In Re Burris

102 B.R. 822, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 1266, 1989 WL 88673
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Oklahoma
DecidedAugust 3, 1989
Docket19-80035
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 102 B.R. 822 (In Re Burris) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Burris, 102 B.R. 822, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 1266, 1989 WL 88673 (Okla. 1989).

Opinion

*823 ORDER

JAMES E. RYAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

On this 3rd day of August, 1989, this Court considered the Legal Memoranda filed by the Debtor (Docket Entry Nos. 247 and 248) and Farm Credit Bank (FCB) (Docket Entry No. 249).

Two legal issues must be decided by this Court prior to the submission of the Debtors’ Second Amended Plan and a hearing on confirmation of same.

STATEMENT OF ISSUES

1. (a) Whether FCB possesses a lien on the proceeds derived from oil and gas production from beneath the surface of the mortgaged property under the terms of the Note and Mortgage between the parties; and

(b) If so, whether FCB must be paid one hundred percent of said oil and gas income derived from the mortgaged premises under the Debtor’s Plan in order for compliance with 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b)(2)(A)(i)(II) to be found.

2. What is the appropriate standard for determination of the discount or interest rate to be paid on an allowed secured claim under a Plan of Reorganization pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b).

After review of said Legal Memoranda, this Court does hereby enter into the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in this core proceeding:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. On August 23, 1988, the Debtor filed a Petition seeking relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

2. By Agreed Order between the parties entered on May 9, 1989, the amount of the secured claim of Farm Credit Bank was determined to be $1,127,804.00.

3. The Debtor’s Plan proposes to treat FCB over a five year term at a ten percent discount rate to pay the present value of the creditor’s allowed secured claim.

4. On June 6, 1989, the Debtor filed a First Amended Plan of Reorganization to which FCB objected. Within said Amended Plan, the Debtor proposed to pay FCB ninety percent of income derived by oil and gas production located under real property upon which FCB possesses a valid mortgage, and retain ten percent of these proceeds for the Debtor’s use.

The Mortgage held by FCB states:

“Mortgagor hereby transfers, assigns, sets over and conveys to Mortgagee all rents, royalties, bonuses and delay monies that may from time to time become due and payable under any oil and gas or other mineral lease of any kind now existing, or that may hereafter come into existence, ...”

FCB contends that this grants a security interest in the oil and gas proceeds and thus, it is entitled to receive one hundred percent of all oil and gas production income on this property. For the Debtor’s Plan to provide for less than one hundred percent, FCB argues that the creditor’s lien is not retained as required by 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b), since the Debtor’s Plan as proposed is only confirmable under a “cram down” scenario.

5. The Debtor contends that the language in the Mortgage held by FCB is an assignment of oil and gas proceeds. However, the Debtor further asserts such assignment grants only an inchoate lien upon which FCB may only execute when a default has occurred.

6. Pertaining to the discount or interest rate applied to pay the creditor the present value of its allowed secured claim under a Plan of Reorganization, FCB contends that the appropriate rate is that which is provided for under the contract negotiated between the parties. Alternatively, FCB encourages this Court to adopt a market rate of interest which the Debtor must incorporate under the Chapter 11 Plan.

7. The Debtor contends that the discount rate to be utilized in payment of the creditor’s allowed secured claim is ten percent, representing a Treasury Bill rate with additional points added to compensate the creditor for the risk involved in the loaning of funds to the Debtor to fund the Plan.

*824 CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

A. Issue No. 1(a): Whether FCB possesses a lien on the proceeds derived from oil and gas production from beneath the surface of the mortgaged property under the terms of the Note and Mortgage between the parties.

The United States Bankruptcy Code at 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b)(2)(A)(i)(I) states:

For the purpose of this subsection, the condition that a plan be fair and equitable with respect to a class includes the following requirements:
(A) With respect to a class of secured claims, the plan provides
(i)(I) that the holders of such claims retain the lien securing such claims, whether the property subject to such liens is retained by the debtor or transferred to another entity, to the extent of the allowed amount of such claim; ...

Thus, a Plan proposed under this subsection must provide for the retention of a creditor’s lien in order to be fair and equitable and thus confirmable under this “cram down” section. In re Little, 75 B.R. 128, 180 (Bankr.S.D.Ohio 1987).

B. This Court acknowledges the creditor’s reference to Okla.Stat. tit. 12A, § 9-402(5) which provides that:

When a writing constituting a mortgage upon lands, or interests in lands such as oil and gas leasehold estates, also covers minerals to be severed from such lands ... and the accounts and proceeds to be derived from disposition of such minerals contains a legal description of such lands sufficient to comply with Sections 287, 291 and 298 of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes, as amended, has been validly executed, acknowledged and recorded in the office of the county clerk for the county in which such lands are located, such mortgage shall constitute a financing statement covering such collateral and no other filing or recording shall be required to perfect the security interests in such collateral covered by the mortgage.

And further we acknowledge that the mortgages at issue were validly executed, acknowledged and recorded. However, we also find that such perfection of lien is not matured until a default has occurred. Thus, it is in fact an inchoate lien. Just as the mortgage on the real estate which FCB possesses requires foreclosure and formal proceedings demonstrating default before collection may be obtained, the proceeds derived from oil and gas production on these lands must be foreclosed upon, when a default has been demonstrated. “As a result of the filing, all the mortgagee gets is a lien on property, not the right to immediate possession.” In re Metro Square, 93 B.R. 990, 997 (Bankr.D.Mn.1988) (This case dealt with a similar provision in a mortgage with regard to rents; however, said provision may be analogized to the provision for oil and gas revenue).

C. Issue No. 1(b):

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In re Burris
107 B.R. 342 (E.D. Oklahoma, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
102 B.R. 822, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 1266, 1989 WL 88673, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-burris-okeb-1989.