In Re M.S.M. & Associates, Inc.

104 B.R. 312, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 1279, 1989 WL 89737
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedAugust 3, 1989
Docket15-01196
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 104 B.R. 312 (In Re M.S.M. & Associates, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re M.S.M. & Associates, Inc., 104 B.R. 312, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 1279, 1989 WL 89737 (Haw. 1989).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW RE: CONFIRMATION OF DEBTOR’S SECOND AMENDED PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

JON J. CHINEN, Bankruptcy Judge.

On May 22, 1989, the Motion to Confirm Debtor-in-Possession, M.S.M. & Associates, Inc.’s (“MSM”) Second Amended Plan of Reorganization (“Plan”) came on for hearing before this Court, with Steven K.S. Chung, Esq. and Stephen K. Bollinger, Esq., representing MSM; Patrick Y. Tao-mae, Esq. representing Michael Wong, John Kim and JHK, Inc.; Curtis B. Ching, Esq. representing the U.S. Trustee’s Office; Simon Klevansky, Esq. representing Aiko N. Morita and James M. Morita, individually and as Trustee for Caryn S. Morita and Marie M. Morita; H. William Burgess, Esq. representing A.I.E. Ventures;' Jason N. Baba, Esq. representing Dames & Moore; Troy Egami, Esq. representing Republic National Bank; and J. Lawrence Hamil, Esq. and Frederick W. Rohlfing III, Esq. representing Turnmar Development Corporation (“Turnmar Corp.”), Tehmina Marsh (“T. Marsh”) and M.F. Irrevocable Trust (“MF Trust”).

Based on the arguments of counsel and the records and files in this case, the Court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

1. This case was commenced on January 25,1988 when MSM filed for protection under Title 11, Chapter 11 of the United States Code. Prior to its filing, MSM was engaged in the development of real property known as the Ewa Marina Community Project (“Project”).

2. The bar date established by this Court for the filing of claims was June 1, 1988.

3. Prior to or as of June 1, 1988, the claims filed by creditors or recognized by MSM totalled approximately $12,000,-000.00.

4. Having previously sold its principal asset, comprised of all of .its real and personal property and rights pertaining tq the Project, MSM’s remaining assets consist of approximately $15.8 ■ million in cash and $772,000.00 worth of notes receivable and interest thereon. Thus, as of June 1, 1988, MSM appeared to be solvent, and it appeared that a distribution could be made to equity holders.

5. On March 3, 1989, MSM filed a Plan of Reorganization which contained just one class of unsecured creditors.

6. On March 30, 1989, Turnmar Corp. filed its Amended and Supplemental Proof of Claim in the amount of $4,295,904.75 and MF Trust and T. Marsh filed claims of $2,281,450.00 and $1,140,725.00, respectively. The filing of these additional claims caused the total claims filed against or recognized by MSM to exceed its available assets. The filing of these claims also caused MSM to file its Second Amended Plan of Reorganization (“Plan”) which separated the claims of unsecured creditors into four classes.

7. The four classes of creditors became necessary because Turnmar Corp., T. Marsh and/or MF Trust filed objections to the claims of certain unsecured creditors and they also filed Adversary Proceeding No. 89-0021 seeking to subordinate the claim of A.I.E. Ventures, a contractually subordinated creditor, to the claims and/or interests which they hold.

8. The four classes of unsecured creditors also became necessary because MSM *314 and other creditors indicated that they would be filing objections to the claims of Turnmar Corp., T. Marsh and MF Trust, and, indeed, said objections have been filed. Among other things, MSM asserts that the claims of T. Marsh and MF Trust appear to be claims for rescission which, under the Stirling Homex doctrine, are by their nature subordinate to the claims of creditors but superior to the interests of equity holders. Matter of Stirling Homex Corporation, 579 F.2d 206 (2d Cir.1978).

9. The Plan establishes seven classes of claims or interests. Classes 1 and 2 are administrative claims. Class 3 is the class which presently contains all of MSM’s general unsecured creditors except A.I.E. Ventures, which alone occupies Class 5. Class 4 is presently vacant and is intended for any creditor claim which is found superior to A.I.E. Ventures, but junior to the claims of general unsecured creditors. Class 5 is the contractually subordinated unsecured claim of A.I.E. Class 6, which is also presently vacant, is the class intended for creditors found subordinate to A.I.E. Ventures. Class 7 is the final class and is composed of all the equity interests. All of MSM’s shareholders are in Class 7 and there are no classes under the Plan which are junior to this class.

10. The Plan calls for the liquidation of all of MSM’s assets, the payment of administration expenses and the distribution of all remaining funds to all of MSM’s creditors to the extent their claims are allowed, in accordance with their order of priority. MSM will also be dissolved and any funds remaining after payment of all allowed creditor claims will be distributed to the equity holders in accordance with their respective rights.

11. MSM contends that the Plan leaves unaltered the legal, contractual and equitable rights of all creditors; thus, they are unimpaired. MSM also states that, since the Plan calls for the dissolution of MSM, the interest of the Plan 7 shareholders are impaired.

12. Although the Plan provides that Walter Tagawa, MSM’s President will continue to serve as President until the case is closed, the Plan does not disclose the names of the Board of Directors. Neither does the Plan disclose the salary of the President and of the other officers.

13. The voting by the Class 7 shareholders shows that 224,570 shareholders votes were in favor of the Plan and 47,114 shareholders votes were against the Plan. More than two-thirds of the shareholders casting ballots have voted to approve the Plan.

14. Until Adversary No. 89-0021 and the objections to the claims of certain unsecured creditors are resolved, it is not known whether there will be any claim in Class 4 or 6. The amount of claim in Classes 4 and 6 are not known. And, no estimate of the value of any claim in Classes 4 and 6 has been made.

15. Until all the adversaries and contested matters, now pending or proposed, are finally resolved, it cannot be stated whether any class of unsecured creditor is impaired. The Plan acknowledges that, if all of the claims, including those of Turn-mar Corp, T. Marsh and MF Trust are recognized, then certain class or classes of unsecured claims will not receive anything under the Plan.

18. MSM contends that all unsecured creditors are unimpaired and that, even if they are impaired, the Plan nevertheless is fair and equitable because the creditors will be receiving under the Plan exactly what they will be receiving under Chapter 7 liquidation.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1. Pertinent provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 1129 read as follows:

(a) The court shall confirm a plan only if all of the following requirements are met:
(1) The plan complies with the applicable provisions of this title.
(2) The proponent of the plan complies with the applicable provisions of this title.

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Bluebook (online)
104 B.R. 312, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 1279, 1989 WL 89737, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-msm-associates-inc-hib-1989.