Oregon v. Roman Catholic Archbishop (In Re Roman Catholic Archbishop)

345 B.R. 686, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 1373, 46 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 230
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Oregon
DecidedJuly 20, 2006
Docket19-30304
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 345 B.R. 686 (Oregon v. Roman Catholic Archbishop (In Re Roman Catholic Archbishop)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oregon v. Roman Catholic Archbishop (In Re Roman Catholic Archbishop), 345 B.R. 686, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 1373, 46 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 230 (Or. 2006).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION RE TORT CLAIMANTS COMMITTEE’S FOURTH MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND DEBTOR’S CROSS-MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT (PERPETUAL ENDOWMENT FUND)

ELIZABETH PERRIS, Bankruptcy Judge.

In this chapter 11 1 case, the Tort Claimants Committee (TCC) filed this adversary proceeding to obtain a declaration of whether certain real and personal property is property of debtor Roman Catholic Archbishop of Portland’s (debtor) bankruptcy estate. The parties have filed cross-motions for a determination of whether the Perpetual Endowment Fund (fund), which was established in 1981, more than 20 years before bankruptcy, is property of debtor’s estate. In the alternative, the TCC seeks a determination that debtor’s beneficial interest in the fund and certain powers it may exercise are property of the estate.

FACTS

Debtor is a corporation sole, organized under Oregon non-profit corporation law. It filed chapter 11 in 2004. In its Statement of Financial Affairs filed in connection with the bankruptcy case, debtor list *691 ed a Perpetual Endowment Fund, 2 valued at approximately $36,000,000, as “personal property held for another.” Debtor takes the position that the fund is held in a charitable trust and therefore is not part of the bankruptcy estate and is not available to pay the obligations it may owe to the tort claimants. The TCC takes the position that the fund is not a valid trust, and is therefore part of debtor’s bankruptcy estate and is subject to the claims of creditors.

The fund was created in 1981 by a Declaration of Trust. Because interpretation of the particular provisions of the declaration is the key to resolving these motions, I will set out at length the language of the Declaration of Trust:

CORNELIUS M. POWER, Archbishop of Portland in Oregon, being mindful of the solemn duty imposed upon him by reason of his office to see to the perpetuation of the work of the Church in western Oregon, hereby establishes the Perpetual Endowment Fund (Fund) for the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon (Archdiocese).

Source of Endowment Eund.

The net proceeds from the sale of land in Washington County, Oregon, known as the St. Mary’s Home property, shall constitute the initial assets of the Fund. Other money or property may, from time to time, be designated by the Archbishop as assets of the Fund. In addition, any gifts, bequests or other assignments of property to the Fund, upon acceptance thereof, shall become a part of the Fund, subject to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust.

Goals and Objectives.

The primary goal of the fund shall be the perpetuation of the mission of the Church. The particular objectives of the Fund are as follows:
1. The funding of the operating expenses of the Chancery Office of the Archdiocese.
2. The funding of the religious, charitable and educational programs of the Archdiocese.
3. The funding of the religious, charitable and educational programs of the Roman Catholic Church in America and throughout the world.

Management of the Fund.

The management of the assets of the Fund shall be handled by one or more Investment Managers selected by the Vicar for Business Affairs of the Archdiocese, with the approval of the Archbishop. Subject to other provisions of this Declaration of Trust and the authority of the Archbishop or other authorized officers of the Archdiocese, the Investment Managers shall have, in dealing with the assets of the Fund, all of the powers and duties set forth in the Uniform Trustees’ Powers Act as the same is now or may hereafter be enacted in the State of Oregon.

Investment Objectives and Inviolability of Principal of the Fund.

The primary investment objective shall be the safety of the principal of the Fund. In order to protect the Fund from erosion by inflation, the Investment Managers shall annually return to the *692 principal of the Fund such amount as shall be directed by the Vicar for Business Affairs, but not less than 5% nor more than 20% of the income of the Fund.
Subject to the foregoing priority, the Fund shall be managed with a view to maximum income. Subject to long-term economic trends, it is contemplated that the income from the Fund should be not less than 10% per annum.

Distribution and Uses of Income.

After reinvestment of a portion of the income to preserve the integrity of the Fund, as provided above, the annual income of the Fund shall be distributed for the following purposes:
1. The first priority shall be the operating expenses of the Chancery of the Archdiocese. To the extent that income from the Fund is sufficient, minimal assessments shall be levied upon the parishes of the Archdiocese for such purpose.
2. The second priority for the use of the income from the Fund shall be the support of programs of the Archdiocese, including St. Mary’s Home.
3. The third priority for the use of the income of the Fund shall be assistance to other segments of the Church in the United States and throughout the world.
All uses of the anticipated income of the Fund shall be subject to the normal budgetary procedures of the Archdiocese.

Procedure for Withdrawal of Income from the Fund.

After appropriate budgets have been completed, income from the Fund shall be distributed in such manner as the Fund managers are instructed in writing by three corporate officers of the Archdiocese.

Modification and Amendment of this Declaration of Trust.

The Fund established hereby is intended to be perpetual. However, recognizing that change is inevitable, the power to amend or modify any of the provisions of this Declaration of Trust is reserved to the office of the Archbishop of Portland in Oregon. Should this instrument be terminated or the Fund otherwise dissolved, all assets of the Fund shall be distributed to the General Treasury of the Archdiocese.

Declaration of Trust, Declaration of Albert N. Kennedy in Support of Tort Claimants Committee’s Fourth Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, Exhibit 6 at 127-130.

The entity that established the fund in 1981 was the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, an Oregon non-profit corporation incorporated in 1909 (the 1909 corporation). In 1991, the 1909 corporation merged with debtor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Portland in Oregon. Debt- or is the surviving corporation.

The fund was originally made up of the proceeds from the sale of certain land owned by the 1909 corporation.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
345 B.R. 686, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 1373, 46 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 230, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oregon-v-roman-catholic-archbishop-in-re-roman-catholic-archbishop-orb-2006.