Jacobs v. Kraken Investment Ltd. (In re Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, LLC)

506 B.R. 600
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 21, 2014
DocketCase No. 07-30005 (CGM); Adversary No. 13-09004
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 506 B.R. 600 (Jacobs v. Kraken Investment Ltd. (In re Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jacobs v. Kraken Investment Ltd. (In re Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, LLC), 506 B.R. 600 (N.Y. 2014).

Opinion

Chapter 11

MEMORANDUM DECISION DENYING CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

CECELIA G. MORRIS, CHIEF U.S. BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Before the Court are cross-motions for summary judgment in this proceeding to [603]*603determine the validity, extent and priority of interests asserted in the painting Madonna and Child by Sandro Botticelli (the “Botticelli”). At this juncture, the sole issues before the Court are (i) whether a perfected blanket lien in debtor’s inventory attached to the Botticelli while it was on consignment to the debtor’s art gallery, and (ii) if so, whether that lien has priority over the consignor’s interest in the return of the painting. For the reasons set forth below, the Court concludes that material issues of fact preclude summary judgment for the either party at this time. Both motions are therefore denied.

JURISDICTION

The Court has subject-matter jurisdiction over this adversary proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and the Amended Standing Order of Reference signed by Chief District Judge Loretta A. Preska on January 31, 2012. This is a “core” proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(B) (allowance or disallowance of claims against the estate) and (K) (determinations as to the validity, extent, or priority of liens).

BACKGROUND1

This case was commenced by the filing of an involuntary petition against Salan-der-O’Reilly Galleries (the “Debtor”) on November 1, 2007 (the “Petition Date”). PL’s Statement of Facts ¶ 1, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 55. Prior to the Petition Date, the Debtor operated an art gallery in New York City. IdA 2. As of the Petition Date, the Debtor was in possession of in excess of 4,000 works of art, many of which were subject to the claims or interests of various parties. Id. The Botticelli was one of these works of art.

The Botticelli is owned by Kraken Investments Limited (“Kraken” or the “Defendant”). Def.’s Statement of Facts ¶ 1, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 63. Kraken originally consigned the Botticelli to the Debt- or’s gallery for a one-year period in 2004. Id. ¶ 3. On May 3, 2006, Kraken and the Debtor entered into a second agreement (the “Second Consignment”) to consign the Botticelli to the Debtor’s gallery for another one-year period. Id. ¶ 7. A copy of the Second Consignment is attached to the Scharf Declaration as Exhibit A. See Scharf Decl. Ex. A, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 56. Among other things, the terms of the Second Consignment provided that the Debtor would list the Botticelli for sale for $9.5 million, with a sale to result in a commission of $1 million being payable to the Debtor and no less than $8.5 million being payable to Kraken. PL’s Statement of Facts ¶ 3, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 55. Kraken did not file a UCC-1 financing statement with respect to either consignment of the Botticelli to the Debtor. Def.’s Statement of Facts ¶ 6, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 63.

By its terms, the Second Consignment ended in May or June 2007. Id. ¶ 12; PL’s Statement of Facts ¶ 4, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 55. According to Kraken, after the Second Consignment ended, one of its agents removed the Botticelli from the Debtor’s gallery and stored it in her apartment until September 2007. Def.’s Statement of Facts ¶ 13, No. 13-09004, ECF [604]*604No. 63. At that time, Kraken contends that it returned the Botticelli to the Debt- or’s gallery as a loan for an exhibition that was to be held in October 2007. Id. ¶¶ 13-15. The liquidation trustee under the Debtor’s confirmed chapter 11 plan (the “Trustee” or the “Plaintiff’) disputes this claim, alleging that it is “self-serving” and “wholly contradicted by [the agent]’s testimony and Kraken’s own pleadings to this Court.” PL’s Resp. to Def.’s Statement of Facts ¶¶ 13; 15. According to the Trustee, there is no evidence that the Botticelli was ever removed from the gallery after the Second Consignment ended. Id. ¶ 13.

On October 15 and 17, 2007, Kraken demanded the return of the Botticelli. Def.’s Statement of Facts ¶ 18, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 63. On October 25, 2007, Kraken filed suit in New York state court seeking seizure of the Botticelli. Pl.’s Statement of Facts ¶5, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 55. As set forth above, this case was commenced as an involuntary chapter 7 case on November 1, 2007 and converted to a voluntary chapter 11 case on November 9, 2007, staying Kraken’s state court action. Id. ¶ 1. The Trustee is currently in possession of the Botticelli. Def.’s Statement of Facts ¶8, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 63.

On March 11, 2008, this Court entered an order approving a protocol (the “Art Claims Protocol”) for assertion and resolution of claims of ownership against artwork in the possession, custody or control of the Debtor. PL’s Statement of Facts ¶ 6, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 55. Among other things, the Art Claims Protocol required parties asserting claims of ownership in artwork to file a claim (an “Art Claim”) with supporting documentation on the Court’s claims register for the Debtor’s bankruptcy case. Id. The Art Claims Protocol further provided that a working group (the “Working Group”) would convene to review the Art Claims to determine, among other things, whether the works subject to those claims were “Claimed Estate Assets” or “Non-Estate Assets.” See Art Claims Protocol § VI, No. 07-30005, ECF No. 308. The Art Claims protocol provided:

If any member of the Working Group asserts a good faith basis that [a work subject to an Art Claim] is property of the Debtor’s estate, such Artwork shall be labeled a “Claimed Estate Asset.” Each item of Artwork that the Working Group unanimously believes is not property of the Debtor’s estate, including, without limitation ... Artworks subject to consignment agreements that expired or were terminated in accordance with their terms, shall be labeled as a “Non-Estate Asset.”

Id. Approximately 276 Art Claims were filed asserting claims against approximately 2,000 works of art. PL’s Statement of Facts ¶ 6, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 55.

On May 28, 2008, Kraken filed an Art Claim (the “Kraken Art Claim”) asserting its ownership interest in the Botticelli. Id. ¶ 7. A copy of the Kraken Art Claim is attached to the Scharf Declaration as Exhibit B. See Scharf Deck Ex. B, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 56. On July 17, 2008, Kraken also filed a proof of claim (the “Kraken Proof of Claim”) for $9.5 million based on “consigned artwork.” PL’s Statement of Facts ¶ 8, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 55. The Kraken Proof of Claim was assigned Claim No. 289 in the Debtor’s bankruptcy case. Id. A copy of the Kraken Proof of Claim is attached to the Scharf Declaration as Exhibit C. See Scharf Decl. Ex. C, No. 13-09004, ECF No. 56.

After reviewing the Kraken Art Claim, the Working Group determined that the term of the Second Consignment expired prior to the Petition Date. Def.’s Statement of Facts ¶ 30, No. 13-09004, ECF

[605]*605No. 63. However, notwithstanding the pre-petition termination of the Second Consignment, the Working Group did not label the Botticelli a “Non-Estate Asset.” Id. ¶ 31.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
506 B.R. 600, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jacobs-v-kraken-investment-ltd-in-re-salander-oreilly-galleries-llc-nysb-2014.