In Re Wabash Valley Power Ass'n, Inc.

114 B.R. 613, 111 P.U.R.4th 119, 11 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1298, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16273, 1989 WL 206583
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedFebruary 8, 1989
DocketCiv. No. IP 87-1097-C, Bankruptcy No. IP 85-2238 RA V
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 114 B.R. 613 (In Re Wabash Valley Power Ass'n, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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In Re Wabash Valley Power Ass'n, Inc., 114 B.R. 613, 111 P.U.R.4th 119, 11 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1298, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16273, 1989 WL 206583 (S.D. Ind. 1989).

Opinion

ENTRY

DILLIN, District Judge.

This cause is before the Court on appeal from an order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana finding that appellees, United States of America and National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, have a perfected security interest in certain contract rights of the debtor-appellant, Wabash Valley Power Association, Inc., granting the appellees protection in the form of a replacement lien on certain transmission lines and a substation built with proceeds of the contracts, and requiring the debtor to obtain court approval for future construction projects. The Bankruptcy Court denied the appellees’ requests for additional protection and for sanctions. For the following reasons, the decision of the Bankruptcy Court is affirmed in part and vacated in part and remanded.

Background

Debtor, Wabash Valley Power Association, Inc. (“Wabash”) is an Indiana not-for-profit electricity generation and transmission cooperative which provides electric service at wholesale to its twenty-four members. In 1978, Wabash entered into a mortgage with the United States Rural Electrification Administration (“REA”) to secure the REA’s guarantees on loans from the Federal Financing Bank to Wabash. This mortgage was secured by virtually all of Wabash’s assets except for vehicles. The security included Wabash’s rights pursuant to contracts it had with its members for it to supply and the members to purchase electricity. The mortgage was recorded in the county recorders’ offices in all counties in which Wabash owned property, including Marion County, the location of Wabash’s main office.

On April 14,1980, Wabash entered into a supplemental mortgage with REA and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Financing Corporation (“CFC”). Again, the security was virtually all assets of Wabash, including its contract rights and excepting its vehicles. ' This mortgage was also recorded in all counties in which Wabash owned property, and on June 10, 1980, a Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”) financing statement with the supplemental mortgage attached was filed in the Indiana Secretary of State’s office.

On September 9, 1981, Wabash, as mortgagor, and REA and CFC, as mortgagees, executed a supplement to this mortgage, which supplement was recorded in all pertinent county recorders’ offices. Finally, in September 1982, the parties executed an amendment to these mortgages, again recording this in county recorders’ offices. On December 14, 1982, a UCC financing statement “supplement” on the September 1981 mortgage supplement and a UCC fi *616 nancing statement “amendment” on the September 1982 mortgage amendment were filed in the Indiana Secretary of State’s office.

On May 23, 1985, Wabash filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, largely due to losses occasioned by the failure of the Marble Hill nuclear project, in which Wabash had made substantial investments. Since then, Wabash has been operating as a debtor-in-possession pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 1107-08. REA and CPC are Wabash’s two major creditors. (By June 1988, Wabash owed the United States approximately $850 million.)

On May 16, 1986, Wabash sought the approval of the Bankruptcy Court for Wabash to construct an electrical substation at Prestwick, west of Indianapolis, and two transmission lines, one involving Prestwick and one in the Fort Wayne area (collectively “the Projects”). REA and CFC promptly filed objections.- The parties requested no hearing on this issue, the Bankruptcy Court issued no ruling, and Wabash proceeded with Construction of the Projects, construction that allegedly had begun before May 1986.

On December 23, 1986, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 361-63, REA moved for protection, asserting that Wabash had paid for the Projects with proceeds from its power supply contracts and that pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363(a), REA had an interest in these proceeds as cash collateral. By this date, the Projects were practically completed, at a combined cost to Wabash of approximately $613,396.00. The primary source of funds Wabash expended on the Projects was revenues from its power supply contracts. CFC subsequently joined in support of REA’s motion for protection.

After a hearing in April 1987, the Bankruptcy Court denied REA’s and CFC’s requests for protection, finding they had presented no evidence they had perfected their security interests in the contract rights. A second hearing was held in August 1987, and on September 29, 1987, the Bankruptcy Court issued amended findings and an amended order, concluding that ap-pellees had perfected their security interests in Wabash's contract rights pursuant to Indiana law, granting protection in the form of a replacement lien on the Projects and insurance proceeds thereon, and prohibiting Wabash from further construction without court approval.

Wabash appeals this ruling as to the perfection of the security interests, while REA and CFC cross-appeal, contending the Bankruptcy Court erred in refusing their requests for additional protection and for sanctions.

Memorandum of Opinion

Rule 8013, Fed.R.Bankr.P., provides:

On an appeal, the district court ... may affirm, modify, or reverse a bankruptcy court’s judgment, order, or decree or remand with instructions for further proceedings. Findings of fact shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous, and due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the bankruptcy court to judge the credibility of the witnesses.

The Bankruptcy Court’s conclusions of law are to be reviewed de novo. United States Farmers Home Admin. v. Buckley (In re Buckley), 73 B.R. 746, 747 (D.S.D.1987) (citing Carlson v. Farmers Home Admin. (In re Newcomb), 744 F.2d 621, 625 (8th Cir.1984)).

Appeal of Wabash

Wabash argues on appeal that REA and CFC have no basis for seeking protection because the contract proceeds at issue here do not qualify as “cash collateral” pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363(a). This is so, contends Wabash, because the appellees’ security interests in Wabash’s contract rights were not perfected.

“Section 544(a) of the Bankruptcy Code provides that, upon the commencement of a case, a trustee or debtor-in-possession assumes the status of a hypothetical lien creditor or bona fide purchaser of real property.” Casbeer v. State Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n (In re Casbeer), 793 F.2d 1436, 1439 (5th Cir.1986). If a creditor’s interest in property of the estate is unperfected, the creditor’s interest is subordinate to that of the debtor-in-possession. United States v. *617 Landmark Park & Assocs.,

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114 B.R. 613, 111 P.U.R.4th 119, 11 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1298, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16273, 1989 WL 206583, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-wabash-valley-power-assn-inc-insd-1989.