In Re GTI Capital Holdings, LLC

373 B.R. 671, 2007 WL 2220505
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Arizona
DecidedAugust 2, 2007
DocketBankruptcy Nos. 03-07923-SSC, 03-07924-SSC, Adversary No. 03-583
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 373 B.R. 671 (In Re GTI Capital Holdings, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re GTI Capital Holdings, LLC, 373 B.R. 671, 2007 WL 2220505 (Ark. 2007).

Opinion

373 B.R. 671 (2007)

In re GTI CAPITAL HOLDINGS, LLC, an Arizona limited liability company dba Rockland Materials, Debtor.
In re David M. Reaves, as the Chapter 7 Trustee of GTI Capital Holdings, LLC, an Arizona limited liability company dba Rockland Materials, Plaintiff,
v.
Comerica Bank-California, Defendant.

Bankruptcy Nos. 03-07923-SSC, 03-07924-SSC, Adversary No. 03-583.

United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Arizona.

August 2, 2007.

*672 Michael W. Carmel, Michael W. Carmel, Ltd., Phoenix, AZ, Debtor.

*673 Alan R. Costello, Costello Law Firm, Phoenix, AZ, for Plaintiff.

John R. Clemency, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Phoenix, AZ, Joseph J. Hamilton, Lashawn D. Jenkins, Quarles & Brady Streich Lang LLP, Phoenix, AZ, for Defendant.

MEMORANDUM DECISION

SARAH SHARER CURLEY, Bankruptcy Judge.

I. Introduction

This matter came before the Court on Defendant Comerica's Motion for Summary Judgment,[1] filed March 6, 2007. The Plaintiff, Chapter 7 Trustee David M. Reaves, filed his Response and Cross — Motion for Summary Judgment[2] on May 14, 2007, and Comerica filed its Reply and Response to Trustee's Cross-Motion[3] on May 29, 2007. On June 8, 2007, the Trustee filed his Reply to Comerica's Response.[4] Oral argument was held in the matter on June 13, 2007, at which time the Court took this matter under advisement. In this Decision, the Court has set forth its findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Rule 7052, Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. The Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157 (West 2007).

II. Factual Discussion

Pursuant to a commitment letter signed on August 22, 2001, the predecessor in interest to Comerica made four loans to GTI Capital Holdings, L.L.C. (the "Debtor").[5] The loans were finalized on September 10, 2001, when the Debtor executed a promissory note and credit agreement for each loan, which included an authorization for Comerica to perfect its security interest in the collateral securing the loans. Pursuant to the credit agreements as to the revolving line of credit and the equipment loans, the Debtor granted Comerica a security interest in, among other things, substantially all of the Debtor's personal property. The loan proceeds were disbursed on September 10, 2001. However, on September 12, 2001, the creditor only recorded the Deed of Trust and, other documents related to the real estate loan. After Comerica acquired its interest in the loans, through merger, it filed the UCC-1 Financing. Statements ("UCC-1's")[6] for the other three loans on July 17, 2002. The parties derived estimates of the value of the Debtor's personal property in 2002 from the "Examiner's. Memorandum Regarding Surcharge, Estimation of Claims, and Value Allocation" ("Memorandum"), filed at Docket Entry No. 699 in the Debtor's administrative case docket on April 19, *674 2004. The Trustee ultimately relied on the actual post-petition value of the personal property, which netted approximately $2,176,814.69 for creditors, as the best evidence of value. Comerica, in contrast, relied more heavily on the Memorandum, adjusting its valuation further to reflect the value of the Debtor's personal property as of July 2002. The Memorandum estimated that in 2004, the value of the Debtor's equipment subject to Comerica's liens was $2,234,940; and the value of the rolling stock subject to the liens was $32,046. The Memorandum used a July 2, 2003 appraisal of the Debtor's personal property dope by Arizona Auctioneers as a starting point; the appraised value therein was $6,540,399. Comerica assumes that the correct valuation of the property as of July 2002 was $8,175,499 ($6,540,399 increased by 20%. This number is derived from the assumption that the property had depreciated by 20% between 2002 and 2003). The Court would have preferred expert testimony on such an issue. However; for purposes of this Decision, the Court has assumed that the Debtor's assets had a range in value between $2,176,814.69 and $8,175,499 in July 2002. On September 4, 2002, the Debtor and Comerica entered into a Modification Agreement under which, among other things, the Debtor received certain financial accommodations from Comerica.

On May 8, 2003, the Debtor filed its petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. On June 17, 2003, the Debtor initiated this adversary proceeding with an eight-count Complaint against Comerica, alleging that Comerica's late filing of the UCC-1's constituted a preference or a fraudulent conveyance that should be avoided and recovered for the benefit of the estate. The First, Second, Seventh, and Eighth Causes of Action were dismissed by the Court in its January 17, 2006 Memorandum Decision.[7] The Court must now determine whether, under the remaining claims for relief, the filing of the UCC-1's constitutes a fraudulent conveyance pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 544(b) and 548. The Section 544(b) claim for relief relies on various provisions of Arizona law. See A.R.S. §§ 44-1004 and 44-1005.

III. Legal Discussion

A motion for summary judgment should be granted if the movant has shown that there are no genuine issues of material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Bankr.P. 7056(c). Ruling on a motion for summary judgment necessarily implicates that substantive evidentiary standard of proof which would apply at trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A material fact is genuine if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict in favor of the non-moving party. Id. Procedurally, "the proponent of a summary judgment motion bears a heavy burden to show that there are no disputed facts warranting disposition of the case on the law without trial." In re Aquaslide `N' Dive Corp., 85 R.R. 545, 547 (9th Cir. BAP 1987). Once that burden has been met, "the opponent must affirmatively show that a material issue of fact remains in dispute." Frederick S. Wyle P.C. v. Texaco, Inc., 764 F2d 604, 608 (9th Cir.1985). The opponent may not assert the existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242 at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505 at 2512, 91 L.Ed.2d 202. Instead, to demonstrate that a genuine factual issue exists, the objector must produce affidavits which are based on personal knowledge, and the facts set forth *675 therein must be admissible in evidence. Aquaslide, at 547. In addition, summary judgment must be used with care and restraint, Hutchinson v. United States, 677 F.2d 1322, 1325 (9th Cir.1982), and is reviewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Hifai v. Shell Oil Co.,

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373 B.R. 671, 2007 WL 2220505, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-gti-capital-holdings-llc-arb-2007.