In re Pelham Fence Co.

117 B.R. 71, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 1722, 1990 WL 118137
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 13, 1990
DocketBankruptcy No. 85 B 20295
StatusPublished

This text of 117 B.R. 71 (In re Pelham Fence Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District 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 Pelham Fence Co., 117 B.R. 71, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 1722, 1990 WL 118137 (S.D.N.Y. 1990).

Opinion

DECISION ON MOTION TO COMPEL TURN OVER OF FUNDS

HOWARD SCHWARTZBERG, Bankruptcy Judge.

This proceeding which seeks a turn over, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 725, of certain trust funds currently held by the trustee was brought by Highway Safety Design and Fabrication Corporation (“Highway”), a creditor with a valid, perfected, public improvement mechanic’s lien as to the funds. These trust funds arose from a public improvement contract entered into between the debtor, Pelham Fence Company, Inc. (“Pelham”) and the New York State Department of Transportation for the reconstruction of a portion of the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, New York (the “Contract”). Welsbach Electric Corporation (“Welsbach”) also seeks a turn over of these trust funds by virtue of its valid, perfected, public improvement mechanic’s lien. The last claimant to these trust funds is the liquidator of American Druggists Insurance Company (the “ADIC”) whose claim is based upon an assignment by Pel-ham of all monies due under the Contract (the “Assignment”).

FACTS

The parties are in agreement as to the facts surrounding their various claims and have submitted a Stipulation of Facts to this court which are set forth as follows:

1. On June 13, 1985 (the “Filing Date”), Pelham Fence Company, Inc. (“Pelham”) filed a petition under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. On or about May 6, 1986, the chapter 11 case was converted to a case under Chapter 7 of (sic) Bankruptcy Code.

2. The Trustee has been appointed as chapter 7 trustee for Pelham and has qualified and is acting as such.

3. Prior to the Filing Date, Pelham entered into a contract (No. D250430) with the New York State Department of Transportation (“DOT”) for the improvement of the Grand Central Parkway (the “Contract”). The Contract was a “contract for [73]*73a public improvement” within the meaning of the New York State Lien Law.

4. American Druggists Insurance Company (“ADIC”) is an insurance company organized under the laws of the State of Ohio. ADIC is currently in liquidation under the supervision of the Liquidator.

5. ADIC, acting as surety, issued a Labor and Material Bond, dated March 21, 1983, in connection with the Contract in the amount of $917,422.88 (the “Bond”).

6. Highway is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Connecticut. Highway supplied materials to Pelham in connection with the Contract.

7. Welsbach is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York. Welsbach supplied labor and materials to Pelham in connection with the Contract.

8. On July 10, 1984, Transpo Industries, Inc. (“Transpo”) filed with the Comptroller of the State of New York (“Comptroller”) and the DOT a notice of lien against the Contract in the amount of $10,496.

9. On August 16, 1984, Bennett Bolt Works, Inc. (“Bennett”) filed with the Comptroller and the DOT a notice of lien against the Contract in the amount of $5,363.02.

10. On August 31, 1984, ADIC filed with the Comptroller and the DOT an assignment (the “Assignment”) by Pelham to ADIC of all monies due or to become due under the Contract.

11. On or about September 24, 1984, ADIC paid $10,496 to Transpo and $5,363.02 to Bennett in full satisfaction of their respective claims. Transpo and Bennett thereupon filed satisfactions of their respective liens with the Comptroller on September 25,1984 and September 27,1984 respectively.

12. On or about September 25, 1984 Bennett and Transpo each executed a Release and Assignment of their respective claims in favor of ADIC. Neither of these releases were filed with the Comptroller as required under Section 14 of the New York Lien Law.

13. On October 29, 1984, Highway filed with the Comptroller and the DOT a notice of lien against the Contract in the amount of $47,143.75. On or about January 22, 1985, Highway commenced an action to foreclose this lien in the Supreme Court, Queens County, and on February 26,1985 a notice of pendency of such action was filed with the Comptroller and the DOT. This action was subsequently removed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

14. On January 22, 1985, Jet Asphalt Corp. (“Jet”) filed with the Comptroller and the DOT a notice of lien against the Contract in the amount of $23,279.12. Jet’s lien was renewed for a one year period pursuant to an order of the Supreme Court of New York filed with the DOT on July 19, 1985. Jet’s lien was never renewed thereafter.

15. On January 29, 1985, Welsbach Electric Corp. filed with the Comptroller and the DOT a notice of lien against the Contract in the amount of $49,713.23. Welsbach’s lien was renewed for successive one year periods pursuant to orders of the Supreme Court of New York dated July 10, 1985, July 1, 1986, June 11, 1987, January 13, 1988, and June 5, 1989. Each of these orders was filed with the Comptroller and the DOT.

16. On or about July 9,1985, ADIC paid Jet the sum of $22,000.00.

17. Pursuant to a Stipulation and Order dated October 14, 1987, which was confirmed by Order of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Hon. Reena Raggi) entered on April 6, 1988 (collectively the “Stipulation”), the Comptroller was directed to turn over to the Trustee all funds relating to the Contract, subject to all liens and claims.

18. On or about June 24, 1988, the Comptroller turned over to the Trustee the sum of $56,831.87, representing all unpaid funds relating to the Contract (the “Fund”).

19. Pursuant to the Stipulation, the Trustee released Four Thousand Thirty Two Dollars and Forty Cents ($4,032.40) to the New York State Commissioner of Labor (“Commissioner”) in accordance with [74]*74(sic) Commissioner’s Order and Determination in a Prevailing Rate Case as well as an Order of the United States Bankruptcy Court in relation to the labor claim of George Stratton.

20. The only known claimants to the Fund are Welsbach, Highway and the Liquidator. All other lienholders have either had their liens satisfied or permitted their liens to lapse by operation of law prior to the execution of the Stipulation.

21. This Stipulation of Facts may be executed in counterparts.

DISCUSSION

The relative rights of the three claimants to the trust funds are governed by New York Lien Law § 25(1), (2), (4) and (5) which provides as follows:

In an action to enforce a lien under a contract for a public improvement, or an assignment of moneys, or any part thereof, due or to become due under such contract, parties having liens and parties having assignments unless such assignments be set aside as diversions of trust assets as provided in article three-a of this chapter shall have priority as follows:
(1) Except as provided in section five an assignee of moneys, or any part thereof, due or to become due under a contract for public improvement, whose assignment is duly filed prior to the filing of a notice of lien or assignment of every other party to the action, shall have priority over those parties to the extent of advances

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Related

Vincent v. P. R. Matthews Co.
126 F. Supp. 102 (N.D. New York, 1954)
Amiesite Construction Corp. v. Luciano Contracting & Building Co.
30 N.E.2d 483 (New York Court of Appeals, 1940)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
117 B.R. 71, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 1722, 1990 WL 118137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-pelham-fence-co-nysd-1990.