Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors v. UMB Bank, N.A. (In re Residential Capital, LLC)

495 B.R. 250, 2013 WL 4069512, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3294
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 13, 2013
DocketCase No. 12-12020(MG); Adv. Proc. 13-01277(MG)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 495 B.R. 250 (Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors v. UMB Bank, N.A. (In re Residential Capital, LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors v. UMB Bank, N.A. (In re Residential Capital, LLC), 495 B.R. 250, 2013 WL 4069512, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3294 (N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART UMB BANK’S MOTION TO DISMISS

MARTIN GLENN, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Pending before the Court is Defendant UMB Bank, N.A.’s Partial Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to FRCP 12(b)(6) (“Motion,” ECF Doc. #21). The Adversary Proceeding was brought by the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (the “Committee”) of Residential Capital, LLC (“ResCap”), et al. (the “Debtors”) on February 28, 2013 against UMB Bank, N.A., as successor indenture trustee (“UMB” or the “Indenture Trustee”) under that certain Indenture, dated as of June 6, 2008 (the “Indenture”), and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo”), as third priority collateral agent and collateral control agent (“Collateral Agent”) under an Amended and Restated Third Priority Pledge and Security Agreement and Irrevocable [252]*252Proxy, dated as of December 30, 2009 (the “Notes Security Agreement”).

Through the Motion, UMB sought dismissal of ten of the fourteen counts asserted in the Adversary Proceeding. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo”) filed a joinder of the Motion (ECF Doc. #23). The Committee filed an objection to the Motion (“Objection,” ECF Doc. # 28) supported by the Declaration of John A. Morris (“Morris Decl.,” ECF Doc. #29). UMB filed a reply (“Reply,” ECF Doc. # 37) in which it withdrew the Motion with respect to five of the counts. The Court heard argument on the Motion on July 26, 2013 and UMB withdrew the Motion with respect to Count XIV.

For the reasons discussed below, the Motion is DENIED without prejudice as to Counts I, IV, and XIII, and the Motion is GRANTED with prejudice as to Count V.

I. BACKGROUND

On May 14, 2012 (the “Petition Date”), the Debtors filed voluntary petitions for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. On the Petition Date, the Debtors sought approval for postpetition financing from Ally Financial, Inc. (“AFI”). The Court granted interim relief on this request on May 15, 2012 (Interim AFI DIP Order, 12-12020, ECF Doc. # 80), and entered the AFI DIP Order granting final approval on June 25, 2012. (12-12020, ECF Doc. #491). Pursuant to the AFI DIP Order, the Debtors agreed to a series of stipulations (the “Stipulations”) concerning the liens and security interests granted for the benefit of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Indenture Trustee and the Junior Secured Noteholders (defined below, and collectively, the “Secured Parties”). (Id ¶ 5.) The Stipulations provided the Committee with a period in which to challenge the validity of the liens and security interests and it spent months investigating the claims and liens of the Secured Parties. (Compl. ¶ 20.)

The Committee’s investigation focused on a $1.1 billion discrepancy in the Debtors’ prepetition and postpetition disclosure concerning the Notes Collateral (defined below). The Debtors’ audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011, and unaudited financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 (the most recent statements prior to the Petition Date), describe the Junior Secured Notes as secured by the same $1.3 billion in collateral that purportedly secures the AFI Revolver (as defined below). (Compl. ¶ 22.) According to the Stipulations, the Notes Collateral includes $1.3 billion of assets identified under the column labeled “Ally Revolver” and an additional $1.1 billion of assets identified under the column labeled “Blanket” on Exhibit A to the AFI DIP Order. (Compl. ¶23.) The Committee asserts that, upon information and belief, prior to the Petition Date, the Debtors’ internal collateral tracking database identified only approximately $1.3 billion in collateral securing the Junior Secured Notes and the AFI Revolver and nearly all of the “Blanket” collateral as “Unpledged.” (Compl. ¶¶ 24-25.) Moreover, the Debtors failed to independently verify whether the Secured Parties had liens on the assets that comprise “Blanket” property or whether any such assets constitute Excluded Assets under the Notes Security Agreement. On December 26, 2012, the Court granted the Committee’s motion (“Standing Motion,” ECF Doc. # 1546) for standing to pursue the claims in this adversary complaint. (“Standing Order,” ECF Doc. # 2518.)

A. Relevant Facts

1. Junior Secured Notes

On or about June 6, 2008, ResCap entered into various financing transactions in [253]*253connection with the issuance of approximately $4 billion of 9.625% Junior Secured Guaranteed Notes Due 2015 (“Junior Secured Notes,” and the holders the “Junior Secured Noteholders” or “JSNs”). (Compl. ¶¶ 32-36.) The Junior Secured Notes were issued as part of an exchange offer (the “Exchange Offer”), detailed in the ResCap Exchange Offer 8-K (Compl., Ex. B). (Compl. ¶¶ 35-36.) ResCap offered the Junior Secured Notes in return for outstanding ResCap notes maturing in 2010 through 2015 (“Old Notes”). (Id., Compl. ¶ 3 6.) As an alternative exchange mechanism for a limited number of the Old Notes, ResCap offered cash, with the price determined by a modified Dutch auction. (Id.; Compl. ¶ 39.) Through the Exchange Offer, ResCap was able to exchange approximately $6 billion of Old Notes for approximately $4 billion in Junior Secured Notes and roughly $862 million in cash. (Id.; Compl. ¶ 35-36.) As of the Petition Date, the outstanding face amount of Junior Secured Notes was approximately $2.12 billion and, according to the Committee, the remaining amount of unaccreted original issue discount (“OID”) was at least $377 million. (Compl. ¶¶ 42-43.)

The Junior Secured Notes were issued pursuant to the Indenture (Compl., Ex. A), entered into on June 6, 2008, by and among ResCap, as issuer, GMAC Residential Holding Company, LLC, GMACRFC Holding Company, LLC, GMAC Mortgage, LLC, Residential Funding Company, LLC and HomeComings Financial, LLC, as guarantors (the “Guarantors”), and U.S. Bank N.A., as indenture trustee (the “Original Trustee”). That same day, certain Debtors entered into a Third Priority Pledge and Security Agreement and Irrevocable Proxy (the “Original Notes Security Agreement”) with the Indenture Trustee and the Collateral Agent. On or about December 30, 2009, the parties amended the Original Security Agreement by entering into the Notes Security Agreement (Compl., Ex. C.).

In the Notes Security Agreement, certain Debtors granted the Collateral Agent liens on and security interests in certain of their assets (collectively, the “Notes Collateral”) to secure payment of the obligations under the Indenture (the “Notes Obligations”). Sections 2 through 5 of the Notes Security Agreement (the “Granting Clauses”) grant the Collateral Agent liens and security interests on various assets.1 Each Granting Clause provides that “notwithstanding the foregoing, the [Notes Collateral] described in [such Granting Clause] shall not include Excluded Assets.” Notes Security Agreement §§ 2-5. The Committee asserts, upon information and belief, that at least $350 million of assets, including mortgage loans, REO Property, and governmental insurance claims (collectively, the “Preference Assets”) were added to the Notes Collateral during the 90 days before the Petition Date. (Compl. ¶ 207.) It claims that each addition of the [254]*254Preference Assets to the Notes Collateral was a transfer for the benefit of the Secured Parties (the “Preferential Transfers”).

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
495 B.R. 250, 2013 WL 4069512, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3294, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/official-committee-of-unsecured-creditors-v-umb-bank-na-in-re-nysb-2013.