In Re Orosco

77 B.R. 246, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 2340, 16 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 272
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. California
DecidedJuly 15, 1987
Docket19-50224
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 77 B.R. 246 (In Re Orosco) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Orosco, 77 B.R. 246, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 2340, 16 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 272 (Cal. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM RE CONFIRMATION

EDWARD D. JELLEN, Bankruptcy Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

The confirmation hearing in this Chapter 11 case was held June 25 — July 1, 1987. The appearances for each day’s proceedings were stated on the record. The debtor is the proponent of the proposed Chapter 11 Plan at issue (the “Plan”), under which the Trustee will effect an orderly liquidation of the debtor’s properties over a period not exceeding five (5)- years. A number of objections to confirmation were filed by secured claimants who had rejected the debtor’s proposed Plan. Many of these objections were resolved by stipulation pri- or to conclusion of the hearing. Commercial Center Bank (“CCB”), an unsecured claimant (which also holds several secured claims) also rejected the Plan and objected to confirmation. Confirmation was supported by most of the secured claimants, the Creditors’ Committee and Charles Duck, Chapter 11 Trustee.

After the close of evidence and argument, the Court announced that the Plan would be confirmed if the debtor agreed to one modification of the Plan, mentioned below, and the debtor agreed to the modification.

This memorandum is intended to evidence the Court’s rulings on the issues in dispute and set forth the Court’s views on two particular issues which were raised by the objections:

(1) Whether the unsecured claimants, Class Four under the Plan, accepted the Plan within the meaning of Bankruptcy Code Section 1129(a)(8)(A), and

(2) Whether the treatment of the secured claimants who rejected the Plan conforms to the requirements of Bankruptcy Code Section 1129(b)(1). The Court holds in the affirmative with respect to both of these issues.

II. ACCEPTANCE OF PLAN BY UNSECURED CLAIMANTS

Class Four of the debtor’s Plan (unsecured claims) is impaired within the meaning of Bankruptcy Code Section 1124. (All further section references herein are to the Bankruptcy Code unless otherwise indicated.) Accordingly, Section 1129(a)(8)(A) requires that such Class accept the Plan as a condition to confirmation. (The debtor will retain property under the Plan, and accordingly, may not effect a cram-down of the unsecured claimants pursuant to Section 1129(b)(2)(B).)

Section 1126(c) provides that a Plan has been accepted by a class of claims if the Plan has been accepted by creditors that hold at least two thirds in amount and more than one-half in number of the allowed claims of such class that have accepted or rejected the Plan. The parties agree that more than one-half in number of the voting claimholders have accepted the Plan. The controversy arises from two disputed claims filed by CCB in the respective sums of $373,898 and $3,057,640. CCB voted to reject the Plan. If its claims are allowable in full, or for any amount in excess of approximately $1,250,000, then the debtor has not obtained the requisite acceptances from Class Four creditors that hold at least two-thirds in amount of the allowed claims in such Class which voted on the Plan.

On March 26, 1987, CCB timely filed a proof of claim in the sum of $3,057,640, plus interest, attorney’s fees and costs incurred after September, 1986 (hereinafter the “Claim”). The Claim was based upon alleged violations by the debtor of a construction loan agreement dated March 18, 1985 between the claimant and the debtor, and various alleged wrongful acts by the *249 debtor and others in connection with the loan CCB made pursuant to the agreement. After obtaining relief from the automatic stay, CCB conducted a non-judicial foreclosure of the Deed of Trust which secured the obligations the debtor incurred pursuant to the agreement. The dollar amount of CCB’s Claim consists of $1,000,000 in punitive damages, plus $2,057,640 representing the damages CCB alleges to have suffered in connection with the construction loan, as reduced by the amount of its successful credit bid at the foreclosure sale.

A. Waiver of Objection to Claim.

CCB timely submitted its ballot rejecting the Plan on May 29, 1987, whereas the debtor did not file an objection to the Claim until June 17, 1987, after the ballot was filed. CCB therefore contends that the debtor has waived his right to object to the Claim for purposes of voting. This argument is not well grounded.

Pursuant to the Sections 1126(a) and (c), only the holders of allowed claims may accept or reject a proposed Plan. Pursuant to Section 502(a), a claim is deemed allowed unless a party in interest objects. It would follow that absent a Court order, holders of claims which are the subject of a pending objection may not accept or reject a proposed Plan.

Section 502(b) provides that if an objection to a claim is made, the Court is to determine the amount of the claim after notice and a hearing. Section 502(b) is supplemented by Bankruptcy Rule 3018(a), under which a disputed claim may be temporarily allowed for purposes of voting in the amount the Court deems proper after notice and a hearing. No deadline is established by the Bankruptcy Code or Rules for the filing of objections to claims, and nothing in the Code or Rules expressly prohibits the filing of an objection to a claim after a ballot has been filed.

It is clear from the foregoing that although the filing of a claim objection initially operates to preclude the claimholder from accepting or rejecting a Plan, it also triggers a right on the part of the claim-holder to request a temporary allowance for purposes of voting, and thus, to participate in the balloting process.

This being the case, the Court is satisfied that the mere fact that an objection to a creditor’s claim r, filed after the claimholder rejects a Plan, or that the immediate purpose of the objection is to obtain an Order disallowing a claim for purposes of voting, does not constitute a waiver of the objection or render the objection untimely. This is true for a number of reasons. In the first place, the above-cited provisions obviously contemplate that a Plan not be rejected or confirmed on the basis of disputed claims which are not deemed allowed, except to the extent that such claims have been temporarily allowed pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 3018(a). Otherwise, the rights of debtors and the holders of allowable claims could be substantially and irreparably prejudiced. An automatic waiver of the type suggested by CCB would require the allowance, for voting, of a variety of objectionable claims, including claims which have been paid, or which are invalid on their face, or which are grossly inflated as to amount, or which were filed in respect of non-existent obligations. The fate of the Plan could be left to the will of the holder of a paid, inflated or fabricated claim, while the remaining parties in interest with a legitimate financial stake in the outcome of the balloting would be deprived of a practical remedy.

Secondly, a rule requiring parties in interest to review and object to claims before the balloting in order to avoid a waiver of all potential objections would not be conducive to the efficient administration of the bankruptcy case. In many Chapter 11 cases, no funds are available to pay claimants unless a Plan is confirmed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
77 B.R. 246, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 2340, 16 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 272, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-orosco-canb-1987.