Pearlridge Mall-Joint Venture 315068 v. International Kitchens (In re International Kitchens)

6 B.R. 756, 2 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 674, 1980 Bankr. LEXIS 4866
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedJuly 3, 1980
DocketBankruptcy Nos. 80-00147, 80-0023
StatusPublished

This text of 6 B.R. 756 (Pearlridge Mall-Joint Venture 315068 v. International Kitchens (In re International Kitchens)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pearlridge Mall-Joint Venture 315068 v. International Kitchens (In re International Kitchens), 6 B.R. 756, 2 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 674, 1980 Bankr. LEXIS 4866 (Haw. 1980).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW ON COMPLAINT TO RECOVER REAL PROPERTY, FOR RELIEF FROM AUTOMATIC STAY AND/OR FOR ADEQUATE PROTECTION

JON J. CHINEN, Bankruptcy Judge.

On April 8, 1980, Peariridge Mall Joint Venture 315068 (“Peariridge”) filed the above-entitled Complaint with this Court. The Debtor’s answer to the Complaint was filed on April 30, 1980 and a preliminary hearing on the issue of adequate protection was held by this Court on May 1, 1980. At the preliminary hearing and at the trial of the Complaint, the parties stipulated that evidence and exhibits introduced at hearings on a motion filed by Peariridge seeking dismissal of these proceedings, and evidence and exhibits introduced at the preliminary hearing be introduced by reference in this matter and be considered by this Court as a part of the evidence presented in the trial of the above-entitled complaint. Debtor raised the additional issue of whether certain electrical and common area maintenance charges assessed by Peariridge were proper. Further testimony was taken on June 4 and 5, 1980. This Court, having heard and considered all of the evidence and having taken judicial notice of its records in a prior proceeding, now makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law, as follows:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. On March 14, 1980, International Kitchens (hereinafter “Debtor”) commenced these proceedings by the filing of a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.

2. Debtor is a Hawaii Limited Partnership, duly registered with the State of Hawaii.

3. The filing of these proceedings followed, by just three (3) months and one (1) week, this Court’s dismissal for cause of a prior proceeding voluntarily filed by Debtor under the provisions of Chapter XII of the “old” Bankruptcy Act. The Chapter XII proceeding had been filed on January 10, 1977.

4. In dismissing the Chapter XII proceeding this Court found, inter alia, that:

a. The Debtor was in substantial administrative rent default;
b. The Debtor was in violation of Court orders by failure to pay rent and failure to file operating reports;
c. The Debtor was operating at a loss which was in excess of One Hundred Ninety Thousand Dollars ($190,000.00) at the beginning of 1979;
d. The Debtor was about to lose its only asset through a foreclosure approved by the Bankruptcy Court;
e. The Debtor was without ability to propose or confirm any viable plan of arrangement; and
[758]*758f. The Debtor was without equity in any property, but nevertheless, before the Court in a Chapter proceeding filed in January 1977, and approaching three (3) years in age.

5. On the date of its dismissal, the Chapter XII proceeding had been ongoing for just one month less than three (3) years without any improvement in the Debtor’s financial position.

. 6. The Debtor’s average losses of approximately Ninety-Five Thousand Dollars ($95,000.00) per year in 1977 and 1978 continued through 1979, during which period the Debtor’s gross sales dipped substantially below 1977 levels.

7. This Court has now learned that the Debtor failed to pay a substantial portion of its administrative tax obligations during the course of its Chapter XII proceeding. Whereas its tax debt on the filing of Chapter XII in 1977, was Twenty-Eight Thousand Eight Hundred Forty-Eight Dollars And Twenty-Eight Cents ($28,848.28), its tax debt on the filing of this Chapter 11 proceeding increased to Ninety-Eight Thousand Five Hundred Ninety-Five Dollars And Ninety-Nine Cents ($98,595.99).

8. Whereas no wages were owed by the Debtor prior to the 1977 filing, the Debtor now admits to priority wage debt incurred just prior to the filing of Chapter 11 of Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($16,000.00).

9. Pearlridge is the owner of the property at Pearlridge Mall Shopping Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, at which the Debtor’s fast food restaurant operations are conducted. Pearlridge is successor in interest to Kaonohi Center Company with regard to eight (8) leases (hereinafter the “Leases”) executed by Debtor as tenant, dated April 20, 1973, which Leases demise the restaurant premises and the dining area surrounded by and used in common by the eight restaurants. The Leases are more specifically described by short forms thereof, executed on March 12, 1974, and filed for record in the Bureau of Conveyances of the State of Hawaii in Liber 9811 at Page 393, (Premises No. 12-15A); Liber 9811, Page 404 (Premises No. 12-16); Liber 9811 at Page 415 (Premises No. 12-17); Liber 9811 at Page 426 (Premises No. 12-19); Liber 9811 at Page 437 (Premises No. 12-20); Liber 9811 at Page 448 (Premises No. 12-24); Liber 9811 at Page 459 (Premises No. 12-25); and Liber 9811 at Page 382 (Premises No. 12-15).

10. During the course of the Chapter XII proceeding a stipulation was entered into between the Debtor and Pearlridge entitled Stipulation Re Resolution Of Various Disputes And Order Thereon (hereinafter the “Stipulation”).

11. In approving that Stipulation, this Court ordered that if Debtor defaulted in “certain payment obligations” to Pearl-ridge, and if those defaults were not cured by either the Debtor or its secured creditor, American Security Bank and Bank of Honolulu (“Bank”) within sixty (60) days after written notice of default, then any and all rights that either Debtor or Bank might claim in the “Leases” with Pearlridge would automatically terminate and neither the Debtor nor the Bank would thereafter have any rights whatsoever in the Leases.

12. The “certain payment obligations” required under the Stipulation included monthly installment payments of Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) per month to Pearlridge on account of arrearages and attorneys fees owed by the Debtor to Pearl-ridge.

13. The Debtor made eleven (11) installment payments, the last of which was in and for the month of May 1978.

14. Notices of default were properly served upon the Debtor and Bank by Pearl-ridge on June 20,1979 and again on July 25, 1979, but neither the Debtor nor the Bank made another hu bailment payment, nor did either seek permission of this Court to terminate or suspend payments pending litigation as to the total amount of attorneys fees owed to Pearlridge.

15. Under the Stipulation Thirteen Thousand Two Hundred Six Dollars And Twenty-Eight Cents ($13,206.28) of the Forty-Four Thousand Dollars ($44,000.00) in installment payments made was to be [759]*759applied against arrearages owed to Pearl-ridge, and the balance was to be applied against attorneys’ fees owed Pearlridge by the Debtor.

16. This Court has found that the Debt- or owes Pearlridge Sixty-One Thousand Two Hundred Ninety-Nine Dollars And Twenty Cents ($61,299.20) in attorneys’ fees, plus Eight Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-Five Dollars And Fifty-Nine Cents ($8,995.59) in costs, plus interest, against which the Debtor is entitled to set off attorneys’ fees awarded the Debtor by this Court.

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Bluebook (online)
6 B.R. 756, 2 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 674, 1980 Bankr. LEXIS 4866, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pearlridge-mall-joint-venture-315068-v-international-kitchens-in-re-hib-1980.