Matter of Ed Woods Livestock, Inc.

172 B.R. 294, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1511, 1994 WL 532088
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Nebraska
DecidedSeptember 1, 1994
Docket11-41505
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 172 B.R. 294 (Matter of Ed Woods Livestock, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Nebraska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Matter of Ed Woods Livestock, Inc., 172 B.R. 294, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1511, 1994 WL 532088 (Neb. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

JOHN C. MINAHAN, Jr., Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the court is the limited question of whether the debtor may limit the interest of Nebraska State Bank of Overton in the debt- or’s hay and cash collateral of hay to the value of the hay as of the date the bankruptcy case was commenced. This matter arose in connection with a Motion for Authority to Use Cash Collateral (Fil. # 4) and a Motion to Incur Secured Indebtedness (Fil. #5) filed by the debtor. I have already partially granted both of these Motions (See Fil. # 33). I conclude that the debtor may not, in the context of a motion to use cash collateral, limit the interest of Nebraska State Bank to the value of collateral as of the commencement of the case.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The bankruptcy debtor in this case is a corporation formed by Ed and Kathleen Woods, who, themselves, are debtors in a separate Chapter 12 proceeding in this court. The corporation was formed as part of their business of growing, baling, and marketing *295 hay. Nebraska State Bank of Overton (“NSBO”) is a secured creditor of the debtor corporation with a lien in a portion of the present and after-acquired growing crops and farm products of the debtor. The hay in which NSBO claims a duly perfected security interest (the “NSBO Hay”) does not include all growing hay of the debtor. NSBO asserts it has priority as to the NSBO hay over other parties claiming an interest in the growing and harvested hay of the debtor.

In its Motion for Authority to Use Cash Collateral (Fil. # 4), the debtor proposed to harvest and sell hay, pay NSBO the present value of the NSBO Hay ($45.00 per ton for baled hay, and $11.00 per ton for standing hay), and use any remaining proceeds obtained from the sale, to pay off other creditors claiming a lien in the crops and to continue its business. The debtor estimates the hay can be sold for approximately $100.00 per ton as a result of the bailing and marketing efforts of the debtor, thus yielding a substantial profit over the hay’s present value. In its Motion to Incur Secured Indebtedness (Fil. # 5) the debtor proposed to obtain $350,000.00 in credit from Ag Services of America, Inc. (“Ag Services”) to operate its business, and grant Ag Services a senior lien on debtor’s growing and harvested hay, including hay proceeds, and on various other farming equipment and vehicles of the debtor as security for the loan.

NSBO objects to these motions, asserting, among other things, that 1) the lien of NSBO in the debtor’s hay is undersecured and is senior to liens claimed by all other parties; 2) it is not necessary to permit debtor to grant senior liens because the debtor can obtain sufficient funds from the sale of wheat and loans from NSBO to permit debtor to continue its business while the priority of creditors’ claims are determined; 3) the $350,000.00 line of credit requested is excessive since the debtor has other sources of cash flow; and 4) the lien of NSBO extends to all of the proceeds obtained from the sale of the NSBO Hay, and can not be limited to the present value of the hay before sale.

In a journal entry dated July 29, 1994, debtor was authorized to complete the necessary paperwork to obtain a $350,000.00 line of credit from Ag Services to grant Ag Services a first priority lien in all the growing crops, farm products, and proceeds thereof. However, the debtor was authorized to immediately borrow only $50,000.00 for use during the next month. The debtor was further authorized to harvest and sell hay, and was ordered to deposit all the proceeds from the sale of all hay in a segregated cash collateral account. The debtor was ordered not to pay any creditors from the cash collateral account except Ag Services in the amount of $50,000.00. (See Fil. #31). I took under advisement the question of priority of liens between competing creditors in the NSBO hay, and the ability of the debtor to limit the interest of NSBO to the present value of the NSBO hay before sale. I do not have before me sufficient evidence to decide the issue of priority at this time, but will address the ability of the debtor to limit the interest of NSBO.

DISCUSSION

In essence, the debtor seeks to limit the secured claims of NSBO to the value of collateral as of the date this case was commenced. The debtor thereby hopes to retain the “profit” on the sale, free and clear of NSBO’s interest. I conclude that the debtor may not utilize its Motion for Authority to Use Cash Collateral (Fil. # 4) to limit the security interest of NSBO.

The argument asserted by the debtor confuses the requirements for adequate protection for purposes of sale and the use of cash collateral. These requirements should be addressed separately.

Adequate Protection

Section 363(b)(1) provides that the trustee (or a debtor-in-possession in a Chapter 11 case) may use, sell, or lease property of the bankruptcy estate. 11 U.S.C. § 363(b)(1) (1994). However, § 363 provides that a court shall condition the use, sale, or lease of property by the trustee upon the requirement of adequate protection if so requested by a creditor. 11 U.S.C. § 363(e) (1994). In the present ease, the debtor-in-possession seeks to sell hay in which NSBO has a security interest, and NSBO has ob *296 jected, requesting adequate protection. In order for the debtor to sell hay free and clear of the lien of NSBO, NSBO must be provided adequate protection respecting its present interest in the hay. The present value of collateral must be protected and the collateral’s hypothetical future value is not controlling for adequate protection purposes at the time of sale.

The present interest of NSBO in hay will be adequately protected if NSBO is paid the proceeds of hay in which it holds a duly perfected security interest or if such proceeds are escrowed for its benefit

In this case the present value of the NSBO Hay is $45.00 per ton for baled hay and $11.00 per ton for standing hay. Therefore, I conclude, consistent with my previous order (Fil. # 33), that the debtor may sell the hay in which NSBO claims an interest if the debtor either pays NSBO the proceeds of sale of the NSBO Hay or escrows such proceeds for the benefit of NSBO.

Cash Collateral

The debtor asserts that the hay, when sold, will produce proceeds in excess of the amount necessary to provide NSBO with adequate protection for purposes of sale. The debtor claims it should be allowed to use this excess amount free and clear of NSBO’s interest. I conclude that all of the proceeds received from the sale of NSBO Hay, including amounts in excess of the value of the NSBO Hay on the petition date, constitute cash collateral, and therefore must be impounded to protect the interest of NSBO.

Section 363(a) provides that “cash collateral” includes the “proceeds” of property subject to the pre-petition security agreement, as stated in § 552(b) of the Code. 11 U.S.C. § 363(a) (1994).

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

Related

In Re Mintz
192 B.R. 313 (D. Massachusetts, 1996)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
172 B.R. 294, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1511, 1994 WL 532088, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matter-of-ed-woods-livestock-inc-nebraskab-1994.