In Re DBSI, Inc.

405 B.R. 698, 61 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1501, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 1211, 2009 WL 1505151
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware
DecidedMay 28, 2009
Docket91-01057
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 405 B.R. 698 (In Re DBSI, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re DBSI, Inc., 405 B.R. 698, 61 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1501, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 1211, 2009 WL 1505151 (Del. 2009).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

WALSH, District Judge.

This opinion is with respect to the motion of DBSI Housing, Inc. (“DBSI Housing”) to assume and assign the lease of the commercial office building located at 330 S. 108th Avenue in Omaha, Nebraska, commonly referred to as the “ACI Building.” (Doc. # 1135.) The lessee of the ACI Building, TD Ameritrade Services Company (“TD Ameritrade”), objects to the assumption and assignment. (Doc. # 1187 and 1607.) For the reasons set forth below, I will deny the motion to assume and assign.

DBSI Housing’s motion to assume and assign was filed as part of a combined motion of numerous Debtor entities to assume and assign a large number of unexpired non-residential real property leases. (Doc. # 1135.) This opinion relates only to DBSI Housing’s motion contained therein.

BACKGROUND

The ACI Building is owned by a group of tenant-in-common owners (“TIC Owners”). On August 25, 2004, DBSI Housing *701 leased the ACI Building from the TIC Owners (“Master Lease”). On April 2, 2008, DBSI Housing, as Landlord, entered in a sub-lease for the ACI Building with TD Ameritrade, as Tenant, and TD Ameri-trade Holding Corporation, as guarantor (“Lease”). (5/13/09 Hearing, ex. TDA-1.) The Lease contains the following pertinent provisions:

(1) Section 5.2 provides that “[t]he Term of this Lease, and Tenant’s obligation to pay Rent, shall commence on later of (i) January 1, 2009, or (ii) four (4) months after Landlord’s delivery of the Premises to Tenant.” (Id. at p. 6.)

(2) Section 5.4.2 provides for an early occupancy period commencing on the later of September 1, 2008 or the date the premises are delivered by the Landlord to the Tenant for the purpose of effecting improvements TD Ameritrade intended to make to the premises (“Early Occupancy Period”). (Id. at p. 7.)

(3) Section 5.4.1 provides for a rent abatement period of three months beginning upon the commencement of the term of the Lease (“Rent Abatement Period”), but requires TD Ameritrade to be responsible for payment of all other monetary obligations under the Lease, which includes charges for common area maintenance, taxes, and insurance. (Id.)

(4) Section 26.3 provides that the Landlord is liable to the Tenant for any damages sustained by the Tenant as a result of the Landlord’s failure to perform its obligations under the Lease. (Id. at p. 23.)

(5) Exhibit F of the Lease requires the Landlord to pay an amount not to exceed $1,939,743.75 for certain leasehold improvements (“Leasehold Improvement Allowance”). (Id. at pp. 40-41.)

On November 1, 2008, possession of the ACI Building was delivered to TD Ameri-trade. (Doc. # 2497, p. 2, ¶ 5.) But for the intervening bankruptcy case initiated by DBSI Housing, the Early Occupancy Period would have expired and the term of the Lease would have commenced on March 1, 2009, and the Rent Abatement Period would have expired on June 1, 2009. Accordingly, TD Ameritrade would have received seven months of occupancy with no rent obligation. As testified to by TD Ameritrade’s witnesses at the evidentiary hearing on May 13, 2009, upon receiving possession of the ACI Building, TD Ameri-trade intended to make $9 million in improvements that would require demolition of the entire interior of the ACI Building. TD Ameritrade had intended to begin demolition in November 2008. (Doc. # 2501, pp. 6-7; 5/13/09 Hearing.) Indeed, prior to DBSI Housing filing for bankruptcy, TD Ameritrade had incurred about $500,000 in design, engineering, and contractor fees related to its plan to make improvements. (5/13/09 Hearing, ex. TDA-7 and TDA-8.)

On November 10, 2008, DBSI Housing, together with the numerous other related Debtor entities (collectively, “Debtors”), filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq. Two days later, DBSI Housing moved to reject the Master Lease and Lease of the ACI Building. That motion was a part of a motion by DBSI Housing and related Debtors to reject a large number of unexpired non residential real property leases and subleases, all of which were identified as unprofitable and detrimental to Debtors’ overall business strategy and goals. (Doc. # 31.) The motion was revised in subsequent pleadings, but rejection of the ACI Building Master Lease and Lease continued as a possibility. Relying on the motion and its common law duty to mitigate damages under the Lease, TD Ameritrade immediately ceased demolition and construction *702 activities on the ACI Building. (Doc. # 2501, pp. 6-7.)

On December 18, 2008, Debtors proposed a procedure for selling Debtors’ interests in various leases, including the Master Lease and Lease relating to the ACI Building. Specifically, as to the ACI Building, DBSI Housing proposed that the Master Lease be assumed and assigned to the TIC Owners. Through this assumption and assignment, the TIC Owners would assume the Lease as well, 'thereby becoming the Landlord under the Lease. Pursuant to the Sales Procedure Order this Court entered on January 7, 2009 (Doc. # 1050), DBSI Housing served on TD Ameritrade a notice of possible assumption and assignment of the ACI Building Lease; this notice included a proposed cure amount of $1,939,743.75, the Leasehold Improvement Allowance. (Doc. # 1135.) On February 13, 2009, the TIC Owners delivered an Assumption and Assignment of Sublease Agreement with the assignee consisting of the TIC Owners. As DBSI Housing proposed, under this agreement, the TIC Owners will assume DBSI Housing’s rights and duties under the Master Lease and Lease. (5/13/09 Hearing, ex. TDA-25.)

On March 18, 2009, the Court conducted its first hearing on DBSI Housing’s motion to assume and assign the Lease. Based on the evidence offered at that hearing, the Court denied the motion. (Doc. # 2893.) On April 3, 2009, the TIC Owners filed a motion for reconsideration. (Doc. # 3228.) On April 29, 2009, the Court granted the motion for reconsideration and set May 13, 2009 as a date for conducting an evidentiary hearing. Following that hearing, on May 21, 2009, the parties filed supplemental briefs.

If the Court approves DBSI Housing’s motion for assumption and assignment, the TIC Owners propose to assume the ACI Building Lease and then assign the management of the ACI Building to a newly created entity to be funded and controlled by two distinct entities of Barclay Associates, LLC (“Barclay Associates”). (Id. at ex. TDA-100-109.)

As testified to by TD Ameritrade’s witnesses at the May 13, 2009 evidentiary hearing, TD Ameritrade intended the ACI Building to be part of its new corporate campus, which it expected to contain five buildings, four of which required or will require substantial improvements or completely new construction. (5/13/09 Hearing, ex. TDA-2.) TD Ameritrade had intended to renovate and build its campus in a specific order, with the ACI Building constituting Phase 2 of its plan. (Id.)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
405 B.R. 698, 61 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1501, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 1211, 2009 WL 1505151, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-dbsi-inc-deb-2009.