Tawansy v. Leslie (In re Raymond Renaissance Theater, LLC)

583 B.R. 735
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California
DecidedMarch 12, 2018
DocketCase No.: 2:16–bk–10010–BB; Adv No: 2:17–ap–01274–BB
StatusPublished

This text of 583 B.R. 735 (Tawansy v. Leslie (In re Raymond Renaissance Theater, LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tawansy v. Leslie (In re Raymond Renaissance Theater, LLC), 583 B.R. 735 (Cal. 2018).

Opinion

Sheri Bluebond, United States Bankruptcy Judge

The parties' motion for summary adjudication of issues based on stipulated facts (the "Motion") came on for hearing before the above-entitled Court on March 6, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. For the reasons set forth below, the court grants the request of RIF Investments-3, LLC ("RIF") for an adjudication that it is entitled to payment of the $24,400.70 deposited with the Los Angeles Superior Court in RIF Investments-3, LLC v. Raymond Renaissance Theater, LLC, et al., LASC Case No. EC06432 (the "Second UD Action"), together with any interest accrued thereon, less RIF's one-half of the fees and expenses charged to the parties by the mediator in the above-adversary proceeding. The balance of the relief sought in the Motion must be denied.

I

STIPULATED FACTS

The facts upon which the Court's analysis is based-which are set forth in more detail in the parties' January 30, 2018 "Joint Stipulation Regarding Motion for Summary Adjudication of Issues," Docket *739No. 32 (the "Stipulation")-can be summarized as follows:

At all times relevant herein, Dr. Khaled A. Tawansy ("Dr. Tawansy") owned or controlled both Khaled A. Tawansy, M.D., Inc., a California corporation ("Tawansy Inc."), and the debtor Raymond Renaissance Theater, LLC (the "Debtor").

On or about February 20, 2013, the Debtor leased a piece of real property at 129 North Raymond Avenue in Pasadena, California, (the "Property") from RIF for a term of five years commencing on May 10, 2013. Dr. Tawansy personally guaranteed this lease (the "Lease"). By January of 2015, the Debtor had fallen behind on the payment of rent due under the Lease.

On or about February 20, 2015, RIF brought an unlawful detainer action against the Debtor with regard to the Property in Los Angeles Superior Court (case no. EC063560) (the "First UD Action"). The Debtor moved to continue the trial in that action, and the Superior Court granted that request, conditioned on the Debtor's depositing with the Court the sum of $22,110.48. The Debtor paid this amount (the "First Deposit") by delivering to the Superior Court a check from the Law Office of Donald E. Karpel's attorney client trust account for this amount.1

The Debtor obtained judgment in its favor in the First UD Action. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary that may be contained in the Stipulation, the parties acknowledged on the record at the time of hearing on the Motion that the First Deposit currently remains in the possession of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

On August 6, 2015, the Debtor filed an interpleader action in Los Angeles Superior Court (case no. EC064341) (the "Interpleader Action") against RIF and certain other individuals. In connection with that action, the Debtor deposited with the Superior Court the additional sum of $147,273.10 and requested that this new amount (the "Second Deposit") be combined with the First Deposit and treated as having been interpleaded as and for rents due with regard to the Property in the Interpleader Action. The Debtor paid the Second Deposit by delivering to the Superior Court a check for $80,000 from the Law Office of Donald E. Karpel's attorney client trust account and a check for $67,273.10 from Tawansy Inc.2 In or about August of 2015, RIF filed a motion in the Interpleader Action seeking a release of these deposits (jointly, the Combined Deposits"). That motion was denied.

The Debtor dismissed the Interpleader Action on November 13, 2016, and moved for the release of the Combined Deposits on December 18, 2015 and filed an amended motion seeking the same relief on December 21, 2015. That motion was pending in the Superior Court when the Debtor filed this voluntary chapter 7 bankruptcy case (the "Case") on January 3, 2016. Sam S. Leslie (the "Trustee") was appointed chapter 7 trustee in the Case.

*740On August 7, 2015, RIF filed the Second Unlawful Detainer Action against the Debtor with regard to the Property in Los Angeles Superior Court. The Debtor moved to continue the trial in that action, and the Superior Court granted that request, conditioned on the Debtor's depositing with the Court the sum of $24,400.70 (the "Third Deposit"). The Debtor paid the Third Deposit by delivering to the Superior Court a check from Tawansy Inc. for this amount.3 Prior to the date of the continued trial, the Debtor vacated the Property and filed bankruptcy.

The deadline for filings proofs of claim in the Case was August 1, 2016. RIF filed a timely proof of claim seeking $1,032,411.34 in unpaid rents with regard to the Property. Neither Dr. Tawansy nor Tawansy Inc. filed a proof of claim prior to the bar date.

On or about April 13, 2016, Dr. Tawansy and Tawansy Inc. filed an adversary proceeding against the Trustee, alleging that they are entitled to a turnover of the combined amount of the First Deposit, the Second Deposit and the Third Deposit (collectively, the "Deposits") because they supplied the money necessary to pay the Deposits. That action was subsequently dismissed without prejudice pursuant to a stipulation between the parties, and Tawansy filed the above adversary proceeding seeking similar relief (the "Action") on or about May 15, 2017. The parties stipulated to permit RIF to intervene in this Action.

On or about May 17, 2016, the parties entered into a stipulation that was approved by order of this Court requesting that the Los Angeles Superior Court turnover the funds that it held on deposit in the above-described actions to the Trustee (the "Turnover Stipulation"). In response to that order, the Los Angeles Superior Court paid the Trustee the amount of the Second Deposit and the Third Deposit, together with accrued interest. The Trustee agreed on the record at the time of hearing on the Motion to prepare a similar stipulation for execution by the parties seeking turnover of the First Deposit from the Superior Court.

It was the intention of this Court in approving the Turnover Stipulation to arrange for a transfer of the Deposits to the Trustee without prejudice to the parties' respective rights and claims with regard to the character of these funds. Therefore, the Court has analyzed these rights and claims as if all disputed funds remained on deposit with the Superior Court.

Based on these stipulated/undisputed facts, the Trustee seeks a declaration that the Deposits are property of the Debtor's bankruptcy estate. RIF seeks a declaration that it is entitled to a turnover of the Second Deposit and the Third Deposit (or a declaration that it holds a duly-perfected security interest in or lien against these sums to secure the payment of amounts due for rent). Tawansy seeks a declaration that the Deposits are not property of the estate and should be turned over to Tawansy Inc.

II

EXHIBIT 49 TO DR. TAWANSY'S DECLARATION

Although the Court did not ask the parties to file supplemental declarations in *741connection with the Motion, anticipating instead that the parties' respective requests for relief would be based solely on stipulated facts, Dr. Tawansy nevertheless filed a declaration on February 13, 2018 [Docket No. 45] (the "Tawansy Declaration").4

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Bluebook (online)
583 B.R. 735, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tawansy-v-leslie-in-re-raymond-renaissance-theater-llc-cacb-2018.