Smelcer v. Citizens Bank (In re Hart Oil & Gas, Inc.)

534 B.R. 35
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Mexico
DecidedJuly 2, 2015
DocketCase No. 12-13558 t11; Adv. No. 14-01138 t
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 534 B.R. 35 (Smelcer v. Citizens Bank (In re Hart Oil & Gas, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Mexico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smelcer v. Citizens Bank (In re Hart Oil & Gas, Inc.), 534 B.R. 35 (N.M. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Hon. David T. Thuma, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Before the Court is Defendant’s motion to dismiss all claims in this adversary proceeding pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) or 12(b)(6). The matter has been fully briefed and argued. For the reasons set forth below, the Court will dismiss most of the claims because they were not reserved in the confirmed plan of liquidation.

I. FACTS

For the purpose of ruling on the Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) arguments, the Court finds the following facts:1

Debtor commenced this Chapter 11 case on September 25, 2013. Pre-petition, defendant Citizens Bank of Kilgore (the “Bank”) was Debtor’s main secured lender, having loaned Debtor $1,000,000.2 The claims at issue arise from alleged Bank conduct that occurred pre-petition.

[40]*40The Bank’s secured claim was not listed as disputed, contingent, or unliquidated on Debtor’s bankruptcy schedules. Debtor’s schedules do not list any claims against the Bank. The Bank filed a proof of claim on March 14, 2013, asserting a secured claim of $1,028,622.66. No party ever objected to the proof of claim.3

Before the case was filed, the Bank had reached a tentative agreement to sell its secured claim to Palo Petroleum, Inc. (“Palo”). The sale was interrupted by the bankruptcy filing. The Bank disclosed the potential sale at the beginning of the case.

, On the petition date, Debtor was in poor financial and operating condition. The lessor of Debtor’s oil and gas property was unhappy with Debtor because of environmental problems at the field and general sloppy operations. The local electric utility had disconnected service, which was a major problem for oil production. The Bank was concerned about its loan and its collateral.

The Court approved a change in the operator of Debtor’s oil and gas field on or about March 19, 2013. On June 24, 2013, the Court appointed a Chapter 11 Trustee. Between the new operator and the trustee, the estate’s assets and operations were stabilized to a considerable extent.

A number of plans and disclosure statements were filed in this case, by Debtor, the Chapter 11 trustee, and a creditor group called the “Ad Hoc Committee of Creditors.” No plan or disclosure statement ever alleged that the estate held claims against the Bank.

The Ad Hoc Committee filed a Third Amended Chapter 11 Plan of Liquidation (the “Plan”), as well as a Third Amended Disclosure Statement (the “Disclosure Statement”). The Disclosure Statement attaches Debtor’s Schedule B, which lists all of Debtor’s personal property. No claims against the Bank are listed in Schedule B. The Disclosure Statement also includes several liquidation analyses, none of which place any value on, or even mention, any claims against. the Bank. Rather, the Bank.is shown as having a valid secured claim of about $1,200,000. Paragraph 12.2 of the Disclosure Statement, entitled “Fraudulent Transfers and other Claims,” makes no mention of any claims against the Bank, although it does have general reservation language.

At no time before confirmation did any party question the validity of the Bank’s secured claim or allege that the estate held any lender liability or other claims against the Bank. No testimony in support of Plan confirmation mentioned any such claims.

The Court confirmed the Plan on September 27, 2013. The Plan contains the following language relevant to the motion to dismiss:

Definitions:
1.16 Avoidance Action. Any and all rights, claims and causes of action arising under any provision of chapter 5 of the Bankruptcy Code.
1.24 Cause of Action. Any Claim or cause of action, legal or equitable, now owned or hereafter acquired by Debtor or the Liquidating Trustee, whether arising under contract, tort or federal or state law, including but not limited to Avoidance Actions or claims brought in the same proceeding as a claims objection, whether commenced prior or subsequent to the Petition Date.
[41]*411.74 Rights of Action. Includes (a) any avoidance, recovery, subordination or other action of Debtor, the Estate or the Liquidation Trustee, (b) any Cause of Action of Debtor, the Estate or the Liquidation Trustee, (c) any objection or other challenge to a Claim, and (d) any objection or other challenge to an Interest.
6.3 Class 4 — Secured Claims. The holder of an Allowed Class 4 Claim shall receive: (a) from the proceeds of sale of the Collateral securing such Claimant’s Allowed Secured Claim including any earned post petition interest through the date of sale, allowable attorneys fees and costs up to the Allowed Amount of the Claimant’s Class 4 Claim and (b) $4,000 per month interest payment to Citizens Bank of Kilgore beginning ninety (90) days after the Effective Date. 11.6 Preservation of Claims and Rights. Confirmation of this Plan effects no settlement, compromise, waiver or release of any Claim, Cause of Action, Right of Action or claim for relief arising under the Bankruptcy Code unless this Plan or the Confirmation Order specifically and unambiguously so provides. The non-disclosure or nondiscussion of any particular Claim, Cause of Action, Right of Action or claim for relief is not and shall not be construed as a settlement, compromise, waiver, or release of any such Claim, Cause of Action, Right of Action or claim for relief. This Chapter 11 Liquidation Plan reserves any and all claims and rights against any and all third parties, whether such claims and rights arose before, on or after the Petition Date, the Confirmation Date, the Effective Date, the Record Date and/or any Distribution date, including, without limitation, any and all Causes of Action, Rights of Action and/or claims for relief that Debtor may have against any former director, officer, insider, creditor or lender of Debtor....

The Disclosure Statement states on page 36:

12.2 Fraudulent Transfers and Other Claims. Under the Bankruptcy Code and various state laws, Debtor may recover certain transfers of property, including the grant of a security interest in property, made while insolvent or which rendered Debtor insolvent. The Liquidation Trustee reserves the right to bring fraudulent conveyance claims and other claims arising under state law including breach of fiduciary duty claims or tort claims against any Person who may have taken action against Debtor on a pre-petition basis.
The Ad Hoc Committee has conducted a limited analysis of potential recoveries under Chapter 5 of the Bankruptcy Code and concluded that potential claims may exist. These include but are not limited to claims against Andy Saied and other insiders of Debtor. Creditors and Equity Interest holders are advised that if they received a voidable transfer, they may be sued whether or not they vote to accept the Plan.

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

Related

HRV Santa Fe, LLC v. Wolf
D. New Mexico, 2024

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
534 B.R. 35, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smelcer-v-citizens-bank-in-re-hart-oil-gas-inc-nmb-2015.