In re Elk Grove Village Petroleum

510 B.R. 594, 2014 WL 2111211, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 2282, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 147
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedMay 21, 2014
DocketNo. 12bk49658
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 510 B.R. 594 (In re Elk Grove Village Petroleum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Elk Grove Village Petroleum, 510 B.R. 594, 2014 WL 2111211, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 2282, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 147 (Ill. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

TIMOTHY A. BARNES, Bankruptcy Judge.

The matter before the court is the Motion for Allowance of Secured Claim and Turnover of Collateral Proceeds (the “UCB Motion”), brought by United Central Bank {“UCB ”), and the Cross Motion for Partial Turnover of Proceeds of Sales (the “IDOR Motion” and together with the UCB Motion, the “Motions ”), brought by the Illinois Department of Revenue {“IDOR ”). Upon a review of the parties’ respective filings and after holding a hearing on the matter, the court finds that UCB is entitled to a claim secured in the proceeds of the sale, in excess of the amount of the proceeds. IDOR has secured, priority unsecured and general unsecured claims, all of which are lower in priority to UCB’s secured claim. IDOR’s right to assert transferee liability is an “interest” for purposes of a section 363(f) sale, potentially entitling IDOR to adequate protection under section 363(e). As IDOR’s interest is, however, subordinate to that of UCB’s, there is no harm from which IDOR is entitled to protection.

JURISDICTION

The federal district courts have “original and exclusive jurisdiction” of all cases under title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code ”). 28 U.S.C. § 1334(a). The federal district courts also have “original but not exclusive jurisdiction” of all civil proceedings arising under title 11 of the United States Code, or arising in or related to cases under title 11. 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b). District courts may, however, refer these cases to the bankruptcy judges for their districts. 28 U.S.C. § 157(a). In accordance with section 157(a), the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has referred all of its bankruptcy cases to the Bank[597]*597ruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. N.D. Ill. Internal Operating Procedure 15(a).

A bankruptcy judge to whom a case has been referred may enter final judgment on any core proceeding arising under the Bankruptcy Code or arising in a case under title 11. 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(1). Proceedings arising with respect to sales held pursuant to section 368 of the Bankruptcy Code are matters arising in a bankruptcy case, in which the bankruptcy court is empowered to enter orders. Directional Int'l, Ltd. v. Illinois Bell Telephone Co. (In re Personal Computer Network, Inc.), 97 B.R. 909, 912 (N.D.Ill.1989).

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In considering the Motions, the court has considered the arguments of the parties at the April 30, 2014 hearing on the Motions, and has reviewed and considered the following filed documents in the bankruptcy case:

(1) Order Approving Sale of Gas Stations [Docket No. 191] (the “Sale Order ”);
(2) Motion of United Central Bank for Allowance of Secured Claim and Turnover of Collateral Proceeds [Docket No. 205];
(3) Objection of Illinois Department of Revenue to Motion of United Central Bank for Allowance of Secured Claim and Turnover of Collateral Proceeds [Docket No. 232];
(4) Cross-Motion Of Illinois Department of Revenue for Partial Turnover of Proceeds of Sales [Docket No. 233];
(5) Trusteé’s Response to Cross-Motion of Illinois Department of Revenue’s Motion for Partial Turnover of Proceeds of Sales [Docket No. 237];
(6) United Central Bank’s Response In Opposition to the Cross Motion of Illinois Department of Revenue for Partial Turnover of Proceeds of Sale and Reply in Support of Motion of United Central Bank of Allowance of Secured Claim and Turnover of Collateral Proceeds [Docket No. 239];
(7) Reply of Illinois Department of Revenue to Responses of United Central Bank and the Chapter 11 Trustee to Cross-Motion for Partial Turnover of Proceeds of Sale [Docket No. 244]; and
(8) Supplemental Exhibit to Motion of United Central Bank for Allowance of Secured Claim and Turnover of Collateral Proceeds [Docket No. 256],

The court has also taken into consideration any and all exhibits submitted in conjunction with the foregoing. Though these items do not constitute an exhaustive list of the filings in the above-captioned bankruptcy case, the court has taken judicial notice of the contents of the docket in this matter. See Levine v. Egidi, No. 93C188, 1993 WL 69146, at *2 (N.D.Ill. Mar. 8, 1993); In re Brent, 458 B.R. 444, 455 n. 5 (Bankr.N.D.Ill.2011) (Goldgar, J.) (authorizing a bankruptcy court to take judicial notice of its own docket).

BACKGROUND

The matter before the court arises out of the post-petition sale (the “Sale”) of substantially all the assets of jointly administered chapter 11 bankruptcy estates for debtors Elk Grove Village Petroleum, LLC (“Elk Grove ”), Joliet Petroleum, LLC (“Joliet”), Oswego Petroleum, LLC (“Oswego ”) and Orland Park Petroleum, LLC ({‘Orland Park”, and collectively with Elk Grove, Joliet and Oswego, the “Debtors ”).

[598]*598Prior to the Sale, the Debtors in these eases collectively owned and operated five gas stations in the greater Chicago area. In the course of business, the Debtors entered into various loan agreements with UCB as lender, which were secured by mortgages on the real properties upon which the gas stations operate as well as security interests in the Debtors’ personal property. The Debtors subsequently defaulted on their obligations to UCB.

UCB asserts that it is thereby owed not less than $14,077,157.67 and that the security for its claims extends to all of the assets of the Debtors and thus the proceeds of the Sale. No party challenges the nature, validity or extent of UCB’s interests or has objected to UCB’s claims.

UCB was not, however, the only creditor the Debtors failed to pay. In operating the business, the Debtors also failed to pay a variety of taxes to the State of Illinois. In that regard, IDOR has filed claims for unpaid pre-petition taxes totaling approximately $1.8 million: $1,387,418.93 as secured debt, $419,718.38 as priority unsecured debt and $74,511.29 as general unsecured debt. No party has objected to IDOR’s claims.

After commencing the bankruptcy cases, the Debtors’ performance on its monetary and other obligations did not improve. As a result of those and other failures, on request of UCB, the court appointed Eugene Crane as chapter 11 trustee (the “Trustee ”) on April 12, 2013.

On August 13, 2013, the Trustee moved for the sale of the Debtors’ gas stations free and clear of liens, claims, encumbrances and interests pursuant to section 363(f) of the Bankruptcy Code. Among the objections received was one from IDOR, wherein IDOR asserted its claims and requested adequate protection under section 363(e) of the Bankruptcy Code. In particular, IDOR claimed that, as its state law right to assess its claims against a purchaser under transferee liability was being impaired by the sale, it was entitled to protection of that interest.

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510 B.R. 594, 2014 WL 2111211, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 2282, 59 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 147, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-elk-grove-village-petroleum-ilnb-2014.