SE Property Holdings, LLC v. Stewart (In re Stewart)

571 B.R. 460
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedMay 3, 2017
DocketCase No. 15-12215-JDL Jointly Administered; ADV No. 16-1117-JDL
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 571 B.R. 460 (SE Property Holdings, LLC v. Stewart (In re Stewart)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
SE Property Holdings, LLC v. Stewart (In re Stewart), 571 B.R. 460 (Okla. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO DISMISS

Janice D. Loyd, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

I. Introduction

This matter comes on for consideration upon the Motion to Dismiss and Brief in Support filed by Intervenor, Kirkpatrick Bank (“Kirkpatrick”), on January 29, 2017 (the “Motion”) [Doc. 104], the Response to Motion to Dismiss and Brief in Support filed by SE Property Holdings, LLC (“SEPH”) on February 13, 2017 (“Response”) [Doc. 118], the Reply filed by Kirkpatrick on March 5, 2017 (the “Reply”) [Doc. 130], and SEPH’s Sur-Reply Brief Addressing Article III Jurisdiction Issue filed April 13, 2017 [Doc. 140].

David A. Stewart and Terry P. Stewart (individually and collectively referred to as the “Stewarts”) are the debtors in these related cases which are jointly administered. By this adversary proceeding SEPH seeks to add nine (9) non-debtor entities (the “Non-Debtors”) to the cases relying upon the theory of substantive consolidation. These are nine (9) entities in which Stewart acts in a managerial capacity, holds, or at one time held, an interest, or in the case of a Trust held an interest in the trust res.1 By its Motion, Kirkpatrick argues that the Complaint should be dismissed pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim' because substantive consolidation is not an appropriate cause of action against non-debtor entities. Kirkpatrick contends that (1) the Court cannot invoke its equitable powers under 11 U.S.C. § 105 to establish jurisdiction over a non-debtor entity not in bankruptcy, (2) SEPH as a non-creditor of the Non-Debtors does not have standing to force their assets into Stew-arts’ bankruptcy estate and (3) SEPH’s failure to join indispensable parties, i.e. creditors of the Non-Debtors, constitutes a denial of due process to such creditors [463]*463compelling dismissal.2

In response to Kirkpatrick’s Motion, SEPH contends that (1) substantive consolidation is within the equitable powers of the court under § 1053 where the assets of management of the Non-Debtors are so intermingled that the Non-Debtors are to be regarded as the alter ego of the Stew-arts, (2) that an individual creditor, not only the Chapter 7 trustee, has standing to bring the Non-Debtors before the Court to effectuate a consolidation, (3) that Oklahoma law providing for a “charging order” to recover the interest of a limited liability company member does not prohibit a creditor’s remedy of substantive consolidation for the “pooling” of the assets of the alleged alter ego entity and (4) at this early stage of the adversary proceeding creditors of the Non-Debtors are not indispensable parties requiring dismissal of the case. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7052, the Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law which support its determination that Kirkpatrick’s Motion should be granted.

II. Jurisdiction

The Court has jurisdiction over this proceeding under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 (a) and 1334 (b). This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A) and (0). The jurisdiction of the bankruptcy courts as set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 1334, which provides, in pertinent part, that “the district courts shall have original jurisdiction but not exclusive jurisdiction of all civil proceedings arising under title 11, or arising in or related to cases under title 11”. 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b). Title 28 U.S.C. § 157(b) provides that “[bjankruptcy judges may hear and determine all cases arising under title 11 and all core proceedings arising under title 11, or arising in a case under title 11, referred under subsection (a) of this section, and may enter appropriate orders and judgments, subject to review under section 158 of this title.” Venue of this adversary proceeding in this district is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1409(a).

In both its Reply to Response [Doc. 130] and Response to Motion of SEPH to File Sur-Reply [Doc. 133] Kirkpatrick has challenged the Article III jurisdiction of this Court to enter a final order on substantive consolidation under Stern v. Marshall, 564 U.S. 462, 131 S.Ct. 2594, 180 L.Ed.2d 475 (2011). Whether the bankruptcy court should exercise its discretion under § 105(a) to permit substantive consolidation is an open question, but such exercise does not invoke Article III/Stem v. Marshall implications.

This action is not based upon state law carrying a right to a jury trial, but is simply a creation of bankruptcy law. In re Owner Management Service, LLC Trustee Corps, 530 B.R. 711, 721-722 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2015) (Substantive consolidation was not affected by Stem and remains a core proceeding that can be adjudicated by a bankruptcy judge .... Substantive consolidation does not exist outside the context of a bankruptcy proceeding.); In re Petters Co., Inc., 550 B.R. 438, 447, n. 18 (Bankr. D. Minn. 2016) “[Substantive Consolidation] was created and developed en[464]*464tirely on considerations of equity; it is applied only in bankruptcy cases; and it is used exclusively to support the administrative function of bankruptcy .... Hence, the absurdity of the notion that a motion for substantive consolidation is a ‘Stem proceeding’ not subject to final disposition of the order of a bankruptcy judge absent consent of the parties.”); In re Gladstone, 513 B.R. 149, 158 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. 2014). This Court has jurisdiction to hear and enter a final order in this case,

III. Background4

On September 30, 2014 (the “Petition Date”), SEPH filed Involuntary Petitions for Relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code against the Stewarts in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Alabama. On March 18, 2015, the Alabama Bankruptcy Court entered orders for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. On June 12, 2015, the Alabama Bankruptcy Court granted the Stewarts’ motion to transfer the bankruptcy cases to this court. On July 21, 2015, the Stewart cases were jointly administratively, but not substantively, consolidated by this Court.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
571 B.R. 460, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/se-property-holdings-llc-v-stewart-in-re-stewart-okwb-2017.