In Re Shapiro

109 B.R. 127, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 1, 1990 WL 579
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 4, 1990
Docket19-10659
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 109 B.R. 127 (In Re Shapiro) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Shapiro, 109 B.R. 127, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 1, 1990 WL 579 (Pa. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

DAVID A. SCHOLL, Bankruptcy Judge.

The instant motion by LIBERTY SAVINGS BANK (hereinafter referred to as “Liberty”) for relief from the automatic stay to foreclose upon its security interest in a beachfront duplex owned by the Husband-Debtor, FREDERIC A. SHAPIRO (hereinafter “the Debtor”), located at 3104-06 Wesley Avenue, Ocean City, New Jersey (hereinafter “the Premises”), causes us to consider the validity, under applicable New Jersey law, of a “dragnet” or “spreader” clause in a mortgage which purports to render the Premises as security for prior indebtednesses as well as the transaction to purchase the Premises in connection with which the mortgage was executed. We conclude that, due to the lack of evidence regarding the intention of the Debtor to extend the mortgage to prior indebtedness-es in executing what is obviously an adhesion contract; the absence of specific reference to the prior indebtednesses in the mortgage; the lack of relationship between the prior indebtednesses and the transaction in which the Premises was purchased; and the apparent attempt of the parties to *129 separately secure at least the largest of the prior indebtedness render the instant dragnet clause unenforceable as to the Premises. The value of the Premises appears considerably in excess of the balance of the mortgage executed when the Premises was purchased alone. Therefore, we find that Liberty has failed to meet its burden of showing that it holds a security interest which is not propped up by a considerable “equity cushion,” and, with the caveat that the Debtor promptly prepare a Plan of Reorganization, we hold that the motion must be denied.

The Debtor and his wife filed the underlying joint voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy case on October 12,1989. On November 8, 1989, Liberty filed the instant motion. Answers to the motion were filed by not only the Debtor, but also by Constitution Bank, and, jointly, by Atlantic Financial Federal and Philadelphia National Bank opposing the motion. A hearing was scheduled on December 6, 1989.

At that time, counsel dictated a stipulation of the following facts into the record. On November 21, 1986, the Debtor borrowed $150,000 from Liberty in an unsecured transaction, $66,616.25 of which was due and owing on the date of filing and, with addition of alleged post-petition interest, and the balance of which was $67,-628.69 as of November 30, 1989. On December 22, 1988, the Debtor made a second loan from Liberty in the amount of $600,-000, which was to be secured by a mortgage on a premises located at 1708 Locust Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, by alleged fraud of the Debtor, the mortgage was never recorded and that debt was also unsecured. 1 The balance of this obligation was $606,252.14 at the date of filing, and had allegedly risen to $615,-409.26 as of November 30, 1989.

The third transaction is evidenced by a Note and Mortgage of February 22, 1989, in the face amount of $680,000, the proceeds of which were used to purchase the Premises. The entire text of the crucial paragraph two of the Mortgage reads as follows:

2. OBLIGATIONS SECURED. This Mortgage shall secure the repayment Mortgagee of:
(a) the indebtedness of Borrower to Mortgagee in the principal amount of $680,000., plus all interest, costs, and expenses (including without limitation attorney’s fees) thereon, as evidenced by Borrower’s promissory note or loan agreement given or assigned to Mortgagee, dated as of February 22, 1989, and any and all renewals, extensions, amendments, modifications, substitutions, continuations, consolidations, restatements, and the like thereof (all of the foregoing of which hereinafter shall be called the “Note”), (b) all future advances and loans made by Mortgagee to or for Borrower, including without limitation any and all term and other loans and any and all advances made under one or more lines of credit, letters of credit, or otherwise, (c) all other present and future indebtedness of Borrower to Mortgagee and of Mortgagor or Mortgagee, however and whenever incurred or evidenced of any nature whatsoever, (d) all amounts disbursed by Mortgagee for the payment of taxes, levies, or insurance on the Premises or for maintenance, repair, protection, or preservation of the Premises, or for any other purpose permitted herein, all of which amounts shall accrue interest at the rate set forth in the Note, and (e) any other indebtedness of Borrower to Mortgagee as evidenced by any promissory note or loan agreement or other agreement more particularly described in Section 22 hereof which, together with any and all renewals, extensions, amendments, modifications, substitutions, continuations, consolidations, restatements, and the like thereof, shall be *130 included in the term “Note” as used herein.
THIS MORTGAGE SECURES FUTURE ADVANCES; IN ADDITION [MARK AS APPLICABLE]:
□ THIS ADVANCE MONEY MORTGAGE SECURES OBLIGATORY FUTURE ADVANCES. Mortgagee is obligated, under the provisions of a Note described herein, to make advances from time to time to or on behalf of Borrower up to an amount at any one time outstanding not in excess of $ N/A. It is expressly understood and agreed that this Mortgage secures, among other sums, all such obligatory future advances made from time to time by Mortgagee to Borrower and all such obligatory future advances shall be secured as if made on the date this Mortgage is recorded.
0 THIS IS A PURCHASE MONEY MORTGAGE. All or part of the sums secured hereby constitute all or part of the purchase money of the Premises.

The balance of this obligation was $702,-672.59 at the date of filing and, with the addition of interest, allegedly rose to $713,-300.79 as of November 30, 1989.

All of the remaining documentary and testamentary evidence relates to the value of the Premises. The Premises was purchased by the Debtor under an Agreement of Sale dated January 18, 1989, for $840,-000. Shortly thereafter and before it agreed to finance this purchase, Liberty had the Premises appraised by (1) Louis A. Iatorola, an eminent Philadelphia-based appraiser, see In re 222 Liberty Associates, 105 B.R. 798, 800 (Bankr.E.D.Pa.1989), at $950,000 on January 20, 1989; and (2) Henry Harkskowitz, a New Jersey-based appraiser, who valued it at $925,000 on January 21, 1989. One Richard L. Hirsch executed an Agreement of Sale, also admitted into the record by agreement, to purchase the Premises, dated August 12, 1989, for $920,000, but this transaction fell through due to the inability of Hirsch to obtain financing.

The only witness at the hearing was George W. Powell, another appraiser hired by Liberty. He presented an appraisal of November 30, 1989, valuing the gross sellout value of the Premises at $833,000, and the value to a purchaser, assuming the conversion of the Premises to its alleged highest and best use as twin condominium units, at $711,100. Powell, a resident and appraiser in Ocean City for over fifty (50) years, contended that the other appraisers had mistakenly used, as comparable sales, transactions of realty in the “Gold Coast” area of Ocean City, which is a lavishly improved area extending to within two blocks of the Premises, but not including the Premises.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
109 B.R. 127, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 1, 1990 WL 579, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-shapiro-paeb-1990.