In re Victorious, LLC

545 B.R. 815, 76 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 160, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 488, 62 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 49, 2016 WL 659156
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Vermont
DecidedFebruary 17, 2016
DocketCase # 15-10386
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 545 B.R. 815 (In re Victorious, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Vermont primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Victorious, LLC, 545 B.R. 815, 76 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 160, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 488, 62 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 49, 2016 WL 659156 (Vt. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

Granting Motion to Dismiss Based Upon Lack of Eligibility for Chapter 12 Relief, and For Cause

Colleen A. Brown, United States Bankruptcy Judge

The motion before the Court arises as part of what is essentially a two party dispute. The Debtor, Victorious, LLC, is a limited liability company that owns a fishing vessel used for commercial fishing operations in Alaska. Prior to the filing of this Chapter 12 bankruptcy case, the Debtor’s member entity had also filed a Chapter 12 case which was dismissed due to that debtor’s willful failure to comply with this Court’s orders. Aleutian Leader Fisheries (“Aleutian”), the sole secured creditor in this case, holds a claim secured by a lien against the Debtor’s primary asset—a commercial fishing vessel. Aleutian argues this case should be dismissed because (1) the Debtor fails to meet the eligibility requirements of a “family fisherman with regular income” under § 109(f), and (2) cause exists for dismissal under § 1208(c)(1) and (9) since the Debtor has unreasonably delayed the Chapter 12 process to the prejudice of its creditors and has not shown there is a reasonable likelihood it will be able to successfully reorganize.

For the reasons set forth below, the Court finds that the Debtor does not meet the requirements of eligibility as defined by the Bankruptcy Code and its conduct in this case constitutes cause for dismissal.

Jurisdiction

The Court has jurisdiction over this motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1334, and the Amended Order of Reference entered by Chief Judge Christina Reiss on June 22, 2012. The Court declares that this contested matter is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A) [818]*818and (0), and that this Court has constitutional authority to enter a final judgment in this contested matter.

Issues Presented

The three legal issues before the Court are: (1) whether the Debtor meets the definition of a “family fisherman” under § 109(f)1 and § 101(19A); (2) whether the Debtor is a “family fisherman with regular annual income” under § 109(f) and § 101(19B); and (3) whether there is cause for dismissal of the Debtor’s case under § 1208(c)(1) or (9).

Background and Procedural History

Victorious, LLC (the “Debtor”) is a limited liability company whose sole asset is a commercial fishing vessel, the Judi B (the “Vessel”). The Debtor’s only member is Alaska Tendering Company, LLC (“Alaska Tendering”), which has two members: Corey Potter (“Mr.Potter”) and Maybe Potter. Mr. Potter also manages the Debtor.

On May 12, 2015, Alaska Tendering and Mr. Potter each filed for relief under Chapter 12 of the Bankruptcy Code. On May 15, 2015, counsel for Alaska Tendering and Mr. Potter filed a motion for joint administration of the two cases, asserting it would be in the debtors’ best interests to administer these two bankruptcy estates together in light of their legal relationship and shared obligations to the same creditors. On June 2, 2015, the Court entered an order granting the motion for joint administration (doc. # 6, case # 15-10231) and designated In re Alaska Tendering Company, LLC [case # 15-10231] as the lead case. Thereafter, on June 29, 2015, one of the creditors filed an emergency motion to dismiss case with prejudice as to re-filing or, alternatively, a motion for relief from stay (doc. # 11, case # 15-10231, the “Emergency Motion”). The Emergency Motion alleged the debtors had failed to provide critical financial information to both creditors and the Chapter 12 trustee, despite repeated requests.2 After a court hearing on July 10, 2015 and a telephonic hearing on August 5, 2015, on August 7, 2015, the Court entered an order deferring decision on the Emergency Motion on the condition that the debtors make adequate protection payments to Aleutian (doc. # 22, case # 15-10231, the “Adequate Protection Order”). The Court also explicitly directed the debtors to immediately turn over to the Trustee all monies they earned from the fishing operation, to obtain the Trustee’s approval before expending any of that earned income, to file operating reports accounting for all income and expenditures every month, and to file amended schedules and statements to correct the inaccuracies which had surfaced during the hearings as well as any other inaccuracies of which the debtors were aware.

Approximately one hour after the Court entered the Adequate Protection Order, on August 7, 2015, the Debtor filed the instant Chapter 12 case. This Debtor is a limited liability company of which Alaska Tendering is the sole member.

Meanwhile, the Alaska Tendering Chapter 12 case proceeded, and the hearing which had been set on the Emergency [819]*819Motion was duly held on August 28, 2015. At that hearing, it was revealed that Alaska Tendering and Mr. Potter had maintained bank accounts throughout the pen-dency of their Chapter 12 cases and had neither replaced them with new DIP accounts upon the filing of their bankruptcy cases nor sought court approval to use the pre-petition accounts as their DIP accounts. Moreover, neither debtor had disclosed the accounts to the Court or the case trustee prior to August 28th—over three months after they filed for relief under the Bankruptcy Code. Additionally, it was only on that date that the Court and trustee learned that the bank accounts in question had had significant activity during the pendency of the cases: over $250,000 was expended from the business account, and Mr. Potter’s personal account showed over $30,000 in activity (doc. # 40, case # 15-10231). It immediately became clear the debtors had neither informed the Chapter 12 trustee of these expenditures nor obtained his approval to pay those expenses. There was also no question the debtors had failed to file the operating reports and amended schedules the Court had unequivocally directed them to file in its Adequate Protection Order. Due to the debtors’ failure to disclose bank accounts, open DIP bank accounts, seek Chapter 12 trustee approval before expending estate funds, and perform the duties of a debtor under the Bankruptcy Code, the Court found that the debtors had willfully failed to comply with the Adequate Protection Order. Based upon that finding, the Court dismissed both of the jointly administered cases with prejudice and, as a corollary, determined the debtors would not be eligible to seek bankruptcy relief again for 180 days, under § 109(g)(1).3

The instant Chapter 12 case proceeded independent of the activity in the two related cases. On October 7, 2015, Aleutian filed the subject motion to dismiss case with prejudice as to re-filing or alternatively, motion for relief from stay (doc. # 8, the “Motion”). Thereafter, the Debt- or filed an objection to the Motion (doc. # 10, the “Objection”) and a Chapter 12 plan (doc. # 14, the “Plan”). The Plan stated it would be funded entirely from the proposed sale of the Vessel, for $1.2 million, by June 2016.4 Aleutian filed a response setting forth additional grounds for the relief it sought in the Motion (doc. # 18, the “Response”).

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

Related

Roger Leon Comeau
D. Kansas, 2021

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
545 B.R. 815, 76 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 160, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 488, 62 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 49, 2016 WL 659156, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-victorious-llc-vtb-2016.