Rentas v. TRM, LLC (In re Malavet)

552 B.R. 24
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedMay 31, 2016
DocketCASE NO. 09-07657(ESL); ADV. PROC. NO. 15-00006(ESL)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 552 B.R. 24 (Rentas v. TRM, LLC (In re Malavet)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rentas v. TRM, LLC (In re Malavet), 552 B.R. 24 (prb 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

Enrique S. Lamoutte, United States Bankruptcy Judge

This case is before the court upon the Motion for Summary Judgment and Memorandum of Law in Support Thereof [25]*25on the Pleadings (Docket No. 13) filed by the Chapter 7 Trustee (hereinafter referred to as “Trustee” or “Plaintiff’) and the Opposition to Plaintiff's. Summary Judgment and Cross Motion for Summary-Judgment (Docket No. 25) filed by TRM, LLC (hereinafter referred to as “Defendant” or “TRM”). The Trustee seeks to avoid a pre-petition mortgage recorded over property of the estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 544(a)(i) and the Puer-to Rico Mortgage Law, 30 L.P.R.A.- §§ 2001 et seq. The Trustee alleges that TRM’s mortgage was not properly perfected pre-petition as required by Article 57 of the Puerto Rico Mortgage Law, 30 L.P.R.A. § 2260 (“Mortgage Law”) because there was a missing link in the chain of title holders, namely the Deed of Donation had not been registered, that impeded its recordation. TRM argues in its Opposition to Plaintiff’s Summary Judgment and Cross Motion for Summary Judgment that: (i) the Trustee is time barred pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 546 to file the present complaint under 11 U.S.C. § 544; (ii) the chain of ownership was followed because both owners of the real property; namely the Debtor and his mother Mrs. Malavet Rodriguez appeared in the Deed of Mortgage; (iii) the Property Registrar as part of his or her duties evaluated the mortgage deed, deemed that it complied with the Mortgage Law and allowed for its recordation; and (iv) TRM has a special protection under Article 105 of the Mortgage Law, 30 L.P.R.A. § 2355 as a third party who in good faith acquired a recorded real right (“tercero registrar’) pursuant to Article 105 of the Mortgage Law which prevents the avoidance of the mortgage lien by the Trustee. Also before the court is TRM’s Amended Motion to Dismiss (Docket No. 24) and the Trustee’s Reply to Defendant’s Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment and to Amended Motion to Dismiss (Docket No. 30). The Trustee argues that the statute of limitations set forth in 11 U.S.C. § 546(a) is inapposite and that the applicable statute of limitations is determined pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 108(a) and Article 1863 of the Puerto Rico Civil Code (“Civil Code”). TRM in its Reply to Plaintiff’s Opposition to TRM’s Amended Motion to Dismiss (Docket No. 38) contends that the Trustee should have filed an amended complaint pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 15 since she now claims that the avoidance action is based on Articles 110 and 151 of the Mortgage Law. TRM also argues that Article 1863 is inapplicable to Trustee’s claim. For the reasons stated below, TRM’s Amended Motion to Dismiss is granted. Thus, both Plaintiffs Motion far Summary Judgment and Defendant’s Cross Motion for Summary Judgment have become moot.

Jurisdiction

The Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(b) and 157(a). This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(E). Venue of this proceeding is proper under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 and 1409.

Factual and Procedural Background

On September 12, 2009, Jesus Santiago Malavet (the “Debtor”) filed a voluntary Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Petition (Lead Bankruptcy Case No. 09-076571). The Debtor included in Schedule A-Real Property-the real estate property in controversy and described the same as follows:

“[property located at Urb. Roosevelt, 470 Ave. Hostos, San Juan, PR 00918. Consists of 2 story concrete residential [26]*26building on a 313 sq mts. lot. Appraisal of $375,000 was based on similar sales in community in previous years. Actual devaluation in real property is 15% or $56,250.00. Debtor owns the property but Maria Malavet, [his] mother, has [a] life [ejstate (“usufructo”) over the property. The commercial space is vacant.”

The Debtor listed the nature of its interest on the property as “JTWROS.” The Debtor listed the current value of the property in the amount of $318,750.00 and the secured claim is included in the amount of $141,536.11. The Debtor in Schedule D-Creditors Holding Secured Claims listed FirstBank of Puerto Rico as a fully secured creditor of a first mortgage over a residential property located at Urb. Roosevelt, 470 Ave. Hostos, San Juan in the amount of $141,536.11. The Debtor listed that the value of the residential property was in the amount of $318,750. On October 20, 2009, FirstBank Puerto Rico filed proof of claim # 5-1 in which it listed that it was a secured creditor (based upon a first mortgage) in the amount of $141,536.11.

On March, 2, 2011, the case was converted to Chapter 7 (Lead Case, Docket No. 208). The Order converting the case to Chapter 7 was set aside on May 10, 2011 (Lead Case, Docket No. 229). On May 16, 2011, RNPM, LLC (as the “Purchaser/Transferee/Asignee”) filed a Notice of Transfer of Claim Pursuant to FRBP Rule 3001(e)(2) Waiver of Opportunity to Object and Request for Notice Pursuant to FRBP 2002 informing that it had purchased FirstBank’s claim pursuant to a Purchase and Sale Agreement dated December 22, 2010 (Lead Case, Docket No. 232).

On September 6, 2011, the court ordered the case to be reconverted to Chapter 7 for Debtor’s failure to adequately address the reasons for not having filed a disclosure statement and plan (Lead Case, Docket No. 263). On September 7, 2011, the Notice of Re-Appointment of Interim Trustee and Approval of Blanket Bond was filed whereby Noreen Wiscowitch-Rentas was appointed as Interim Trustee (Lead Case, Docket No. 264). On October 4, 2011, the Debtor filed several amended schedules, including Amended Schedule A — Real Property — in which the Debtor included in the description of the real property in controversy that the property at Urb. Roosevelt, 470 Ave. Hostos was the Debt- or’s principle residence and that, “[t]he $318,750.00 is divided as follows: $159,375.00 dollars life estate (“usufructo”) [and] $159,375.00 dollars Debtor’s ownership.” (Lead Case, Docket No. 270). Schedule D was not amended.

Subsequently, on August 7, 2012, the Debtor filed an Urgent Motion Requesting Determination by Trustee

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
552 B.R. 24, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rentas-v-trm-llc-in-re-malavet-prb-2016.