In Re Executive House Associates

99 B.R. 266, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 569, 1989 WL 38285
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 20, 1989
Docket19-11713
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 99 B.R. 266 (In Re Executive House Associates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Executive House Associates, 99 B.R. 266, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 569, 1989 WL 38285 (Pa. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

BRUCE I. FOX, Bankruptcy Judge:

The debtor and a purported secured creditor, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), have raised a number of interesting questions for resolution. The debtor is a Pennsylvania limited partnership, which owns but one significant asset — a residential apartment building known as Executive House, located at 6100 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. HUD asserts a security interest in both the real estate and the rents accrued therefrom. Prior to the debtor’s filing its voluntary petition in chapter 11, HUD had scheduled this property for non-judicial foreclosure sale.

The essence of this dispute is that HUD would like to resume foreclosure while the debtor believes that HUD will be paid that which the bankruptcy code entitles it to receive in the context of a chapter 11 plan. By agreement, though, these parties have narrowed their immediate dispute to the following three questions: whether HUD holds a valid security interest in the real estate and its rents; what the fair market value of the real estate was as of May 1, 1988; and whether HUD is entitled to relief from the automatic stay pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(d). [N.T. at 111-13, 12/2/88.]

The question of greatest importance is whether HUD holds a secured claim. If not, then it has offered no basis for obtaining relief from the stay and the debtor’s ability to reorganize is easily demonstrated. If HUD is a secured creditor, the valuation question relates to the size of HUD’s allowed secured claim, 11 U.S.C. § 506(a), and whether the debtor can propose a viable reorganization plan and adequately protect HUD’s interest.

I.

After a four day trial, I make the following factual findings:

1. The debtor, Executive House Associates, is a Pennsylvania limited partnership with two general partners, Jack W. Blu-menfeld and Alan Feingold, along with approximately 90 limited partners. In addition, there is one “special” limited partner.

2. On August 3, 1982, the debtor purchased the land located at 6100 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa., from Executive Towers, Inc.

3. On August 3,1982, the debtor signed a note and mortgage agreement in favor of VNB Mortgage Corporation in the principal sum of $18,434,500.00.

4. The deed and mortgage were left for recordation with the Philadelphia Recorder of Deeds on August 3, 1982. Both were duly recorded, with the mortgage recorded at EFP No. 466 pp. 241 et seq. (Recorded with the mortgage was a Regulatory Agreement for Multi-Family Housing Projects, Ex. G-J.)

5. The mortgage and note were assigned by VNB Mortgage Corp. to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, then to Sovran Mortgage Corp., then to Government National Mortgage Association, and finally to HUD. Each assignment was duly recorded with the Philadelphia Recorder of Deeds.

6. After purchasing the land, the debtor began construction of a residential apartment building called Executive House. The building was finished in 1985 and contains 301 apartments ranging in size from one to four bedroom units. There are 286,-703 square feet of rentable space plus a large parking garage for tenants.

7. Under the terms of the note and mortgage, beginning in September 1982 the debtor was to pay only monthly payments of interest at a rate of 11.479%. Beginning in May 1985, monthly principal and interest *269 payments of $166,350.55 were to be made for a period of five years. These payments were to be followed by monthly payments of $146,975.39 until the entire principal balance was paid. Interest was to accrue at the rate of 9.75% beginning in approximately May 1985, and all payments were to be made not later than 40 years after May 1, 1985. (Ex. G-A, G-B.)

8. The debtor tendered all required payments until September 1, 1985. Thereafter, through December 1987, only a few payments were made to the mortgagee, totaling approximately $600,000.00. No payments were made by the debtor in 1987 and 1988.

9. A notice of default was sent to the debtor in October 1985. The loan balance was accelerated in February 1987. A notice was sent to the debtor in November 1987, demanding that all rental payments received by the debtor be turned over to HUD.

10. Between September 1985 and December 1987, Jack W. Blumfeld, one of the debtor’s general partners, loaned in excess of $3,000,000.00 to the debtor. [N.T. at 94, 11/9/88; N.T. at 46, 12/2/88.]

11. Between September 1985 and December 1987, the debtor repaid the general partner approximately $2.3 million. [N.T. at 88, 11/9/88.]

12. HUD scheduled Executive House for a non-judicial foreclosure sale on January 21, 1988. The debtor filed a voluntary petition in bankruptcy under chapter 11 on January 20, 1988.

13. On July 1, 1988 HUD received an appraisal report valuing the realty at a market value of $12,100,000.00 as of July 1, 1987 (Ex. D-ll), and $12,100,000.00 as of September 1, 1987 (Ex. D-13). HUD apparently was prepared to sell this property at a non-judicial foreclosure sale for a sum not less than $11,459,000. (Ex. D-ll, 11II, B.)

14. As of May 1, 1988, the fair value of Executive House was $12,900,000. (See Part V infra and appendix.)

15. As of May 1, 1988, the debtor had a vacancy rate of 47% as there were 147 vacant apartments. In November, 1988 there were 94 vacant apartments.

16. As of May 1, 1988 the debtor’s real estate was in excellent condition.

17. Since filing its bankruptcy petition the debtor has accumulated approximately $500,000.00 in cash as income has exceeded expenses (without consideration of debt service). [N.T. at 78, 12/2/88.] (Ex. D-5A-5I.)

18. The debtor has obtained $1,348,-000.00 in capital contributions from its limited partners, which has been placed in an escrow account.

19. The prepetition total debt to HUD was $22,564,974.00.

20. The debtor has proposed a plan of reorganization, Ex. D-7 (Ex. F) with the following terms as the plan relates to HUD’s claim: monthly payments of $107,-013.05 for forty years to repay HUD’s allowed secured claim and an extremely small monthly payment on HUD’s allowed unsecured claim for forty years beginning five years after confirmation. If HUD elects to have its claim treated as fully secured under 11 U.S.C. § 1111(b)(2), then HUD will receive monthly payments of $90,000.00 for fifteen years and a balloon payment of $18,900,300.05.

II.

I reach the following conclusions of law:

1. HUD holds a valid security interest in the real property known as the Executive House, located at 6100 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa.

2. HUD holds a valid security interest in the rents derived from that real estate.

3. The First Amended Plan of Reorganization.

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Bluebook (online)
99 B.R. 266, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 569, 1989 WL 38285, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-executive-house-associates-paeb-1989.