In re New York, N. H. & H. R. Co.

95 F.2d 483, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 4148
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedMarch 7, 1938
DocketNo. 181
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 95 F.2d 483 (In re New York, N. H. & H. R. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re New York, N. H. & H. R. Co., 95 F.2d 483, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 4148 (2d Cir. 1938).

Opinion

MANTON, Circuit Judge.

Cross-appeals are taken under section 25a of the Bankruptcy Act, as. amended, 11 U.S.C.A. § 48 (a), from an order allowing an unsecured claim of $1,769,281.15 against the estate of the debtor herein and disallowing other claims filed by the claimant in these proceedings for reorganization under section 77 of the Bankruptcy Act, as amended, 11 U.S.C.A. § 205 and note. Counterclaims interposed by the debtor’s trustees were disallowed.

On December 19, 1906, the claimant leased its trolley lines to the debtor for 999 years, and on February 28, 1910, the debtor sublet these properties to the Connecticut Company. October 23, 1935, the New Haven filed a petition for reorganization under section 77 of the Bankruptcy Act, as amended, and trustees were appointed, October 31, 1935, the Connecticut Company petitioned for reorganization under section 77B, as amended, 11 U.S.C.A. § 207 and note, and on December 7, 1935, the court ordered the Connecticut Company to reject, disaffirm, and rescind the sublease and various other executory contracts relating to claimant’s trolley properties. December 14, 1935, the court authorized the debtor and 'its trustees to enter into a written agreement with the Connecticut Company terminating the sublease of its trolley properties. This was done, and reports by the debtor and sub-lessee were filed with the court and approved. On November 16, 1936, the claimant repossessed the trolley properties pursuant to orders of the court entered in each proceeding on petitions of the claimant.

This claim, similar in most respects to that in the proceedings of the Connecticut Company, was filed here. Similar answers and counterclaims were filed by the New Haven and the Connecticut Company in their respective proceedings.

Subsection (b) of section 77 of the Bankruptcy Act, as amended, 11 U.S.C.A. § 205 (b), provides as to claims: “The term ‘creditors’ shall include, for all purposes of this section all holders of claims of whatever character "against the debtor or its property, whether or not such claims would otherwise constitute provable claims under this Act, including the holder of a claim under a contract executory in whole or in part including an unexpired lease. * * * In case an executory contract or unexpired lease of property shall be rejected, or shall not have been adopted by a trustee appointed under this section, or shall have been rejected by a receiver in equity in a proceeding pending prior to the institution of a proceeding under this section, or shall be rejected by any plan, any person injured by such nonadoption or rejection shall for all purposes of this section be deemed to be a creditor of the debtor to the extent of the actual damage or injury determined in accordance with principles obtaining in equity proceedings.”

The lessor’s claim for damages under a rejected lease is provided for under this subsection, and, under subsection (f) of section 77, as amended, 11 U.S.C.A. § 205 (f), liability will be discharged after a limited allowance is imposed. City Bank Co. v. Irving Trust Co., 299 U.S. 433, 57 S.Ct. 292, 81 L.Ed. 324. In the case cited, the court held that a landlord’s claim for" damages under section 77B arising from the rejection of a lease was provable without any covenant of indemnity which would have been necessary under the applicable state law to give the landlord a right of action under the circumstances. What was said there is applicable to section 77 proceedings on the question of provability of damages. Creditors under section 77 include persons holding claims for future rent. Cf. 11 U.S.C.A. § 205- The amendment of 1935 provides that any person injured by the rejection of an executory contract or lease shall be a creditor “to the extent of the actual damage or injury determined in accordance with principles obtaining in equity proceedings.” This imposes a limit on the amount of damages which are allowable on the claims described. Section 77B specifies as a formula for limiting such claims the rent for 3 future years and such rent is constitutionally allowable. Kuehner v. Irving Trust Co., 299 U.S. 445, 57 S.Ct. 298, 81 L.Ed. 340. The extent of the actual damage or injury “determined in accordance with the principles obtaining in equity proceedings” marks the limitation of damages. The court below concluded that “actual damage” meant “accrued damage or injury” to the exclusion of all future damages not yet accrued, and he allowed damages proved up to the date of the hearing with the privilege of proving subsequent damage at later hearings. We think in doing so he applied equitable principles. As he observed, equity “will adopt its proc[486]*486esses in so far as possible as the needs of justice shall require.”

The head lease gave the claimant an option to terminate for the lessee’s default. This option was exercised, but the trustees argue that they should be compensated for the additions and improvements to the property. However, we believe the court correctly applied the statute to mean that recovery under claims arising out of ex-ecutory contracts and unexpired leases should be limited in a way to do substantial equity in each case. The court properly declined to allow under this claim for the breach of any future damages. But, where loss of rent is abundantly proved up to the time of repossession of the property, it is of sufficient certainty to be allowed. Therefore, the “actual damage or injury” means that of the past. A long lease such as for 999 years adds to the reasonableness of this application of the statute. Congress intended by the phrase of the statute to end controversies as to future damages involved in long leases, and it did so by making such claims under a icase provable and so dis-chargeable, thus disposing of them. This construction is clear when consideration is" given to the intent of Congress providing for a limitation of 3 years under another section, section 77B. By this section, Congress intended to liquidate future claims of an executory contract of lease in the railroad field. The court below applied a proper measure for the award of damages.

The debtor agreed to “pay all the taxes which may be lawfully imposed * * * with reference to the demised property or said reserved rental.” These words make it clear that the landlord should have the rental tax free. The court should have allowed as damages for loss of rentals in the rejection of the lease the stipulated rent of $281,900.88 unpaid at the time the petition was filed, plus the taxes. Thus income taxes of $106,381.95 should have been allowed, and the total is $388,282.13 instead of $332,330.88, as the decree provides. The claimant’s federal income tax must be added in calculating the amount realized on the claim for the period between the rejection of the lease and the date of hearing before the. court below. Since there is a clause as to rentals, the damages are to be arrived at as therein provided. Filene’s Sons Co. v. Weed, 245 U.S. 597, 38 S.Ct. 211, 62 L.Ed. 497; Gardiner v. Butler & Co., 245 U.S. 603, 38 S.Ct. 214, 62 L.Ed. 505.

The lease provides that the claimant might have the option to terminate it on the tenant’s default and thereupon to re-enter and repossess the property without prejudice to its right of action for arrears of rent or breach of .covenant.

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Related

Connecticut Railway & Lighting Co. v. Palmer
132 F.2d 670 (Second Circuit, 1942)
Old Colony R. v. New York, N. H. & H. R.
98 F.2d 670 (Second Circuit, 1938)

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Bluebook (online)
95 F.2d 483, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 4148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-new-york-n-h-h-r-co-ca2-1938.