Matter of Rainbow Forest Apartments

33 B.R. 576, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 5402, 11 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 149
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedSeptember 16, 1983
Docket19-40218
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 33 B.R. 576 (Matter of Rainbow Forest Apartments) 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 Rainbow Forest Apartments, 33 B.R. 576, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 5402, 11 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 149 (Ga. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF OPINION

A.D. KAHN, Bankruptcy Judge.

The above-styled bankruptcy matter is before the Court on the issue of whether the Debtor’s proposed plan of reorganization should be approved. First Federal of Michigan [First Federal], the Debtor’s largest creditor, filed an objection to the plan. A hearing on confirmation and First Federal’s objection was held on June 7, 1983 at which time the Court heard testimony and arguments of counsel. The matter was then taken under advisement.

I. Debtor’s Proposed Plan

In its plan, the Debtor proposes to pay, with the exception of the claim of First Federal, all uncontested claims in full upon the effective date of the plan. First Federal has a claim for approximately $2,625,-000.00 which is secured by a Deed to Secure Debt on the Debtor’s real property. Upon confirmation, the Debtor proposes to cure and reinstate the indebtedness according to the terms of certain notes executed by the Debtor and dated February 7, 1977 and June 18, 1979. In addition, the Debtor’s plan provides for the payment of “reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred up to May 2, 1983 arising out of its default, with such amount to be determined by the Court pursuant to an evidentiary hearing on this subject.” Debtor’s Plan of Reorganization at 3.

The plan is to be funded by Allen Aaron-son who currently holds a 62% interest in the Debtor as a limited partner. The plan provides that he will acquire an additional 36% interest in consideration of his funding the plan and that he will remain a limited partner. His brother, Jules Aaronson, will receive a 2% interest in the Debtor and will replace Stanley Melnick as the general partner. Jules Aaronson will manage the Debt- or’s property, which consists of an apartment complex.

II. First Federal’s Objections to Debt- or’s Plan

First Federal makes several objections to the plan, to wit: 1) that the Debtor solicited acceptances without prior court approval in violation of 11 U.S.C. § 1125(b); 2) that the plan was not proposed in good faith; and 3) that First Federal’s claim is impaired in that the plan does not provide for certain damages to which First Federal asserts it is entitled.

The first two objections involve a transaction in which Jules Aaronson purchased from Atlanta Commercial Realty, Inc. [ACR] its claim against the Debtor. Despite First Federal’s allegations of self-dealing on the part of the Debtor and being “deprived” of an alternative plan, 1 the Court finds no evidence of any wrongdoing or bad faith by the Debtor. During the hearing, First Federal also questioned the feasibility of the plan as it relates to Jules Aaronson’s ability to manage the apartment *578 complex. The Court heard testimony that Aaronson owns and successfully manages over 4,000 rental units of which 80% are in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Based on this fact and other testimony from Aaron-son and his son Glenn Aaronson, who works for Jason Property Management Co., the Court finds that the plan is feasible and that there can be no question regarding Jules Aaronson’s ability to manage the Debtor’s property.

Finally, First Federal argues that its right to accelerate and to demand immediate payment upon default was an integral part of its original bargain with the Debtor. First Federal contends that the plan impairs this right and that

unless the Court recognizes this loss as that being a part of the damages under 11 U.S.C. § 1124(2)(C), then to the extent that § 1124(2)(C) effectively negates the right to accelerate and foreclose, or to realize equivalent value (limited, of course, by the debt), then such construction renders 11 U.S.C. § 1124 unconstitutional in violation of the Fifth Amendment as a deprivation of property without just compensation or due process.

Brief of First Federal at 5-6. The Court notes that the cure and reinstatement of a mortgage is clearly contemplated by the Code in § 1124, see Midland Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Masnorth Corp. (In re Masnorth Corp.), 28 B.R. 892 (Bkrtcy.N.D.Ga.1983) (Drake, J.); Ketchikan Lodge No. 1429 v. Hewitt (In re Hewitt), 16 B.R. 973 (Bkrtcy.D.Alaska 1982), and that, upon cure and reinstatement, “the event of default is remedied and the consequences are nullified.” Taddeo v. DiPierro (In re Taddeo) 685 F.2d 24, 9 B.C.D. 556, 561 (2nd Cir.1982).

Therefore, the only issue remaining is whether the Debtor’s plan provides for damages which will satisfy § 1124(2)(C).

Section 1124(2)(C) states that:

Except as provided in section 1123(a)(4) of this title, a class of claims or interests is impaired under a plan unless, with respect to each claim or interest of such class, the plan—
(2) notwithstanding any contractual provision or applicable law that entitles the holder of such claim or interest to demand or receive accelerated payment of such claim or interest after the occurrence of a default—
(C) compensates the holder of such claim or interest for any damages incurred as a result of any reasonable reliance by such holder on such contractual provision or such applicable law;

First Federal argues that the difference between the value of the loan amount re-loaned at today’s current market rate 2 and the value of the loan at the contract rate 3 is $370,000.00.

The Court finds that this “loss” is not the type of compensatory damages contemplated by § 1124(2)(C). To award such damages would clearly be counterproductive to Congress’ scheme to allow for the reorganization and rehabilitation of debtors in distress.

The intervention of bankruptcy and the defaults represent a temporary crisis which the plan of reorganization is intended to clear away. The holder of a claim or interest who under the plan is restored to his original position, when others receive less or get nothing at all, is fortunate indeed and has no cause to complain. Curing of the default and the assumption of the debt in accordance with its terms is an important reorganization technique for dealing with a particular class of claims, especially secured claims.

Notes of Committee on the Judiciary, Senate Report No. 95-989. The same argument for damages under § 1124(2)(C) was raised in In re Rolling Green Country Club, 26 B.R. 729 (Bkrtcy.D.Minn.1982). In rejecting the creditors contentions, the Court stated “[i]t would seem fruitless indeed if the debtor is required in order to enjoy the benefit of this section to pay the total ex *579

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

Related

In Re Sweet
369 B.R. 644 (D. Colorado, 2007)
In Re Gillette Associates, Ltd.
101 B.R. 866 (N.D. Ohio, 1989)
Matter of Arlington Village Partners, Ltd.
66 B.R. 308 (S.D. Ohio, 1986)
In Re Kizzac Management Corp.
44 B.R. 496 (S.D. New York, 1984)
In Re Manville Forest Products Corp.
43 B.R. 293 (S.D. New York, 1984)
In Re Victory Const. Co., Inc.
42 B.R. 145 (C.D. California, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 B.R. 576, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 5402, 11 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matter-of-rainbow-forest-apartments-ganb-1983.