In re LCL Income Properties

184 B.R. 539, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 992, 1995 WL 431811
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedJuly 11, 1995
DocketBankruptcy No. 94-14473
StatusPublished

This text of 184 B.R. 539 (In re LCL Income Properties) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re LCL Income Properties, 184 B.R. 539, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 992, 1995 WL 431811 (Ohio 1995).

Opinion

[540]*540DECISION and ORDER RE CONFIRMATION

BURTON PERLMAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

Debtor in this single asset Chapter 11 real estate case filed a disclosure statement and plan. This case was set on a fast track by the court, and hearing on the disclosure statement and on confirmation were scheduled for the same time. Objections to the plan were lodged by Beal Bank S.S.D., the first mortgagee, and also by Clough Creek Limited (“Limited”), holder of a second mortgage. Prior to the hearing, debtor modified its plan by setting up a new class consisting of an otherwise unsecured creditor holding a certificate of judgment lien. Limited filed a motion calling this modification into question, and as well filed a specific objection to confirmation because of this modification. Additionally, at the hearing, debtor orally moved and expects forthwith to move in writing, for a further modification of its plan, so that unsecured creditors in Class 4 are paid interest on their claims at 9%.

A historical note of the case should be inserted here, as to two prior events in the court in this case. First, debtor is and throughout the pendency of the case, and indeed, for the past two years, has been out of possession of the Clough Creek Apartments, the property here involved. (Such property will hereafter be referred to as “the subject property.”) The subject property consists of ten units which have a total of 164 residential apartments. Secondly, Limited, the objector, purchased the claims of a sufficient number of creditors in Class 4 to control that class. That class has voted against confirmation.

Debtor earlier in the case moved that Limited be designated pursuant to § 1126(e) for this action. The court denied the motion. In connection with this point, a question about the existence of a bar date for claims in the case arose. FRBP 3003(c)(3) provides that the court shall fix a bar date. This court has done so at LBR 3.13 which provides that proofs of claim must be filed no later than the later of ninety days after the first date set for the § 341 meeting of creditors, or ninety days after the filing of an amendment to schedules. In the present case, debtor did not file its schedules until after the ninety days for the § 341 meeting of creditors had passed. At the hearing, we informed the parties that it was the ruling of the court that there was presently no bar date applicable to claims in this case, because it would be manifestly unfair to utilize the ninety day after the first meeting of creditors bar date, because creditors were not informed of the case until after that period had passed. Clearly, this arm of LBR 3.13 contemplated that schedules would be filed within the times contemplated in FRBP 1007(c). Nor is the other limitation in LBR 3.13(a) applicable here, because there were no amendments to the schedules. In these circumstances, we informed the parties that we had concluded that there was presently no applicable bar date. Consequently, the filing of the transferred claims by Limited were timely.

This court has jurisdiction of this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b) and the General Order of Reference entered in this District. This is a core proceeding aiising under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(L).

At the hearing, the objection to confirmation by Beal Bank was dealt with and disposed of by agreement of debtor to modify its plan. Debtor had contemplated that Beal Bank, holder of the first mortgage, be unimpaired. Beal Bank took issue with this by pointing out that a provision of the plan provided for prepayment without penalty, while its note provided otherwise. Debtor conceded the point, and agreed to modify its plan by limiting the prepayment without penalty provision so that it did not apply to Beal Bank. Thereupon, Beal Bank withdrew its objection.

Debtor then presented evidence by way of the testimony of Jacob Feldman, comptroller of LCL Management, the debtor affiliated entity which would undertake management of the subject project if debtor regains possession, and also by Elliot Liebowitz, general partner of the organization which is the debt- or limited partnership, and also a principal in LCL Management. The purpose of the testimony of these witnesses was to establish that debtor’s plan complied with all the appli[541]*541cable statutory requirements. We hold that they were successful in establishing a prima facie case to this effect.

We turn then to the objections by Limited, and address first what is a fundamental matter in this case. By its witnesses, Limited questioned the validity of the projections presented by debtor in its disclosure statement for the years 1995,1996, and 1997. Particularly, the thrust of the evidence offered by Limited was that, first, rental income was overstated, and capital expenses were understated. As to rental income, debtor had based its projection for 1995 on the occupancy rate of 95% for the subject property which was true for December 1994 as reflected in the receiver’s report, remembering that it is the receiver which is in possession. The evidence of Limited was that the occupancy rate several months later had declined to 85%, and therefore the rental income projected for 1995 is unrealistically high. After a careful review of the evidence in the record, we are unpersuaded that debt- or’s projection of rental income for 1995 is invalid. Further, Limited questions the projected capital expense figures in the debtor’s figures for 1995 and years thereafter. Again, we are unpersuaded that the figures offered are not realistic, and we accept the testimony of debtor that the capital needs can be made over a period of time rather than all at once. In part, this is based upon the fact that the receiver made very large expenditures for carpeting in 1994, and consequently, a capital expense for carpet will be less for the following year. As a result of all the foregoing, we hold that debtor’s plan is feasible.

In addition to its attack on debtor’s plan as not feasible, Limited argues that the requirement of § 1129(a)(10), that there be an accepting impaired class is not met. The step which debtor took of modifying its plan to separately classify the Bailey claim, distinguishing it from other unsecured claims because Bailey held a certificate of judgment lien, was taken for the purpose of creating an accepting impaired class. Bailey has accepted the plan. Limited objects to this modification, asserting that, first, that Bailey’s lien is unperfected and therefore it is improper to regard him as a secured creditor. Secondly, Limited argues that if Bailey is recognized as a secured creditor for classification purposes, there is another creditor in the very same position, and that other claim has voted against the plan. The requirement, then, says Limited, relying on 11 U.S.C. § 1126(c), that there be an accepting impaired class is not met, because for acceptance there must be more than one-half in number of the allowed claims of the class voting in favor.

In this case, we have earlier made reference to the step taken by Limited to acquire claims sufficient to cause a negative vote on the plan by Class 4.

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Related

Acceptance of plan
11 U.S.C. § 1126(c)
Procedures
28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(L)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
184 B.R. 539, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 992, 1995 WL 431811, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-lcl-income-properties-ohsb-1995.