Inc., 440 B.R. 1, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 3861, 2010 WL 4340694 (Mass. 2010).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION ON MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM STAY

MELVIN S. HOFFMAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter came before me for hearing on the Motion for Relief from Stay of *3 Scituate Federal Savings Bank (the “Bank”) [# 51], the Debtor’s opposition thereto [# 52], the Bank’s reply to the Debtor’s opposition [# 58], and the Debt- or’s supplemental opposition [# 59]. Following the hearing the parties submitted additional memoranda of law [# 61, by the Bank, and # 70, by the Debtor]. The primary issue in dispute in this matter is whether the Debtor retains an ownership interest in certain project documents and attendant rights in connection with plans to develop a residential subdivision in Franklin and Bellingham, Massachusetts known as the Woodlands. The Bank asserts ownership of these documents. If the Debtor is found to retain an ownership interest in these items, the Bank seeks relief from stay so that it may exercise its rights with respect thereto.

Facts

Except as noted, the facts are largely undisputed. Citations are to documents attached to the various pleadings submitted by the parties. Neither party has challenged the authenticity of those documents, although they disagree as to what inferences and conclusions I may draw from them.

In 2000 The Pentad Group Trust (“Pen-tad”) applied to the Town of Franklin for a comprehensive permit under the Comprehensive Permit Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, §§ 20-23, to develop the Woodlands, a subdivision of sixteen detached single-family units (four of which were to be affordable housing units) and related infrastructure (the “Woodlands Project”), on land zoned for industrial use and located in the Towns of Franklin and Bellingham. 1 On October 26, 2000, the Town of Franklin Zoning Board of Appeals issued its decision granting the application and a comprehensive permit issued. At some point the Debtor joined Pentad as a project sponsor for the Woodlands Project.

In addition to the Comprehensive Permit, the development of the Woodlands Project is subject to a Local Initiative Program Regulatory Agreement and Declaration of Restrictive Covenants for Ownership Project (the “Regulatory Agreement”), dated November 9, 2004, and executed by the Debtor, the trustee of Pentad, the Town of Franklin, and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (the “DHCD”). 2 The Regulatory Agreement provides that the Regulatory Agreement and the covenants, agreements, and restrictions in the Regulatory Agreement are not personal covenants of the Debtor *4 and Pentad but rather are covenants that run with the land. 3

At some point prior to February 9, 2005, Pentad sought permission from the Town of Franklin and the DHCD to transfer its ownership interest in the Woodlands Project to the Debtor, and the Debt- or sought permission from the Town and the DHCD to obtain construction financing for the Woodlands Project from Walpole Cooperative Bank (“Walpole”). By letter dated January 20, 2005, the DHCD approved the transfer of ownership of the Woodlands Project to the Debtor and the Debtor’s proposed construction loan from Walpole, subject to the parties’ also obtaining approval from the Town of Franklin. 4 The DHCD letter also stated, however, that both Pentad and the Debtor continued to be responsible for the obligations imposed by the Regulatory Agreement. On February 9, 2005 the Town of Franklin, by Resolution 05-09, also approved both the transfer of the ownership of the Woodlands Project from Pentad to the Debtor and the construction financing between the Debtor and Walpole. 5 The Debtor asserts that Pentad is still a project sponsor and co-owns, with the Debtor, all the licenses, permits, approvals, and other project documents, including the Comprehensive Permit and the Regulatory Agreement (hereinafter collectively the “Project Documents”). The Bank has not addressed what interests, if any, Pentad continues to own, although, as will be elaborated upon below, Pentad’s status does not affect the outcome of this matter vis a vis the Debtor.

In order to finance the Woodlands Project, the Debtor borrowed $1,920,000 from Walpole pursuant to two separate notes, both dated February 22, 2005 (the “February 2005 Notes”). 6 To secure its obligations under the February 2005 Notes, the Debtor executed a Construction Mortgage, Security Agreement, and Assignment granting Walpole a mortgage on the Woodlands real estate and a security interest in certain personalty, including:

All easements, covenants, agreements, declarant’s or developer’s rights and other rights which are appurtenant to or benefit the [Woodlands Project and]
All contracts and agreements (together with the easements, covenants, agreements, and rights referred to in Section 3 — 3(c), above, and ... licenses, regulatory agreements, comprehensive permits, permits and approvals (hereinafter the “Licenses”)....[ 7 ]

The Debtor also executed a document titled “Collateral Assignment of Interest in Project Documents, Licenses, Permits, and Agreements”, dated February 22, 2005 (the “Collateral Assignment”), by which it granted to Walpole a security interest in all of the Debtor’s right, title and interest in and to the “Project Documents, Licenses and Rights,” defined as:

any and all of the project documents, licenses, permits, contracts, contract rights, warranties, development rights, agreements, consents and approvals, whether heretofore or hereafter issued or executed, by and between [the Debt- *5 or] and all boards, agencies, departments, governmental or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as “Governmental Authorities”) or other persons or entities, relating, directly or indirectly, to the [Woodlands] or any part thereof, including, without limitation, [the Debtors’] right, title and interest in any and all agreements (collectively, the “Project Documents, Licenses and Rights”) as set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof.[ 8 ]

Exhibit A to the Collateral Assignment reads as follows:

List of Licenses, Permits, Contracts, Contract Rights, Warranties, Development Rights, Agreements, Consents, and Approvals
All federal, state and local governmental permits, licenses, consents and approvals relating to the development, construction use, occupancy, and operation of the [Woodlands], including, without limitation, all regulatory agreements, comprehensive permits, building permits, site plan and subdivision approvals, zoning permits, wetland permits and approvals, traffic permits, variances and special permits.

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Bluebook (online)
440 B.R. 1, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 3861, 2010 WL 4340694, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-arcadia-enterprises-inc-mab-2010.