In re Wilton Realty Corp.

30 F. Supp. 486, 1938 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1294
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedDecember 6, 1938
DocketNo. 22770
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 30 F. Supp. 486 (In re Wilton Realty Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Wilton Realty Corp., 30 F. Supp. 486, 1938 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1294 (E.D. Mich. 1938).

Opinion

LEDERLE, District Judge.

A petition for reorganization, in accordance with the provisions of Section 77B of the National Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C.A. § 207, was filed in this cause on May 27, 1937.

The Wilton Realty Corporation, a Michigan corporation, was incorporated October 21, 1931. The original incorporators were Adolph Meyers, Emma Meyers, Alfred Meyers, and Elsa B. Koploy, all representatives of the same family.

The original capital subscribed was $10,-000, which was paid in cash, and the capital has not been increased up to this date. The entire capital of the company was used to purchase the title to the Wilton Apartments, an apartment house located in the city of Detroit at number 3200-8 West Boston Boulevard. This apartment house contains twenty-eight apartments and is well-[487]*487constructed and well-suited for the purpose for which it was intended. It is in a good location and has, for a number of years, produced more than sufficient income to meet operating expenses and taxes.

The building was built in 1929 and at the time it was erected a first mortgage bond issue was floated in the amount of $105,000. The bonds bore interest at six percent before maturity and six and a half percent thereafter. All obligations under the mortgage, including payments of principal and interest, were made up to March 15, 1932. The issue went into default as to principal on March 15, 1932, and as to interest on March 15, 1933. At the date of the last hearing the balance of the principal due on the mortgage was $102,083.22. There are no other liens against the real estate.

This bond issue was sold to the public by James I. D. Straus, either directly or through corporations controlled by him, and he was named as trustee under the bond issue. Mr. Straus was formerly a resident of the city of Detroit, but he is no longer a resident of the state of Michigan. Mr. George E. Brand acted as attorney for Mr. Straus at the time that the mortgage was executed and the bonds sold and has continued to act as his attorney up to this date.

The mortgage contained provision for the assignment of rents, in accordance with the provisions of Act 228, Public Acts of Michigan for 1925, being sections 13498 and 13499 of the Compiled Laws of 1929. On February 9, 1934, the issue was declared due and payable and proceedings to foreclose the mortgage were commenced. On commencement of the foreclosure proceedings, the Court enjoined the further use of the income from the Wilton Apartments for purposes other than the operating expenses, taxes, insurance and other purposes of the bond issue, and the trustee, under the trust indenture, has been collecting the income from the debtor in accordance with said injunction.

The same bondholders’ committee, consisting of Harry M. Seldon, R. J. Lambrccht, J. H. Moeller, and Eli A. Wolff, which undertook to act on behalf of the bondholders for all of the issues, handled by James I. D. Straus and his associates, also undertook to look after the interest of the bondholders of this issue.

Since this petition was filed, through the agreement of the parties and approval of the Court, $15,064.59 has been distributed to the bondholders as interest payments and on April 21, 1938, the trustee had on hand $11,419.26.

Since the apartment house was purchased by the Wilton Realty Corporation it has been operated by Alfred Meyers. Mr. Meyers is one of the original mortgagors and owns stock in the present debtpr corporation. Apparently the management has been good and the operation of the apartment house has been successful.

As of April 20, 1938, there was due on the mortgage for principal and interest $126,405.06. Taxes and other charges against the operation of the apartment house have been paid in full up to date, with the exception of current operating expenses, which are being paid out of current operating revenue.

While the debtor corporation is controlled by the Meyers family, Alfred Meyers has been allowed no management fee since he has been in charge of the apartment house.

The net income for 1936 was $9,971.04 and for 1937 was $8,809.74, without making provision for payment of interest on the mortgage or any provision for depreciation.

From the record, it does not appear that this income could at this time be materially increased, but there is no reason why the net income should not remain substantially at this level.

The total value of the apartment house, land and building, is approximately $82,000. The debtor corporation is insolvent at this time and the stockholders have made no offer to make any added contribution of capital. There is no equity for stockholders. The plan submitted provides in part for:

1. The extension of the maturity date of $85,500 of bonds and accrued interest thereon, to March 15, 1947.

2. The outright cancellation of $16,000 of bonds and interest accrued-thereon and the execution of a second mortgage securing the same to be subordinate to the first trust and chattel mortgages, and not to mature prior to March 15, 1947, and to bear interest not to exceed six percent.

3. The reduction in the interest rate from six percent to four percent for three years, four and a half percent for the next three years, five percent for the remaining four years.

4. The outright cancellation of approximately $11,000 in past due interest and the payment of the balance of the past due in[488]*488terest in cash on the date the plan is approved.

5. Debtor corporation to continue to operate the apartment house so long as it is not in default on any of the obligations assumed by it.

6. The appointment of the Equitable Trust Company, a Michigan corporation to act as trustee under the new mortgage.

7. The debtor is to give a chattel mortgage covering all furniture, furnishings and equipment in the apartment house as additional security.

8. The provision in the present mortgage for the assignment of rents to be continued.

9. The debtor’s liability on the extended bonds, coupons, and trust indentures will continue.

10. The expenses of reorganization will be paid out of the bondholders’ funds now in the hands of the trustee under the mortgage.

The plan as proposed by the debtor corporation was submitted to the Public Trust Commission of the state of Michigan, a Commission created for the purpose of protecting the interest of bondholders, and the Commission entered an order approving "in outline” the proposed plan. The Commission was represented in this Court by its attorney, who expressed a desire to have the matter resubmitted to that Commission for the purpose of further consideration. However, in a similar reorganization plan this Commission attempted to reopen hearings, and withdraw its approval of the plan, and interested parties were successful in securing a State Court injunction restraining this Commission from taking any further action. It is apparent that the Commission was not sufficiently advised of the true situation at the time of the original approval, and the subsequent developments caused it to desire to withdraw its approval.

A copy of the bill of complaint filed in the State Court, together with a copy of the restraining order issued by the State Court, has been filed in this Court in the matter of the petition of Mara Villa Real Estate Company, Number 22,265.

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

Related

In Re Creekside Landing, Ltd.
140 B.R. 713 (M.D. Tennessee, 1992)
Tolliver v. Mathas
512 N.E.2d 187 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1987)
In Re Johns-Manville Corp.
36 B.R. 743 (S.D. New York, 1984)
Hart v. Community Sch. Bd. of Brooklyn, NY Sch. D. 21
383 F. Supp. 699 (E.D. New York, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 F. Supp. 486, 1938 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1294, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-wilton-realty-corp-mied-1938.