In Re Coones Ranch, Inc.

138 B.R. 251, 1991 Bankr. LEXIS 2049, 1991 WL 327964
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedJune 24, 1991
Docket19-50009
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 138 B.R. 251 (In Re Coones Ranch, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Coones Ranch, Inc., 138 B.R. 251, 1991 Bankr. LEXIS 2049, 1991 WL 327964 (S.D. 1991).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION RE: MOTIONS TO DISMISS, MOTIONS FOR RELIEF FROM THE AUTOMATIC STAY, AND MOTIONS TO TRANSFER VENUE

IRVIN N. HOYT, Chief Judge.

The matters before the Court are the Motion to Dismiss, Motion for Relief From the Automatic Stay, and Motion to Transfer Venue filed by The Mutual Life Insur- *253 anee Company of New York and the Motion to Dismiss, Motion for Relief From the Automatic Stay, and Motion to Transfer Venue filed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Debtor’s responses thereto. These are core proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2). These Findings and Conclusions are entered in compliance with Bankr.R. 7052.

I.

James A. and Cindy L. Coones filed a Chapter 11 petition for reorganization in the District of Wyoming on October 20, 1989. There were no scheduled priority creditors. Scheduled major secured creditors included The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York (“MONY”) with a disputed claim of $994,097.05 and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) with a disputed claim of $566,-782.30. There were only two other secured creditors whose claims totaled $30,844.97. There were two unsecured creditors whose claims totaled $11,150.00 and one unsecured creditor with a tort claim of unknown value. All of Coones’ real property, which is located in Campbell County, Wyoming, was mortgaged.

By Order entered July 19, 1989, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Wyoming 1 granted MONY’s Motion for Relief From the Automatic Stay to permit the movant to foreclose on its security interest in Coones’ real property. The Court valued MONY’s collateral at $730,000.00. It also found that MONY was underse-cured. By Notice dated July 28, 1989, Coones appealed the Order granting MONY’s Motion for Relief From the Automatic Stay. The appeal is pending before the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming.

By Order entered February 8, 1990, the Bankruptcy Court for the United States District of Wyoming denied Coones’ motion to convert their Chapter 11 case to a Chapter 12 proceeding. By Notice dated March 19, 1990, Coones appealed that Order. The appeal is pending before the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming.

By Order entered March 23, 1990, the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Wyoming granted Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC’s) Motion to Modify Stay.

James A. Coones’ Chapter 11 case was dismissed by Order entered March 29,1990. The Court found that:

1. There has been continuing loss to and diminution of the estate and that there is a complete absence of a reasonable likelihood of rehabilitation; and
2. The debtors have shown an inability to effectuate a plan of reorganization;
3. The court has denied confirmation of every proposed plan to date and denied the debtors’ request for additional time to file another plan or a modification of a plan.

Cindy Coones’ Chapter 11 case was converted to a Chapter 7 proceeding at her election and the Coones’ bankruptcy estate was deconsolidated by Order entered April 13, 1990.

By Notice dated April 3, 1990, Coones appealed the Order granting FDIC’s motion for relief from the automatic stay and the Order dismissing James A. Coones’ Chapter 11 case. The appeal is pending before the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming.

On or about April 12, 1990, Coones filed a Motion for Stay Pending Appeal. Therein, Coones asked the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Wyoming to stay all foreclosure and repossession actions by MONY or FDIC pending disposition of their appeals of the Order granting FDIC relief from the automatic stay and the Order dismissing their Chapter 11 case. The Motion for Stay Pending Appeal was granted by Order entered April 23, 1990. By Order on reconsideration filed June 26, 1990, the court ordered that the April 23, 1990 Order would be vacated if Coones failed to obtain, within five days of the Order, a $152,000.00 surety bond with FDIC as the loss payee to cover FDIC’s cash collateral principal plus interest. The court found that the Coones *254 had used $40,000.00 of FDIC’s cash collateral but had not replenished that sum in the Coones’ cash collateral account established by the court and that the Coones’ delays in the case “have irreparably harmed the secured creditors of the Estate who must also be afforded equitable rights under the Bankruptcy Code.” The Coones did not timely post a bond and the court refused Coones’ several motions to modify or vacate its order regarding the bond and the stay pending appeal. The United States District Court for the District of Wyoming affirmed the actions of the Bankruptcy Court by Order entered November 20, 1990.

By Notice of Sale dated October 22,1990, James A. Coones informed FDIC and Farmers Cooperative Association that he was going to market at public sale at St. Onge, South Dakota on October 26, 1990

all of the Cows, Heifers and Calves pursuit [sic] to enforcement of [James A. Coones’] Lien Statement filed October 10, 1990 and recorded in Book 29 of Liens on pages 338-341. The Sale shall be held to satisfy the lien in the amount of $119,127.08.

James C. Coones sold his cattle to enforce his lien for costs accrued while he was a Chapter 11 debtor-in-possession and because he could not afford to feed them through the coming winter. James A. Coones testified that he directed the St. Onge livestock market to issue the sale proceeds check to himself, FDIC, and Farmers Coop as joint payees. The check was issued to James A. Coones.

By Order dated November 9, 1990, the District Court for the Sixth Judicial District of the State of Wyoming 2 entered an Order Granting Preliminary Injunction upon Motion by FDIC. Therein, the court ordered, because of the past behavioral pattern of James A. Coones, that the Coones and any associated party

are enjoined and restrained from encumbering, hypothecating, spending, disposing of, or otherwise transferring any personal property of the Defendants in which the [FDIC] has claimed an interest, including, but not limited to, the [Coones’] net sale proceeds from sale (after payment of costs) of the cattle sold on or about October 26, 1990 in St. Onge South Dakota plus those funds on deposit in Account NO. 3260-25-990-1, entitled “James A. Coones, Special Account, 340 S.A. Rd., Arvada, Wyoming 82831” at Key Bank of Wyoming, Gillette, Wyoming with an approximate balance of $62,515.27.

On December 13, 1990, James C. Coones opened an account at First National Bank in Buffalo, Wyoming in the name of Coones Ranch, Inc., with a net deposit of $23,000.00. A lawfully created corporation named Coones Ranch, Inc., did not exist on that date. While James A. Coones had contemplated incorporation of his ranch to foster a divorce settlement several years prior, he had taken no steps to do so prior to March 8, 1991.

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

Related

In Re Roeben
294 B.R. 840 (E.D. Arkansas, 2003)
In re Adams
292 B.R. 365 (E.D. Arkansas, 2003)
Cassady-Pierce Co. v. Burns (In Re Burns)
169 B.R. 563 (W.D. Pennsylvania, 1994)
In Re Roth
167 B.R. 911 (D. South Dakota, 1994)
In Re Utne
146 B.R. 242 (D. South Dakota, 1992)
Ames v. Sundance State Bank (In re Ames)
973 F.2d 849 (Tenth Circuit, 1992)
In Re Ames
973 F.2d 849 (Tenth Circuit, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
138 B.R. 251, 1991 Bankr. LEXIS 2049, 1991 WL 327964, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-coones-ranch-inc-sdb-1991.