In Re Inland Gas Corporation

73 F. Supp. 785, 1947 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2186
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Kentucky
DecidedOctober 2, 1947
Docket989 and 991
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 73 F. Supp. 785 (In Re Inland Gas Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Inland Gas Corporation, 73 F. Supp. 785, 1947 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2186 (E.D. Ky. 1947).

Opinion

FORD, District Judge.

This is a proceeding for reorganization of the above named debtors, originally instituted under section 77B of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C.A. § 207. Soon after the enactment of Chapter. X of the Act, 11 U.S.C.A. § 501 et seq., it was found practicable to apply the provisions of that chap *787 ter to the proceeding and accordingly all subsequent action has been in accordance therewith.

Committees of creditors, their attorneys and depositories, indenture trustees and others have filed petitions for allowances as compensation for services rendered and for reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with the administration of the estates of the debtors, as authorized by Sec. 242 of Chapter X of the Bankruptcy Act, as amended, 11 U.S.C.A. § 642.

Extensive litigation upon many questions vital to the estates of the debtors has unavoidably prolonged the proceeding far beyond the period usually required for the termination of such actions, but due to the efficient manner in which the Trustee has operated and developed the business and property of Inland and the advantages which have resulted from the successful conclusion of the controversies in litigation, perhaps the delay has been an advantage rather than a detriment. The profitable operation of Inland has enabled the Trustee not only to make large expenditures in acquiring and developing gas reserves and in improving operating facilities but to pay $4,439,027 in principal and interest on Inland First Mortgage Bonds, leaving a balance due of only about $800,000.

As of June 30, 1947, the Trustee of Inland had on hand $1,458,000 in cash and current assets available for working capital, payment of the balance due to First Mortgage Bondholders and the payment of allowances authorized by Sec. 242 of the Act. In order to eliminate the high interest charges continuing to accrue on the remaining balance of the First Mortgage J3onds, as well as to reduce the classes of claims to be dealt with in a plan of reorganization, it appears desirable that this balance be paid in full if the funds remaining on hand, after payment of allowances, are sufficient for that purpose without impairment of necessary operating capital, a determination which cannot be made or safely estimated until the Court has fixed the amount of the allowances.

In the Kentucky Fuel estate the Trustee has on hand in cash and current assets approximately $220,000. Since this debtor is not an operating company and has no working capital requirements, such of this fund as will remain, after the payment of allowances reasonably chargeable to it, will be available for final distribution to its bondholders.

The major litigation in which compensable services have been rendered has been concluded. It will not only be fair to those who, for many years, have rendered valuable service, but it will obviously facilitate a plan of reorganization of Inland and a final distribution to the bondholders of Kentucky Fuel for the Court to fix and determine the amounts now properly chargeable to both the estates.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, which, at the request of the Court, has actively participated in the proceeding, concurs in the view that special circumstances justify departure from the general rule of postponing the making of such allowances until the proceedings are ready to be brought to a close.

In my effort to reconcile the provision of the Act authorizing reasonable compensation for services rendered and reimbursement for proper costs and expenses incurred, in connection with the administration of the estates, with the established rule which requires rigid economy in bankruptcy administration, I have had the benefit of a thorough analysis of the various applications for allowances prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission together with its recommendations in respect to all of them. The fact that the Court is not able to concur in all recommendations is no disparagement of the value of the service of the Commission.

In view of the substantial allowances requested by Various attorneys for creditors’ committees, it seems appropriate to briefly summarize the nature of the principal matters of litigation which have commanded their professional services.

The so-called Hamilton and Piney litigation involved claims against Inland aggregating approximately four and one-half million dollars. They were asserted as a lien upon all assets of the debtor prior and superior to all other claims. The intricate questions involved are set out in the opinion of the *788 Circuit Court of Appeals reported in Hamilton Gas Co. v. Inland Gas Corporation, 6th Cir., 102 F.2d 131. While the case was pending before the Supreme Court in October 1939, it was compromised by the payment of $50,000, thus completely eliminating claims which threatened to wipe out the equity of all other creditors of the estate.

The “Columbia advances” litigation, the details of which are set out in the opinion of the Circuit Court of Appeals in, 6 Cir., 91, F.2d 113, together with the “Columbia off-set” litigation, the details of which are set out in an opinion of this Court filed in this record, resulted in the defeat of claims approximating $400,000.

The litigation referred to as the “Kentucky State Tax” case involved a claim of the State of Kentucky against the Trustee of Inland and Kentucky Fuel for State taxes on the funds of these estates invested in postal savings certificates. The case was terminated by an opinion of the Circuit Court of Appeals rendered April 17, 1942, 6 Cir., 127 F.2d 657, holding the assessment of postal savings certificates for State taxation invalid, thus relieving these estates of heavy burdens.

Litigation arose over a proposed settlement with Columbia Gas & Electric Corporation. It was terminated in August 1941 by the Circuit Court of Appeals’ disapproval of the settlement. See, In re American Fuel & Power Co., 6 Cir., 122 F.2d 223.

Prolonged litigation ensued with Columbia in which rejection or subordination of all Columbia’s bond claims against Inland and Kentucky Fuel was sought. Columbia’s holdings in bonds aggregated more than three million dollars against each estate. The opinions of the Circuit Court of Appeals reported in Columbia Gas. & Electric Corporation v. United States, 6 Cir., 151 F.2d 461, and Id., 6 Cir., 153 F.2d 101, decreed the subordination of the Columbia held bonds to the claims of all other creditors of every class. On October 14, 1946, the Supreme Court denied certiorari, 329 U.S. 737, 67 S.Ct. 48.

The so-called “interest on interest” litigation and that usually referred to as the “mortgage coverage” litigation involved questions of great difficulty and complexity which the Supreme Court finally deter mined in an opinion rendered on December 9, 1946, reported in Vanston Bondholders Protective Committee v.

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Bluebook (online)
73 F. Supp. 785, 1947 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-inland-gas-corporation-kyed-1947.