In Re Ridgewood Apartments of DeKalb County, Ltd.

183 B.R. 784, 33 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 873, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 904, 1995 WL 396293
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedApril 17, 1995
DocketBankruptcy 2-92-08638
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 183 B.R. 784 (In Re Ridgewood Apartments of DeKalb County, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Ridgewood Apartments of DeKalb County, Ltd., 183 B.R. 784, 33 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 873, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 904, 1995 WL 396293 (Ohio 1995).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER ON OBJECTION TO CONFIRMATION AND MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM STAY

BARBARA J. SELLERS, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the request of Ridgewood Apartments of DeKalb County, Ltd. (“Debtor”) and its general partner, Cardinal Realty Services, Inc. (“Cardinal”) for confirmation of a jointly proposed First Amended Chapter 11 Plan (“Plan”).

Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) has objected to confirmation and has rejected the Plan. Therefore, the Debtor seeks confirmation under the “cram down” provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b). Fannie Mae also filed a motion for relief from stay, the resolution of which depends upon the confirmation decision.

The Court has jurisdiction in this contested matter under 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and the General Order of Reference previously entered in this district. This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(L) which this bankruptcy judge may hear and determine.

Fannie Mae maintains that the Debtor’s plan improperly classifies claims and contrives to impair a class to satisfy the “one impaired class must accept” rule of § 1129(a)(10). Fannie Mae also challenges the Debtor’s good faith and the feasibility of the Plan. Fannie Mae further asserts that the discount-factor to be applied to its secured claim fails to satisfy the “payment over time” provisions of § 1129(b)(2)(A)(II). Finally, Fannie Mae alleges that the proposal to credit previously passed-through net rents against posteonfirmation payment requirements violates the fair and equitable requirements of 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b)(1) and (b)(2).

The Court will discuss each of Fannie Mae’s objections in turn.

A. Confirmation Under § 1129(a)

1. Classification

The Court finds that any classification arguments Fannie Mae has advanced are no longer relevant. Fannie Mae, as the primary creditor in this case, holds a claim in the approximate amount of $1,970,314. Repayment of that obligation is secured by a mortgage against the Debtor’s real property, an assignment of rents and a security interest in personalty. The Plan, as orally amended, classifies Fannie Mae’s claim as fully secured. Fannie Mae, as the sole member of the only class of secured claims, would have no reason to complain about the classification of any other creditor’s claim. Because the Plan does not give Fannie Mae an unsecured deficiency claim, there is no classification argument Fannie Mae can assert on its own behalf. Accordingly, any classification argument still being advanced by Fannie Mae is overruled.

2. Artificial Impairment

The Plan proposes to delay for six months the repayment of two classes of non-insider unsecured claims. Fannie Mae argues that such treatment is merely an attempt to mini *789 mally impair those classes of claims to enable the Plan proponents to obtain the acceptance of at least one impaired class, as required by 11 U.S.C. § 1129(a)(10). One class is composed solely of judgment lien creditors. According to the Debtor the only potential member of that class, holding a claim which is disputed, did not vote. The other class accepted the Plan.

Credible unrefuted testimony established that the Debtor had business and economic reasons for delaying repayment to those two classes. Those reasons include obligations to pay postpetition real estate taxes, insurance escrows, and current net rents pass-through payments, the legal requirement to satisfy administrative expenses, and the need to provide for deferred maintenance costs and certain necessary operating reserves for the property. Those requirements exceed the Debtor’s available cash. See Tr. II: 219-221, testimony of R. Pausch. Although the Court believes that the Debt- or’s general partner would find a way to provide immediate payment of all unsecured claims if necessary, the Bankruptcy Code does not require that result. If plan proponents have valid, credible reasons for impairing a class of claims, another class cannot argue that it has been deprived of veto power over a plan. Fannie Mae’s rejection of the Plan entitles it, as a rejecting class, to demand that the more stringent requirements of § 1129(b) be met as to the treatment of its secured claim. Insistence on more than that is an unwarranted attempt to disturb the balance of rights among a plan proponent, a rejecting class and other creditors. See Connecticut Gen. Life Ins. Co. v. Hotel Assocs. (In re Hotel Assocs.), 165 B.R. 470, 475 (9th Cir. BAP 1994). Accordingly, Fannie Mae’s objection on grounds of artificial impairment is overruled.

3. Good Faith

Whether a plan has been proposed in good faith is determined “in light the totality of circumstances” and in light of the Bankruptcy Code’s purpose to provide debtors with a fresh start. B.M. Brite v. Sun Country Dev., Inc. (In re Sun County Dev., Inc.), 764 F.2d 406, 408 (5th Cir.1985).

Fannie Mae presented no evidence to support its claim of lack of good faith or from which the Court could infer that the Plan is not intended by the Debtor as an effort to reorganize. Fannie Mae’s arguments regarding specific plan terms are better addressed under particular requirements for confirmation and, specifically, under the “fair and equitable” requirements of 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b). Further, to the extent Fannie Mae argues that class impairment was somehow improper, such argument is not supported by the evidence. Therefore, the Court overrules Fannie Mae’s objection that the Plan is not proposed in good faith and finds that the Plan satisfies § 1129(a)(3).

4. Feasibility

Much time in the courtroom was spent on testimony in support of and against feasibility of the Plan, as supported by the Debtor’s projections of its future income stream and net income available to make the Plan payments.

As a legal standard, this Court believes that a plan proponent’s satisfaction of the feasibility requirement of § 1129(a)(ll) does not require proof that meeting the economic projections is certain. In re U.S. Truck Co., 47 B.R. 932, 944 (Bankr.E.D.Mich.1985), aff 'd, 800 F.2d 581 (6th Cir.1986). The requirement is to prevent confirmation of visionary schemes. In re Pizza of Hawaii, Inc.,

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183 B.R. 784, 33 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 873, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 904, 1995 WL 396293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-ridgewood-apartments-of-dekalb-county-ltd-ohsb-1995.