McGraw v. Yelverton (In re Bell & Beckwith)

68 B.R. 557, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 4933
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedNovember 20, 1986
DocketBankruptcy No. 83-0729; Related Case: 83-0132
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 68 B.R. 557 (McGraw v. Yelverton (In re Bell & Beckwith)) 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
McGraw v. Yelverton (In re Bell & Beckwith), 68 B.R. 557, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 4933 (Ohio 1986).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

RICHARD L. SPEER, Bankruptcy Judge.

This cause comes before the Court upon the Complaint To Sell Free and Clear of [558]*558Liens filed by the Trustee in the above entitled adversary action. The property addressed by the Complaint has been sold, and the Trustee has received a portion of the purchase price from the buyer. At the time the property was sold, it was recognized by the parties to this action that the property was subject to competing interests, and that the extent of those interests could not be determined prior to the time of sale. However, because a buyer had been located, the parties agreed that the property could be sold subject to a subsequent determination by this Court of the parties’ interests.

Pursuant to that agreement, the property was sold to the prospective purchaser. However, the parties’ agreement required the Trustee to have prepared by an independent party an appraisal of the property and an allocation of interests. The Trustee has had this allocation accomplished and has, pursuant to the agreement, submitted the report to this Court for approval. The Defendants Sandy and Gary Yelverton (hereinafter the Yelvertons) have objected to the Trustee’s proposed allocation and have asked this Court to make a determination as to the extent of their interest in the property.

This Court conducted a hearing relative to the Trustee’s proposed allocation and the Yelvertons' Objection thereto. At that hearing the parties had the opportunity to present any evidence and arguments they wished the Court to consider. The parties have also filed post-hearing arguments, and have had the opportunity to respond to the arguments presented by opposing counsel. The Court has reviewed the evidence, the arguments, and the entire record in this case. Based upon that review and for the following reasons the Court finds that the Yelvertons have a five percent (5%) interest in the proceeds allocatable to the Trustee for his assigned ownership interests in the property.

FACTS

Prior to February 5, 1983, Edward P. Wolfram, Jr., was the managing partner of a partnership known as Bell & Beckwith, a stock brokerage doing business in Toledo, Ohio. On February 5, 1983, a petition was filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division, which ultimately placed the brokerage in liquidation under the provisions of 15 U.S.C. 78aaa et seq. The petition was filed as the result of an unlawful course of conduct carried out by Edward P. Wolfram, Jr., wherein he systematically diverted funds from the accounts of the brokerage’s customers to his own purposes.

During the course of his illegal activities, Edward P. Wolfram, Jr., used the diverted funds to become involved in a number of diversified ventures. Included in these ventures was the purchase of the Landmark Hotel and Casino (hereinafter LHC) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The evidence reflects that on or about February 24,1978, a sales agreement for the sale of the LHC was executed by the Summa Corporation (hereinafter Summa), as seller, and by Zula Wolfram (the wife of Edward P. Wolfram, Jr.) (hereinafter Wolfram), Lou Tickel, and Jo Ann Tickel (hereinafter Tickels) as purchasers. The deed which affected the transfer of title to the LHC reflects that Wolfram received an undivided one-half interest in the property. The Tickels collectively received the remaining undivided one-half interest. In return for a promissory note executed by the purchasers, Sum-ma became the beneficiary of a deed of trust in the LHC. Under the terms of sale, the purchasers were to make to Summa monthly payments of One Hundred Thirty-three Thousand Five Hundred Forty-eight and 75/100 Dollars ($133,548.75) for a period of one hundred twenty (120) months. At the expiration of that time, the unpaid balance of the purchase price would become due.

On or about April 1, 1978, a partnership agreement was executed by Wolfram, the Tickels and the Yelvertons. As a result of this agreement, a partnership known as Mark III Partnership (hereinafter Mark III) came into existence. As stated in the [559]*559partnership agreement, the purpose of the partnership was to own, operate, manage and/or lease the LHC. The agreement also stated that Wolfram, the Tickels, and the Yelvertons were to have a one-third interest in the partnership. Although the agreement makes a general recitation as to the consideration offered in exchange for the formation of the partnership, the nature, extent, and value of that consideration is not clear. However, it does not appear that the LHC was ever transferred by deed from Wolfram and the Tickels to Mark III.

On September 28,1979, the Tickels transferred to Wolfram their one-half interest in the LHC, thereby making Wolfram the owner of the entire property. Although the transaction does not appear of record in this case, it appears that the Tickels also transferred to Wolfram their one-third interest in Mark III. It further appears that the Yelvertons transferred to Wolfram all but 5% of their interest in Mark III, thereby making Wolfram the owner of ninety-five percent (95%) of the partnership. In addition, the record indicates that at the time Mark III was being restructured by the foregoing transactions, one Gary Baldwin (hereinafter Baldwin) was given an option to purchase an interest in the partnership. The parties have agreed that this option was never exercised. Finally, in what appears to be an unrelated transaction, Wolfram, on April 10,1980, transfered to Passport Travel, Inc. (hereinafter Passport) an 18.7% ownership interest in the LHC. With the exception of its ownership interest in LHC, Passport appears to be unrelated to these proceedings.

Despite the absence of a conveyance and in furtherance of the partnership’s stated purpose, it appears that Mark III began to exercise dominion over the LHC. This control over the property began shortly after the partnership’s formation. However, at about that same time, a corporation known as Mark III Corporation (hereinafter Mark III Corp.) was formed. The stated purpose of Mark III Corp. was for the operation of the hotel facilities at the LHC. While it appears that Wolfram had a controlling interest in Mark III Corp., the names of the shareholders in Mark III Corp. and the extent of their interests is not set forth in the record.

Shortly after the formation of Mark III Corp., a second corporation, TZ Enterprises, Inc. (hereinafter TZ), was formed. The stated purpose of TZ was to operate the casino facilities at the LHC. It should be noted that TZ was a wholly owned subsidiary of Mark III Corp.

From the time of their inception, it appears that both Mark III Corp. and TZ began to operate the LHC facilities without any formal authorization from either Mark III or the titled owners. However, on March 18, 1981, a lease was executed between Mark III Corp. and Mark III. Under this purported agreement, Mark III Corp. agreed to lease the LHC from Mark III for a period of forty years. In return for the right to occupy the premises, Mark III Corp. agreed to pay to Mark III monthly payments that were equal in amount to the monthly payments owed by the owners of the LHC to Summa. While it does not appear of record, it appears that Mark III Corp., also executed a separate lease with Passport for occupancy of its portion of the LHC.

Subsequent to the execution of these lease agreements, Mark III Corp.

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Related

McGraw v. Yelverton (In Re Bell & Beckwith)
87 B.R. 476 (N.D. Ohio, 1988)
In Re Bell & Beckwith
77 B.R. 606 (N.D. Ohio, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
68 B.R. 557, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 4933, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgraw-v-yelverton-in-re-bell-beckwith-ohnb-1986.