In Re Boogaart of Florida, Inc.

17 B.R. 480, 33 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 69, 5 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1441, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 2700
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida.
DecidedOctober 27, 1981
Docket19-12724
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 17 B.R. 480 (In Re Boogaart of Florida, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.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 Boogaart of Florida, Inc., 17 B.R. 480, 33 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 69, 5 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1441, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 2700 (Fla. 1981).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

SIDNEY M. WEAVER, Bankruptcy Judge.

THIS CAUSE came to be heard upon the six Motions for Orders Authorizing and Approving Assumption and Assignment of Leases and Sale of Property Free and Clear of Liens filed by the Debtors in Possession, upon the Petition to Invalidate Sale and/or to Preclude Assignment of Sublease filed by Associated Grocers of Florida, Inc., and upon the objections of Palmetto By-Pass Associates, Humpenbeck, Inc., and Pine-breeze Farms, Inc., and was heard by the Court on October 15,1981. The Court, having heard the testimony and examined the evidence presented, having observed the candor and demeanor of the witnesses, having considered the arguments of counsel, and being otherwise fully advised in the premises, does hereby make the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

On March 30, 1981, Boogaart of Florida, Inc., (“Boogaart-Florida”) and each of its eleven subsidiary corporations filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions for reorganization. Thereafter, an Order was entered by the Court authorizing the joint administration of the estates pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 117(b). Motions were presented by Boogaart-Florida and six of its subsidiaries seeking the Court’s authorization and approval of the assumption and assignment of certain unexpired real property and equipment leases pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 363 and 365 and approving and confirming the sale of certain personal property free and *483 clear of all claims, liens, security interests and encumbrances pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363. This Court has jurisdiction over these motions pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1471.

Subsequent to the filing of their Chapter 11 petitions, Boogaart-Florida and its following affiliates (collectively the “Debtors”) continued to operate as Debtors in Possession:

Boogaart of Florida, 124th Street, Inc. (“Boogaart-124th Street”), Boogaart of Florida, 167th Street, Inc. (“Boogaart-167th Street”), Boogaart of Florida, Ft. Pierce, Inc., (“Boogaart-Ft. Pierce”), Boogaart of Florida, Hialeah, Inc., (“Boogaart-Hia-leah”), Boogaart of Florida, Homestead, Inc., (“Boogaart-Homestead”), and Boog-aart of Florida, South Hialeah, Inc., (“Boog-aart-South Hialeah”).

Each of these affiliates had entered into written lease or sublease agreements for the lease of real property upon which its retail grocery business could operate. In addition, Boogaart-Florida had entered into written lease agreements and security agreements for the lease and purchase of equipment and other personal property to be utilized by the Debtors in their business operations.

Because of the Debtors’ continuing operating losses and in order to maximize the dividends which will eventually be distributed to creditors, the Debtors’ management decided to liquidate most of the Debtors’ assets. Specifically, it was decided that the real property and equipment leases for the six operating affiliates would be assumed and assigned to third parties pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 363 and 365, and the equipment, furniture, furnishings and fixtures, and merchandise inventory located at each of the six outlets would be sold free and clear of all claims and liens pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363(b), with all valid claims and liens attaching to the proceeds of the sale. The proceeds remaining after curing all defaults in the leases and after satisfying all purchase money security interests would be deposited in an interest-bearing account pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 345 pending the confirmation of a plan or plans of reorganization.

In order to effectuate the liquidation, the Debtors held an auction on October 7, 1981. The terms of sale for the auction specified that all sales of the leasehold interests and sales of the personal property were subject to the Court’s approval and that, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363(k), secured creditors were authorized to bid in their claims secured by the assets being sold.

On October 15, 1981, the Court held a hearing on the Debtors’ motions for approval of the sales and assignments to the successful bidders. Various objections by creditors or landlords were advanced, several of which apply to the disposition of the assets at more than one store. For clarity, the Court will address these common objections at the outset.

Counsel for Pinebreeze Farms, Inc. (“Pi-nebreeze”), a general unsecured creditor of the estates, and counsel for Associated Grocers of Florida, Inc. (“AG”), the sublessor of the Hialeah and Ft. Pierce real property subleases, objected to all six motions on the ground that liquidation prior to the Court’s approval of a disclosure statement and the confirmation of a plan of reorganization is improper.

The Court disagrees. Section 363(b) of the Bankruptcy Code provides that a court may approve the sale of the property of the estate other than in the ordinary course of business. This provision authorizes the sale of most of a debtor’s assets prior to the proposal and confirmation of a plan of reorganization. See, e.g., In re WHET, Inc., 12 B.R. 743 (Bkrtcy.D.Mass.1981); In re WFDR, Inc., 10 B.R. 109, 7 B.C.D. 514 (Bkrtcy.N.D.Ga.1981); In re Alves Photo Service, Inc., 6 B.R. 690 (Bkrtcy.D.Mass.1980).

Pinebreeze’s objection apparently is based upon In re D. M. Christian Co., 7 B.R. 561 (Bkrtcy.N.D.W.Va.1980), which held that a disclosure statement must be approved by the court and submitted to creditors before the court would allow the complete liquidation of the debtor’s tangible assets. The court failed to consider 11 U.S.C. § 363(b), which expressly permits sales outside of the ordinary course of business after creditors are given an opportunity to be heard. The Christian decision apparently has not been followed by any other court. See In re WHET, 12 B.R. 743, 750-751 (D.Mass.1981). Moreover, these Debtors are facing problems with which the Christian decision did not deal. Where, as here, the value of the assets is rapidly decreasing and the estates are suffering con *484 tinuing losses, liquidation of assets prior to the proposal and confirmation of plans of reorganization may be desirable because it will ultimately increase the amounts distributed to creditors after plans are confirmed. Accordingly, § 363(b) provides for a method whereby such liquidation can occur under court supervision.

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Bluebook (online)
17 B.R. 480, 33 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 69, 5 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1441, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 2700, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-boogaart-of-florida-inc-flsb-1981.