In re Greensboro Lumber Co.

157 B.R. 921, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 1167, 1993 WL 321026
CourtDistrict Court, D. Georgia
DecidedAugust 19, 1993
DocketBankruptcy No. 90-30905
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 157 B.R. 921 (In re Greensboro Lumber Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Greensboro Lumber Co., 157 B.R. 921, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 1167, 1993 WL 321026 (gad 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ROBERT F. HERSHNER, Jr., Chief Judge.

Rayle Electric Membership Corporation (“Rayle Electric”) filed a motion for authority to set off on July 17, 1992. Greensboro Lumber Company, Debtor, filed its “Motion for Turn Over of Property of the Estate” on November 23, 1992. A hearing on both motions was held on February 11, 1993. The Court, having considered the evidence presented and the arguments and briefs of counsel, now publishes this memorandum opinion.

Rayle Electric is a rural electric membership cooperative organized under the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation Act (the “Act”).1 Rayle Electric is in the business of supplying electricity to its patrons.2 Rayle Electric is operated as a nonprofit organization in accordance with its Bylaws, the Act,3 and the Internal Revenue Code.4 At the end of each fiscal year,5 Rayle Electric is obligated to pay into a capital account any excess revenues generated by Rayle Electric’s operations. These payments to the capital account are known as patronage capital credits (“capital credits”) and are allocated to each patron. No interest or dividends are paid on capital credits. Rayle Electric’s board of directors may re[923]*923tire capital credits if the financial condition of Rayle Electric is not impaired. Retirement means that monetary payment is made to the patron.

A capital credit is reflected as equity on Rayle Electric’s business records until its board of directors votes to retire the capital credit. At that time, the capital credit becomes an account payable, which is a liability.

Rayle Electric is indebted to the Rural Electrification Administration (“REA”). REA requires that Rayle Electric have an equity level of forty percent before Rayle Electric can freely distribute capital credits to patrons. Rayle Electric’s equity level was 40.7 percent on December 31, 1991.

Rayle Electric’s Bylaws provide:

ARTICLE VI
NON-PROFIT OPERATION
6.01 Non-Profit Operation. The Cooperative shall at all times be operated on a cooperative non-profit basis for the mutual benefit of its patrons.
6.02 Patronage Capital in Connection with Furnishing Electric Energy— Receipt. In the furnishing of electric energy the Cooperative’s operation shall be so conducted that all patrons will, through their patronage, furnish capital for the Cooperative. In order to induce patronage and to assure that the Cooperative will operate on a non-profit basis, the Cooperative is obligated to account on a patronage basis to all its patrons for all amounts received and receivable from the furnishing of electric energy in excess of operating costs and expenses properly chargeable against the furnishing of electric energy. All such amounts in excess of operating costs and expenses at the moment of receipt by the Cooperative are received with the understanding that they are furnished by the patrons as capital. No interest or dividend shall be paid or be payable by the Cooperative on any capital furnished by its patrons.
6.03 Patronage Capital — Accounts. The Cooperative is obligated to pay by credits to a capital account for each patron [or patron’s estate]6 all such amounts in excess of operating costs and expense. The books and records of the Cooperative shall be set up and kept in such a manner that at the end of each fiscal year the amount of capital, if any, so furnished by each patron is clearly reflected and credited in an appropriate record to the capital account of each patron. The Cooperative shall, within a reasonable time after the close of the fiscal year, notify each patron by notification to all patrons of the aggregate amount of such excess with an explanation of how each patron may compute and determine for himself the specific amount of capital so credited to him. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Bylaws to the contrary, the Board of Directors, at its discretion, may allocate capital credits for an individual member or class of members based upon rates, costs-of-service for that member or that class.
6.04 Patronage Capital-Status as Such. All such amounts credited to the capital account of any patron shall have the same status as though they had been paid to the patron in cash in pursuance of a legal obligation to do so and the patron had then furnished the Cooperative corresponding amounts of capital.
6.05 Other Patronage Capital — Allocation. All other amounts received by the Cooperative from its operation in excess of costs and expenses shall, insofar as permitted by law, be:
(a) Used to offset any losses incurred during the current or any prior fiscal year; and
(b) To the extent not needed for that purpose, allocated to its patronage on a patronage basis and any amount so allocated shall be included as a part of the capital credited to the accounts of the patrons as herein provided.
6.06 Patronage Capital From Other Organizations. Notwithstanding any [924]*924other provision of these Bylaws, the Board shall have the power to adopt rules providing for the separate accounting for and procedure for the retirement of such other amounts of capital credited to the accounts of patrons, which correspond to capital credited to the account of the Cooperative by other organizations in which the Cooperative is a member. Such rules shall among other things:
(a) Establish a method for determining portions of such capital credited to each of the Cooperative’s patrons for each applicable fiscal year.
(b) Provide for the separate identification thereof for each patron on the Cooperative books.
(c) Provide for appropriate notification thereof to patrons.
(d) Preclude a general or special retirement thereof prior to actual receipt of such capital by the Cooperative.
6.07 Patronage Capital — Dissolution. In the event of dissolution or liquidation of the Cooperative, after:
(a) All debts and liabilities of the Cooperative shall have been paid; and
(b) All capital furnished through patronage shall have been retired as provided in these Bylaws.
(c) The remaining property and assets of the Cooperative shall be distributed among members and former members on a patronage basis.
6.08 Patronage Capital — Distribution Prior to Dissolution. If at any time prior to dissolution or liquidation the Board of Directors shall determine that the financial condition of the Cooperative will not be impaired thereby, the capital then credited to patrons’ accounts may be retired in full or in part. [In no event, however, may such capital be retired unless, after the proposed retirement, the capital of the Cooperative shall equal at least forty percent (40%) of the total assets of the Cooperative].7
[6.09 Patronage Capital — Distribution to Estates or Representatives of Deceased Members.

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Bluebook (online)
157 B.R. 921, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 1167, 1993 WL 321026, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-greensboro-lumber-co-gad-1993.