Lumara Foods of America, Inc. v. Union Savings & Trust Co. (In Re Lumara Foods of America, Inc.)

74 B.R. 95, 1985 Bankr. LEXIS 5263
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedSeptember 26, 1985
Docket19-60413
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 74 B.R. 95 (Lumara Foods of America, Inc. v. Union Savings & Trust Co. (In Re Lumara Foods of America, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lumara Foods of America, Inc. v. Union Savings & Trust Co. (In Re Lumara Foods of America, Inc.), 74 B.R. 95, 1985 Bankr. LEXIS 5263 (Ohio 1985).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

JAMES H. WILLIAMS, Bankruptcy Judge.

Lumara Foods of America, Inc., dba Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips (America) is a debtor before this court in a voluntary proceeding commenced by it under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code. In its first several months as a debtor in possession, America devoted itself to the usual activities associated with a Chapter 11 proceeding aimed primarily at getting its house in order with a view toward emerging from Chapter 11 protection as a viable, reorganized entity. Its officers evidently concluded that a cause of action existed against the Union Savings & Trust Co., nka Bank One of Eastern Ohio, N.A. (the Bank or, for the sake of consistency with the testimony and exhibits, its former commonly used appellation, Union Savings). Consequently, America brought a complaint against the Bank, asserting that a series of checks drawn against America’s account at the Bank had been cashed, despite the fact that the checks in question bore the forged signature of an authorized signator. The complaint demanded judgment in the amount of $813,767.37, plus interest, the total of the checks which America claimed Union Savings had improperly charged against its account.

Union Savings answered, denying the essential allegations against it, reciting certain affirmative defenses and set up its third party complaints against entities known as Lumara Foods, Inc. (Lumara, Inc.), Lumara Foods, Ltd. (Limited), Louis G. DiNardo, JBC Investments, Inc. (JBC) and Home Savings & Loan Company, the last mentioned third party defendant being ultimately dismissed from the proceedings.

Extensive discovery was undertaken with the entire fact-finding process considerably complicated by the absence from the United States of Robert T. Moosally who will be shown to have been a key figure in the troubled and tangled history of America and related entities. Moosally was, in fact, a fugitive sought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation whose efforts to avoid prosecution took him to such countries as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. He was finally located and prevailed upon to provide a deposition in Yugoslavia, a surprising turn of events which accounted for still another delay in commencing the trial of these proceedings.

Finally, a five-day trial was conducted, with the parties having consented to the matter being heard and finally determined by this court, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(c)(2). Moosally was, by the time the trial commenced, back in the United States, in federal custody and appeared as a witness in the case.

This memorandum will constitute the court's findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Rule 52(a) F.R.Civ.P., made applicable herein by Bankruptcy Rule 7052.

I

HISTORY OF LUMARA FOODS OF AMERICA

Because the court deems an understanding, to the extent possible, of the relationship between America and various predecessor and sister entities to be crucial to the disposition of the issue before it, an attempt will be made to trace the origins of the debtor corporation.

Robert T. Moosally and Louis G. DiNar-do, in May of 1981, formed Lumara, Inc. for the purpose of owning and operating several outlets in Youngstown, Ohio under franchises granted by the Church’s Fried Chicken organization. At the time, DiNar-do was employed by the State of Ohio Department of Liquor Control. Moosally *97 had been engaged in several businesses, none of which was connected with the fast food industry. While nominally, Moosally and DiNardo were equal partners in the Lumara, Inc. venture, with each owning half of the issued stock and sharing equally the corporate offices, Moosally, in fact, loaned DiNardo most of the latter’s share of the capitalization costs. They divided duties and responsibilities, with DiNardo being responsible for construction oversite, and later, general routine administrative duties. Moosally attended to the financial affairs of the business.

DiNardo and Moosally founded another entity in February of 1982, a limited partnership named Lumara Foods, Ltd. (Limited). Limited’s purpose was to own and operate seven Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips (Treacher’s) fast food franchise outlets in the Youngstown area. The Limited partners included DiNardo’s wife, Moosally’s relatives and business associates, James Cataland who was Moosally’s attorney and Cataland’s inlaws. DiNardo and Moosally were the general partners in charge of day-to-day operations and, again, Moosally provided the funds for DiNardo’s share of the investment, as well as that of Mrs. DiNardo and for a substantial portion of the other Limited partners’ shares. Both Lumara, Inc. and Limited were located in the building on Market Street in Youngstown that housed several of Moos-ally’s other business ventures.

During the course of their acquisition of the Treacher’s outlets in Youngstown, DiNardo and Moosally learned that Treacher’s parent company, Mrs. Paul’s Kitchens, Inc. (Mrs. Paul’s), was seeking a buyer for the nationwide chain of Treacher’s outlets. DiNardo, Moosally and Cataland began negotiations for such a purchase in March of 1982. Mrs. Paul’s at that time had ongoing litigation seeking recovery of approximately 20 million dollars of unpaid franchise royalties. The Treacher’s operation had substantial financial liabilities and Mrs. Paul’s proposed a sale involving the assumption of those liabilities. Moosally was required to pledge the assets of some of his other entities, including JBC, Lumara, Inc. and several others. Upon the advice of Cataland, who felt he would be able to settle the litigation with the franchises with a highly favorable result, DiNardo and Moosally accepted the offer. The timing of the acquisition was attractive inasmuch as it occurred during the Lenten season, which was traditionally a high demand period for the Treacher’s fish products. An early, high volume of revenue could therefore be anticipated.

The sale was formally completed on April 1, 1982, and arrangements were made to transfer the operations from Mrs. Paul’s in Philadelphia to Youngstown, the same to be housed in the Moosally office building on Market Street. America was formed as the operating entity of the national chain with stock ownership divided equally among Cataland, DiNardo and Moosally. Moosally was designated as president and treasurer, DiNardo became the vice president and Cataland was named secretary. America’s operations formally began as of April 1, 1982.

II

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BANK

Among the many early problems of the new corporation was the urgent need to make rental payments for approximately 120 leased outlets. America obviously needed a banking relationship and Moosally appeared at Union Savings to discuss the opening of a checking account and a plan to deal with the pressing rental payment problem. Moosally met with Donald Campbell, executive vice president of the bank, who was well acquainted with Moosally who had been doing business with Union Savings since the early 1970’s. Both Lumara, Inc. and Limited already had their operating and payroll accounts with Union Savings and Campbell directed the opening of the America account and set up a system whereby the rental obligations could be paid. This entailed rent checks being written on existing Lumara, Inc.

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74 B.R. 95, 1985 Bankr. LEXIS 5263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lumara-foods-of-america-inc-v-union-savings-trust-co-in-re-lumara-ohnb-1985.