In re: MJS Las Croabas Properties, Inc.

United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Puerto Rico·Decided May 29, 2013·No. 12-05710·Unknown

Opinion

FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO IN RE: : CASE NO. 12-05710(ESL) : MJS LAS CROABAS PROPERTIES, INC. : CHAPTER 11 : : Debtor : ____________________________________: OPINION AND ORDER This case is before the Court on the Amended Motion for Relief from Automatic Stay (the "Motion for Relief") filed on November 14, 2012, by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as receiver for Westernbank Puerto Rico ("FDIC-R"). On November 19, 2012, Debtor filed its Opposition to the Motion for Relief (the "Opposition"). Thereafter, on December 7, 2012 FDIC- R filed its Reply to Debtor's Opposition (the "Reply"). Debtor and FDIC-R filed a Stipulation of Facts and Evidence in Advance of Final Evidentiary Hearing on the Motion for Relief (the "Stipulation"). On January 14, 2013, the Court held a final evidentiary hearing on the Motion for Relief (the "Hearing"). In accordance with the evidence admitted, testimony presented and the arguments of counsel for the interested parties, the Court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. FINDINGS OF FACT 1. Debtor is a corporation wholly-owned by Gulfcoast Irrevocable Trust XIII ("Trust XIII"). Debtor has no employees. 2. Michael Scarfia, Sr. ("Scarfia") is the sole officer of Debtor and the sole trustee and beneficiary of Trust XIII. Scarfia is an experienced real estate developer. 3. Debtor is a real estate company formed in 2004 for the purpose of purchasing real property and constructing residential units for marketing and resale to third parties in a development located in Fajardo, Puerto Rico known as The Ocean Club at Seven Seas. 4. At the time of the Hearing, the Property consisted of 66 remaining unsold units (the "Units") (300 were constructed, and 234 were subsequently sold) plus two undeveloped adjacent lots (the "Lots"). At the time of the Hearing, of the remaining 66 Units, 7 had been approved by the Court for sale but none of the sales had closed. Debtor is the owner of the Property. 5. Debtor is a single-asset real estate company as that term is defined in the bankruptcy code as its only asset is the Property. The Court previously determined that Debtor is a single-asset real estate company (Doc. 141) and hereby incorporates the findings of fact from that Order. 6. The Property is worth $7,150,000.00. 7. Save for some unfinished trim work, the Units are fully built and complete. Accordingly, all that is left to be done in connection with the Property is to sell the Units and the Lots. 8. Originally, Debtor financed the construction and development of the Property entirely with financing obtained from Westernbank Puerto Rico ("Westernbank") with the loans that constitute the outstanding debt that is the subject of FDIC-R's proof of claims. 9. On April 30, 2010, the Puerto Rico Commissioner of Financial Institutions closed Westernbank and FDIC-R was appointed receiver of Westernbank. 10. On March 15, 2012, FDIC-R filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico seeking to enforce its loan documents against Debtor including, without limitation, a foreclosure of the Property. See District Court Case Number 12-1187 (the "District Action"). 11. On March 16, 2012, FDIC-R filed a Motion for Appointment of Receiver in the District Action (Dist. Case. No. 12-1187, Doc. 6) wherein FDIC-R stated that Debtor had agreed to the appointment of a receiver in previous loan agreements and related loan documents and that Debtor had threatened to cease payment of certain common area expenses, including the electricity, water and services for the residential units of the Property. Further, FDIC-R stated that Debtor was not actively marketing the Property and was not making payments to FDIC-R. 12. On April 30, 2012, the District Court entered an Appointment of Receiver, which appointed the Receiver as receiver over the Property and empowers the Receiver to manage the Property, market and sell units in the Property, and to otherwise operate, preserve, and maintain the Property and any property relating to the Property for the benefit of the Bankruptcy Estate. 2 13. The Receiver, through its agent Mario Levine ("Levine"), took possession and control of the Property upon the entry of the Receiver Order on May 2 or May 3, 2012. 14. Levine interviewed the transition committee of the Condominium Association (the "Association"), who indicated frustration with Debtor because Debtor was not funding the Association with any money to maintain the common areas of the Property and there was substantial delay in the transfer of ownership from Debtor to the Association. 15. Upon the first inspection of the Property, Levine noticed issues with deferred maintenance including termite and bug infestation, mold issues, water intrusion and leaks, paint issues, stucco cracking, and wood rot. 16. Additionally, there were damages caused by a storm that Debtor had received insurance proceeds to fix, which Debtor used to pay a separate bill that was due. 17. Debtor did not have enough funds to complete the project and informed FDIC-R of the financial condition. Upon taking possession of the Property, the Receiver took possession of the bank financials and found $35,177.79 in Debtor's bank accounts, which was insufficient to pay all the bills to operate the Property. 18. At the time the Receiver was appointed by the District Court, Debtor owed current billings of approximately $35,000 for the electric bill, $55,000 for the water bill (which Debtor claims were not billed due to problems with the billing authority) and approximately $23,000 to other crucial vendors. FDIC-R subsequently funded the payments. 19. Prior to the Receiver taking possession of the Property, Debtor was not funding any marketing plan. 20. Prior to the Receiver taking possession of the Property, Debtor had sold eight (8) units from January 1, 2011 through April 30, 2012. 21. After taking possession of the Property, the Receiver funded a marketing plan with the funds of FDIC-R and hired Ms. Cecy Alfonso to begin marketing the Property. 22. A non-jury trial was scheduled in the District Action for August 1, 2012. 23. Debtor filed for voluntary bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on Sunday, July 19, 2012 (the "Petition Date"). 3 24. As of the Petition Date, Debtor owed FDIC-R a total of approximately $20,478,704.36 for the loan granted to MJS Las Croabas, Inc. (the "MJS Loan"). The Mortgage Deeds securing the MJS Loan and reflecting FDIC-R's first priority liens in the Property are perfected. 25. In addition, the Debtor provided a Guarantee of the amounts owed by a related debtor, Sabana del Palmar, Inc. ("Sabana"), Case No. 12-6177 ESL, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Puerto Rico to FDIC-R, and the debt owed pursuant to the guarantee was approximately $40,709.406.59 as of the Petition Date (the "Sabana Loans"). 26. Debtor's only other secured creditor with a filed claim is Centro de Recaudacion de Ingresos Municipales ("CRIM") with a claim in the amount of $332,838.42. Iris Mirta Mendez Robles ("Robles") is listed in the schedules with a contingent secured claim in the amount of $250,000. The only priority unsecured creditors are Municipality of Fajardo with a claim in the amount of $102,805.74 and Department of Treasury with a claim in the amount of $20,716. 27. There is a total of $14,158,056 in unsecured debt, in addition to the amounts owed to FDIC-R, including $10,908,742 owed to Gibraltar Construction Company. 28. Based on the value of the Property and 11 U.S.C. § 506(a), FDIC-R's deficiency claim from the MJS Loan in the amount of $13,778,204.36 is unsecured and the entire amount of the Sabana Loans of $40,709,406.59 is unsecured, for a total of $54,487,610.95. 29. FDIC-R holds approximately 79% of the unsecured claims in this case. 30. The marketing efforts of Ms. Alfonso directly led to the seven

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In re: MJS Las Croabas Properties, Inc., (prb 2013).

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