In re Thomaston Mills, Inc.

279 B.R. 909, 49 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 183, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 923, 2002 WL 1477458
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Georgia
DecidedMay 31, 2002
DocketNo. 01-52544 RFH
StatusPublished

This text of 279 B.R. 909 (In re Thomaston Mills, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Thomaston Mills, Inc., 279 B.R. 909, 49 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 183, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 923, 2002 WL 1477458 (Ga. 2002).

Opinion

[911]*911 MEMORANDUM OPINION

ROBERT F. HERSHNER, Jr., Chief Judge.

The Foothill Lenders1 (“Foothill”) filed on December 17, 2001, its limited objections to motions by Thomaston Mills, Inc., Debtor, for authorization to sell certain real property. Foothill’s objections came on for a hearing on February 6, 2002. The Court, having considered the record and the arguments of counsel, now publishes this memorandum opinion.

Debtor is a Georgia corporation with headquarters in Thomaston, Georgia. Debtor was in the business of manufacturing and marketing textile products until it ceased operations in late 2001.

Debtor, prior to filing for bankruptcy relief, primarily financed its operations through loans from Foothill and the Sun-Trust Lenders (“SunTrust”).2 Foothill and SunTrust entered into an Intercreditor Agreement dated July 27, 1999. The fourth paragraph of the Intercreditor Agreement provides, in part, as follows:

WHEREAS, Agents [Foothill and SunTrust] desire to enter into this In-tercreditor Agreement to (i) confirm the relative priority of the security interests of each Creditor (as defined below), or any of them, in the assets and properties of Debtors, (ii) provide for the orderly sharing among Creditors, in accordance with such priorities, of proceeds of such assets and properties upon any foreclosure thereon or other disposition thereof, and (iii) provide for such further covenants and agreements as are set forth herein;

The Intercreditor Agreement provides that SunTrust acknowledges that Foothill has first priority liens on Debtor’s personal property and second priority liens on Debtor’s real property. Foothill acknowledges that SunTrust has first priority liens on Debtor’s real property and second priority liens on Debtor’s personal property.

Debtor, through its president and CEO, signed an Acknowledgment of the Inter-creditor Agreement.

Debtor had financial problems and filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on June 19, 2001. Debtor began winding down its operations and liquidating its assets. Debtor will not reorganize as a going concern.

Debtor filed on October 24, 2001, a motion for court approval of an agreement it had reached with SunTrust. SunTrust asserted a secured claim against Debtor for about $5.68 million. Debtor believed that it had significant surcharge claims against the real property which secured Sun-Trust’s claim. Debtor and SunTrust reached an agreement whereby Debtor would pay $4.17 million to SunTrust upon liquidation of five parcels of real property. SunTrust would assign the balance of its unpaid claim ($1.51 million) and its first priority liens on three other parcels of real property to Debtor for the benefit of Debt- or’s estate.3 Debtor would forego any 11 U.S.C. § 506(c) surcharges against Sun-Trust’s interest in the real property. No objection to the motion was filed.4 The [912]*912Court entered an order on November 20, 2001, approving Debtor’s motion. Thus, under the agreement, SunTrust assigned to Debtor its claim of $1.51 million and its first priority liens and security interest on the three parcels of real property.5

The Court entered on November 28, 2001, a final cash collateral order authorizing Debtor to use certain cash collateral of Foothill. Foothill consented to the order.

Debtor filed on November 27 and 28, 2001, motions to sell the three parcels of real property and certain personal property6 free and clear of all liens, claims, and encumbrances. Debtor proposed to use the sale proceeds to pay the secured claims owed to SunTrust (or its assignee) and Foothill, according to the priority of their liens. SunTrust, prior to the assignment to Debtor, held first priority liens and Foothill held second priority hens on the real property. Foothill filed on December 17, 2001, limited objections to Debtor’s motions to sell. Foothill contends that once the secured claim of Sun-Trust was satisfied, it had first priority liens on the three parcels of real property and that it should receive the sales proceeds.7 The Court, after a hearing, entered orders on December 18, 2001, authorizing the sales, but reserved ruling on whether Debtor or Foothill is entitled to the sales proceeds.

A hearing on Foothill’s limited objections was held on February 6, 2002. Debt- or’s counsel advises that the liquidation of Debtor’s remaining assets will not satisfy in full Foothill’s claims. Foothill contends that the liens that Debtor holds through the assignment from SunTrust are subordinate to Foothill’s liens. The Court will consider, in turn, each of Foothill’s arguments.

Intercreditor Agreement

The Intercreditor Agreement was entered into by Foothill and SunTrust.8 Debtor signed an Acknowledgment to the Intercreditor Agreement, which provides, in part, as follows:

(i) although it [Debtor] may sign this Acknowledgment it [Debtor] is not a party to the foregoing Intercreditor Agreement and does not and will not receive any right, benefit, priority or interest under or because of the existence of the foregoing Intercreditor Agreement,

Foothill contends that under this provision:

The Foothill Lenders assert that upon the assignment by the SunTrust Agent of a portion of its remaining claims against the Debtor, under the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, the Foothill Lenders are entitled to payment of the Sale Proceeds by application of the unambiguous terms of the Intercreditor Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, and the Acknowledgment attached thereto, it is clear that the Debtor cannot “receive any right, benefit!,] priority or interest [913]*913under or because of the existence of the foregoing Intercreditor Agreement”. As a result, even though the Debtor may receive by way of assignment the Sun-Trust Agent’s claims and interest, it cannot receive these claims and interest such that the Debtor can retain those funds prior to payment of any remaining claims and interest of the Foothill Lenders. The Debtor has agreed that the Sale Proceeds, which are proceeds of the Foothill Lenders’ collateral, are to be paid to the Foothill Lenders before the Debtor may take any payment thereof. The Debtor is, by its express assent to and acknowledgment of the terms and conditions of the Intercreditor Agreement, estopped from receiving any sale proceeds of the Foothill Lenders’ collateral unless and until the claims of the Foothill Lenders have been paid in full.

Foothill’s supplemental brief, p. 10-11, Docket No. 250 (filed Feb. 6, 2002).

The Court is not persuaded by Foothill’s argument. In the Court’s view, the Acknowledgment simply provides that Debt- or was not a party to the Intercreditor Agreement and that Debtor would not receive any right, benefit, priority, or interest under or because of the Intercreditor Agreement.

Debtor does not assert any interest in the real property or the sales proceeds under or because of the Acknowledgment of the Intercreditor Agreement.

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Bluebook (online)
279 B.R. 909, 49 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 183, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 923, 2002 WL 1477458, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-thomaston-mills-inc-gamb-2002.