Springel v. No Respondent(s) (In Re Innovative Communication Corp.)

434 B.R. 761, 2010 WL 3359614
CourtDistrict Court, Virgin Islands
DecidedAugust 17, 2010
Docket07-30012
StatusPublished

This text of 434 B.R. 761 (Springel v. No Respondent(s) (In Re Innovative Communication Corp.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Springel v. No Respondent(s) (In Re Innovative Communication Corp.), 434 B.R. 761, 2010 WL 3359614 (vid 2010).

Opinion

FINAL ORDER (A) APPROVING SALE OF GROUP 1 ASSETS FREE AND CLEAR OF ALL LIENS, CLAIMS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND OTHER INTERESTS; (B) APPROVING ASSUMPTION AND ASSIGNMENT OF CERTAIN EXECUTORY CONTRACTS AND UNEXPIRED LEASES; AND (C) GRANTING RELATED RELIEF

JUDITH K. FITZGERALD, Bankruptcy Judge.

AND NOW, this 17th day of August, 2010, WHEREAS this Court held a final hearing (hereinafter “Hearing”) commencing on July 7, 2010 to consider the Motion for Final Order (A) Approving Sale of Group 1 Assets Free and Clear of All Liens, Claims, Encumbrances, and Other Interests; (B) Approving Assumption and Assignment of Certain Executory Contracts and Unexpired Leases; and (C) Granting Related Relief, Doc. No. 1700 1 , (“Sale Motion”) filed by Stan Springel, chapter 11 trustee (the “Trustee”) of the bankruptcy estate of Innovative Communication Corporation (the “Debtor” or “New ICC”); and

WHEREAS Jeffrey Prosser filed his Objection to the Sale Motion, Doc. No. 1736, (hereinafter “Objection”) asserting multiple bases in support of his Objection: 2

*763 1. The employment of E. Clarke Garnett as the President and CEO of Vitelco and COO of New ICC while he contemporaneously served as a paid consultant to Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative (“RTFC”) created an intolerable conflict of interest. See Objection, at ¶¶ 3-12.

2. Despite the testimony of Trustee Springel and Adam Dunayer to the contrary, there was, in fact, a valuation/appraisal for use in the sale process, and that valuation/appraisal was concealed from the Court and potential bidders. Id. at ¶¶ 13-20.

3. The RTFC presented altered loan documents to the District Court in support of a motion for summary judgment. Id. at ¶¶ 21-27. 3

4. Representations made to this Court and/or to bidders other than the RTFC are materially different than those actually agreed upon for the purchase of the Group 1 Assets. Id. at ¶¶ 28-45.

5. Steven Lilly, the senior vice president and CFO of RTFC and National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (“CFC”), signed the Transfer of Control Agreement on behalf of Vitel-co, Caribbean Communications Corp., and St. Croix Cable TV, Inc. without any authority to control these entities. Id. at ¶¶ 46-53.

6.The allegations raised in Adv. No. 10-3001 regarding abuse of estate assets, disregard for duties and obligations under the bankruptcy code and other federal statutes, and the disregard for rules of professional conduct are relevant to the sale approval process 4 . Id. at ¶¶ 54-55.; and

WHEREAS, as an additional basis for staying the sale, Jeffrey Prosser asserts that the Virgin Islands Public Services Commission (“PSC”) Order which authorized the transfer of control has been appealed and is not a final order, such that all the requisite regulatory approvals have not been obtained for this sale to go forward, see Transcript of 07/07/2010, Doc. No. 1848, at 29-31; and

WHEREAS both the RTFC and Chapter 11 Trustee have asserted that Jeffrey Prosser lacks standing to object to the Sale Motion, see Response of Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative to Prosser’s Objection, Doc. No. 1798, at ¶ 1; Chapter 11 Trustee’s Omnibus Reply to Objections, Doc. No. 1799, at ¶ 1; and

WHEREAS the Court has considered Jeffrey Prosser’s Brief Regarding Standing, Doc. No. 1822; and

*764 WHEREAS, notwithstanding the objections regarding Jeffrey Prosser’s standing, the Court provided Jeffrey Prosser with the opportunity to fully participate: counsel for Jeffrey Prosser conducted discovery, cross-examined witnesses, and despite the opportunity to call witnesses, chose not to do so;

NOW, THEREFORE, upon consideration of the record before it, including all pleadings and documents filed, the arguments of counsel, and all evidence presented at the hearing on the Sale Motion and at the Interim Sale Hearing, and for the reasons set forth on the record, THE COURT FINDS THAT: 5

A. The Court has jurisdiction over the Sale Motion under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1334. This matter is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A), (M), (N) and (0). Venue is proper in the Court under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 and 1409.

B. On May 20 and May 27, 2010, the Trustee served notice of the Sale Motion, the Hearing, and the relief granted in this Order on all creditors, coun-terparties to the Debtor’s executory contracts, parties requesting notice, and parties asserting Liens, Claims, encumbrances, or other interests in any of the Debtor’s assets, including equity in the Companies and any and all of the Group 1 Assets (Doc. Nos. 1715 — 1718, 1765, and 1766). Notice of the Sale Motion, the Hearing, and the relief granted in this Order was also published in the Wall Street Journal, The Virgin Islands Daily News, The St. Croix Avis, and The VI Source (Doc. Nos. 1775-1778). The Court finds the scope and manner of service proper, timely, adequate, and sufficient, in accordance with Bankruptcy Code §§ 105(a) and 363 and Bankruptcy Rules 2002, 2002(i), 6004, 6007, and 9014. No further notice of the Sale Motion or the Hearing is or shall be required.

C.A reasonable opportunity to object or to be heard regarding the relief requested in the Sale Motion has been afforded to all creditors and parties in interest.

D. Jeffrey Prosser lacks standing to object to the Sale Motion. 6 He is not a creditor of New ICC, and he holds no ownership interest in New ICC. Any ownership interest Jeffrey Pros-ser had in New ICC’s ultimate parent company 7 became property of his bankruptcy estate. Nonetheless, Jeffrey Prosser contends he has standing as a co-obligor or guarantor on the basis of a judgment entered in favor of the RTFC and against him and New ICC. See Prosser’s Brief Regarding Standing, Doc. No. 1822, at 3-10. He asserts that he has a pecuniary interest due to his expo *765 sure to a $100 million obligation, which is potentially non-disehargea-ble. Id. at 2,10. We disagree.

To the extent he asserts standing as co-obligor or guarantor, his argument is without merit. Jeffrey Prosser and New ICC are jointly and severally liable on the obligation to the RTFC.

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Bluebook (online)
434 B.R. 761, 2010 WL 3359614, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/springel-v-no-respondents-in-re-innovative-communication-corp-vid-2010.