In Re Foster

79 B.R. 906, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 1730
United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Montana·Decided November 5, 1987·No. 19-60239·Published·Cited by 20 cases

Opinion

ORDER

JOHN L. PETERSON, Bankruptcy Judge.

Hearing on Debtors’ Amended Chapter 12 Plan was held on July 1, 2 and 8, 1987. Objections to the Plan were filed by creditors Williamson and Vadheim (Vadheim), Federal Land Bank of Spokane, now Farm Credit Services, (FLB), Montana Bank of Bozeman (Bank), 1 Slingsby, Beneficial Finance Company, Deutz-Allis, Navistar and First National Bank in Bozeman. The ob *907 jections raise issues on valuation of the collateral, proper market rate of interest and validity of an alleged perfected security interest of the Bank in the 1987 crop.

Under the Amended Plan, the Debtors propose to pay over three years sums of $50,138.00 (year 1), $50,459.00 (year 2) and $42,789.00 (year 3), which provides net disposable income to unsecured creditors totaling $17,736.10. Payments to secured creditors, priority claims and Trustee fees for the first three years total $125,649.90, with secured creditor obligations restructured thereafter up to terms of 30 years.

The Debtors’ real property holdings consist of agricultural land on which they raise crops and platted residential building sites. The farm property presently in use and tilled consists of 473 acres, of which 356 acres are irrigated cropland, 111 acres grazing land and 6 acres wild hay land. The Debtors’ Plan proposes to continue farming on the 473 acres. The subdivision tracts consist of three platted areas described as the Foster Park Subdivision, the Reese Creek Estates and Buffalo Creek Subdivision. Foster Park is presently subdivided in 5 one acre, 6 two acre parcels and 2 five acre tracts. The Reese subdivision consists of 5 lots, some now sold under contracts which are non-performing. Buffalo Creek consists of two five acre tracts.

Three secured creditors, the Bank, Slingsby and Beneficial Finance, have filed objections to the Debtors’ valuation of the tracts. The Bank holds a second lien position to FLB on 117 acres of farmland located in Section 34, T2N, R5E, Gallatin County, Montana. The Bank also holds a first lien position on 10 acres located in Section 2, T1S, R5E, Gallatin County, Montana, located next to the home place, which is the Debtors’ residence. Slingsby sold 117 acres to the Debtors on August 31, 1982, under a Contract for Deed for a total purchase price of $208,500.00, which property is also located in Section 2, and is used presently as farm ground. The Slingsby’s debt is presently $196,165.40. Beneficial Finance holds a second mortgage position to a contract seller Stimpson on 190 acres, called the home place, located in Section 2, which is presently used for farming.

Each party introduced appraisal testimony on valuation based on a market data or comparable sale approach. The valuations vary greatly not only by reason of the opinion evidence on the value of agricultural acreage, but value of the highest and best use ascribed to the property by each appraiser. Section 11 U.S.C. § 506(a) governs the proper approach to valuation as held in In re Robinson Ranch, 75 B.R. 606, 4 Mont.B.R. 411 (Bankr.Mont.1987). Robinson states, Id. 75 B.R. at 608-09, 4 Mont. at 414-15:

“The starting point on valuation is Section 506(a) of the Code which states:
‘§ 506. Determination of secured status.
(a) An allowed claim of a creditor secured by a lien on property in which the estate has an interest, or that is subject to setoff under section 553 of this title, is a secured claim to the extent of the value of such creditor’s interest in the estate’s interest in such property, or to the extent of the amount subject to setoff, as the case may be, and is an unsecured claim to the extent that the value of such creditor’s interest or the amount so subject to setoff is less than the amount of such allowed claim. Such value shall be determined in light of the purpose of the valuation and of the proposed disposition or use of such property, and in conjunction with any hearing on such disposition or use or on a plan affecting such creditor’s interest.’
In Chapter 12 cases where the property will be held as a going-concern for the production of income to pay reinstated mortgages and subsequent debts, the value under 11 U.S.C. 506(a) should be based on a fair market value, not a liquidating value. In re Yoder, 32 B.R. 777 (Bankr.W.D.Pa.1983); In re Fursman Ranch, 38 B.R. 907, 909 (Bankr.W.D.Mo.1984):
‘This court is obliged to value collateral “in light of the purposes of the valuation and of the proposed disposi *908 tion or use of such property, and in conjunction with any hearing — on the plan affecting such creditor’s interest”. The legislative history suggests that the valuation is to be made on a case by case basis, consistent with the time of the valuation. Senate Report No. 95-989, 95th Cong.2d Sess. (1978) 68, U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 1978, p. 5787, reported in App. 3 Collier on Bankruptcy, (15th Ed.); * * # ft
See also In re Martin, 66 B.R. 921, 927 (Bankr.Mont.1986). The valuation for the purposes of 1225(a)(5)(B)(ii) is to be fixed ‘as of or close to the effective date of the Plan’. In re Cook, 38 B.R. 870 (Bankr.Utah 1984). In regard to value, In re Courtright, 57 B.R. 495, 496 (Bankr.Or.1986), states:
‘The court believes that it should start with the fair market value of the property as that term is generally understood to be, i.e., the price which a willing seller under no compulsion to sell and a willing buyer under no compulsion to buy would agree upon after the property has been exposed to the market for a reasonable time. The court should not use that value which would be obtained through a forced or quick sale.’
The appraiser for Metropolitan expanded on such definition to include that the buyer should be knowledgeable of all uses and purposes for which the property is adopted and for which it was or is capable of use. Three approaches to fair market value are generally recognized, to-wit: (1) the market data or comparable sales approach; (2) the income approach, and (3) the cost or replacement approach.”

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In Re Foster, 79 B.R. 906, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 1730 (Mont. 1987).

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