In re Stein Props., Inc.

598 B.R. 213
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Maryland
DecidedJanuary 22, 2019
DocketCase No. 17-22680-TJC
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 598 B.R. 213 (In re Stein Props., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Stein Props., Inc., 598 B.R. 213 (Md. 2019).

Opinion

THOMAS J. CATLIOTA, U.S. BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

The First National Bank of Pennsylvania (the "Bank") objects to the secured claim of the Columbia Association, Inc. (the "Association"). The parties dispute whether the Association holds a lien against the real property owned by debtor, Stein Properties Inc. (the "Debtor"), for unpaid Association fees and charges. Specifically, the issue is whether the Association obtained a lien with priority over the Bank's deed of trust loan as a result of a declaration it recorded in 1966, or whether it lacks an enforceable lien against the property because it did not comply with the provisions of the Maryland Contract Lien Act, Md. Code Ann., Real Prop. §§ 14-201, et seq. (2018) (the "MCLA").

The facts are not in dispute and the parties agree the matter is ripe for resolution. For the reasons stated herein, the court concludes that the Association was required to comply with the MCLA to obtain and enforce a lien for unpaid fees and charges. Because there is no dispute that the Association has not complied with the MCLA, the Association's claim will be disallowed as a secured claim.

The court has jurisdiction over this matter under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157(b) and Local Rule 402 of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. This court has authority to enter a final judgment under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(k) and consistent with the standards of Stern v. Marshall , 564 U.S. 1058, 132 S.Ct. 56, 180 L.Ed.2d 924 (2011) and Wellness Int'l. Network, Ltd. v. Sharif , --- U.S. ----, 135 S.Ct. 1932, 191 L.Ed.2d 911 (2015).

Findings of Fact

The Debtor filed this Chapter 11 case on September 22, 2017. It obtained confirmation of its second amended plan after a hearing held on September 25, 2018. ECF 147.

The Debtor's Plan .

At the time the Debtor filed this case, it owned real property and improvements known as the Columbia Professional Center, located at 10840 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Maryland (the "Property"). The Debtor filed the case to enable it to *215conduct an orderly sale of the Property and realize its maximum value. After actively marketing the Property, the Debtor entered into a sale agreement for $ 5,275,000.00, subject to higher and better offers. The Debtor obtained approval to conduct an auction sale, but no competing offers were made. The court approved the sale for $ 5,275,000.00.

The sale agreement required the Debtor to obtain confirmation of a plan authorizing the sale. Under the confirmed plan, the sale proceeds will be distributed to the secured creditors in accordance with their lien priorities. Although the Debtor initially hoped the sale would generate sufficient proceeds to pay all secured creditors in full with funds remaining for distribution to the unsecured creditors, that is not the case. Nevertheless, with the agreement of the Bank, the plan provides a carve-out from the funds that would otherwise be paid to the Bank on its secured claim to pay various fees and claims and for distribution to the general unsecured creditors. The unsecured creditors are expected to receive no more than 5% depending on the resolution of various claim objections.

Other than claims of insiders, the plan contains four classes of potentially secured claims and one class of unsecured claims. The secured claims, and their treatment under the plan, are as follows:

3.1 Class 1. Class 1 consists of the Allowed Secured Claims of Howard County, Maryland [of $ 123,172.93 per Claim # 7].
3.2 Class 2. Class 2 consists of the Allowed Secured Claim of SSC6-MD, LLC [the holder of a tax sale certificate in the amount of $ 83,921.64 per Claim # 5].
3.3 Class 3. Class 3 consists of the Allowed Secured Claim of the [Association], provided such Claim is allowed as a Secured Claim. If it is determined that [the Association] does not have a valid, fully perfected prepetition lien, Class 3 shall be deemed eliminated as a class under the Plan, the Allowed Claim of [the Association] shall be reclassified as an Allowed Class 6 General Unsecured Claim, and all references in the Plan to Class 3 shall be disregarded.
3.4 Class 4. Class 4 consists of the Allowed Secured Claims of the [Bank].

ECF 125 at p. 8.

The Bank's Class 4 claims consists of two commercial obligations secured by deeds of trust against the Property. The aggregate balance due to the Bank at the commencement of this case was $ 5,427,346.52. Claim Nos. 4-1, 6-1. The Association asserts a secured claim of $ 70,744.48 for unpaid fees and charges accruing over several years.

The approved sale price of $ 5,275,000 is sufficient to pay the Class 1, 2 and 3 claims but not the Bank's Class 4 claims in full. Accordingly, if the Association's claim in Class 3 is a valid and enforceable secured claim, it will be paid in full. On the other hand, if the claim is found to be unsecured it will share in the distribution to unsecured creditors of 5% or so from the carve-out.

The confirmation of the plan was consensual. In order to provide for an orderly resolution of the dispute over the Association's claim, the parties agreed to escrow the funds that would be otherwise paid to the Association until the dispute is finally resolved. ECF 147 at p. 11. The motion now before the court is the proceeding contemplated by the parties in the confirmation order to resolve the priority and validity of the Association's Class 3 claim. See ECF 138, 143, 155 and 157.

The Association's Claim .

The Association is a non-profit corporation formed in 1966 to manage the planned *216community of Columbia, Maryland, in which the Property is located. It provides recreational, cultural and community services to Columbia residents. The Association assesses and collects fees and charges from Columbia property owners, including the Debtor.

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In re: Walker and Walker
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
598 B.R. 213, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-stein-props-inc-mdb-2019.