In Re Churchfield Management & Investment Corp.

98 B.R. 893, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 635, 19 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 553, 1989 WL 44519
United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois·Decided April 24, 1989·No. 17-09869·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION ON APPLICATION FOR FEES AND EXPENSES OF FISK AND KART

JACK B. SCHMETTERER, Bankruptcy Judge.

1. History of Applicant

The history of this case was set forth in the opinion of this Court as to fees of various professionals, entered on March 7, 1989, 98 B.R. 838.

Pursuant to order of former Bankruptcy Judge Toles entered November 21, 1984, the Debtor was authorized to employ the firm of Fisk and Kart. Such employment was for the purpose of representing Debtor in proceedings before the Assessor and/or Board of Review in Will County, Illinois, and before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (“Appeal Board”). Such representation was to be with respect to the filing, processing, and prosecuting of petitions, applications, and appeals for the reduction of real estate taxes assessed against Debt- or’s property in Will County, Illinois. The order provided that Fisk and Kart (F & K) was to be retained on a contingency basis equal to (1) 50% of the tax savings realized from further reductions in the assessed valuation by the Assessor and/or Board of Review for the remaining years of the quadrennial period [1983-1986]; (2) 50% of the additional tax savings obtained for 1984 and 1985; (3) 33V3% of the additional tax savings obtained for 1986; and (4) in further appeals to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board a contingent fee of one-third of any additional tax savings and/or refunds pursuant to order of the Board for each of the tax years 1983 through 1986.

2. Applicant’s Fee Request

Applicant seeks $165,174.60 in compensation under its contingency retention. Applicant asserts that certain tax savings were realized by the Debtor due to Applicant’s work before the Appeal Board. The *895 following fees are requested for the tax savings received from such work:

(a) For the 1983 Real Estate Assessment, a tax savings of $132,552.46 — Contingency fee of 33Vs% equal to $44,-184.15.
(b) For the 1984 Real Estate Assessment, a tax savings of $130,775.75 — Contingency fee of 33V3% equal to $43,-591.91.
(c) For the 1985 Real Estate Assessment, a tax savings of $100,737.79 — Contingency fee of 33V3% equal to $33,579.26.
(d) For the 1986 Real Estate Assessment, a tax savings of $131,457.86 — Contingency fee of 33%.pequal to $43,819.28.

Upon receipt by Debtor of the tax refund for 1986, this Court granted an interim payment equal to F & K’s requested contingency fee for the 1986 tax savings ($43,-819.28). On January 30, 1989, this court allowed a further payment of $70,000.00 to F & K on account of allowances to be made here but before analysis of the instant Application was completed.

This Court held a hearing on the F & K fee request, and heard evidence offered and argument of counsel. This Opinion will stand as Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law following that hearing.

3. Discussion

For the 1983 and 1984 tax years, the tax savings asserted by F & K were derived at the time of redemption of the delinquent real estate taxes which had not been paid due to the Chapter 11 proceedings. The tax saving asserted for 1986 was realized by corrected tax bills, and the tax saving asserted for 1986 was realized from actual tax refunds.

The tax savings for which F & K is requesting contingency fees under its present fee application are those achieved by its work before the State Property Tax Appeal Board. While county assessment reductions remain in effect four years for a property, the State Board only has jurisdiction for one tax year at a time.

The Trustee objected to F & K’s application as to the fees sought for the 1983 and 1984 tax reductions. It was the Trustee’s understanding that the tax savings claimed for 1983 were savings realized from pre-pe-tition work by Applicant. From F & K’s supplemental narrative and testimony at its hearing, it has been established to this Court’s satisfaction that the Trustee’s charge is without merit, and in fact the Trustee withdrew that objection during the hearing.

The Trustee also objected to the fees sought for the 1984 tax reduction. He argued that adequate evidence was not given to show the asserted 1984 tax savings. In light of the remarks of Trustee’s counsel at the hearing on this matter, it appears that Trustee’s objection may no longer be asserted. If it does, F & K has nonetheless demonstrated sufficient evidence to establish the asserted 1984 tax savings.

During the hearing on F & K’s fee application there was also a great deal of debate and testimony concerning the meaning of Judge Toles’ retention order as to these professionals. The pertinent part of that order provided:

It further appearing to the Court that terms for retention, compensation and reimbursement of the law firm of Fisk & Kart, Ltd. for work performed for Churchfield ... in further appeals to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board a contingent fee of one-third of any additional tax saving and/or refund in taxes pursuant to Order of the Property Tax Board for each of the tax years 1983 through 1986 are fair and reasonable. (Emphasis supplied.)

Testimony was offered regarding the amount of F & K time devoted to achieving reductions for 1984, 1985 and 1986, and whether the F & K filings and evidence necessary to achieve reductions for those years were identical to that provided by it for the 1983 tax year.

In light of the hearing, decision as to proper compensation to F & K for reductions received for the 1984, 1985, and 1986, tax years turns on two issues: First, what was meant by the term “additional” in Judge Toles’ order retaining F & K? Second, if “additional” meant tax or assessment reductions obtained each year to a *896 level below the 1983 County assessment, has the fee basis approved by Judge Toles at that time proven to have been improvident in light of developments not capable of being anticipated at the time of that order?

a. What is the Meaning of “additional”?

Mr. Molinaro, attorney for Trustee, made the following comments regarding the meaning of the term “additional”:

I submit, your Honor, that for the years 1984 and 1985, there was no additional tax savings; that there was a return to the assessment — the assessed value that existed in the prior year; and therefore, there was no additional savings that ben-efitted the estate.
Certainly, there were savings, but it was not additional savings as required by the order.

Transcript, October 31, 1988, pp. 105-06. [All references to “Transcript” are to the October 31, 1988 date unless otherwise indicated.]

In response to this Court’s inquiry as to whether Mr. Molinaro would have had F & K do no work for 1984, 1985 and 1986, Mr. Molinaro stated the following:

That’s not what I’m suggesting, your Honor.

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In Re Churchfield Management & Investment Corp., 98 B.R. 893, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 635, 19 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 553, 1989 WL 44519 (Ill. 1989).

98 B.R. 893 (In Re Churchfield Management & Investment Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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