Rohrig Invs., LP v. Knuckle P'ship, LLLP (In re Rohrig Invs., LP)

584 B.R. 382
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedMarch 30, 2018
DocketCASE NO. 13–53483–BEM
StatusPublished

This text of 584 B.R. 382 (Rohrig Invs., LP v. Knuckle P'ship, LLLP (In re Rohrig Invs., LP)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rohrig Invs., LP v. Knuckle P'ship, LLLP (In re Rohrig Invs., LP), 584 B.R. 382 (Ga. 2018).

Opinion

Barbara Ellis-Monro, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge

I. Background

Plaintiff filed this adversary proceeding on July 6, 2016 seeking specific performance or, alternatively, damages for breach of contract. [Doc. 1 (the "Original Complaint") ]. Defendants filed motions to dismiss the Original Complaint. [Docs. 11, 12]. The Court granted the motions to dismiss with leave for Plaintiff to make limited amendments to the Complaint (the "Dismissal Order"). [Doc. 21]. Plaintiff filed a motion to reconsider the order granting the motions to dismiss (the "Motion to Reconsider") [Doc. 23] and filed an *388amended complaint (the "Amended Complaint"). [Doc. 30]. Defendants filed motions to dismiss the Amended Complaint (the "Second Motions to Dismiss") [Docs. 40, 41]. The Court herein considers Plaintiff's Motion to Reconsider and Defendants' Second Motions to Dismiss.

The parties and other relevant persons in this proceeding are as follows:

• Rohrig Investments, LP ("Plaintiff"): the Debtor-Plaintiff in this proceeding;
• Knuckle Partnership, LLLP ("Knuckle"), 3116-3136 Roswell Road, LLC ("3116"), and Robert C. Loudermilk, Jr. ("Robin" or "Robin Loudermilk" and with Knuckle and 3116, the "Loudermilk Parties"): Defendants in this proceeding;
• 3110 Roswell Road, LLC ("3110" and with the Loudermilk Parties, the "Defendants"): a Defendant in this proceeding;
• George W. Rohrig, Jr. ("George" or "George Rohrig" and with Plaintiff, the "Rohrig Parties"): a principal of Plaintiff;
• R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. ("Charlie" or "Charlie Loudermilk"): a principal of 3110.

Plaintiff's Original Complaint contained two counts-one for specific performance and one for breach of contract. In summary, the Original Complaint alleged as follows: 3116 owns real property in the Buckhead District of Atlanta, which it agreed to sell for more than $10 million. The deal was temporarily halted when Plaintiff filed in the county real property records a document asserting an interest in parking rights in the property. Thereafter, 3116 filed an adversary proceeding against Plaintiff and George Rohrig to remove the affidavit from the public record (the "Parking Rights Dispute" or the "Parking Rights AP"). The parties settled the matter, along with other disputes, under terms set forth in a settlement agreement. [Doc. 30-1, Ex. 6, hereinafter the "Agreement" or the "Settlement Agreement"]. The Settlement Agreement required the Loudermilk Parties to obtain from 3110 and convey to Plaintiff a deed to the 8 at 8 office building (the "8 at 8 Property"), an extension of the property lines for the 8 at 8 Property (the "Disputed Property"), and an easement for a pedestrian walkway (the "Breezeway," and with the 8 at 8 Property and the Disputed Property, the "8 at 8 Properties"). Plaintiff complied with all its obligations under the Settlement Agreement, but Defendants failed to convey the entirety of the 8 at 8 Properties. The dispute primarily centers on the language "to the extent it is legally possible, the Loudermilk Parties will obtain ... and convey ... an extension of the property lines for the 8 at 8 Property westward to Early Street ...." [Settlement Agreement § 3.0].

The Court granted Defendants' motions to dismiss the Original Complaint in their entirely because the Court found that: (1) it was not legally possible for the Loudermilk Parties to convey all of the Disputed Property when the property owner refused to agree to the transfer, (2) the description of a portion of the property to be conveyed was not adequately described, and (3) Plaintiffs failed to allege sufficient facts to state a claim against 3110 based on an agency relationship between the Loudermilk Parties and 3110. [Doc. 21]. The Dismissal Order further granted Plaintiff limited leave to amend the complaint. In the Amended Complaint, Plaintiff has supplemented its allegations to address the agency question, the sufficiency of the description, generally provide greater detail, and has added equitable claims against Defendants. The Amended Complaint includes the following documents attached as exhibits:

*389(1) 2006 Consolidation Map; (2) 2007 Boundary Survey; (3) Limited Warranty Deed to 3110 Roswell Road, LLC; (4) Limited Warranty Deed to Rohrig Investments, LP; (5) 2007 Valentino Survey; (6) Settlement Order and Settlement Agreement; (7) 2014 Rohrig Survey (with Valentino email exchange); (8) email exchange from Mr. Teague to Mr. Howard to Mr. Frasier; (9) Valentino email to Rohrig Investments with Replat Survey; (10) email from Mr. Howard to Mr. Frasier by way of Valentino; (11) Section 3.0 Letter from Mike King; and (12) Proposed Deed for Specific Performance. In addition, the Amended Complaint contains lengthy quotations from the transcript of a hearing held in this Court on October 28, 2014. A copy of the transcript is filed in the main bankruptcy case. [Case No. 13-53483, Doc. 1121, hereinafter "Hearing Tr."].

The Amended Complaint includes counts for specific performance against all Defendants; breach of contract against all Defendants; breach of contract against the Loudermilk Parties; quantum meriut and unjust enrichment against 3110; and reformation of the Settlement Agreement.

II. Procedural Issues

As a preliminary matter, Defendants contend the Motion to Reconsider is moot because the Amended Complaint supersedes the original complaint. [Doc. 52 at 2, 53]. Defendants are correct in stating the general rule. Pintando v. Miami-Dade Housing Agency , 501 F.3d 1241, 1243 (11th Cir. 2007). However, the general rule does not address the effect of an amended complaint on a pending motion to reconsider dismissal. "A rule that a party waives all objections to the court's dismissal if the party elects to amend is too mechanical ....Without more, the action of the amending party should not result in completely denying the right to appeal the court's ruling." 6 Fed. Prac. & Proc. Civ. § 1476 (3d ed.) ; see also Varnes v. Local 91, Glass Bottle Blowers Ass'n of U.S and Canada , 674 F.2d 1365, 1370 (11th Cir. 1982) (a plaintiff is "not barred, by consenting to the dismissal [of his complaint for failure to state a claim] and filing the amended complaint, from raising on appeal the correctness of the dismissal order ...."); Wilson v. First Houston Inv. Corp ., 566 F.2d 1235, 1238 (5th Cir. 1978)1 , vacated on other grounds , 444 U.S. 959

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

Related

Pintando v. Miami-Dade Housing Agency
501 F.3d 1241 (Eleventh Circuit, 2007)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Larry Bonner v. City of Prichard, Alabama
661 F.2d 1206 (Eleventh Circuit, 1981)
Denise Rounds, Thomas Rounds vs Genzyme Corporation
440 F. App'x 753 (Eleventh Circuit, 2011)
OCONEE LAND & TIMBER, LLC v. Buchanan
686 S.E.2d 452 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2009)
Watson v. Sierra Contracting Corp.
485 S.E.2d 563 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1997)
Ogden Equipment Co. v. Talmadge Farms, Inc.
209 S.E.2d 260 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1974)
Turnipseed v. Jaje
477 S.E.2d 101 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1996)
Penta Investments, Inc. v. Robertson
197 S.E.2d 358 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1973)
Belk v. Nance
206 S.E.2d 449 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1974)
Klingbeil v. Renbaum
246 S.E.2d 698 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1978)
Hendon Properties, LLC v. Cinema Development, LLC
620 S.E.2d 644 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2005)
Kingsberry Homes v. Findley
249 S.E.2d 51 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1978)
Atlanta Market Center Management Co. v. McLane
503 S.E.2d 278 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
584 B.R. 382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rohrig-invs-lp-v-knuckle-pship-lllp-in-re-rohrig-invs-lp-ganb-2018.