In re Augusta Center, LLC

491 B.R. 298, 2013 WL 1739479
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedApril 18, 2013
DocketNo. 13-10026
StatusPublished

This text of 491 B.R. 298 (In re Augusta Center, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Augusta Center, LLC, 491 B.R. 298, 2013 WL 1739479 (Ga. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

SUSAN D. BARRETT, Chief Judge.

Before the Court is a motion to use cash collateral filed by Augusta Center, LLC [300]*300(“Debtor”) and objection thereto filed by Citizens Trust Bank (“Citizens”). This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(M) and the Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1334. For the following reasons, Citizens’ objection to the use of cash collateral is denied.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Debtor owns real property and operates a hotel located on 103 Sherwood Drive, Augusta, Georgia (“the Hotel”). Debtor operates the Hotel as a Country Inn & Suites. There is no dispute that Citizens is Debtor’s only secured creditor with a first priority security interest in the Hotel. Dckt. No. 37, Ex. C-2, Deed to Secure Debt. Through the Security Deed, Debtor absolutely and unconditionally conveyed all its interest in leases, rents and revenues from the Hotel to Citizens. Id. at § 1.2 and 3.8. The Security Deed states:

Borrower hereby absolutely and unconditionally assigns to Lender Borrower’s right, title and interest in and to all current and future Leases ... and Rents and Revenues; it being intended by Borrower that this assignment constitutes a present, absolute assignment and not an assignment for additional security only. Nevertheless, subject to the terms of this Section 1.2 and Section 3.8, Lender grants to Borrower a revocable license to collect and receive the Rents and Revenues. Borrower shall hold a portion of the Rents and Revenues sufficient to discharge all current sums due on the Debt for use in the payment of such sums.

Hr’g held January 16, 2013, Ex. C-2, § 1.2. The Security Deed further states:

To further secure the Obligations, Borrower does hereby sell, assign and transfer unto Lender ... (iii) all rents, common area charges, tax payments, insurance premiums and any other payments due to Borrower as a consequence of the use of the Property, now due or which may hereafter become due under or by virtue of any Leases or Bookings, (iv) all Income, and (v) any and all future Leases or Bookings, whether written or oral, with all security therefore, including all guaranties thereof now or hereafter affecting the possession, use and employment of the Property (subclauses (iii)-(v) are collectively referred to as “Rents and Revenues”). Borrower does hereby appoint irrevocable Lender its true and lawful attorney in its name and stead (with or without taking possession of the Property) to rent, lease or let any improvements located on the Property upon the occurrence of, and during the continuation of an Event of Default and upon such terms as Lender shall, in its [discretion], determine, and to collect all of the Rents and Revenues ... on the condition that Lender hereby grants to Borrower a license to collect and retain such Rents and Revenues.... Borrower expressly covenants to apply the Rents and Revenues received, after application for operating expenses permitted hereunder, to payment of the Obligations as and when the same become due and in compliance with the Other Security Documents. Such license shall be revocable by Lender upon written notice to Borrower at any time after an Event of Default under the [Loan] Documents, and immediately upon any such revocation, Lender shall be entitled to receive, and Borrower shall deliver to Lender, any and all Rents and Revenue theretofore collected by Borrower which remain in the possession or control of Borrower and all Leases, and other such agreements. It is the intention of Borrower to create and grant, and it is the intention of Lender to create and receive, a present and absolute assign[301]*301ment of all of the ... Rents and Revenues now due or which may hereafter become due, but it is agreed that Lender’s right to collect Rents and Revenues is conditioned upon the existence of an Event of Default under the Loan Documents.

Hr’g held January 16, 2013, Ex. C-2, § 3.8.

In addition to the Security Deed, Debtor also executed a separate Assignment of Leases and Rents (the “Assignment”) which states in pertinent part:

Section 1.1 PROPERTY ASSIGNED. Borrower hereby absolutely and unconditionally assigns and grants to Lender the following property, rights, interests and estates, now owned, or hereafter acquired by Borrower:
(c) Rents. All rents, additional rents, revenues, income, issues and profits arising from the Leases and renewals and replacements thereof
Section 1.3 TERMINATION OF ASSIGNMENT. Upon payment in full of the Debt and the delivery and recording of a satisfaction or discharge of a Security Instrument duly executed by Lender, this Assignment shall become null and void and shall be of no further force and effect.
ARTICLE 2 — TERMS OF ASSIGNMENT
Section 2.1 PRESENT ASSIGNMENT AND LICENSE BACK. It is intended by Borrower that this Assignment constitute a present, absolute assignment of the Leases, Rents, Lease Guaranties and Bankruptcy Claims, and not an assignment for additional security only. Nevertheless, subject to the terms of this Section 2.1 Lender grants to Borrower a revocable license to collect and receive the Rents and other sums due under the Leases and Lease Guaranties. Borrower shall hold the Rents and all sums received pursuant to any Leases or Lease Guaranties, or a portion thereof sufficient to discharge all current sums due on the Debt, in trust for the benefit of Lender for use in the payment of such sums.
Section 3.1 REMEDIES OF LENDER. Upon or at any time after the occurrence of a default under assignment or an Event of Default (as defined in the Security Instrument) (a “Default”), and after the passage of any applicable notice and cure period, the license granted to Borrower in Section 2.1 of this Assignment shall automatically be revoked, and Lender shall immediately be entitled to possession of all Rents and sums due under any Leases and Lease Guaranties, whether or not Lender enters upon or takes control of the Property. In addition, Lender may, at its option, without waiving such Default, without notice and without regard to the adequacy of the security for the Debt, either in person or by agent, nominee or attorney, with or without bringing any action or proceeding, or by a receiver appointed by a court, dispossess Borrower and its agents and servants from the Property, without liability for trespass, damages or otherwise and exclude Borrower and its agents or servants wholly therefrom, and take possession of the Property and all books, records and accounts relating thereto and have, hold, manage, lease and operate the Property on such terms and for such period of time as Lender may deem proper and either with or without taking possession of the Property in its own name, demand, sue for or otherwise collect and receive all Rents [302]*302and sums due under all Leases and Lease Guaranties, ...

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
491 B.R. 298, 2013 WL 1739479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-augusta-center-llc-gasb-2013.