In re International Ry. Co.

85 F. Supp. 331, 1949 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2450
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 25, 1949
DocketNo. 36453
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 85 F. Supp. 331 (In re International Ry. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re International Ry. Co., 85 F. Supp. 331, 1949 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2450 (S.D.N.Y. 1949).

Opinion

KNIGHT, Chief Judge.

This is a proceedings to determine whether the Plan of Reorganization of International Railway Company, Debtor, as amended, proposed by the Trustees, John W. Van Allen and Henry W. Keitzel, should be approved as fair, equitable and feasible and as complying with the provisions of Section 216 of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C.A. § 616.

This plan has been developed as a result of the efforts during the past two years of the Trustees and representatives of the bondholders and of the accident •claimants. It has been the subject of extensive hearings before this Court during the past eight months. It has been approved by the Public Service Commission of the State of New York. The Securiities and Exchange Commission recommends approval of the Plan with the addition of the amendment hereinafter discussed. The Interstate Commerce Commission has considered the Plan and offers no objections. The Bureau of Internal Revenue advises that it will recommend the Plan to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.

The Plan provides for a reorganized Company to be owned solely by those who are now bondholders or other creditors of the Debtor. With the purchase of the 300 new buses recently ordered, the reorganized Company will have assets of approximately $14,000,000. It will have a net worth according to its books of approximately $5,000,000. Of the $14,000,-000 of assets over $8,000,000 will be represented by, new buses purchased within three years. The new equipment will permit the Reorganized Company to render excellent service to the public and to operate efficiently and profitably. The Reorganized Company will have a sound capitalization. It will have only one class of stock. Its major indebtedness will consist of equipment obligations payable over a period of years at interest rates varying from 2% % to 4% per annum. It will have a new Board of Directors. The former control of the so-called “Robinson” interests which, prior to July 28, 1947, had existed for thirty years will be eliminated.

The distribution of the securities of the Reorganized Company gives effect to the rights of the various classes of creditors. The participation accorded bondholders and accident claimants was the result of extensive negotiations between representatives of these groups and a compromise of their differences with the thought that a prompt reorganization rather than extensive litigation would be in the best interest of all concerned. Approval of this method of arriving at the participation to be accorded each group of creditors has been expressed by the United States Supreme Court. Case v. Los An[334]*334geles Lumber Products Co., Ltd., 308 U.S. 106, 130, 60 S.Ct. 1, 84 L.Ed. 110.

Evidence introduced' at the hearings on the Plan is to the effect that with the new buses recently ordered the earnings of the Reorganized Company will support the securities to. be issued by it. This evidence was based on the existing rates of fare which are considerably lower than the rates charged in many other major cities.

I am satisfied and find that the Plan is fair, equitable and feasible and have approved the Plan as complying with the provisions of Section 216 of the Bankruptcy Act, and directed that the Plan be submitted to creditors.

The petition for reorganization under Chapter X of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S. C.A. § 501 et seq., was filed by the International" Railway Company on July 28, 1947. For many years prior to July 28, 1947 the Public Service Commission of the State of New York and others urged the reorganization of International Railway Company on the ground that it was insolvent and because of insolvency could not render adequate service. In March of 1947 the Legislature of the State of New York amended the. Public Service Law of that state, Consol.Laws, c. 48, § 119, to authorize the Public Service Commission to direct the officers of an insolvent public utility to file a petition for reorganization under Chapter X. Following the enactment of this Act the Public Service Commission initiatéd proceedings to force the officers of International Railway Company to file such a petition. These proceedings were opposed by the Company. In the meantime, because of operating losses the International Railway Company had sought rate increases from the Public Service Commission. In July of 1947 the Public Service Commission authorized an increase in rates of fare on conditions which the International Railway Company could not meet. Faced with this situation the International Railway Company capitulated and on July 28, 1947 filed a petition for reorganization under Chapter X of the Bankruptcy Act.

The first objective of the Commission and others had then been accomplished and the jurisdiction of this Court had been invoked for the purpose of effecting a reorganization of International Railway Company under and in accordance with the federal laws relating to bankruptcy.

The present preferred and common stockholders of International Railway Company can and will receive nothing for their stock as the company is insolvent. This leaves two major groups interested in the reorganization, the riding public and the creditors, including bondholders* accident claimants and the City of Buffalo. The riding public must be considered because they will be the customers of the Reorganized Company and no company can succeed without the good will of its customers obtained through the rendering of good service at reasonable rates. On the other hand, the interest of creditors* including bondholders, accident claimants and the City of Buffalo, must also be considered in any reorganization because they are the real owners of the property.

At the time the petition for reorganization was filed on July 28, 1947, the outlook for the creditors and for the riding public was a dismal one. Operations for the previous six months had been at a loss of more than $235,000 before depreciation, retirements, provisions for rail removal and bond interest. After all charges, the loss for the six months’ period had been approximately $1,000,000. Current operations were at an even greater loss,- for wage increases had been granted effective July 1, 1947 which would increase labor costs by approximately $600,000 per year. A substantial portion of the purchase price of 71 new buses which had been delivered late-in 1946 and early 1947 was to become due within the next ten months and had to be refinanced if the buses were to' be retained in service. Fifty additional buses had' been ordered for delivery in the fall of 1947 at a cost of approximately $760,000, for which funds were not available. The acknowledged liabilities of the International Railway Company, exclusive of capital stock and reserves, were in excess of $15,000,000 as compared with assets carried on its books at a value of ap[335]*335proximately $10,000,000. In addition there were approximately 1,500 claims for wrongful death or injuries to person or property. These were carried on the books at approximately $700,000 but the total amount claimed was over $7,500,000. The International Railway Company was under obligation to the City of Buffalo to substitute motor vehicles on the eight streetcar lines then operated in the City of Buffalo and to remove the rails and resurface the track area. The International Railway Company was operating streetcars built in the years 1912-1918, some old gas-electric buses approximately twenty years of age, and a large number of small buses approximately ten years of age.

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85 F. Supp. 331, 1949 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2450, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-international-ry-co-nysd-1949.