In Re Bell Partners, Ltd.

82 B.R. 593, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 235, 1988 WL 11225
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 5, 1988
DocketBankruptcy 87-966-BK-J-11
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 82 B.R. 593 (In Re Bell Partners, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Bell Partners, Ltd., 82 B.R. 593, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 235, 1988 WL 11225 (Fla. 1988).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

GEORGE L. PROCTOR, Bankruptcy Judge.

This case is before the Court upon motion for relief from automatic stay and adequate protection filed by creditors Century 21 Executive Center Trust No. II and Century 21 Executive Center Trust No. Ill (hereinafter referred to as “Century 21”). Hearings on this motion were held on January 11, 1988, and January 13, 1988, and upon the evidence presented, the Court enters the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. This contested motion involves a request by the secured creditor for relief from the automatic stay to continue its *594 mortgage foreclosure action in the Duval County, Florida, Circuit Court to enforce its lien on certain real property owned by the debtor.

2. The debtor is a Florida limited partnership which, on March 4, 1987, filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The debtor has continued in possession of its property and manages and operates its business as a debtor in possession. 11 U.S.C. § 1108.

3. Other than cash, the debtor’s sole assets consist of four (4) parcels of improved real property located in Jacksonville, Florida (the “Real Property”), and the furniture located within the improvements thereon. Situated upon the Real Property are three office buildings and a restaurant. The first parcel of Real Property is located at 101 Century 21 Drive and the improvement is referred to as Building 1. The second parcel of Real Property is located at 103 Century 21 Drive and the improvement is referred to as Building 2. The third parcel of real property is located at 8120 Atlantic Boulevard, immediately to the north of Building 1, and the improvement is referred to as the Restaurant. The fourth parcel of Real Property is located at 1 Bell Tell Way and its building is referred to as the Bell Building.

4. Building 1 is a two-story, multi-ten-ant office building consisting of approximately 27,869 rentable square feet located on a site containing approximately 125,880 square feet. Building 2 is a two-story, multi-tenant office building consisting of approximately 28,185 rentable square feet situated on a site containing approximately 111,078 square feet. The Restaurant is a one-story building occupied by a single tenant and consists of approximately 5,625 square feet on a site containing approximately 48,451 square feet. The Bell Building is a 3-story office building occupied by a single tenant consisting of approximately 56,273 rentable square feet situated on a site containing approximately 179,162 square feet.

5. Prior to December, 1983, the Real Property was owned by Century 21 which had owned and operated the Real Property and the Buildings thereon for a period of approximately eight (8) years. In December, 1983, Century 21 sold the Real Property to the debtor for a combined purchase price of $5,700,000.

6. Each parcel of Real Property is encumbered by a separate first mortgage. All four parcels of Real Property are encumbered by a wrap around mortgage held by Century 21 (the “Wrap Mortgage”) which secures a promissory note in the principal amount of $4,700,000 (Century 21 Exhibit 1). Finally, all four parcels of Real Property are encumbered by a second wrap around mortgage (the “Second Wrap Mortgage”) which secures a note in the principal amount of $5,000,000. (Century 21 Exhibit 2).

7. Pursuant to the terms of the Wrap Mortgage and the note it secures, the debt- or was to make interest only payments to Century 21 in the amount of $35,250 per month. From that sum, Century 21 was to make the monthly payments to the first mortgagees of principal and interest totaling $33,635.40. The wrap note provided that, upon default by the debtor and failure to cure said default, Century 21 could accelerate the balance due under the note and said sum would bear interest from that date until paid at the highest rate allowable under state law. The wrap note was a non-recourse obligation such that, in the event of a default by the debtor, Century 21 could look only to the property for repayment of the debt and could not seek a deficiency judgment against the debtor. (Century 21 Exhibits 1 and 3).

8. The debtor defaulted under the terms of the wrap note and mortgage by failing to make the payment due in December, 1986, in the amount of $35,250, and the payments of a like amount due each month thereafter. Notwithstanding the default by the debtor, Century 21 continued to make the monthly payments of principal and interest to the first mortgagees for December, 1986, and January and February, 1987.

9. After giving the debtor notice of its default and after the debtor failed to cure that default, Century 21 accelerated the *595 balance due under the wrap note and mortgage.

10. On February 26, 1987, Century 21 filed its complaint in the Duval County Circuit Court to foreclose the Wrap Mortgage (Century 21 Exhibit 4). On that same date, Century 21 also filed an Emergency Motion for Appointment of Receiver (Century 21 Exhibit 5) and a Motion for Temporary Injunction (Century 21 Exhibit 7) requiring the debtor to deposit the rents realized from the property into the registry of the Court pending a hearing on the appointment of a receiver, which hearing was set for March 12,1987. On February 26,1987, the Duval County Circuit Court entered its Temporary Injunction which required that, until further order of the Court, the debtor was to deposit into the Court registry all funds in the debtor’s possession or coming into its possession from the rents and other income from the property. (Century 21 Exhibit 8). Century 21 posted the bond required by that order. (Century 21 Exhibit 9).

11. Six days later, on March 4,1987, the debtor commenced this case. The primary purpose for filing the Chapter 11 petition was to stop the mortgage foreclosure action from proceeding further. (Century 21 Exhibit 10 at Page 61).

12. As of December 31, 1987, Century 21 is owed the total of $5,846,279.41 which is secured by the Wrap Mortgage encumbering the Real Property. Of that amount, approximately $3,021,002.35 constitutes monies due and owing the mortgagees holding first mortgage liens on the Real Property. As a result, the net debt (over and above the first mortgage debt) owed by the debtor to Century 21 and secured by the Real Property is $2,825,277.06. Interest continues to accrue on the debt at the default rate of $3,219.18 per day. (Century 21 Exhibit 11).

13. In addition, according to the testimony of the debtor at its Rule 2004 examination (Century 21 Exhibit 10 at pages 106-08), the holder of the Second Wrap Note and Mortgage is owed a minimum of $700,000. This debt is also secured by a lien against the Real Property.

14. The debtor conducts no business other than the operation of the three office buildings and the restaurant (the “buildings”) situated upon the Real Property. The debtor has no income available to it other than the rental income received through the operation of the buildings. (Century 21 Exhibit 10, pages 10-11).

15. The debtor has contracted the management of the buildings to Grayside Realty Corporation.

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Bluebook (online)
82 B.R. 593, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 235, 1988 WL 11225, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-bell-partners-ltd-flmb-1988.