Spirit Realty, L.P. v. GH & H Mableton, LLC

227 F. Supp. 3d 291, 319 F.R.D. 474, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167, 96 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 997, 2017 WL 24782
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 2, 2017
Docket15 Civ. 5304 (GWG)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 227 F. Supp. 3d 291 (Spirit Realty, L.P. v. GH & H Mableton, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Spirit Realty, L.P. v. GH & H Mableton, LLC, 227 F. Supp. 3d 291, 319 F.R.D. 474, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167, 96 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 997, 2017 WL 24782 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

GABRIEL W. GORENSTEIN, United States Magistrate Judge

Plaintiff Spirit Realty, L.P., formerly known as Cole Operating Partnership II, L.P. (“Spirit Realty”), brought this action against Defendant GH & H Mableton, LLC (“GH & H”) seeking a declaration that Spirit Realty is not liable for the full amount of a loan held by GH & H and related indemnity agreement or, in the alternative, reformation of the indemnity agreement on grounds of mutual mistake. See Complaint, filed July 9, 2015 (Docket # 3) (“Complaint”) at 9. GH & H filed a counterclaim alleging that Spirit Realty breached the indemnity agreement. See Answer and Counterclaim of GH & H Mableton, LLC, filed Sept. 18, 2015 (Docket # 10) (“Answer”) at 6-7.

Plaintiff has now moved for summary judgment; in response, GH & H moved to voluntarily dismiss its counterclaim.1 For the reasons stated below, the Court dismisses Spirit Realty’s action and grants GH <& H’s motion to voluntarily dismiss its counterclaim.

I. BACKGROUND

The following facts are undisputed.

A. The Loan Agreement and Indemni- &

This case centers on a commercial real estate loan made in July 2007 by Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage, Inc. to a predecessor of Spirit EK Mableton GA, LLC, Wa Cole EK Mableton GA, LLC (“Spirit LLC”). Declaration of Sean Huf-ford in Support of Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment (“Hufford Deck”) (at[295]*295tached as Ex. A to Statement of Facts in Support of Plaintiffs Motion for Summary-Judgment (“Statement of Facts”) (attached as Ex. 1 to PL Mot.)) ¶¶ 10-11; Loan Agreement (attached as Ex. B to Statement of Facts) (“Loan Agreement”).2 The loan, in the original amount of $1,197,000.00, was secured by a lien and security interest in a commercial property at 4637 Hicks Road SW, Mableton, GA. Hufford Decl. ¶ 12; Deed to Secure Debt and Security Agreement (attached as Ex. D to Statement of Facts). Spirit LLC is a single purpose entity that exists solely to own and operate this property. Complaint at ¶ 12; Response at 2. The loan was eventually assigned to GH & H. See Answer ¶¶ 27, 63-65; Hufford Decl. ¶¶ 27-31; see also Loan Purchase Agreement, dated May 19, 2015 (attached as Ex. F to Statement of Facts) (“Loan Purchase Agreement”); Assignment and Assumption' of Loan Documents, dated May 20, 2015 (attached as Ex. G to Statement of Facts).

The loan was structured as a “non-recourse” loan, meaning that if Spirit LLC defaulted, the lender’s recovery would be presumptively limited to the value of the property and the lender’s right to foreclose. Hufford Decl. ¶ 15; Loan Agreement §§ 8.2, 9.3. Certain exceptions applied, however. If Spirit LLC committed what the parties call “bad boy” acts—such as fraud, willful misconduct, breach of representations or warranties, or conversion of insurance proceeds—Spirit LLC would be fully liable to the lender. See Hufford Decl. ¶ 18; Loan Agreement § 9.3. Also, Spirit LLC would become liable if a “full recourse event” occurred. Hufford Decl. ¶ 19; Loan Agreement § 9.3. Such an event occurred if Spirit LLC filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition; colluded to file an involuntary bankruptcy petition; consented to a custodian, receiver, or trustee (other than at the request of the lender); made an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or admitted, “in writing or in any legal proceeding,” that it is insolvent or unable to pay its debts as they become due. Id.

To induce Bear Stearns to make this loan, Spirit Realty, a Delaware limited partnership doing business in Arizona, signed an indemnity agreement on or about July 19, 2007, benefittihg Spirit LLC. See Hufford Decl. ¶ 13; Indemnity. The Indemnity provided that the lender on the Loan Agreement would have recourse against Spirit Realty if Spirit LLC became liable for more than the value of the mortgaged and secured property—that is, for “bad boy” acts or a “full recourse event.” See Hufford Decl. ¶ 20; Indemnity §§ 1-2,

B. Procedural History

On June 19, 2015, Mark O. Hackner, a representative of GH & H, emailed Sean Hufford, Spirit Realty’s Vice President of Asset Management, stating that “[I]t looks like we will be going through the process of calling the guaranty. Letter to be sent next week.” Hufford Decl. ¶¶ 3, 32; Email from Mark O. Hackner to Sean Hufford, dated June 19, 2015 (attached as Ex. H. to Statement of Facts) (“Call Email”). GH & H’s responses to interrogatories suggest that they believed Spirit LLC stopped making payments on the loan; had “total expenses” in March 2014 of $11,160, and “total revenues” of $0; and that Sean (pre[296]*296sumably Hufford) previously told Hackner that Spirit LLC “has no assets.” See Supplemental Discovery Responses of Defendant GH & H Mableton, LLC, dated Mar. 15, 2016 (attached as Ex. J to Statement of Facts) at 3-4; see also Email from Mark 0. Hackner to Bill Gryboski, dated June 9, 2015 (attached as Ex. 7 to Excerpts from Transcript of William E. Gryboski Mar. 22, 2016 Deposition (attached as Ex. K to Statement of Facts) (“Gryboski Tr.”)); Income Statement, Spirit EK Mableton GA, LLC, dated May 13, 2014 (attached as Ex. 8 to Gryboski Tr.).

On July 8, 2015, Spirit Realty filed its complaint containing two claims: (1) a claim seeking a declaration that it is not fully liable for the amount owing under the loan; and (2) a claim seeking “reformation” of the Indemnity to make clear that a “mere monetary event of default” could not create liability for Spirit Realty. See Complaint ¶¶ 37-51. GH & H filed a counterclaim alleging that Spirit Realty had breached the Indemnity by “fail[ing] to meet its repayment obligations.” See Answer ¶ 68.

After discovery, Spirit Realty filed a motion for summary judgment. See PI. Mot. Instead of opposing this motion, GH & H filed a response accepting Spirit Realty’s interpretation of the contract and admitting that Spirit Realty is not currently liable under the Indemnity. See Response at 3 (“To the extent that Plaintiff seeks a declaration that [Spirit Realty is not currently liable to GH & H] .... Defendant does not object to it.”). GH & H simultaneously filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss its counterclaim without prejudice. See Mot. to Dismiss Countercl. at 1. Spirit Realty responded that the counterclaim should be dismissed with prejudice. See Limited Objection at 1. It also sought attorney’s fees. See id. at 1-2, 7-9.

After completion of the initial round of briefing, the Court requested briefing on the question of “whether this Court has subject matter jurisdiction to issue the requested declaratory judgment and, assuming arguendo it has such jurisdiction, whether the Court should exercise its discretion to issue a declaratory judgment.” See Order, filed Sept. 23, 2016 (Docket # 50). Both parties submitted memoranda of law in response. See Plaintiffs Brief in Support of Subject Matter Jurisdiction and Request for Entry of Declaratory Judgment in Favor of Plaintiff, filed Oct. 7, 2016 (Docket # 51) (“PI. SMJ Br.”); Defendant GH & H Mableton, LLC’s Memorandum of Law Regarding the Court’s Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction, filed Oct. 7, 2016 (Docket #52) (“Def. SMJ Br.”); Plaintiffs Response to Defendant GH & H Mableton, LLC’s Memorandum of Law Regarding the Court’s Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction, filed Oct. 21, 2016 (Docket #53) (“PI.

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227 F. Supp. 3d 291, 319 F.R.D. 474, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167, 96 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 997, 2017 WL 24782, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spirit-realty-lp-v-gh-h-mableton-llc-nysd-2017.