Stone Hedge Properties v. Phoenix Capital Corp. (In Re Stone Hedge Properties)

191 B.R. 59, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1940, 1995 WL 791537
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 14, 1995
DocketBankruptcy No. 5-93-01086. Adv. No. 5-95-0428A
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 191 B.R. 59 (Stone Hedge Properties v. Phoenix Capital Corp. (In Re Stone Hedge Properties)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stone Hedge Properties v. Phoenix Capital Corp. (In Re Stone Hedge Properties), 191 B.R. 59, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1940, 1995 WL 791537 (Pa. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

JOHN J. THOMAS, Bankruptcy Judge.

Confronting the court are legal issues concerning valuation under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 3012 and temporary allowance under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 3018. Motions to value the claim and to temporarily allow a claim have been filed by Phoenix Capital Corporation, (“Phoenix”), in conjunction with the presentation of separate plans of reorganization filed by the Debtor as well as Phoenix.

Significantly, Phoenix is the principal secured creditor of the Debtor having filed a proof of claim in the amount of Two Million Five Hundred Ninety-Two Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty-Nine and 36/100 Dollars ($2,592,789.36). The Debtor not only disputes the validity of the claim by way of a separate adversary filed against Phoenix, it vehemently opposes the temporary allowance of Phoenix’s claim and a determination that Phoenix’s claim is secured to any extent.

*62 While these matters are typically presented in expeditious fashion, the critical nature of its disposition in this case together with the obvious animosity that the parties have for each other resulted in a record which took five (5) days to complete. While trial commenced on January 20, 1995, the court’s calendar did not allow for completion of the record until February 9, 1995. Seven (7) experts gave testimony including the principal of the Debtor, who is a practicing Certified Public Accountant.

A review of the history of the Debtor’s relationship with Phoenix would be helpful.

Stone Hedge Properties is a Pennsylvania general partnership organized in 1988 and situate in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. The principals of Stone Hedge Properties are members of the Kenia family who decided that the best way to maximize the value of their family farm was to convert it into an eighteen-hole golf course. Financing for that endeavor was secured through PNC Bank. Prior to the bankruptcy, the Debtor and PNC Bank agreed that the debt should be restructured but, unfortunately, the restructuring resulted in creating an obligation that the Debtor could not afford to meet on a regular basis.

On June 7,1993, the Debtor filed for relief under Chapter Eleven of the United States Bankruptcy Code. On June 23, 1993, PNC Bank sold its paper, then representing approximately Two Million Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($2,350,000.00) in debt, to Phoenix for a negotiated consideration of One Million Three Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($1,315,000.00). Principals of Phoenix were former employees of a PNC Bank subsidiary that was servicing the PNC mortgage. Phoenix was formed for the purpose of acquiring distressed assets for investment.

Phoenix maintains that its debt, for plan purposes, should now be valued at the face amount of the mortgage together with accrued interest, attorney’s fees and costs. They further maintain that the collateral securing this debt, i.e. the golf course and its equipment, as well as the housing development which abuts Stone Hedge, should be valued at no more than Two Million Eighty Thousand Dollars ($2,080,000.00) in accordance with the testimony of their expert, John Carl Shultz, Jr.. This would make Phoenix significantly undersecured. This obviously would have a significant impact on the ability of the Debtor to confirm their plan pursuant to the criteria suggested in the case of In Re John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co., 987 F.2d 154 (3rd Cir.1993).

The Debtor argues just as strenuously that the Phoenix claim should not be allowed to any extent because of the inequities apparent from the restructuring of the loan and the subsequent assignment of that loan to an entity composed of former employees of the bank. They further argue that should this court allow the claim to any extent, it should be limited to the consideration paid by Phoenix for the mortgage, i.e. One Million Three Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($1,315,-000.00), and not the actual balance due the mortgage of Two Million Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($2,350,000.00).

The Debtor further argues that, regardless of the amount to which Phoenix is allowed, the value of the collateral at issue; the golf course, the land development and the equipment, is Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars to Five Million Dollars ($4,500,000.00 — $5,000,000.00) and, therefore, Phoenix is fully collateralized.

Pending also is a request for a preliminary injunction filed by the Debtor against Phoenix to prevent them from recording a deed in lieu of foreclosure in their possession that would transfer title of Stone Hedge Properties to PNC Bank, their predecessor in interest, and thus, to their benefit. While the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C. § 362 prevented this from being a concern during the pendency of the bankruptcy, this court concluded that on July 31, 1995, the automatic stay was terminated under 11 U.S.C. § 362(e) thus enabling Phoenix to record the deed absent a temporary restraining order that was subsequently issued.

Furthermore, the Debtor argues that Phoenix should be estopped from seeking to be classified as a general unsecured creditor after it has filed a proof of claim setting forth that its claim was secured and which claim *63 was void of any reference of a portion of the total claim being unsecured. Additionally, Phoenix’s April 1, 1994 plan and disclosure statement both classify it as fully secured. A first amended disclosure statement again described its claim as fully secured and it cast a ballot in favor of its own plan and against the Debtor’s plan classifying itself as a Class 4 creditor which, as already referenced, was a fully secured class.

In support, the Debtor cites a series of Third Circuit cases and, in particular, relies upon Scarano v. Central Railroad Company, 203 F.2d 510 (3rd Cir.1953), the seminal case in this circuit concerning judicial estoppel. The Debtor cites a substantial quote which, in short, provides that the court should not tolerate the use of inconsistent positions in a ease by a litigant. The Debtor, however, failed to provide the first portion of the quote which actually became the rule applied by the court and that rule is that “a plaintiff who has obtained relief from an adversary by asserting and offering proof to support one position may not be heard later in the same court to contradict himself in an effort to establish against the same adversary a second claim inconsistent with his earlier contention ...”. Scarano, supra, at p. 513.

The court wholeheartedly agrees with this position but notes that there was not a final judgment or order entered by this court concerning the status of Phoenix’s claim under Section 506. Scarano, therefore, is not controlling.

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Bluebook (online)
191 B.R. 59, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1940, 1995 WL 791537, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stone-hedge-properties-v-phoenix-capital-corp-in-re-stone-hedge-pamb-1995.