Lawndale Restoration Ltd. Partnership ex rel. Boulevard Realty Services Corp. v. United States

95 Fed. Cl. 498, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 892, 2010 WL 4867606
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedNovember 23, 2010
DocketNo. 09-798C
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 95 Fed. Cl. 498 (Lawndale Restoration Ltd. Partnership ex rel. Boulevard Realty Services Corp. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lawndale Restoration Ltd. Partnership ex rel. Boulevard Realty Services Corp. v. United States, 95 Fed. Cl. 498, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 892, 2010 WL 4867606 (uscfc 2010).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND FINAL ORDER

BRADEN, Judge.

I. RELEVANT FACTS.1

In 1974, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) authorized Restoration Investors, L.P. (“Restoration Investors”), through its general partner Py-ramidwest Realty and Management, Inc. (“Pyramidwest”), to manage a number of apartments for lower-income families that were owned by HUD in Chicago. Compl. ¶ 19. Restoration Investors and Pyramid-west successfully managed these properties until 1980. Id.

In 1980, Restoration Investors purchased the apartments that it previously managed, together with an additional 308 apartments located nearby. Compl. ¶ 23. As a result, Restoration Investors became the owner of 1240 apartments located in approximately 100 buildings in the South Side of Chicago (“the South Side Properties”). Id. ¶¶ 1, 23.

Between 1979 and 1981, Restoration Investors entered into five Housing Assistance Payment Contracts with HUD, pursuant to the National Housing Act, 12 U.S.C. §§ 1701 — 1750jj (“NHA”) (hereinafter, “the HAP Contracts”).2 The HAP Contracts required that Restoration Investors provide “Decent, Safe, and Sanitary housing” to lower-income families in the South Side Properties. Gov’t Ex. A9. In return, HUD agreed to make “housing assistance payment[s] [to Restoration Investors to] cover the difference between the Contract Rent and that portion of said rent payable by the [lower-income tenant family] as determined in accordance with the Government-established schedules and criteria.” Gov’t Ex. All.

On October 5, 1994, in anticipation of the acquisition of the South Side Properties, Lawndale Restoration Limited Partnership (“Lawndale Restoration”)3 entered into Trust No. 11886009 (“the Trust Agreement”) with American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago (“ANBT Chicago”). Gov’t Ex. A581. The Trust Agreement, as amended on January 30, 1995, provided that ANBT Chicago would take and hold title to the South Side Properties, as Trustee, for the benefit of Lawndale Restoration. Gov’t Ex. A583. Under the Trust Agreement, Lawndale Restoration was entitled to all earnings, rents, and proceeds from the South Side Properties, but was responsible for the management and control thereof. Id.

On January 1, 1995, Lawndale Restoration and ANBT Chicago entered into a loan agreement with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (“IHDA”),4 whereby Lawn-dale Restoration and ANBT Chicago would receive a $50,750,000 loan to restructure the outstanding debt on the South Side Properties. Gov’t Ex. A372. The IHDA financed this loan through the issuance of bonds by First National Bank of Chicago, pursuant to the Illinois Housing Development Act, 20 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 3805/1 — 3805/34. Gov’t Ex. A278.

[501]*501On February 1, 1995, Restoration Investors transferred the ownership of the South Side Properties and assigned the HAP Contacts to Lawndale Restoration. Gov’t Ex. Al, AGO, Allí, A176, A234. On that same date, IHDA and ANBT Chicago executed a mortgage on the South Side Properties in the amount of $47,089,800 to secure the January 1, 1995 loan. Gov’t Ex. A269, A274. In addition, on that same date, HUD entered into a Regulatory Agreement for Multifamily Housing Projects (“2/1/95 Regulatory Agreement”) with Lawndale Restoration and ANBT Chicago, pursuant to Section 221(d)(4) of the NHA.5 Gov’t Ex. A260, A554. The February 1, 1995 Regulatory Agreement required Lawndale Restoration to comply with HUD rules and regulations as “consideration [for] the endorsement for insurance by the Secretary [of HUD] of the [February 1, 1995 mortgage note.]” Id. The 2/1/95 Regulatory Agreement was incorporated into the terms of the mortgage by reference. Gov’t Ex. A270.

On February 6,1995, IHDA entered into a mortgage insurance agreement with HUD, pursuant to Section 221(d)(4) of the NHA and the 2/1/95 Regulatory Agreement, under which HUD served as the guarantor of Lawndale Restoration’s February 1, 1995 mortgage. Gov’t Ex. A563.

The following chart, prepared by the court, shows the previously described transactions, the order thereof, and the relationships between and among the parties, as of February 6,1995:

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On September 16, 1999, after several renewals, the HAP Contracts were consolidated into a single HAP Contract, effective as of October 1, 1999 (“Consolidated HAP Contract”).6 Gov’t Ex. A939-40.

[502]*502On October 6, 2000, Lawndale Restoration renewed the Consolidated HAP Contract for another one-year term, with three automatic one-year renewals. Gov’t Ex. A946.

By at least mid-2003, as a result of escalating expenses and the need to rehabilitate several of the South Side Properties units, Lawndale Restoration began to experience financial difficulties. Compl. ¶ 36. In the fall of 2003, Mr. Cecil Butler, President of Boulevard Realty, the general partner of Lawndale Restoration, met with Mr. Edward Hinsbei’ger, the Multifamily Hub Manager in HUD’s Chicago Multifamily Hub Office to discuss Lawndale Restoration’s financial situation. PL Ex. B1 ¶ 2 (8/2/10 Butler Aff.). Mr. Butler explained that there was an urgent need to refinance the February 1, 1995 mortgage on the South Side Properties to reduce Lawndale Restoration’s mortgage payments so that funds could be available to make capital repairs. Compl. ¶ 62. In support, Mr. Butler provided Mr. Hinsberger with Lawndale Restoration’s “financial records, an analysis of its operating costs, annual deficit, and its estimated capital or repair costs.” PI. Ex. B1 ¶ 4 (8/2/10 Butler Aff.). The governing documents, however, prevented Lawndale Restoration from refinancing prior to December 1, 2005 without HUD approval. Gov’t Ex. A276, A308.7

On October 2, 2003, Mr. Hinsberger sent a memorandum to Ms. Beverly Miller, Director of HUD’s Office of Asset Management, requesting that she override the refinancing prohibition in the mortgage note and bond indenture, since a default by Lawndale Restoration appeared imminent. PL Ex. B3.

On December 19, 2003, HUD sent a letter to Lawndale Restoration informing the company that it was in default on the February 1, 1995 mortgage,8 and of the consequences of a default. Gov’t Ex. A480. HUD sent the same notice to Lawndale Restoration on five subsequent occasions: January 14, 2004 (Gov’t Ex. A482); April 7, 2004 (Gov’t Ex. A484); June 24, 2004 (Gov’t Ex. A486); July 16, 2004 (Gov’t Ex. A488); and August 23, 2004 (Gov’t Ex. A490).

On January 13, 2004, Ms. Miller denied Mr. Hinsberger’s request to authorize the refinancing of Lawndale Restoration’s February 1, 1995 mortgage. PL Ex. B4. On February 9, 2004, Mr. Hinsberger requested reconsideration. PL Ex. B4. Ms. Miller, again, declined to authorize refinancing. Gov’t Ex. A440. On July 7, 2004, Mr. Hins-berger appealed to Mr. Stillman Knight, HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing, arguing that, because of a recent porch collapse that killed thirteen people, the City of Chicago would be inspecting all porches in the city to ensure compliance with the new building code. PL Ex. B5.

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Bluebook (online)
95 Fed. Cl. 498, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 892, 2010 WL 4867606, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lawndale-restoration-ltd-partnership-ex-rel-boulevard-realty-services-uscfc-2010.