In re Metroplex on the Atlantic, LLC

545 B.R. 786, 62 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 59, 76 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 465, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 565
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 24, 2016
DocketCase No. 15-42499-cec
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 545 B.R. 786 (In re Metroplex on the Atlantic, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.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 Metroplex on the Atlantic, LLC, 545 B.R. 786, 62 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 59, 76 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 465, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 565 (N.Y. 2016).

Opinion

[788]*788DECISION AFTER HEARING

Carla E. Craig, United States Bankruptcy Judge

This matter comes before the Court on the joint motion (the “Motion”) of Metro-plex on the Atlantic, LLC (the “Debtor”) and DOF IV Metroplex, LLC (“DOF” and, together with the Debtor, the “Movants”) seeking an order in support of confirmation of their Amended Chapter 11 Plan determining that the Debtor’s property located in Far Rockaway, Queens County, New York may be sold under the Plan pursuant to § 363(f)(4) and (5)1 free and clear of all claims and interests including an alleged easement running with.the land. For the reasons stated below, the Motion, is granted.

BACKGROUND

On May 28, 2015 (the “Filing Date”), the Debtor filed a voluntary petition for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. No trustee has been appointed in this case' and the Debtor has continued to operate its business as a debtor in possession. The Debtor is the owner of certain real property located at 120 Beach 25th Street a/k/a 121 Beach 26th Street a/k/a Block 15817, Lot 1 in Far Rockaway, Queens County, New York (the “Property”). DOF currently holds a mortgage encumbering the Property. Pursuant to a stipulation between the Debtor and DOF, the amount of DOF’s claim has been fixed at approximately $38 million. (Join Mot. to Approve Stip. Ex. A § 12(a), ECF Doc. No. 88.)2 The Property is also allegedly subject to a 24-foot wide easement (the “Easement”) running through the middle of Block 15817 (the “Block”). (Obj. of Richard George ¶ 1, ECF Doc. No. 144 (hereinafter “George Obj.”).)

A. The Property

The Block, where the Property is located, is bounded by Beach 25th and 26th Streets on the east and west, Seagirt Avenue on the north, and the Atlantic Ocean on the south. (George Obj. ¶ 1). The Property is located at the southern end of the Block. (Decl. of Peter J. Amend in Supp. of the Obj. of Richard George Ex. A, ECF Doc. No. 146 (hereinafter “George Deck”).) It stretches the width of the Block fronting on both Beach 25th and Beach 26th Streets' and bordered on the south by a public beach belonging to the City of New York. (George Deck Ex. A.) The Far Rockaway boardwalk (the “Boardwalk”) is located directly south of the Property. (Joint Mot. for an Order in Aid of Confirmation ¶ 10, ECF Doc. No. 140 (hereinafter “Confirmation Mot.”).) North of the Property are several bungalows. (Confirmation Mot. ¶ 10.) The bungalows lie on both sides of the Block, along Beach 25th and Beach 26th Streets, with some facing the streets (the outside bungalows) and some facing the middle of the block (the inside bungalows). (Tr. of July 15, 2015 Hr’g 27:17-20, ECF Doc. No. 33.)

In 2007, the Debtor began construction of a 126 unit, fifteen-story condominium complex on the Property (the “Building”). (Am. Disclosure Statement § II.A, ECF Doc. No. 130 (hereinafter “Am. Disc.”); Tr. of Feb. 17, 2016 Hr’g 39:23-40:5, ECF Doe. No. 157 (hereinafter “Trial Tr.”).) The Debtor substantially completed the majority of the Building including the entire exterior, but before construction could be fully completed, the Debtor defaulted on its obligations under the mortgage held [789]*789by DOF’s predecessor in interest. (Am. Disc. § II.A.) DOF commenced foreclosure proceedings, and a foreclosure judgment was entered on October 1, 2014. (Am. Disc. § II.A.)

B. The Easement

The Easement was granted to the owners of property on the Block by express grant in 1922. (George Obj. ¶ 1.) The Easement is a 24-foot right of way running down the middle of the Block from Seagirt Avenue to the Atlantic Ocean and is reflected in the Debtor’s deed to the Property. (George Deck Ex. A.; George Deck Ex. B.) In addition to the Easement, two other easements were granted on either side of the Block that are now Beach 25th and Beach 26th Streets. (George Deck Ex. B; Confirmation Mot. ¶ 11.)

The Boardwalk lies to the south of the Property and was built in the 1930s. (Confirmation Mot. ¶ 11.) It runs along the beach across several blocks and streets. (Debtor’s Ex. B; Aff. of Jeff Azuse in Further Supp. of Mot. in Aid of Confirmation, Ex. A, ECF Doc No. 149 (hereinafter “Azuse Deck 2”).) The Boardwalk is raised a few feet above the ground and is easily accessible by ramps at the ends of Beach 25th and Beach 26th Streets. (Debtor’s Ex. A; Aff. of Jeff Azuse in Supp. of Mot. in Aid of Confirmation, Ex. A, ECF Doc No. 140-1 (hereinafter “Azuse Deck 1”).) Currently, the Boardwalk is approximately three feet above the ground. (Trial Tr. 31:8-10; Debtor’s Ex. B.) Accessing the beach via the Easement would require a person to first navigate through the thicket of trees and plants in front of the Boardwalk and then crawl underneath the Boardwalk. (Debtor’s Ex. A; Debtor’s Ex. B; Trial Tr. 31:8-32:1.) George contends that prior to the construction of the building, the Boardwalk was around ten to twelve feet above the ground, and that he maintained a path through the vegetation. (Trial Tr. 43:1-9.) He testified that the Debtor planted new trees and bushes over the Easement which caused additional sand to accumulate under the Boardwalk resulting in the reduction of the height of the Boardwalk. (Trial Tr. 46:11-48:16.) However, Elzbieta Mielczarek (“Mielczarek”), the principal of the Debtor, testified that the height of the Boardwalk is similar now to what it was before construction of the Building. (Trial Tr. 40:12-41:5.)

Owners of the inside bungalows (of which George is one), use the Easement to access their properties from Seagirt Avenue to the north and, allegedly, prior to the construction of the Building, also used it to get to the beach by going underneath the Boardwalk to the south. (Trial Tr. 43:5-13, 49:14-50:13.) Both before the construction of the Building and after, all residents of the Block were able to access the Boardwalk and the beach by utilizing the ramps at the ends of Beach 25th and Beach 26th streets. (Trial Tr. 48:22-49:13.) Residents of the inner bungalows are also able to walk directly through the openings between the bungalows and do not have to walk north to Seagirt Avenue to access Beach 25th and Beach 26th Streets. (Trial Tr. 59:20-60:9.)

C. The Easement Litigation

In 2006, the Debtor commenced an action in the New York State Supreme Court to quiet title to the Property (the “Quiet Title Action”). (George Obj. ¶ 9.) The Debtor sought a declaratory judgment that the Easement had terminated on January 1,. 1930. (George Obj. ¶ 9.) The Debtor, however, failed to prosecute the Quiet Title Action, and the case was dismissed by a judgment dated March 18, 2014. (George Obj. ¶ 11.)

[790]*790Two of the defendants alleged in the Quiet Title Action to hold rights to the Easement have appeared in this case: Susan Anderson (“Anderson”) and Richard George (“George”). Anderson’s claim is based on counterclaims asserted in the Quiet Title Action for violations of the Easement. (Confirmation Mot. ¶ 14.) Because the Debtor abandoned the Quiet Title Action, the court struck the Debtor’s answer to the counterclaims and entered judgment in favor of Anderson. (Confirmation Mot. ¶ 15; George Obj. ¶ 13.) The court found that there was a valid easement, and that the Debtor had intentionally and willfully violated the easement. (Anderson Judgment 14-19.)3

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
545 B.R. 786, 62 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 59, 76 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 465, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 565, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-metroplex-on-the-atlantic-llc-nyeb-2016.