In Re PCH Associates

122 B.R. 181, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2679, 1990 WL 213041
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedDecember 18, 1990
Docket19-01067
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 122 B.R. 181 (In Re PCH Associates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re PCH Associates, 122 B.R. 181, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2679, 1990 WL 213041 (N.Y. 1990).

Opinion

DECISION ON MOTION TO OBTAIN ESCROWED FUNDS PROCEEDS, COMPENSATION FOR ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND REIMBURSEMENT OF COSTS

CORNELIUS BLACKSHEAR, Bankruptcy Judge.

This case involves a dispute with Simon-Tye Associates and 135 Ventures, Inc., (the “Third Mortgagee”) over a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the Philadelphia Centre Hotel (the “Hotel”), plus interest. At the closing of the sale of the Hotel, the Third Mortgagee was paid the full principal of its debt, plus an estimated sum based on the pre-default contract interest rate of 8%. A sum of $1,147,261 (“Escrowed Funds”), representing the difference between the estimated amounts of pre-default interest and the default rate of 12%, as well as amounts claimed by the Third Mortgagee under § 506(b) of the Bankruptcy Code (the “Code”) for legal fees, was placed in escrow.

A trial was held on March 24 and 25, 1988 to determine the Third Mortgagee’s entitlement to the Escrowed Funds. Two significant rulings were made at the conclusion of the trial:

First, this Court denied the Third Mortgagee’s motion to amend its Complaint to assert that the 12% post-default rate was triggered automatically at a time prior to the filing of the petition bankruptcy. At all times prior to the trial in this case, the Third Mortgagee adopted the theory that the default rate was triggered after an acceleration of the Note which it claims took place as of November 3, 1984, after the filing of the chapter 11 Petition. The Third Mortgagee’s election to accelerate the entire principal balance due on the First and Second parts under the Note was based on PCH Associates’s (“PCH”) failure to make the October 1, 1984 payment and on the voluntary chapter 11 filing [Pretrial Order, ¶ 96 at 26].

Practically on the eve of trial, the Third Mortgagee abandoned this theory, instead claiming that the post-default interest rate was triggered as of October 25, 1984, 10 days after the date of the Notice of Default [Pre-Trial Order, ¶ 92 at 24]. At the trial, the Third Mortgagee voiced its desire to amend its Complaint to introduce the new theory [Record at 194], but its request was denied [Record at 299]. The Third Mortgagee was given leave to revisit the ruling as to the applicability of default interest in its post-trial brief.

Second, the 19% bonus for legal fees was denied [Record at 302-303].

This Court then directed the filing of Post-Trial Briefs with respect to the reserved issues regarding certain reductions (or credits) claimed by PCH to the interest computed at the non-default rate of 8% and the reasonableness of incurred time charges and disbursements claimed by the lawyers for the Third Mortgagee.

*185 The following are the findings of fact based on the uncontested facts in the Joint Pre-Trial Order and the documentary and oral evidence adduced at trial:

A. Background

1. Simon-Tye Associates is a Pennsylvania general partnership, and 135 Ventures, Inc. is a Pennsylvania business corporation. Prior to September 24, 1981, they were partners in Simon Associates, a partnership that owned the real estate at 1725 J.F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, which is the land and building known as the Philadelphia Centre Hotel [Pre-Trial Order, H 43 at 11].

2. The Third Mortgagee sold its partnership interest in Simon Associates pursuant to an Agreement of Sale, dated December 18, 1980, and amended March 25, 1981 (the “Agreément”) [Pre-Trial Order, If 44 at 12].

3. As part of the purchase price, on September 24, 1981, Bernturn Corp., as agent for the purchasers, executed and delivered to the Third Mortgagee a Note in the principal amount of $5,169,365 (the “Note”) [Pre-Trial Order, ¶ 45 at 12; Joint Exhibit Binder, Exhibit “A”].

4. To secure the obligations due under the Note, the Third Mortgagee took a third mortgage and security interest on the Hotel real estate and-personal property (the “Third Mortgage”) [Pre-Trial Order, ¶ 46 at 12; Joint Exhibit Binder, Exhibit “B”].

5. The Third Mortgage was subordinate to two mortgages covering the same property; a first mortgage held by First Pennsylvania Bank N.A. (“First Mortgage”) and a second mortgage held by Barclays American Business Credit, Inc. (the “Second Mortgage”) [Pre-Trial Order, ¶ 47 at 12].

6. Soon after the partnership was sold by the Third Mortgagee, the name of the partnership was changed from Simon Associates to PCH. Bernturn Corp., a Delaware corporation is the general partner of PCH [Pre-Trial Order, ¶ 49 at 13].

7. At the time PCH bought the real estate and hotel business in September 1981, in addition to giving the First, Second and Third Mortgages, PCH entered into a transaction with Liona Corporation, Inc. (“Liona”) that has been the subject of dispute and litigation between PCH and Liona regarding the characterizations of their respective interests in the Hotel land and building. The First Mortgage, Second Mortgage and Third Mortgage, each, covered the hotel land and building and were each senior and superior to the interests claimed by PCH and Liona in the Hotel [Pre-Trial Order, II48 at 12-13]. 1

8. On April 1, 1984, PCH failed to pay an installment of principal and interest under the Note [Record at 69, 228-230].

9. Sometime later, PCH paid the principal installment and interest at the pre-de-fault contract rate of 8%, plus an additional $2,000 which PCH agreed to pay pursuant to the Third Mortgagee’s request for “certain additional sums for” the late payment. It does not appear that the 12% default rate had been automatically triggered [Record at 69, 228-230, 232]. 2

10. On October 1, 1984, PCH failed to pay another installment of principal and interest under the Note [Pre-Trial Order, ¶ 50 at 13; Record at 230].

11. During the period October 1, 1984 through November 2, 1984, PCH and the Third Mortgagee had a number of discussions regarding the missed October 1, 1984 installment. During the course of those discussions, although threatening to take affirmative action against PCH, the Third Mortgagee never demanded from PCH additional interest over and above the pre-de-fault contract rate of 8%; nor did the Third Mortgagee take any other action against PCH or accelerate or purport to accelerate *186 the debt under the Note and Third Mortgage and declare it immediately due and payable [Record at 71-72, 230-232].

12. By letter, dated October 15, 1984 (the “Notice of Default”), the Third Mortgagee warned PCH that the October 1, 1984 installment was missed and stated that if the installment payment was not made within ten (10) days, the Third Mortgagee would be entitled “to exercise the remedies provided in the Note and Third Mortgage, including acceleration of the entire indebtedness” [Joint Exhibit Binder, Exhibit “C”].

13. The Third Mortgagee concedes that prior to November 2, 1984, an acceleration of the debt under the Note and Third Mortgage did not occur [Third Mortgagee’s Memorandum, at 30-32; Record at 71-72, 293 and 299].

14.

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Bluebook (online)
122 B.R. 181, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2679, 1990 WL 213041, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-pch-associates-nysb-1990.