Matter of Atlanta Southern Business Park, Ltd.

173 B.R. 444, 32 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 174, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1633, 26 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 138, 1994 WL 575543
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedOctober 12, 1994
Docket19-40187
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 173 B.R. 444 (Matter of Atlanta Southern Business Park, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Matter of Atlanta Southern Business Park, Ltd., 173 B.R. 444, 32 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 174, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1633, 26 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 138, 1994 WL 575543 (Ga. 1994).

Opinion

ORDER

W. HOMER DRAKE, Jr., Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on the request for confirmation of the Chapter 11 plan of reorganization by Atlanta Southern Business Park, Ltd. (hereinafter “Debtor”). The Debtor seeks the confirmation of its plan over the objections of NationsBank of Georgia, N.A. (hereinafter “NationsBank”), a secured creditor. The matters involved herein constitute a core proceeding over which this Court has jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(L). The parties hereto presented their arguments and evidence at a confirmation hearing held August 18, 1994, after which the Court took these issues under advisement. Based upon the reasons set forth below, the Court will confirm the Debt- or’s plan.

Factual Background

The Debtor in this ease is a California limited partnership organized in 1981 for the purpose of purchasing approximately 200 acres of land located in Clayton County, Georgia. The property sits approximately one mile south of Southlake Mall on Georgia Highway 54 in an area of matured industrial, commercial, and retail development. The Debtor has obtained all zoning and utilities necessary for the property’s development. The actual acquisition of the property occurred shortly after the Debtor’s formation when it purchased the tract of land from The Citizens & Southern National Bank (hereinafter “C & S”), which had previously foreclosed upon the property. The purchase of the property was financed by C & S pursuant to a purchase money indebtedness in the approximate amount of $2,600,000.00. Since *446 it acquired the land, the Debtor has reduced the purchase money indebtedness to approximately $565,000.00, which is currently held by NationsBank as the successor to C & S.

After purchasing the 200 acres, the Debtor proceeded with the development and sale of various parcels of land. Portions of the business park were sold to such entities as Ten-sar, Federated Stores, Ansley Development Corporation, and KLLM Trucking Facilities. Moreover, the Debtor has improved three fully developed parcels, which it continues to own and operate, including a 15,800 square foot office service center, a 7,200 square foot office center, and a shopping center with 19,335 square feet of retail space plus a 4,000 square foot office building presently occupied by a bank. In addition to the income producing property listed above, the Debtor continues to own and market 118 acres of developed property within the business park. Of this property, approximately 110 acres is encumbered by NationsBank’s purchase money hen to secure its claim of $565,000.00.

In 1993, the Debtor began to experience financial difficulties in the form of temporary cash flow problems. Specifically, it became delinquent on one monthly payment due to Canada Life Assurance Company, which holds a Deed to Secure Debt on the shopping center property owned by the Debtor within the business park. As a result, Canada Life declared the Debtor to be in default, accelerated the indebtedness, and commenced foreclosure proceedings against the property. During this time, the maturity dates on some of the loans secured by other fixed assets of the Debtor were approaching. Several of the lenders holding the fixed asset loans were either unable or unwilling to respond to the Debtor’s inquiries about terms of renewal.

Faced with these financial difficulties, the Debtor filed its Chapter 11 petition in this Court on February 26, 1993. Soon thereafter, the Debtor filed its plan of reorganization (hereinafter “Plan”) which is currently before the Court for consideration. 1 Any and all objections to the Plan have been settled, except for that of NationsBank, an impaired creditor, who objects to its treatment under the Debtor’s Plan, which is as follows:

On the Consummation Date, Debtor Atlanta Southern shall transfer to NationsBank a combination of cash and real estate constituting tracts of the NationsBank Collateral Property sufficient to satisfy the NationsBank claim in full. The combination of cash and real estate transferred to NationsBank shall be sufficient in value, as determined by this Court, to constitute the indubitable equivalent of the NationsBank Secured Claim, within the meaning of 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b)(2)(A)(iii). The combination of cash and real estate transferred to NationsBank shall be such as to maximize the cash distributions to NationsBank and minimize the land transferred to Nations-Bank.

See Plan at § 5.4.A(3) (as amended Aug. 8, 1994).

In accordance with its proposed Plan, the Debtor filed a Motion with the Court to make a valuation of NationsBank’s collateral pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 506. After an evidentiary hearing held August 9, 1994, the Court valued that property at $1,301,952.40. 2 For the purpose of confirmation, the Debtor acknowledged that the debt owing NationsBank, as of August 9,1994, was $663,150.23, comprised of the following:

Principal $542,330.22
Interest 79,925.91
Appraisal Costs 6,890.10
Attorneys’ Fees 34,004.00

Moreover, the Debtor has acknowledged that NationsBank will incur holding and disposal costs amounting to $149,632.00, including costs for interest on the estimated one year *447 holding period, the estimated real estate commission of a real estate broker, appraisal matters, environmental studies, plus closing and miscellaneous expenses. Based upon the property’s appraised value, the Debtor plans to convey a portion of NationsBank collateral, plus $144,886.00 in cash, in order to equal the full dollar amount of its secured claim.

NationsBank has not voted to accept the Debtor’s Plan, claiming that it will not receive the “indubitable equivalent” of its secured claim as required by 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b)(2)(A)(iii). Specifically, Nations-Bank argues that ■ the conveyance of the property based upon this Court’s valuation leaves for no margin of error in ease it receives a lesser amount once it disposes of the property. Moreover, NationsBank points out that the Plan does not provide it with a “safety net” in the form of a hen on its remaining cohateral to satisfy any deficiency that may exist. For these reasons, Nations-Bank requests that this Court deny the confirmation of the Debtor’s Plan.

Discussion

A. Burden of Proof

Before considering whether Nations-Bank will receive the indubitable equivalent of its claim through the Plan, the Court must address the issue of what burden the Debtor must satisfy in proving its case.

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173 B.R. 444, 32 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 174, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1633, 26 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 138, 1994 WL 575543, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matter-of-atlanta-southern-business-park-ltd-ganb-1994.