Paradise Valley Country Club v. Sun Valley Development Co. (In Re Paradise Valley Country Club)

26 B.R. 990, 8 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 409, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 6825, 10 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 139
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado
DecidedFebruary 10, 1983
Docket19-01035
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 26 B.R. 990 (Paradise Valley Country Club v. Sun Valley Development Co. (In Re Paradise Valley Country Club)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Paradise Valley Country Club v. Sun Valley Development Co. (In Re Paradise Valley Country Club), 26 B.R. 990, 8 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 409, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 6825, 10 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 139 (Colo. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DISMISSING COMPLAINT

ROLAND J. BRUMBAUGH, Bankruptcy Judge.

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on the parties’ cross motions for Summary Judgment.

The facts are as follows. Plaintiff Paradise Valley Country Club (hereinafter “Paradise Valley”) filed a Chapter 11 petition in this Court on November 26, 1980. On or about March 6, 1981, the Court approved Plaintiff’s assumption of a lease between it and the Defendant, Sun Valley Development Company (hereinafter “Sun Valley”). Under the terms of the lease, Sun Valley was the Lessor and Paradise Valley was the Lessee of certain real property located in Arapahoe County upon which Paradise Valley operated a country club, including golf course, swimming and tennis facilities. Paradise Valley’s Plan of Reorganization was confirmed on October 8, 1981. It has not yet been completed.

Subsequent to the confirmation of the Plan, a dispute arose between the parties as to whether Paradise Valley was complying with various lease obligations, principally payment of rent and subletting restrictions. On July 28, 1982, Sun Valley commenced a Forcible Entry and Detainer action against Paradise Valley in the Arapahoe County District Court. The matter proceeded to trial and judgment was entered in favor of Sun Valley. A Writ of Restitution for the leased property was issued by the state court on November 22, 1982.

On November 18, 1982, Paradise Valley filed its complaint herein alleging that it was entitled to an interpretation by the bankruptcy court of the various lease obligations as the lease was a part of the confirmed Plan. Paradise Valley also requested a permanent injunction to prevent Sun Valley from interfering with the consummation of the Plan.

It is Sun Valley’s position that Paradise Valley is barred from recovery in this adversary proceeding by the res judicata and collateral estoppel effects of the state court judgment.

Paradise Valley contends that the state court lacked subject matter jurisdiction of the forcible entry and detainer action because the bankruptcy court had exclusive jurisdiction over the property involved, at the time the state court lawsuit was commenced, by virtue of 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1471(d). Paradise Valley also argues that the state court judgment is void and of no effect because the commencement of the forcible entry and detainer action by Sun Valley was in violation of the automatic stay.

Paradise Valley concedes that should this Court find the state court had subject matter jurisdiction, Sun Valley’s collateral es-toppel argument will have merit because the issues raised in Paradise Valley’s complaint have been fully litigated. Accordingly, the only issue before the Court at this time is whether the state court was deprived of jurisdiction by 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1471(d) or by the operation of the automatic stay.

The automatic stay of 11 U.S.C. Sec. 362 was not a bar to Sun Valley’s state court suit because the stay was no longer in effect when the suit was commenced. A close reading of Sec. 362 reveals why this is so.

The automatic stay is not permanent. Section 362(c) specifies the time limits applicable to the automatic stay. It provides:

(1) the stay of an act against property of the estate under subsection (a) of this section continues until such property is no longer property of the estate; and
*992 (2) the stay of any other act under subsection (a) of this section continues until the earliest of—
(A) the time the case is closed;
(B) the time the case is dismissed; and
(C) if the case is a case under Chapter 7 of this title concerning an individual or a case under chapter 9, 11, or 13 of this title, the time a discharge is granted or denied.

Confirmation of Paradise Valley’s Chapter 11 plan vested all the property of the estate in the Debtor. 11 U.S.C. Sec. 1141(b). Therefore, under Sec. 362(c)(1) the stay of actions against property of the estate was no longer in effect because, after confirmation of the plan, the property was no longer property of the estate. See In re Knight, 8 B.R. 925 (Bkrtcy.Md.1981); In re Berry, 11 B.R. 886 (Bkrtcy.Md.1981).

Paradise Valley was granted a discharge upon confirmation of its plan. 11 U.S.C. Sec. 1141(d)(1)(A). Pursuant to Sec. 362(c)(2)(C) the stay of all other actions covered by Sec. 362(a) terminates when the debtor is granted a discharge. In re Berry, supra.

Since confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan has the dual effect of revesting the debtor with title to its property and discharging the debtor from all dischargeable pre-petition debts, there can be no further application of the automatic stay subsequent to confirmation.

Paradise Valley has also argued that the state court had no jurisdiction over the forcible entry and detainer action because it involved property of the Debtor over which this Court retained exclusive jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1471(d). This argument is not persuasive.

The assumption of the lease by the Debt- or in its Chapter 11 proceedings created a new, post-petition obligation of the reorganized entity. The lease obligations remained binding upon both Paradise Valley and Sun Valley and were not affected by the plan or its confirmation. It follows, that in the event of a breach of the lease by Paradise Valley, Sun Valley was entitled to a remedy as set forth in the terms of the lease and in accordance with applicable state law. The issue before the Court is whether, upon a post-confirmation breach of an obligation by the reorganized Debtor, Sun Valley was restricted to redressing the breach through the bankruptcy courts, on whether it could also seek relief through proceedings in the state court. I conclude that it would be incorrect to interpret 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1471(d) as precluding such a suit in state court.

The Bankruptcy Code contains no provision which expressly deals with the extent to which the bankruptcy court retains jurisdiction after confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan. Sections 1141, 1142, 1143 and 1144 address the effect of confirmation and some post-confirmation matters. These sections, and Section 1142(a) in particular, necessarily imply some retention of jurisdiction in the bankruptcy court, at least with respect to execution of the confirmed plan. One authority has stated that post-confirmation jurisdiction under the Code “appears generally to follow Chapter X procedure and should be interpreted in a manner consistent with Chapter X precedents.” 5 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶ 1142.01 at 1142-4.

Under the Bankruptcy Act, courts interpreted post-confirmation jurisdiction relatively narrowly. Generally it was said that, even absent an express retention of jurisdiction in the plan, the Court retained jurisdiction to prevent interference with the execution of the plan and to aid in the operation of such plan. In re Pittsburgh Terminal Coal Corp., 183 F.2d 520 (3d Cir.1950), cert. denied, sub nom. Pittsburgh Terminal Realization Corp. v. Heiner,

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26 B.R. 990, 8 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 409, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 6825, 10 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 139, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/paradise-valley-country-club-v-sun-valley-development-co-in-re-paradise-cob-1983.