In Re Mulberry Phosphates, Inc.

149 B.R. 702, 6 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 351, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 73, 1993 WL 13773
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedJanuary 5, 1993
DocketBankruptcy 91-7012-8P1 through 91-7014-8P1
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 149 B.R. 702 (In Re Mulberry Phosphates, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Mulberry Phosphates, Inc., 149 B.R. 702, 6 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 351, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 73, 1993 WL 13773 (Fla. 1993).

Opinion

ORDER ON FIFTH AMENDED JOINT PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

ALEXANDER L. PASKAY, Chief Judge.

THE MATTER under consideration in these consolidated Chapter 11 cases involving Mulberry Phosphates, Inc., f/k/a Roy-ster Company and two of its subsidiaries, Mid-Atlantic Fertilizer and Pennsylvania Fertilizer, Inc. (Debtors), is the Fifth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization (Plan). The Plan, which has obtained the full approval of the Official Creditors Committee and all impaired classes with the exception of one, now has the last obstacle before confirmation to overcome, the objec *705 tion interposed by Superfos A/S and Super-fos Investments Limited (Superfos). It is Superfos’ contention that the Plan cannot be confirmed first, because it was not proposed in good faith and therefore, violates § 1129(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code; second, because the Plan is not feasible because it is likely that it will be followed by liquidation or subsequent reorganization pursuant to § 1129(a)(ll) of the Bankruptcy Code; and third, the Plan is not fair and equitable because Superfos will not receive the indubitable equivalent of its claim under the terms of the Plan as required by § 1129(b)(2)(A)(iii).

The facts relevant and germane to the proper resolution of the issues raised by Superfos, as established at the final eviden-tiary hearing are, as follows:

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE PRESENT CONTROVERSY

Prior to the commencement of these cases, Royster Company, now known as Mulberry Phosphates Inc. (MPI), one of the Debtors, was a major manufacturer and distributor of phosphate fertilizers and related products for domestic and export markets. MPI owned and operated an ammonia terminal located in the Port of Tampa, Florida (Tampa Terminal), and also held an interest in a pipeline system connected with the Tampa Terminal. In addition, the Debtors owned and operated a retail and wholesale distribution system selling fertilizers and other products used by the farming industry (Farm Marketing Group) and a diammonium phosphate facility located in Mulberry, Florida (Mulberry Plant). The Mulberry Plant consists of three separate operating units: (1) a sulfuric acid cogener-ation plant (cogeneration facility) currently owned by The CIT Group/Factoring, Inc. (CIT), and leased by the Debtors; (2) a phosphoric acid plant; and (3) a diammoni-um phosphate plant producing diammoni-um phosphate (DAP).

On April 8, 1991, MPI and its subsidiaries, Mid-Atlantic Fertilizer, Inc. and Pennsylvania Fertilizer, Inc., filed their respective voluntary Petitions for Relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 101 et seq., in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The Bankruptcy Court in New York ordered the joint administration of the Debtors’ estates. On May 28, 1991, the Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York granted a Motion to Transfer, and ordered the transfer of these Debtors’ cases to this Court.

On January 15, 1992, shortly after these cases were transferred, the Debtors sold substantially all the assets of the Farm Marketing Group (FMG) to Royster Acquisition Corporation pursuant to this Court’s Order entered December 20,1991. In addition, the Debtors sold the Tampa Terminal and its pipeline interest on July 22,1992, to CF Industries, pursuant to this Court’s Order entered June 23, 1992. The Tampa Terminal sale was free and clear of liens, including the lien claimed by Superfos, with the proviso that all liens to the extent they are found to be valid were to be transferred to the proceeds of the sale. On November 25, 1992, this Court also approved the sale of the Chesapeake Facility, which had been a part of FMG, but not sold with the other assets of FMG. Thus, the Debtors’ only remaining hard assets are the Mulberry Plant and the Debtors’ leasehold interest in the cogeneration facility owned by CIT.

The net proceeds of the Tampa Terminal sale, i.e., approximately $21 million, are currently held by the Debtors’ attorneys in a separate interest-bearing escrow account. Superfos has asserted an interest in the proceeds of the sale based on its claim which arises out of the Debtors’ lease of the cogeneration facility from CIT. The background of this transaction plays a pivotal and central part to all matters under consideration.

COGENERATION LEASE

In 1985, Superfos, then owner of the Debtors, and CIT, the owner of the cogen-eration facility, entered into a 15-year lease (Lease). The facility is operated as a power plant generating electric power and served not only the needs of Superfos, who, *706 at that time, was the owner and operator of a phosphate processing plant manufacturing fertilizer, but also enabled Superfos to sell surplus electric power to utility companies. This surplus power is sold under a continuing contract with Florida Power & Light (FP & L). The FP & L contract terminates in the year 2002 and will generate an actual annual income of $7,028,-000.00 over the coming years.

The Lease required semi-annual payments of $1,540,388.39 by Superfos to CIT. In order to assure the performance of the Lease, CIT required Superfos to pledge U.S. Treasury Bonds (Bonds) in an unspecified amount, but no doubt sufficient to adequately protect the Lease payments. Superfos posted Bonds to secure the first 20 Lease payments due to CIT under the lease, or until 1995. In May, 1990, Super-fos, with the consent of CIT, substituted the Bonds with a letter of credit (L.C.) in the amount of $15,009,156.00, issued in favor of CIT by Unibank.

In 1987, the Debtors acquired Superfos’ interest in the cogeneration lease. In connection with this acquisition, the Debtors agreed to indemnify Superfos in the event the Debtors defaulted under the Lease with CIT and CIT drew on the L.C. pursuant to the original agreement between Superfos and CIT. This is precisely what happened. It should be noted, however, that when the Debtors filed their Petitions for Relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on April 8, 1991, the Debtors were current on their obligations under the Lease and CIT and Superfos had no enforceable valid claim against the Debtors. It is equally without dispute, however, that the Debtors did default on the next two semi-annual payments, one of which became due on July 1, 1991, the other on December 1, 1991. As a result, CIT made a demand on the L.C. Unibank honored the demand and paid CIT $12,958,001.00. In turn, Unibank made a demand on Superfos to repay the same amount pursuant to its contract with Superfos. Superfos complied and paid Uni-bank the amount it paid to CIT.

On May 14,1990, Superfos and the Debtors entered into an Indemnity Agreement, which replaced the original indemnity agreement (Debtors’ Exh. 5A) of the Agreement. Provision § 3.2, entitled “Effect On Lessee’s Obligations,” provides that the liability of the lessee, i.e., the Debtors, under the Lease will not be affected by any amount of payment CIT might receive from the issuer of the L.C. in the event the Debtors are in default under the Lease and CIT elects to draw on the L.C.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
149 B.R. 702, 6 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 351, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 73, 1993 WL 13773, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-mulberry-phosphates-inc-flmb-1993.