Thaler v. GJ & JF Realty Holdings, Inc. (In re Jaghab)

584 B.R. 472
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedApril 16, 2018
DocketCase No. 8–15–73166–reg; Adv. Proc. No. 8–16–08127–reg
StatusPublished

This text of 584 B.R. 472 (Thaler v. GJ & JF Realty Holdings, Inc. (In re Jaghab)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thaler v. GJ & JF Realty Holdings, Inc. (In re Jaghab), 584 B.R. 472 (N.Y. 2018).

Opinion

Robert E. Grossman, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Andrew Thaler ("Trustee"), the Chapter 7 Trustee in the case of George S. Jaghab (the "Debtor") commenced this adversary proceeding seeking various forms of relief against Johnny Flores ("Flores"), GJ & JF Realty Holdings, Inc. ("GJ & JF") and BR Realty Systems, Inc. ("BR Realty"). The main purpose of the adversary proceeding is to recover, for the benefit of the Debtor's creditors, a portion of the stream of promissory note payments from BR Realty to Flores on the basis that the payments belong to GJ & JF, not Flores. Because the Debtor is a 50% shareholder of GJ & JF, the Trustee asserts that the Debtor's estate has a right to 50% of the note payments. Flores opposes the relief requested by the Trustee because he claims to own 100% of the shares of GJ & JF. As the 100% shareholder of GJ & JF, Flores claims that he is entitled to receive all of the payments made by BR Realty under the note.

After a careful review of the record and applicable law, the Court concludes that Flores owns 50% of the shares of GJ & JF, and that as of the date the petition was filed, Flores only had an unperfected lien on the Debtor's shares of GJ & JF. As a result, the Trustee, armed with the status of a hypothetical lien creditor under 11 U.S.C. § 544(a), takes the Debtor's 50% stock ownership in GJ & JF free of Flores's unperfected lien. While the Trustee is a 50% shareholder of GJ & JF, applicable law imposes limitations on the Trustee's rights as a shareholder of GJ & JF. The Trustee cannot demand turnover of the note payments because they belong to GJ & JF, a non-debtor. In addition, the Trustee cannot avoid the payments made *475by BR Realty to Flores under the note because the funds in question are not property of the Debtor's estate. The Trustee must take further steps before the Debtor's estate is entitled to recover any payments already made under the note, or the stream of payments still due and owing to GJ & JF. Therefore, the only relief the Court can grant under the Trustee's complaint is to enter a declaratory judgment that the Debtor's estate owns 50% of the shares of JG & GF. The remainder of the complaint is dismissed.

Procedural History

On July 26, 2015 (the "Petition Date"), the Debtor filed a petition for relief under Chapter 7, and the Trustee was appointed. On August 18, 2016, the Trustee filed the Complaint. On August 31, 2016, BR Realty filed an Answer. On September 10, 2016, Flores and GJ & JF filed a joint Answer. On March 30, 2017, the Trustee filed a motion for partial summary judgment as to the first, third, fifth and sixth causes of action. On May 1, 2017, Flores and GJ & JF filed opposition to the motion for partial summary judgment. A hearing was held on July 10, 2017 at which the motion for partial summary judgment was denied. A final pretrial conference was held on November 29, 2017, at which hearing the parties agreed to forego an evidentiary hearing and to submit stipulated facts and a briefing schedule. On December 15, 2017, the parties submitted stipulated facts. On December 27, 2017, the Trustee submitted a brief. On January 17, 2018, Flores and GJ & JF submitted a brief. On January 24, 2018, the Trustee submitted a reply brief and the matter was marked submitted.

Facts

The parties have stipulated to certain facts, and the Court has reviewed the evidence submitted by the parties to make the following findings of fact. As of March 13, 2015, the Debtor and Flores were each 50% owners of GJ & JF. GJ & JF did not maintain a stock ledger or similar records to indicate stock ownership. No GJ & JF stock certificates were issued to either the Debtor or Flores. Flores is in possession of the blank stock certificates. The tax returns for GJ & JF for 2013 and 2014 indicate that the Debtor and Flores each owned 50% of the shares of GJ & JF. The Debtor was President of GJ & JF from 2013 to at least March 13, 2015. To date, GJ & JF has no creditors.

On May 15, 2013, the Debtor executed a Promissory Note ("2013 Note") dated May 15, 2013 in favor of Flores. (Plaintiff's Ex. 1). Pursuant to the 2013 Note the Debtor became indebted to Flores in the amount of $125,000. The 2013 Note states that the "principal is payable [to Flores], without interest, in equal monthly installments of Two Thousand Eighty Three and 33/100ths Dollars ($2,083.33) each, commencing on the first day after profits are realized and monthly thereafter until paid in full." (Plaintiff's Ex. 1) (emphasis added). The 2013 Note also provides as follows:

[Flores] agrees that [Flores] will look solely to the property more particularly described in the Security Agreement, and any other collateral given for the security of the indebtedness evidenced by this Note or secured by the Security Agreement, and any other collateral given for security of the indebtedness evidenced by this Note or secured by the Security Agreement, and that [Flores] will not seek or take any personal or deficiency judgment against [the Debtor] or any partner, shareholder, officer or principal of [the Debtor], disclosed or undisclosed, with respect to such indebtedness or performance; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed to affect otherwise the rights of the holder of this Note to proceed against the property described in the *476Security Agreement or other collateral as in the Security Agreement or elsewhere provided.

Plaintiff's Ex. 1, ¶ 4.

In connection with the 2013 Note, the Debtor and Flores entered into a Security Agreement ("Security Agreement") dated May 15, 2013 (Plaintiff's Ex. C), and Stock Pledge Agreement (Plaintiff's Ex. D) wherein the Debtor agreed to pledge his shares in GJ & JF to Flores. Pursuant to the Security Agreement, the Debtor was to keep the stock at the Debtor's place of business and was to execute and deliver any financing statements necessary to protect the security interest granted to Flores. Included among the events of default under the Security Agreement are the following:

1) Default in the payment of any amount due under the 2013 Note;
2) Failure to observe any covenant, agreement, term or provision in the Security Agreement; and
3) Providing a false representation or warranty in connection with the 2013 Note or the Security Agreement.

(Plaintiff's Ex. C).

Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Stock Pledge Agreement, Flores had the right to foreclose the security interest in the GJ & JF stock, to take possession of the GJ & JF stock, and to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of the GJ & JF stock. (Plaintiff's Ex. C)

Pursuant to the Stock Pledge Agreement, the Debtor pledged his shares in GJ & JF to Flores to secure the Debtor's obligations under the 2013 Note. The Stock Pledge Agreement also states that Flores loaned the Debtor $125,000.00 in connection with the purchase by GJ & JF of real property ("Property") located at 226 Main Street, Hempstead, NY.

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Bluebook (online)
584 B.R. 472, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thaler-v-gj-jf-realty-holdings-inc-in-re-jaghab-nyeb-2018.