In re West Central Housing Development Organization

338 B.R. 482, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 2670, 2005 WL 3833767
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado
DecidedDecember 21, 2005
DocketNo. 04-23758 HRT
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 338 B.R. 482 (In re West Central Housing Development Organization) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re West Central Housing Development Organization, 338 B.R. 482, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 2670, 2005 WL 3833767 (Colo. 2005).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR ORDER DIRECTING TRUSTEE TO RELEASE ALL CLAIMS TO REVOLVING LOAN FUND ACCOUNT AND TO DELIVER POSSESSION THEREOF TO THE STATE OF COLORADO

HOWARD R. TALLMAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

This case comes before the Court on Colorado’s Motion for Order Directing Trustee to Release all Claims to Revolving Loan Fund Account and to Deliver Possession Thereof to the State of Colorado (docket # 46) [the “Motion”]; High Desert State Bank’s Response to Motion for Order Directing Trustee to Release all Claims to Revolving Loan Fund Account and Deliver Possession Thereof to the State of Colorado (docket # 52); and Pao-nia Land and Cattle LLC’s Objection to Motion for Order Directing Trustee to Release all Claims and [sic] Revolving Loan Fund Account and to Deliver Possession Thereof to State of Colorado (docket # 54).

The matter was tried to the Court on May 27, 2005, and on July 11, 2005. At the close of the evidence, the Court requested that the parties submit their closing arguments in writing. The State of Colorado [the “State”] filed its closing argument on July 25, 2005; Paonia Land and Cattle, LLC, [“Paonia”] and High Desert State Bank [“High Desert”] submitted their joint closing argument on August 5, 2005; and the State submitted its final closing argument on August 15, 2005. The Court has considered the pleadings filed in the matter, the substantial volume of evidence submitted at trial, and the closing arguments of the parties, and is ready to rule.

I. FACTS

West Central Housing Development Organization [“WCHDO”] was a non-profit organization which served a six county region from its headquarters located in Delta, Colorado. It provided down payment loans and low interest residential rehabilitation loans directly to individuals. It also made loans for the development of low income housing projects. WCHDO filed its petition under chapter 7 on June 25, 2004. The bankruptcy filing followed WCHDO’s discovery that its executive director had allegedly embezzled funds from the organization.

The Motion seeks the release of any claim the Trustee may assert to certain funds and promissory notes in the Trus[485]*485tee’s possession and to turn those assets over to the State. The assets at issue consist of bank account balances of $460,360.40; and note balances of $1,474,-558.071 [the “Revolving Loan Assets”]. The Revolving Loan Assets are derived from block grant monies given to the State by the federal government for the purpose of supporting housing rehabilitation and home ownership. In turn, the State distributes those funds to local governments, which contract with housing organizations like WCHDO to administer the programs. The Revolving Loan Assets also includes some matching funds raised by WCHDO.

In support of its Motion, the State argues that those Revolving Loan Assets, in the possession and control of WCHDO, were held in trust solely for the purposes set out in the grant documents and by statute. Accordingly, the State argues that WCHDO had no equitable interest in the Revolving Loan Assets and they never became property of the bankruptcy estate under § 541.2

High Desert and Paonia [collectively, the “Respondents”] resist the Motion. They argue that the State does not have standing to assert an interest in the Revolving Loan Assets because the State is not the beneficiary for whom those assets are held. The Respondents further argue that any interest that the State may have in the Revolving Loan Assets constitutes an interest in real property that the Trustee may avoid with “strong arm” powers under § 544(a)(3). Finally, the Respondents argue that the State has failed to meet its burden to demonstrate its interest and entitlement to the Revolving Loan Assets.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Standing

The State has standing to pursue this action. The ultimate beneficiaries of the grant monies that are at issue in this case are those citizens of Colorado who are eligible to receive loans from WCHDO under these programs. The State need not claim an ownership interest in the Revolving Loan Assets in order to have standing to pursue this turnover action. The doctrine of parens patriae allows the State to take action to protect the rights of all or a portion of its citizens. It is enough that it has a quasi-sovereign interest in protecting the rights of that group of citizens in the six county area served by WCHDO who may qualify for housing assistance. In addition, the State has a broader interest in insuring that money it has received, and which has been earmarked to provide housing assistance to its citizens, remains available for that purpose. The State’s role as protector of the rights of those of its citizens who are in need of the housing assistance provided by the programs that WCHDO administered makes it a real party in interest and the proper party to pursue this action. See Alfred L. Snapp & Son, Inc. v. Puerto Rico, ex rel., Barez, 458 U.S. 592, 603, 102 S.Ct. 3260, 3266-67, 73 L.Ed.2d 995 (1982).

B. Title 11 U.S.C. § 5U.(a)(S) is Inapplicable

Respondents argue that the Trustee may use his strong-arm powers under § 544(a)(3) to avoid the State’s interest in [486]*486the Revolving Loan Assets because that interest is an interest in real property that has not been properly perfected. Section 544(a)(3) provides that

The trustee shall have, as of the commencement of the case, ... the rights and powers of, or may avoid any transfer of property of the debtor or any obligation incurred by the debtor that is voidable by—a bona fide purchaser of real property, other than fixtures, from the debtor, against whom applicable law permits such transfer to be perfected, that obtains the status of a bona fide purchaser and has perfected such transfer at the time of the commencement of the case, whether or not such a purchaser exists.

11 U.S.C. § 544(a)(3) (emphasis added).

The Revolving Loan Assets consist of cash as well as notes and deeds of trust securing those notes. On its face, the Respondents’ argument fails as to the cash. The State’s interest in the cash component of the Revolving Loan Assets is certainly not real property.

But the Revolving Loan Assets do include promissory notes that are secured by deeds of trust in pieces of real property. With respect to this component of the Revolving Loan Assets, the Respondents’ argument also fails because the State’s interest in those notes and deeds of trust is a personal property interest rather than a real property interest.

“The extent of the trustee’s rights as a bona fide purchaser of real property ... is measured by the substantive law of the state governing the property in question.” Anderson v. Conine (In re Robertson), 203 F.3d 855, 864 (5th Cir.2000). By statute, Colorado has adopted the lien theory of mortgages. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-35-117.

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338 B.R. 482, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 2670, 2005 WL 3833767, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-west-central-housing-development-organization-cob-2005.