Pongetti v. Merchants & Farmers Bank (In re Wellington Construction Corp.)

82 B.R. 424, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 2136
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedMarch 13, 1987
DocketBankruptcy No. S82-10052; Adv. No. 84-1048
StatusPublished

This text of 82 B.R. 424 (Pongetti v. Merchants & Farmers Bank (In re Wellington Construction Corp.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pongetti v. Merchants & Farmers Bank (In re Wellington Construction Corp.), 82 B.R. 424, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 2136 (Miss. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

DAVID W. HOUSTON, III, Bankruptcy Judge.

This cause came on for hearing as a result of the third amended complaint filed by the plaintiff, Jacob C. Pongetti, Trustee for the Estate of the Wellington Construction Corporation, hereinafter referred to as plaintiff or trustee; an answer and counterclaim having been filed by the defendant, Merchants and Farmers Bank, hereinafter referred to as defendant or bank; all parties being represented before the Court by their respective attorneys of record; and the Court having heard and considered same, hereby finds as follows, to-wit:

I.

The Court has jurisdiction of the subject matter of and the parties to this proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and 28 U.S.C. § 157. This is a core proceeding as defined in 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(F) and (H).

II.

The trustee’s third amended complaint attempts to recover, for the benefit of the bankruptcy estate, five transactions or transfers as fraudulent conveyances or voidable preferences. These five transfers are identified as follows, to-wit:

1. The execution of a deed of trust, dated June 23, 1981, encumbering the Columbus Canterbury Apartments.

2. The execution of a deed of trust, dated June 23, 1981, encumbering a lot located on Fifth Street North, Columbus, Mississippi.

3. The setoff of four bank accounts, maintained by Wellington Construction Corporation at the defendant bank, on November 16, 1981, totaling the sum of $589.97.

[426]*4264. The setoff of a certificate of deposit, owned by Wellington Construction Corporation, on November 16, 1981, in the sum of $17,947.43.

5. The execution of a deed of trust, dated November 16, 1981, encumbering the Starkville Canterbury Apartments.

By virtue of a partial judgment, dated December 22, 1986, and entered December 23, 1986, the Court decided that the transactions involving the Columbus Canterbury Apartments and the lot located on Fifth Street North, Columbus, Mississippi (transactions No. 1 and No. 2 hereinabove), were not recoverable by the trustee as fraudulent conveyances or preferential transfers. The aforesaid partial judgment is incorporated herein by reference.

As to the Columbus Canterbury Apartments, the Court found that this property was not actually owned by Wellington Construction Corporation, hereinafter referred to as Wellington, but rather by several individuals. The Court also found that there was no insider relationship between Wellington and the defendant bank as that term is defined in 11 U.S.C. § 101(28)(B). Both of the transactions occurred beyond the ninety day preference period as set forth in 11 U.S.C. § 547(b)(4)(A), and absent the “insider” relationship, neither transaction could be set aside as a preferential transfer. The Court also found that neither of these transactions could be set aside as fraudulent conveyances in that the Bankruptcy Code specifically permits the securing of an antecedent debt. Note the interaction of 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(2)(A) and 11 U.S.C. § 548(d)(2)(A). There was no evidence whatsoever that the transactions were undertaken with an actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud anyone as contemplated in 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(1). Therefore, the trustee’s third amended complaint was dismissed as to these two transactions, all as set forth in the aforementioned partial judgment.

III.

The deed of trust, dated November 16, 1981, encumbering the Starkville Canterbury Apartments, as noted in transaction No. 5 hereinabove, was subsequently foreclosed. Prior to the hearing, there was a dispute between the plaintiff trustee and the defendant bank as to the value realized by the bank from the foreclosure sale. As set forth in paragraph 9(1) of the pre-trial order, entered in this proceeding, the bank contended that it received $15,779.40 from the foreclosure, while the trustee contended that the bank received $26,041.00. At the hearing, it became apparent that the trustee had not taken into account certain costs and expenses related to the foreclosure. Following a deduction of that portion of the costs related to the bank’s interest in the collateral, the bank’s initial calculation was found to be correct, i.e., $15,-779.40.

On the final day of the hearing, the bank introduced appraisal testimony, without objection, to the effect that it actually received nothing as a result of the foreclosure sale. In closing argument, counsel for the bank explained to the Court that the 12 units of the apartment complex, pledged to the defendant bank, could be separately identified, rather than being considered only as a percentage of the total 82 units in the complex. The 12 units were encumbered by a deed of trust in favor of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Columbus, securing an original indebtedness of $240,000.00, which was superior to the lien of the defendant bank. Through an affidavit, which was not admitted into evidence at the hearing, the bank now contends that First Federal received the sum of $231,829.27 from the foreclosure sale. Further, if a proration of the foreclosure costs were added to this sum in the amount of $9,989.57, (12/82nds of $68,262.08, the total foreclosure costs), the appraised value of the property, in the sum of $240,000.00, was exceeded by the total payment to the first lien holder and the prorated foreclosure costs. ($231,829.27 plus $9,989.57) As such, the defendant bank takes the position that it received nothing from the foreclosure sale.

The defendant initially calculated its proceeds received from the sale on Exhibit [427]*427D-16, which is summarized as follows, to-wit:

$15,779.40 RECEIVED BY BANK ON
10-29-82 PROM SALE OF 12 UNITS OF 82
UNITS OF STARKVILLE CANTERBURY APARTMENTS
Net Sales Price: (Following the deduction of $68,262.08 as foreclosure cost) $107,826.01
Divided by 82 total units equals 1,314.95 per unit
Times 12 units collateralized to defendant bank equals $ 15,779.40

The hearing must be conducted in conformity with the pretrial order, which was executed by both parties, and entered by the Court. Throughout the pretrial order, the defendant bank contended that it had received the sum of $15,799.40 as a result of the Starkville Canterbury Apartments foreclosure. See the defendant’s statement of facts, paragraph 7, page 6; the contested issues of fact, paragraph 9(1), page 12; and defendant’s Exhibit D-16, paragraph 11(B), page 19.

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82 B.R. 424, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 2136, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pongetti-v-merchants-farmers-bank-in-re-wellington-construction-corp-msnb-1987.