In Re Planet Hollywood International

274 B.R. 391, 46 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1681, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 1352
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware
DecidedOctober 19, 2001
Docket19-10365
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 274 B.R. 391 (In Re Planet Hollywood International) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Planet Hollywood International, 274 B.R. 391, 46 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1681, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 1352 (Del. 2001).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION 1

MARY F. WALRATH, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the Court is the Motion of Credit Lyonnais New York Branch (“CLNY”) for Summary Judgment on the Debtors’ Amended Objection to the Amended Proof of Claim of CLNY. For the reasons set forth below, we grant CLNY’s Motion and allow, in part, its claim in the amount of $2,294,647.

I. BACKGROUND

In March, 1997, Credit Lyonnais (Suisse) S.A. (“CLS”) loaned approximately $5 million to Mediaroma Roman Frum-son (“Mediaroma”) to finance the construction of a Planet Hollywood restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland. As security, CLS took mortgages on three parcels of real property (“the Properties”). Additionally, the loan was secured by a stand-by letter of credit of approximately $5.2 million (“the Letter of Credit”) issued by CLNY at the request of Planet Hollywood, Inc. (“the Debtor”). Under a Reimbursement Agreement dated July 2, 1997, the Debtor agreed to reimburse CLNY for any amount paid by CLNY to CLS under the Letter of Credit “immediately upon demand without set-off, counterclaim or other deduction of any nature whatsoever.” In order to assure that CLS sought to collect its debt from the Properties first, the Reimbursement Agreement provided that CLS could draw on the Letter of Credit only after 18 months from declaration of a default.

On March 31, 1998, Mediaroma failed to make an interest payment due to CLS under the terms of the loan, and on April 28, 1998, CLS declared a default. In July, 1998, CLS commenced a foreclosure action against the Properties under Spanish law. Under that procedure, an auction of the Properties occurred in three stages. At the first auction, bidders were required to bid 100% of the mortgage value of the Properties. No qualified bids were received at the first auction; therefore, a second auction was held at which bidders were required to bid 75% of the mortgage value of the Properties. No qualified bids were received at the second auction, and the Properties were auctioned a third time. 2 Only one of the Properties, an apartment, received a bid of at least 75% of its mortgage value and was sold at the third auction.

The Debtor sought to have the two remaining Properties auctioned a fourth time and to have CLNY purchase the Properties so they could be sold privately for a profit, thereby reducing the Debtor’s debt to CLNY. By letter agreement dated June 25, 1999 (“the Letter Agreement”), the Debtor agreed that if CLNY purchased the Properties at the auction, the Debtor would remain obligated to repay CLNY *394 pursuant to the Reimbursement Agreement. Consequently, in October, 1999, CLNY purchased the two remaining Properties at a fourth auction, paying CLS approximately $3.1 million.

On November 12, 1999, the Debtor, together with several affiliates, filed a petition for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. On November 15, 1999, CLS sent a telex to CNLY demanding payment under the Letter of Credit. As a result of that demand, CLNY paid CLS $2,490,333 on November 22,1999.

On December 13, 1999, CLNY filed a proof of claim in the amount of $4,690,668 allegedly due under the Reimbursement Agreement. The Properties were subsequently sold by CLNY to third parties in March and July 2000, for approximately $3.8 million. On December 21, 2000, the Debtor objected to the claim, asserting it was contingent and the Properties had a value in excess of the claim. On January 10, 2001, CLNY amended its claim to $2,370,420. On April 6, 2001, the Debtor filed the Amended Objection. Presently pending is the Motion of CLNY for Summary Judgment allowing its claim.

11. JURISDICTION

This Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(B) and (O).

III. DISCUSSION
A. Burden of Proof

Initially, a claimant must allege facts sufficient to support a legal basis for the claim. If the assertions in the filed claim meet this standard of sufficiency, the claim is prima facie valid pursuant to Rule 3001(f) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. See, e.g., In re Allegheny International, Inc., 954 F.2d 167, 173 (3d Cir.1992). If no party in interest objects to such a claim, it is deemed allowed. 11 U.S.C. § 502(a).

Where an objection is filed, the objecting party bears the initial burden of presenting sufficient evidence to overcome the presumed validity and amount of the claim. See, e.g., Smith v. Sprayberry Square Holdings, Inc. (In re Smith), 249 B.R. 328, 332-33 (Bankr.S.D.Ga.2000) (citations omitted) (“if the objecting party overcomes the prima facie validity of the claim, then the burden shifts to the claimant to prove its claim by a preponderance of the evidence”).

Having filed a motion for summary judgment, CLNY bears the burden of proving that no genuine issue of material fact exists regarding the allowance of its claim. See, e.g., Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586 n. 10, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). “Facts that could alter the outcome are ‘material’ ... and disputes are ‘genuine’ if evidence exists from which a rational person could conclude that the position of the person with the burden of proof on the disputed issue is correct.” Horowitz v. Fed. Kemper Life Assurance Co., 57 F.3d 300, 302 n. 1 (3d Cir.1995) (internal citations omitted).

Once the moving party establishes the absence of a genuine issue of material fact, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to “do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348. A party may not defeat a motion for summary judgment unless it sets forth specific facts, in a form “that would be admissible at trial,” that establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact for trial. Fed. R. Bankr.P. 56(e). See also Fireman’s Ins. Co. of Newark, N.J. v. DuFresne, 676 F.2d 965, 969 (3d Cir.1982) (“Rule 56(e) does not allow a party resisting the motion to rely merely upon bare *395 assertions, conclusory allegations or suspicions”); Olympic Junior, Inc. v. David Crystal, Inc.,

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Bluebook (online)
274 B.R. 391, 46 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1681, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 1352, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-planet-hollywood-international-deb-2001.