Post-Effective Date Committee of the Estate of East End Development, LLC v. Amalgamated Bank ex rel. Longview Ultra Construction Loan Investment Fund (In re East End Development, LLC)

555 B.R. 138, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 2766
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJuly 28, 2016
DocketCase No. 812-76181-reg; Adv. Proc. No. 13-8081-reg
StatusPublished

This text of 555 B.R. 138 (Post-Effective Date Committee of the Estate of East End Development, LLC v. Amalgamated Bank ex rel. Longview Ultra Construction Loan Investment Fund (In re East End Development, LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Post-Effective Date Committee of the Estate of East End Development, LLC v. Amalgamated Bank ex rel. Longview Ultra Construction Loan Investment Fund (In re East End Development, LLC), 555 B.R. 138, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 2766 (N.Y. 2016).

Opinion

DECISION AFTER TRIAL

(Re: First, Second, Fourth and Fifth Claims for Relief)

Robert E. Grossman, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Before the Court is an adversary proceeding arising out of the chapter 11 bankruptcy case of East End Development, LLC (“Debtor”), an entity formed nearly ten years ago for the purpose of acquiring certain real property in Sag Harbor, N.Y. and developing it with luxury residential condominiums. The Defendant, Amalgamated Bank (“Defendant” or “Amalgamated”), provided the Debtor with a commitment to finance approximately $28 million for the acquisition of the land and construction of the property. In or about 2009, the Debtor defaulted on the loan and Amalgamated ceased funding at a time when construction was incomplete. At that point approximately $24 million of the $28 million commitment had been advanced. Amalgamated refused to advance the remaining approximately $4 million of its commitment. In 2011, after negotiations among the parties towards a consensual resolution failed, Amalgamated commenced foreclosure proceedings.

In October of 2012, the Debtor filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy relief citing “economic downturn,” “various interruptions,” “unexpected delays” as well as the exhaustion of its credit line with Amalgamated as reasons for seeking relief. The Debtor’s goal in the bankruptcy was to obtain additional financing, finish the project and sell the finished condominium units pursuant to a chapter 11 plan. (Case No. 12-76181, ECF No. 2, ¶¶ 21-25).

Ultimately a chapter 11 plan was confirmed and the yet-unfinished property was sold to Amalgamated at a duly-noticed auction sale to Amalgamated. Since then it appears that construction of the property has been completed and the units are being offered for sale. Left unpaid were certain mechanics lienors which supplied materials and labor towards construction of the original project. By Order, dated May 3, 2013, the Plaintiff, a committee of unpaid mechanics lienors, was authorized to commence litigation on behalf of the Debtor’s estate, and the proceeds of such litigation would be distributed pursuant to the confirmed plan. (Case No. 12-76181, ECF No. 128). Plaintiff commenced this litigation, as the estate representative, asserting breach of contract and related claims against Amalgamated. Although the allegations of the complaint are broad[143]*143er, the trial and this Decision relate only to the following claims: Breach of contract (First Claim for Relief), Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing (Second Claim for Relief), Unjust Enrichment (Fourth Claim for Relief), Declaratory Relief (finding that the Debtor was not in default at the time Amalgamated issued notice of default in July 2009) (Fifth Claim for Relief).1

The Plaintiff alleges that Amalgamated breached its contractual obligations with the Debtor when it: failed to fund the total commitment under the Loan Documents; failed to approve requisitions that were approved by Amalgamated’s engineering consultants; issued improper notices of default or improperly caused Debtor’s alleged defaults; required the Debtor to use approximately $1.25 million of the project funding to pay down obligations to Amalgamated on an unrelated project owned by the Debtor’s principals; and permitted excessive and unsubstantiated draws by the Debtor’s principals. The Plaintiff argues that as a result of Amalgamated’s breaches, the Debtor was unable to complete the project which caused damages to the Debt- or in the amount of $5 million.

The issue before the Court is whether, under the terms of the various agreements between Amalgamated and the Debtor, Amalgamated breached legally enforceable obligations to the Debtor. The Plaintiff is asking the Court to impose upon Amalgamated duties which are not imposed by the Loan Documents and afford the Debt- or rights which are not afforded by the Loan Documents. While it seems that the Debtor may have relied upon certain conduct of Amalgamated leading up to and following the issuance of the notices of default, and while Amalgamated’s conduct in this matter may be questionable, the fact remains that the relationship between the Debtor and Amalgamated is governed by the Loan Documents. It is the Plaintiffs burden to establish that Amalgamated’s conduct violated the contractual agreements entered into between the parties so as to support the Plaintiffs claims for relief as set forth in the Complaint.

For the reasons that follow, the Court finds that the Plaintiff has failed to sustain its burden of proof on the First, Second, Fourth and Fifth Claims for Relief.

FACTS

The Debtor is a New York limited liability company formed for the purpose of developing luxury residential condominiums at 21 West Water Street in Sag Harbor, N.Y. (“Water Street Property” and “Water Street Project”). The Debtor has two members, each holding 50% interests: MM Sag Harbor LLC (“MM Sag Harbor”) and 21 West Water Street Holdings, Inc. (“21 West”). MM Sag Harbor is owned 50/50 by Emil Talel and Michael Maidan (“Maidan”), and 21 West is wholly owned by Paul Fiore and Nicola Tuosto.

On March 16, 2007, the Debtor acquired the Water Street Property for $7.2 million.2 The Debtor fínancéd the acquisition and development of the Water Street Property with loans from the Defendant, Amalgamated Bank, as trustee of Long-view Ultra Construction Loan Investment Fund f/k/a Longview Ultra I Construction Loan Investment Fund (“Ultra Fund”). The Ultra Fund is an ERISA fund which invests building trade union pension funds into construction loans on projects that employ union labor. (Trial Tr., July 21, [144]*1442015, at 16). Amalgamated is the trustee and investment manager for the Ultra Fund.3 Id. At all times Amalgamated acted as agent for the lender, Ultra Fund, not as lender.

The Debtor and Amalgamated, as trustee, entered into a Senior Loan Agreement in the amount of $3,600,000; a Building Loan Agreement (“BLA”) in the amount of $16,347,825 (Pl’s Ex. 1); and a Project Loan Agreement in the amount of $8,052,175 (Pl’s Ex. 2) (together the “Loan Documents”), which were secured by first priority mortgages on the Water Street Property. In total, Amalgamated agreed to lend the Debtor up to the aggregate sum of $28,000,000. According to the Loan Documents, the loan maturity and project completion date was April 1, 2009, subject to extension in accordance with section 2.1.5 of the BLA. (Pl’s Ex. 1) The debt was guaranteed by the Debtor’s principals, Messrs. Talel and Maidan, and an individual named Terry Soderberg.

Messrs. Talel and Maidan are also principals of East End Ventures, LLC (“EEV”), an entity formed for the purpose of owning and developing real property located at 5 Ferry Road, Route 114, Sag Harbor, N.Y. (“Ferry Road Property” and “Ferry Road Project”). Prior to the Debt- or’s acquisition of the Water Street Property, EEV secured financing for the Ferry Road Project from Amalgamated, as trustee for the Ultra Fund, secured by the Ferry Road Property. Although EEV and the Debtor were both owned by Messrs. Talel and Maidan, the funding commitments on the Ferry Road and Water Street Projects appear to be unrelated.

At the March 16, 2007 closing on the Water Street Property, the closing statement reflects there was a draw request for approximately $2.5 million consisting of “Reimbursements to Purchaser.” (Pl’s Ex. 3).

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Bluebook (online)
555 B.R. 138, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 2766, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/post-effective-date-committee-of-the-estate-of-east-end-development-llc-v-nyeb-2016.