Quality Spice Corp. v. Federation Warehouse (In re Quality Spice)

109 B.R. 84
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedDecember 28, 1989
DocketBankruptcy No. 88-00460; Adv. No. 88-0165
StatusPublished

This text of 109 B.R. 84 (Quality Spice Corp. v. Federation Warehouse (In re Quality Spice)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Quality Spice Corp. v. Federation Warehouse (In re Quality Spice), 109 B.R. 84 (N.J. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

DANIEL J. MOORE, Bankruptcy Judge.

The Court presently considers the Omnibus Motion of First Fidelity, N.A. (“First Fidelity” or “Bank”) which seeks the release of various Lots 1 of pepper located in warehouses throughout New Jersey and New York. The Lots, subject of this motion, are particularized on Schedule D of a report prepared by the accounting firm of Peterson & Co., Consulting (“Peterson & Co.”). Specifically, Schedule D reflects those Lots of pepper which are still in the possession of various warehouses. The Bank’s Omnibus Motion arises in an adversary proceeding instituted by the Debtor, Quality Spice Corporation (“Quality Spice” or “Debtor”), against certain public warehouses and spice processors who have possession of certain quantities of spice. Debtor asserts an interest in this spice as of the time it filed its petition. The Creditor’s Committee intervened in the action and, as a third party plaintiff, added more than 250 party defendants to the proceeding. The third party defendants are entities which either owned pepper or claimed Lots of pepper in which Debtor appeared in the chain of title. This is a proceeding arising under, arising in or related to Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code (“U.S.C.”). The Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157 and the standing Order of Reference entered by the District Court of New Jersey on July 23, 1984. The following constitutes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 7052.

* * * * * *

Some of the case history is set forth in an unrelated opinion rendered in connection with Debtor’s application to assume and/or assign certain executory contracts; nevertheless, a brief summary is provided here.

Before Debtor filed for bankruptcy protection, it was a major factor in the pepper trading market. Although pepper trading is not conducted on any recognized commodity exchange, those entities which trade and purchase pepper, as a matter of course, use a form contract established by the American Spice Trading Association (“ASTA”). Quality Spice used such a form contract.

. Although a major pepper trader, Quality Spice’s pre-petition business affairs were in total disarray. This was precipitated in part by the serious illness of the wife of Debtor’s president, Robert Newhouse. Internally, Debtor was having difficulties with its lender, its trading partners and its customers, some of whom were end-users of pepper. Before filing its Petition, Debt- or tried unsuccessfully to allay fears amongst its major customers with respect to open purchase orders at a January 1988 meeting. Debtor advised all in attendance that unless it received their cooperation and the cooperation of its lenders, it would be unable to fulfill its open contracts for the sale and purchase of pepper. Thereafter, Debtor’s worst fears became a reality, for when it filed its Petition, there exist[86]*86ed open contracts to sell pepper in an amount in excess of $40 million. Buy contracts covered most of the contracts to sell.

During this bankruptcy proceeding it became clear that Debtor’s records alone were insufficient to untangle the web of competing claims to pepper, which was being stored in public warehouses or held in processing plants for compliance with Food and Drug Administration requirements.

The Court enjoined the commencement of any actions with respect to disputes over the ownership to pepper in which Debtor held or appeared in the chain of title. The Creditor’s Committee simultaneously filed an application to retain the accounting firm of Peterson & Co. to identify the location of and competing claimants to the spice. To this end, the accounting firm intensely reviewed the books, records and physical inventory of Debtor as well as the certifications submitted by claimants in this adversary proceeding. The firm reviewed the records of the public warehouses and processing plants and from all of this information, compiled a report (the “Peterson Report”) which identifies the physical location of the many Lots of pepper in which Debt- or held title or appeared in the chain of title. The Peterson Report also provides an analysis of the competing ownership claims to the spice.

The market price of pepper was approximately $2.20 per pound when Quality Spice filed in bankruptcy. A Lot of pepper generally consists of fifteen (15) metric tons, or approximately 33,000 pounds. The ultimate resolution and disposition of the competing claims and interests to the many Lots of pepper has a substantial impact upon the Estate that is not to be sneezed at. As such, the Court is compelled to make final determinations with respect to ownership claims to the spice. Since the Peterson Report was issued, various parties have moved to obtain delivery of certain Lots of pepper. First Fidelity is one such party.

First Fidelity is Quality Spice’s commercial loan lender and asserts that it has a perfected security interest in all of the Lots on Schedule D of the Peterson Report. In addition, the Bank asserts that it possesses delivery orders and/or warehouse receipts covering many of the Lots in question. The Bank filed its Omnibus Motion on September 12, 1988, to release the Lots of pepper enumerated on Schedule D. The following parties filed objections to the Bank’s Omnibus Motion, in most instances asserting competing ownership claims to certain Lots of pepper contained on Schedule D: Lonray, Inc. (“Lonray”), DMT New York, Inc. (“DMT”), McCormick & Co., Inc. (“McCormick”) and Ludwig Mueller Co. Inc. (“Ludwig Mueller”) on October 13, 17, 18 and 19, respectively. First Fidelity is also a third-party defendant to the Unsecured Creditor’s Committee’s Third Party Complaint. The Bank filed an Answer, Counterclaim and Crossclaim on August 31, 1988. The following parties filed answers and when indicated, Crossclaims against First Fidelity, asserting claims to certain but not all Lots of pepper, some of which are contained on Schedule D: Camerican, a Division of CTC, North America, Inc. (“Camerican”) filed an Answer and Crossclaim on September 23, 1988; DMT filed an Answer on October 5, 1988; Lon-ray filed an Answer on October 12, 1988; Ludwig Mueller filed an Answer on October 17, 1988; Mann Producten Rotterdam B.Y. (“Mann Producten”) filed an Answer on October 25, 1988; HCL Trading, Inc. (“HCL”) filed an Answer, Counterclaim and Crossclaim2 on April 13, 1988; and Jantzen & Deeke GmvH (“J & D”) who originally contested this Court’s jurisdiction and filed its answer in State Court, but who later withdrew its objection.3

To facilitate a ruling with respect to the ownership rights of the many competing claimants to the various Lots of pepper, the Court scheduled evidentiary hearings on a claimant-by-claimant basis. November 28, 1988 was the date set for the Camerican-[87]*87First Fidelity Hearing. However, before the hearing, the parties consensually resolved their differences.

December 15-16, 1988, December 20, 1988 and December 21, 1988 were the dates fixed for the Ludwig Mueller, Lonray and Mann Producten Evidentiary Hearings, respectively. All parties consensually resolved their differences with the Bank on or before these dates.

Evidentiary hearings for the following parties: HCL, V. Berg & Sons, Inc., (“V.

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

Related

Matter of Quality Spice Corp.
107 B.R. 843 (D. New Jersey, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
109 B.R. 84, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/quality-spice-corp-v-federation-warehouse-in-re-quality-spice-njb-1989.