In Re Vandy, Inc.

189 B.R. 342, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1742, 28 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 278, 1995 WL 728192
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedDecember 7, 1995
Docket19-11393
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 189 B.R. 342 (In Re Vandy, Inc.) 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 Vandy, Inc., 189 B.R. 342, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1742, 28 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 278, 1995 WL 728192 (Pa. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

STEPHEN RASLAVICH, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the Court is the Motion of Secured Creditor Meridian Bank (“Bank”) to Compel the trustee of the Chapter 7 Estate of Yandy, Inc. (“Debtor”) to Abandon Certain Property and for Relief from the Automatic Stay (“Motion”). The United States, by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), filed an objection in which it requested the Court to deny the Motion and to make a determination that it has a security interest in the property senior to the Bank’s, subject only to the distribution provisions of Bankruptcy Code § 724(b).

After the conclusion of a hearing, held on June 19, 1995, 1 the Court took the matter under advisement and provided the parties with the opportunity of submitting memoran-da of law. For the reasons stated herein, the Court finds in favor of the IRS and against the Bank on the issue of lien priority. Accordingly, the Bank’s Motion shall be denied.

BACKGROUND

The instant dispute had its genesis in events which occurred long before the current Chapter 7 case was commenced. At the hearing, the parties agreed that the relevant facts were not in dispute, and that the issues presented could be decided as a matter of law. Since no evidence was introduced into the record at the hearing, the following factual history was developed from the uncontested allegations of fact made by the parties and the exhibits attached to their pleadings.

The Debtor, d/b/a/ Minuteman Press of Springfield, operated a business at 116-118 Baltimore Pike in Springfield, Pennsylvania. In 1985, the Debtor granted Central Penn National Bank (“Central”) a security interest in, and lien on, inter alia, “[a]ll present and future accounts, contract rights, chattel paper and general intangibles and all goods or documents represented by any account, in which the Debtor has or may hereafter acquire an interest.” (Motion at Exhibit “A”, pp. 2 and 3). In January and February 1985, Central filed UCC-1 financing statements to perfect its liens. (Motion at Exhibit “A”).

The Bank is the successor-in-interest to Central. In September 1989, the Bank filed notices with the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and in the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County to amend and to continue the above liens in its own name. Id. The Bank alleges that its hens secure a claim presently in the amount of $16,834.28. (Motion at ¶ 3).

Not long after the Bank succeeded to the interests of Central, the IRS filed federal tax hens against the Debtor. It appears that on July 9, 1991, and on November 18, 1991, the IRS filed federal tax hens in the amounts of $35,745.02 and $5,051.45 respectively. (IRS Response to the Motion at ¶ 3). Although the IRS did not attach any documentation to its pleadings evidencing its hens, their existence has not been disputed.

On or about May 12, 1992, the Debtor commenced its first bankruptcy case (“Prior Bankruptcy”) by the filing of a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, 11 *344 U.S.C. §§ 101-1880 (“Code”), in the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (“Court”). The Prior Bankruptcy was presided over by Bankruptcy Judge Fox. The Debtor remained in the possession of its assets and management of its business as a debtor-in-possession pursuant to Code §§ 1107 and 1108.

During the Prior Bankruptcy, the Court entered two Orders approving stipulations governing the use of cash collateral. At issue in the matter sub judice is the second cash collateral stipulation (“Stipulation”) which was approved by Order dated December 21, 1992. (Bank Memorandum at Exhibit “B”). Under the terms of the Stipulation, the Debtor acknowledged that the Bank had a “valid and duly perfected first priority security interest in, mortgages and/or liens on, all of the Pre-Petition Collateral”. Id. at ¶ (K)(2). Although the term “Pre-Petition Collateral” is not defined elsewhere in the Stipulation, ¶ (E) provides that:

[a]s security for the Pre-Petition Obligations, Debtor granted Bank valid, enforceable, perfected, first Priority liens and security interests in all the Debtor’s assets, including but not limited to, all present and future equipment (other than equipment in which a third party has been granted a senior security interest) fixtures and all rights to payment and other accruing to debtor, all present and future accounts, inventory, contract rights, chattel paper and general intangibles, as more fully set forth in the loan documents.

The Stipulation, at ¶ (G), states that “[t]he Collateral is security for all of the existing and future obligations, including but not limited to the Pre-Petition obligations of [the Debtor.]” Further, ¶ (0)(2) provides that the Debtor “grants to the bank replacement liens and security interests in and on all the pre-Petition Collateral and all property of the Debtor coming into existence prior to the petition date, but not subject to a lien or security interest (other than in favor of the Bank) of any kind and nature whatsoever.” Finally, ¶ (0)(9) provides that the Debtor’s right to “use Cash Collateral pursuant to this Stipulation shall cease and terminate on February 25,1993, or the date of confirmation of Debtor’s Reorganization Plan, whichever date comes first, (the “Termination Date”)....”

Attached to the Bank’s Memorandum as Exhibit “C” is a copy of the “Certification of Service” filed by Debtor’s counsel stating that notice of the filing of the Stipulation was mailed to “all parties on the attached list on November 17, 1992”. The actual service list, however, was not attached to the Exhibit.

The Prior Bankruptcy culminated in the confirmation of the Debtor’s First Amended Plan of Reorganization (“Confirmed Plan”) by Order dated March 1, 1993. (IRS Memorandum at Exhibit “A”). Under Section I of the Confirmed Plan creditors were broken down into the following classes:

a) Class I: Expenses of Administration, including approved fees and costs of attorneys;
b) Class II: Tax claims of Governmental Units entitled to priority;
c) Class III: Other Priority Creditors;
d) Class IV: Secured Creditors; and
e) Class V: General Unsecured Creditors.

The means provided for satisfying the claims in each class were provided in Section II of the Confirmed Plan. Class II and Class III claims were to be satisfied as follows:

Class II: Tax claims of Governmental Units to the extent they are entitled to priority under 11 U.S.C. Section 506 shall be deferred and paid in full with interest at seven percent over the maximum period of time allowed under Section 1129(a)(9)(c) of the Bankruptcy Code. Debtor may prepay these debts early without penalty. Payments will commence within 30 days after the Plan becomes effective following the Court’s confirmation of the Plan.
* * * * * *

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Joseph F. Catalano, Jr.
D. New Jersey, 2022
Woodard v. City of Philadelphia
558 B.R. 711 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2016)
In Re Romano
378 B.R. 454 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2007)
In Re Geiger
260 B.R. 83 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2001)
Ruxton v. City of Philadelphia
246 B.R. 508 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
189 B.R. 342, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1742, 28 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 278, 1995 WL 728192, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-vandy-inc-paeb-1995.