Sunrise Island, Ltd. v. Goldman Sachs & Co. (In re Sunrise Island, Ltd.)

203 B.R. 171, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 1573
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 5, 1996
DocketBankruptcy Nos. 96-00396-C, 96-00395-C; Adv. Nos. 96-0088-C, 96-0156-C
StatusPublished

This text of 203 B.R. 171 (Sunrise Island, Ltd. v. Goldman Sachs & Co. (In re Sunrise Island, Ltd.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sunrise Island, Ltd. v. Goldman Sachs & Co. (In re Sunrise Island, Ltd.), 203 B.R. 171, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 1573 (Okla. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

STEPHEN J. COVEY, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter came on to be heard on this 13th day of November, 1996 upon cross-motions for summary judgment filed herein by Plaintiffs, Sunrise Island, Ltd. (hereinafter “Sunrise”) and Limited Gaming of America, Inc. (hereinafter “Gaming”), and Defendant, Goldman Sachs & Company for the benefit of Claude M. Ballard IRA Account No. 005990189 (hereinafter “Ballard”). Both Sunrise and Gaming are debtors in Chapter 11 proceedings before this Court. The Court, having reviewed the briefs filed herein, having heard arguments of counsel, and now being fully advised in the premises, hereby finds as follows:

FINDINGS OF FACT

In May 1995, Carolyn Lobato Bleidt (hereinafter “Lobato-Bleidt”) was the managing partner of Sunrise. Sunrise, a general partnership formed under the laws of the State of Florida, is the owner of Sunrise Island. Gaming, another entity involved in this litigation, is a Colorado corporation which has been domesticated in Florida. Lobato-Bleidt was the de facto president and majority shareholder of Gaming. Gaming held a note receivable secured by a first Deed of Trust lien against Sunrise Island in the amount of $1,522,500.00. Gaming and Sunrise and their directors, shareholders, and partners have been involved in extensive litigation. Significantly, all of the directors of Gaming are partners in Sunrise.

In late May 1995, Lobato-Bleidt, as managing partner of Sunrise, commenced negotiations with Ballard. The subject of the negotiations was Ballard’s proposed loan of $500,000.00 to Sunrise to be secured by a first Deed of Trust lien on Sunrise Island (the “Loan Transaction”). Ballard had not had previous business dealings with Sunrise, Gaming, or Lobato-Bleidt. In connection with the Loan Transaction, Lobato-Bleidt supplied Ballard with certain financial information on Sunrise, Gaming, and on herself.

Ballard was a sophisticated businessman with extensive experience in commercial real estate lending transactions. The financial information supplied to Ballard revealed that Lobato-Bleidt was a principal in both Sunrise and Gaming. This financial information also revealed that Sunrise’s note to Gaming, which was secured by a first Deed of Trust lien on Sunrise Island, was in default. Loba-to-Bleidt also provided Ballard with the name of her attorney, Scott Rost (“Rost”). Rost represented Lobato-Bleidt in court proceedings in Florida wherein a receiver was [174]*174appointed to administer the assets of Gaming.1

Lobato-Bleidt provided Ballard with a Secretary’s Certificate dated June 9, 1995 referencing a May 4, 1995 telephonic resolution of the Gaming Board of Directors. The May 4, 1995 resolution purports to allow the subordination of Gaming’s lien against Sunrise Island to another lender for consideration. There is no written resolution reflecting a May 4, 1995 meeting of the Gaming Board of Directors. Ballard did not inquire into the validity of the Board of Directors meeting referenced in the Secretary’s Certificate. On June 9, 1995, Lobato-Bleidt executed a Subordination Agreement as President of Gaming, which subordinated Gaming’s lien against Sunrise Island to Ballard’s lien against the property.

All of the directors of Gaming, including Lobato-Bleidt, had a conflict of interest with respect to the Subordination Agreement transaction in that they were also partners in Sunrise. The Subordination Agreement was not authorized by Gaming’s shareholders. The Subordination Agreement was not authorized by the receiver appointed over Gaming’s assets by the Florida Court. In addition, the transaction was not a fair and reasonable transaction with respect to Gaming.

On June 15, 1995, the Loan Transaction between Ballard and Sunrise was closed. Lobato-Bleidt, as Managing Partner of Sunrise, executed a Note and Deed of Trust in favor of Wayne LaRue, Trustee for Ballard. Lobato-Bleidt also co-signed the Note individually.

At the time of the closing, Ballard knew or should have known that the Subordination Agreement from Gaming was a conflict of interest transaction. Ballard did not investigate or inquire into the validity of the Subordination Agreement from Gaming. In making the loan, Ballard testified that he did not rely on the legitimacy of the Secretary’s Certificate or the Subordination Agreement. Ballard testified that he relied on a Title Insurance Policy which he purchased to insure the priority of his Deed of Trust hen.

The net loan proceeds received by Sunrise from Ballard on June 15, 1996 were $472,-589.56. On June 16, 1995 and June 21, 1995, Sunrise deposited $296,286.66 of these loan proceeds into Gaming’s Daytona Beach Bank Account. During the period June 16, 1995 through July 7, 1995, $279,528.77 of these funds were disbursed by Gaming to Lobato-Bleidt, to her attorney, Rost, and to another entity controlled by Lobato-Bleidt, Oak Place Development Company. Lobato-Bleidt used Gaming as a conduit to transfer these funds for her benefit. On July 12, 1995, the remaining funds in Gaming’s Day-tona Beach bank account in the amount of $11,189.81 were disbursed to the receiver appointed for Gaming.

Conclusions op Law

The issue before the Court is whether Ballard’s hen against Sunrise Island should be subordinated to Gaming’s hen against Sunrise Island. In the alternative, the issue is whether the Subordination Agreement executed by Lobato-Bleidt is valid. The Subordination Agreement at issue subordinates Gaming’s first hen position against Sunrise Island to Ballard’s hen.

The Loan Transaction wherein Ballard loaned $500,000.00 to Sunrise in exchange for a first hen position against Sunrise Island was inherently a “conflict of interest” or “interested director” transaction. Lobato-Bleidt was a principal in both Gaming and Sunrise. Lobato-Bleidt negotiated the transaction on behalf of Sunrise and executed a Subordination Agreement on behalf of Gaming to subordinate Gaming’s first hen position against Sunrise Island.

The threshold inquiry in this matter is which state law apphes to the Loan Transaction. Gaming is a Colorado corporation domesticated in Florida. Sunrise is a Florida general partnership. After the receiver was appointed to administer the assets of [175]*175Gaming on January 5, 1995, the Volusia County, Florida Court had jurisdiction over the assets of Gaming. The Sunrise note and Deed of Trust held by Gaming were assets within the jurisdiction of the Florida Court in the receivership proceeding. The State of Florida had a more significant relationship to conflict of interest transactions involving these assets than Gaming’s state of incorporation, Colorado. See Restatement (Second) of CONFLICTS of Law § 302(2); Fla.Stat. § 607.1432, 607.0832. Accordingly, after January 5,1995, Florida law governs any conflict of interest transactions involving the Sunrise note and lien.2

Contracts entered into by an interested officer or director of a corporation are voidable at the election of the corporation when the contract is not properly authorized or is part of a scheme. See McGourkey v. Toledo & Ohio C.R. Co., 146 U.S. 536, 13 S.Ct. 170, 36 L.Ed. 1079 (1892); 3 W.Fletcher, Cyclopedia of Private Corporations, §§ 913, 916, 917, 922, 923, 924, 925 (1994).

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203 B.R. 171, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 1573, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sunrise-island-ltd-v-goldman-sachs-co-in-re-sunrise-island-ltd-oknb-1996.