In re Sire Plan, Inc.

221 F. Supp. 68, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10255
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 23, 1963
DocketNo. 63 B. 140
StatusPublished

This text of 221 F. Supp. 68 (In re Sire Plan, Inc.) 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 Sire Plan, Inc., 221 F. Supp. 68, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10255 (S.D.N.Y. 1963).

Opinion

SUGARMAN, District Judge.

Sire 57th Street Plan, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the “debtor”) is a New York corporation which was incorporated on or about the 22nd day of October, 1958. It is one of a number of affiliated corporations which filed a joint petition for reorganization under Chapter X on the 16th day of February, 1963. The debtor is the owner by assignment of a leasehold on premises known as 408 West 57th Street, New York, New York, under which Fifty Seven Associates, a partnership, is the landlord. The debtor was organized for the express purpose of acquiring that leasehold. The lease is for a term of fifteen years commencing on the first day of March, 1957 and terminating on the 28th day of February, 1972. This lease, however, contains four renewal options for terms of twenty-one years each. The rent currently payable under the lease is $150,500.04 per annum or $12,541.67 per month. As additional rent, the debtor is required to pay taxes and assessments which presently approximate in excess of $67,000 per year. This additional rent is payable to the landlord on a monthly basis, the taxes and assessments being estimated for annual purposes and one-twelfth thereof being paid each month.

The acquisition of the leasehold by the debtor was intended to be financed by a public offering under which the debtor proposed to raise a total of $400,000. The offering to the public was made by a circular dated November 17, 1958 and was limited to residents of the State of New York. The debtor proposed to sell 4,000 fifteen year installment debentures, with interest ranging from 6% to 8%% per annum (depending upon income), in multiples of $50.00 each and 4,000 shares of 6% cumulative non-callable participating' preferred stock having a par value of $50.00. The' preferred stock and debentures were sold in units of $100 each, the offering was fully subscribed and these units are now held by 337 investors.

The original lease was made by Fifty Seven Associates, as landlord, with the 408 W. 57 St. Corp., as tenant. This lease was assigned to the debtor by the 408 W. 57 St. Corp. under an Indenture of Assignment dated December 3, 1958. The actual purchase price paid by the debtor for the leasehold seems to have been $267,000.

Thereafter, and on January 20, 1960, the debtor executed and delivered a leasehold mortgage in the sum of $140,000 to the Pitkin Auto Exchange, Inc., as mortgagee, which mortgage was duly record[70]*70ed. By assignment dated January 1, 1961, Pitkin Auto Exchange, Inc., as mortgagee, assigned the mortgage to one Moe Steinberg, which assignment was likewise duly recorded. On or about the 20th day of November, 1961, Moe Stein-berg assigned the leasehold mortgage to Leo Ritter & Co., a partnership. At that time, the balance due on the mortgage had been reduced to $96,000. On the same day, the debtor executed and delivered to Leo Ritter & Co. an additional mortgage on the leasehold in the principal sum of $54,000. This latter mortgage and the assigned mortgage were then consolidated to form a single consolidated mortgage lien of $150,000 on the leasehold. Subsequently, and on November 27, 1962, Leo Ritter & Co. and the debtor entered into an agreement extending the time of payment of the consolidated leasehold mortgage. Thereafter, and on the 28th day of December, 1962, the debtor defaulted in the making of a payment then due under the extension agreement, and no payments have since been made on that leasehold mortgage.

The actual consideration received by the debtor from the Pitkin Auto Exchange, Inc. for the $140,000 leasehold mortgage was $120,400. The amount received from Leo Ritter & Co. for the additional mortgage of $54,000 was $45,-000. The offering circular provided, inter alia, that the debtor “may not incur any obligation for borrowed money except for its corporate purposes, including all costs required for the proper maintenance of any property it may acquire, without first obtaining the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of the Debentures, which consent is not required in the event of (a) the creation of additional mortgage or mortgages for the purpose of applying the proceeds to the reduction or payment of the unpaid principal of the Debentures, or (b) the re-financing of any mortgage which may at any time be a lien on any property the Corporation may acquire for the purpose of obtaining a new mortgage or mortgages on more favorable terms. (Sec. 5:10).” The section reference, that is, See. 5:10, relates to a substantially similar provision in a Trust Agreement dated as of the 10th day of November, 1958 between the debtor, The Sire Plan, Inc. and one Carlisle Davidson as Indenture Trustee.

The offering circular refers to a first mortgage on the fee and specifically states that the debtor “will be under no obligation to make * * * mortgage payments because they are required to be made by * * * landlord out of the * * * specified rental it is entitled to under the leasehold.” This circular further provides that the “leasehold will be subject and subordinate to the first mortgage and any renewals or replacement thereof and to any new first mortgage that may thereafter be placed on the property provided such first mortgage is an ‘institutional’ loan and the payments called for thereunder do not exceed the amount of the rent that the owner is entitled to receive under the leasehold.” In addition, the offering circular states that “(a)s a general policy, SIRE Plan offerings involve only the financing of acquisition of title to rental income real estate on a free and clear basis or subject only to a first mortgage.” Nowhere in the offering circular or in the Trust Agreement of November 10, 1958 is there any indication that the debtor intended to place a mortgage on the leasehold.

It is also interesting to note that the reorganization petition herein, contents of which this court may take judicial notice, contains a specific statement to the effect that the books and records of the debtor do not reflect any leasehold mortgage indebtedness whatever either to Pitkin Auto Exchange, Inc., Moe Stein-berg or Leo Ritter & Co. The trustees have advised the court that their investigation into the circumstances under which the leasehold mortgages were executed and delivered has not yet been completed but they have also intimated that at some future date appropriate action may be taken to invalidate such mortgages. It is unnecessary for the court at this time to express any opinion [71]*71on the validity of the leasehold mortgages since that question is not before it. It is important, however, for the court to keep this possible challenge in mind in the light of the motions hereafter discussed.

On or about the 31st day of December, 1962, an action was instituted in the New York State Supreme Court, County of New York, entitled Sire Plan, Inc., et al., v. Mintzer, 38 Misc.2d 920, 237 N.Y. S.2d 123. In that action John T. Cahill, Esq. was appointed receiver of the debtor and affiliated corporations which are likewise in reorganization. The order of appointment contained the usual restraint against the prosecution of any action in law or in equity against the debtor or the affiliated corporations and against the foreclosure sale or other disposition of any property held as security for loans made to any of these corporations without leave of that court.

Subsequently, and by order to show cause, dated January 30,1963, Leo Ritter & Co.

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Related

Sire Plan, Inc. v. Mintzer
38 Misc. 2d 920 (New York Supreme Court, 1963)

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Bluebook (online)
221 F. Supp. 68, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-sire-plan-inc-nysd-1963.