In Re Princeton Overlook Joint Venture

143 B.R. 625
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedOctober 29, 1992
Docket19-11839
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 143 B.R. 625 (In Re Princeton Overlook Joint Venture) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Princeton Overlook Joint Venture, 143 B.R. 625 (N.J. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

WILLIAM H. GINDIN, Chief Judge.

INTRODUCTION

This matter comes before the court on the motion of City Savings, FSB (“City Savings”), the Resolution Trust Corporation as Receiver, for an order pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363(c)(2) prohibiting the debtor, Princeton Overlook Joint Venture (“debt- or”), from using cash collateral. This court has jurisdiction over the matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and 28 U.S.C. § 157. 1 This is a core matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(M).

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

The debtor owns, operates and manages two four-story connected office buildings located in West Windsor, New Jersey. City Savings is a secured creditor of the debtor as the result of the extension of a $27.6 million construction loan to debtor. In return, debtor executed the following as security for the loan: a Multifamily Note, Multifamily Mortgage (“Mortgage”), Assignment of Leases, and Security Agreement, all of which were executed on April 24, 1986. It is undisputed that the mortgage on the aforementioned office buildings was recorded in the appropriate offices in Mercer County, New Jersey on April 25, 1986. In addition to the separately executed Assignment of Leases document, paragraph 26 of the Mortgage also contains an assignment of rents.

On October 18, 1989, the debtor was initially notified of its default under the terms of the loan commitment for refusal to close the extension loan. The debtor was again notified of its default on November 7,1989. In the later notice, the debtor was notified that City Savings intended to commence foreclosure proceedings unless, at that time, the debtor was in a position to pay off the entire outstanding balance.

City Savings filed a foreclosure action against the debtor in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Mercer County on November 28, 1989. On or about July 13, 1990, City Savings moved for the appointment of a rent receiver. 2 On November 9, 1990, the Superior Court *627 granted summary judgment in favor of City Savings in the foreclosure action. On April 5, 1991, a final judgment of foreclosure was entered. The Sheriffs sale was adjourned twice with the third sale date scheduled for October 9, 1991.

Eleven months after the court entered the summary judgment order, on October 8,1991, the debtor filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Thereafter, on November 1, 1991, arguing that the rental income from the properties represented cash collateral; City Savings filed an Order to Show Cause with Temporary Restraints pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363(c)(2) seeking to prohibit the debtor’s use of the rental income from the buildings. Additionally, City Savings filed a notice of perfection of security interest in rents pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 546 on November 4, 1991.

On November 21, 1991, Judge Moore entered an order allowing the debtor to use the rents in accordance with the monthly operating budget and providing City Savings with a replacement lien to the extent that its lien was ultimately found perfected and enforceable, pending final decision by the court as to City Savings interest in those rents. The motion prohibiting the debtor’s use of cash collateral is presently before this court.

ISSUE

Whether a mortgagee with a recorded assignment of rents is required to take any further actions to perfect its interest in those rents?

DISCUSSION

City Savings argues that New Jersey case law holds that an assignment of rents clause in the mortgage creates an absolute assignment, entitling City Savings to the immediate use and possession of those rents, and, therefore, that the rental income is cash collateral. 3

The debtor argues that courts are reluctant to construe assignment of rents clauses as absolute assignments. 4 Furthermore, the debtor argues that City Savings failed to strictly adhere to the language of the assignment in the mortgage. Specifically, the debtor contends that the assignment was conditioned upon written notice of default, including a demand for the rents, in order for it to be perfected. The debtor also contends that in order for a mortgagee to have a perfected security interest in rents, it must take affirmative action prior to the filing of the petition in bankruptcy to perfect its interest in the rents, e.g. appointment of a rent receiver or possession of the premises. Finally, the debtor contends that the attempt by City Savings to perfect its interest by filing the motion under 11 U.S.C. § 546(b) is insufficient.

I

11 U.S.C. § 552 provides:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, property acquired by the estate or by the debtor after the commencement of the case is not subject to any lien resulting from any security agreement entered into by the debtor before the commencement of the case.
(b) Except as provided in sections 363, 506(c), 522, 544, 545, 547, and 548 of this title, if the debtor and an entity entered into a security agreement before the commencement of the case and if the security interest created by such security agreement extends to the property of the debtor acquired before the commencement of the case and to proceeds, product, offspring, rents or profits of such property, then such security interest extends to such ... rents, ... acquired by the estate after the commencement of the case to the extent provided by such *628 security agreement and by applicable nonbankruptcy law, except to any extent that the court, after notice and a hearing and based on the equities of the case orders otherwise.

In this case, inasmuch as the parties executed the aforementioned documents prior to the filing of the petition in bankruptcy, any interest will extend to the rents if perfected under “applicable nonbank-ruptcy law".

The law of the situs of the property determines the mortgagee’s entitlement to rent proceeds. New Jersey law, therefore, applies to this case. Butner v. United States, 440 U.S. 48, 99 S.Ct. 914, 59 L.Ed.2d 136 (1979); In re Pine Lake Village Apartment Co., 17 B.R. 829 (Bankr.S.D.N.Y.1982).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
143 B.R. 625, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-princeton-overlook-joint-venture-njb-1992.