In Re Wgmjr, Inc.

435 B.R. 423, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 2597, 2010 WL 3155249
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedAugust 9, 2010
Docket19-31011
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 435 B.R. 423 (In Re Wgmjr, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Wgmjr, Inc., 435 B.R. 423, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 2597, 2010 WL 3155249 (Tex. 2010).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

LETITIA Z. PAUL, Bankruptcy Judge.

The court has held a hearing on the “Motion of Sterling Bank for Relief from Stay of Act Against Property Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(d)” (Docket No. 20). The following are the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law of the court. A separate Judgment will be entered granting the motion. To the extent any of the Findings of Fact are considered Conclusions of Law, they are adopted as such. To the extent any of the Conclusions of Law are considered Findings of Fact, they are adopted as such.

Findings of Fact

WGMJR, Inc. (“Debtor”) filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on March 2, 2010.

Debtor indicated in its Chapter 11 petition that it is a single asset real estate entity. (Docket No. 1). Debtor’s single asset is real property located at 1119 Commerce Street, in downtown Houston, Texas. (Docket No. 15, at p. I). 1

In the instant motion, which was filed on April 27, 2010, Sterling Bank (“Sterling”) seeks lifting of the automatic stay, in order to foreclose Debtor’s interest in the property. Sterling seeks relief under Section 362(d)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code, for cause; Section 362(d)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code, for lack of equity and absence of necessity for an effective reorganization; and Section 362(d)(3) for failure of Debtors’ compliance with single asset real estate provisions. (Docket No. 20).

Debtor and Sterling have stipulated that Debtor executed a note dated February 1, 2007, in the original principal amount of $2.5 million, secured by a deed of trust on the property and an assignment of leases and rents.

Sterling has filed a proof of claim, in the amount of $2,655,565.32. Jennifer Keen, an employee of Sterling, testified that Sterling calculated the amount due as set forth in its proof of claim using the default rate of 18 percent interest. She testified that, at the default rate, approximately $125,000 in interest has accrued postpetition.

Keen testified that the nondefault contract rate is 1.75 percent above the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal, and was 5 percent on the date of the hearing on the instant motion. She testified that, if Sterling’s claim were calculated as of the petition date at the nondefault rate, it would consist of principal in the amount of $2,268,141.88, plus prepetition interest in the amount of approximately $107,000. 2 She testified that approximately $40,000 in interest would have accrued postpetition at the nondefault rate. She *425 testified that approximately $20,000 has been paid.

The parties have stipulated that Debtor tendered interest only payments to Sterling, on May 27, 2010 and June 30, 2010, in the amounts of $9,765.62 and $9,450.60, respectively.

The parties have stipulated that the building located at the property has 20,535 square feet of rentable area, on two floors. 3 William G. Marlin, Jr., Debtor’s sole owner and president, testified that the first floor of the building has 18,804 square feet He testified that, on the first floor, a space of 1,350 square feet is rented by the operators of a Quizno’s restaurant. He testified that, prior to 2005, when the Quizno’s lease was signed, the only tenant in the building was a convenience store that was owned entirely by Marlin. He testified that, since the petition date, Debtor has signed a lease with a bail bondsman to lease 1,250 square feet. He testified that Debtor has signed a lease with another entity owned by Marlin to expand the space previously occupied by the convenience store from approximately 5,000 square feet to approximately 6,000 square feet, for use as a pawn shop.

Marlin testified that Debtor acquired the property during 1989. He testified that Debtor’s acquisition of the property was owner-financed. He testified that the building was built during the 1920s. He testified that, during the early 1990s, Debtor attempted to develop the property as a nightclub. He testified that Debtor’s efforts to develop the nightclub failed. He testified that, in approximately 1995, Debt- or borrowed funds, secured by the property, in order to do some redevelopment. There is no evidence that the funds borrowed were used for redevelopment of Debtor’s property.

Marlin testified that Debtor obtained its loan from Sterling during February, 2007. He testified that, at the closing of the Sterling loan, he personally obtained $500,000 in proceeds from the loan. He testified that a portion of the $500,000 was invested in Debtor’s property. He testified that the portion so invested was not a major portion. He testified that, in addition to his receipt of $500,000 in cash proceeds, an additional amount was set aside from the loan to make the monthly payments due under the loan for 20 months. The court takes judicial notice that 20 months after February, 2007 was October, 2008.

During September, 2008, Hurricane Ike swept over southeast Texas, including the Houston, Texas area. Marlin testified that Debtor made a claim for damages on its insurance policy.

Keen testified that, before she became the servicing officer with respect to the loan, Debtor forwarded to Sterling a $100,000 advance on Debtor’s insurance claim. She testified that the previous servicing officer at Sterling set aside the $100,000 advance to be applied to regular monthly payments on the loan. She testified that, as of November, 2008, with the application of the $100,000 advance, Debt- or was current in its payments to Sterling on the loan.

Keen testified that the $100,000 advance of insurance funds was exhausted during April, 2009, and Debtor made no further direct payments to Sterling on the loan.

On April 19, 2009, Debtor and Sterling executed a modification agreement. The *426 modification agreement called for Debtor to pay Sterling monthly payments in the amount of $19,176.60, based on a 15 year amortization of the note. The modification agreement provided for a maturity date of March 15, 2011. (Sterling Exhibit 4). Marlin has executed a personal guaranty of the note.

Keen testified that, in October, 2009, Debtor forwarded to Sterling an additional $192,187.52 in insurance proceeds. She testified that she had a meeting with Marlin on October 9, 2009, at which Marlin requested that the insurance proceeds be applied to monthly payments, as the previous insurance proceeds had been applied. She testified that she informed Marlin she “didn’t see an issue with it, but I would have to get approval.”

Keen testified that, either the same day of her meeting with Marlin, or the next day, she conferred with Sterling’s management about the application of the payments. She testified that Sterling determined to apply the insurance proceeds to principal, rather than as regular monthly payments. She testified that Sterling’s decision was communicated to Marlin through a letter prepared by Sterling’s counsel.

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Desma Nicole Rashidi
N.D. Texas, 2025

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Bluebook (online)
435 B.R. 423, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 2597, 2010 WL 3155249, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-wgmjr-inc-txsb-2010.