In re Taberna Preferred Funding IV, Ltd.

578 B.R. 244
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedNovember 27, 2017
DocketCase No. 17-11628 (MKV)
StatusPublished

This text of 578 B.R. 244 (In re Taberna Preferred Funding IV, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy 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 Taberna Preferred Funding IV, Ltd., 578 B.R. 244 (N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

DECISION DENYING MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

MARY KAY VYSKOCIL, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

On June 12, 2017 (the “Petition Date”), Opportunities II Ltd., HH HoldCo Co-Investment Fund, L.P., and Real Estate Opps Ltd. (collectively, the “Petitioning Creditors”) filed an involuntary chapter 11 petition (the “Involuntary Petition”) against Taberna Preferred Funding IV, Ltd. (“Taberna”), a structured-finance entity known as a collateralized debt obligation or a “CDO.” In 2005, Taberna issued eleven classes of notes that descend in priority (collectively, the “Notes”) in exchange for cash, and used the funds generated by the issuance to purchase securities issued by third parties. The purchased securities were intended to generate proceeds to repay the Notes and serve as collateral securing the Notes (collectively, the “Collateral”). The Petitioning Creditors hold 100% of the most senior class of Notes (the “A-l Notes”) and approximately 34% of the second-priority Class A-2 Notes (the “A-2 Notes”). Several holders of Notes that are junior in priority to the A-l and A-2 Notes, along with the collateral manager, oppose the Involuntary Petition.

Faced with competing demands from the Petitioning Creditors and various holders of Notes that are junior to the A-l and A-2 Notes (collectively, the “Note-holder Defendants”), who had demanded that Taberna move to dismiss the Involuntary Petition, Taberna filed an interpleader complaint (the “Interpleader Complaint”), requesting that the Court order the Noteholder Defendants and the Petitioning Creditors to interplead their claims as to the propriety of the Involuntary Petition. Interpleader Complaint, Adv. Proc. No. 17-01087. The Noteholder Defendants include KL Fund II (“KL Fund”), Hildene Opportunities Master Fund II, Ltd. (“Hil-dene”), Waterfall Asset Management LLC (“Waterfall”), Investors Trust Assurance SPC (“ITA”) and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“Citibank”). Thereafter, Hildene, Waterfall, ITA, Citibank and EJF Capital LLC (together, the “Junior Noteholders”), Taberna, the Petitioning Creditors, and TP Management LLC, as collateral manager (“TP Management”) entered into a stipulation, which was so ordered by the Court, with respect to the conduct of further proceedings relating to the Involuntary Petition and the Interpleader Complaint (the “Stipulation”). [ECF No. 45] Pursuant to the Stipulation, the parties agreed to hold the Interpleader Complaint in abeyance pending a trial, at which the parties agreed they would address all issues, objections, responses and defenses that the parties wish to raise in connection with the Involuntary Petition. The parties acknowledged in the Stipulation that no party was waiving a right to move for summary judgment on any such issues in advance of the trial. The parties then engaged in discovery and submitted briefs in support of their respective positions to be addressed at the trial.

Before the trial, the Petitioning Creditors moved for partial summary judgment seeking a ruling that they hold unsecured claims against Taberna, making them eligible to be petitioning creditors under section 303(b) of the Bankruptcy Code (the “Motion” or “Mtn”). Petitioning Creditors’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [ECF No. 51]. The Junior Noteholders1 and TP Management (together, the “Objecting Parties”) oppose the Motion and contend that the Petitioning Creditors are not entitled to summary judgment because the Petitioning Creditors hold overse-cured, non-recourse claims on account of the Notes. Opposition to Petitioning Creditors’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (the “Opposition” or “Opp.”) [ECF No. 65]2 Thus, the issue before the Court on the Motion is whether the Petitioning Creditors are entitled to judgment as a matter of law that they hold undersecured claims against Taberna, such that they are qualifying creditors under section 303.

BACKGROUND

Pursuant to an indenture dated December 23, 2005 (the “Indenture”), Taberna issued eleven classes of Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $630,175,000. See Petitioning Creditors’ Statement of Undisputed Facts in Support of their Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (the “PC SOF”) ¶ 2 [ECF No. 52]; Opp. ¶ 1. Under the terms of the Indenture, the Collateral3 is held in trust for the benefit and security of, inter alia, holders of Notes (i.e. the “Noteholders”). For example, the Granting Clauses of the Indenture provide, in relevant part, as follows:

The Issuer hereby Grants to the Trustee, for the benefit and security of the Secured Parties, all of its right, title and interest in, to and under, in each case, whether now owned or existing, or hereafter acquired or arising, all accounts, general intangibles, chattel paper, instruments, securities, investment property and any and all other property (other than Excepted Property) of any type or nature owned by it, including (a) the Collateral Debt Securities and Equity Securities (listed, as of the Closing Date, in the Schedule of Collateral Debt Securities) which the Issuer causes to be delivered to the Trustee (directly or through a Securities Intermediary) herewith, all payments thereon or with respect thereto, all Collateral Debt Securities and Equity Securities which are delivered to the Trustee (directly or through a Securities Intermediary) after the Closing Date pursuant to the terms hereof and all payments thereon or with respect thereto, (b) the Accounts, Eligible Investments purchased with funds on deposit in said Accounts and all income from the investment of funds therein, (c) the Collateral Management Agreement, the Hedge Agreements and the Hedge Collateral (if any), and the Collateral Administration ' Agreement, (d) all Cash’ and Money delivered to the Trustee (directly or through a Securities Intermediary) and (e) all proceeds, accessions, profits, income benefits, substitutions and replacements, whether voluntary or involuntary, of and to any of the property of the Issuer described in the preceding clauses (collectively, the “Collateral”). Such Grants are made, however, in trust, to secure the Notes and the Combination Notes equally and ratably without prejudice, priority or distinction between any Note and any other Note by reason of difference in time of issuance or otherwise, except as expressly provided in this Indenture, and to secure (i) the payment of all amounts due on the Notes and the Combination Notes in accordance with their respective terms, (ii) the payment of all other sums payable under this Indenture (including the Collateral Management Fee and all amounts payable to the Collateral Manager under this Indenture and the Collateral Management Agreement), (iii) the payment of all amounts due from the Issuer to the Hedge Counterparty under the Hedge Agreements in accordance with their respective terms and (iv) compliance with the provisions of this Indenture and the Hedge Agreements, all as provided in this Indenture and the Hedge Agreements (collectively, the “Secured Obligations” ).
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Except to the extent otherwise provided in this Indenture, this Indenture shall constitute a security agreement under the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed therein.

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Bluebook (online)
578 B.R. 244, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-taberna-preferred-funding-iv-ltd-nysb-2017.