Tonyan Construction Co. v. McHenry State Bank (In Re Tonyan Construction Co.)

28 B.R. 714, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 6667
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedMarch 7, 1983
Docket19-05739
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 28 B.R. 714 (Tonyan Construction Co. v. McHenry State Bank (In Re Tonyan Construction Co.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tonyan Construction Co. v. McHenry State Bank (In Re Tonyan Construction Co.), 28 B.R. 714, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 6667 (Ill. 1983).

Opinion

ORDER

LAWRENCE FISHER, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter coming on to be heard upon the Amended Complaint of Debtor, Tonyan Construction Company, Inc., challenging the propriety of a setoff made by Defendant McHenry State Bank pursuant to § 553 of the Bankruptcy Code and seeking to avoid as a preference within the meaning and purview of § 547(b) of the Bankruptcy Code a transfer of property allegedly made to Defendants Edward W. Tonyan, John J. Tonyan, and Janice Tonyan, and to recover the funds offset and property transferred pursuant to § 550(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, and upon the Amended Intervening Complaint filed by Eldridge and Daly, Inc., and upon the Intervening Complaint filed by R.B. Kapus Fabricating & Supply Corp., and upon the Intervening Complaint filed by Enterprise Ready-Mix Co., Inc., McHen-ry Ready-Mix Co., Inc., McHenry Sand & Gravel Co., Inc., Lakeland Distributors Co., Inc., McGladrey-Hendrickson & Co., and Woodstock Brick & Supply Co., and upon the Answers and Affirmative Defenses of McHenry State Bank to the Complaints filed by Debtor and the Plaintiffs in Intervention, and upon the Answers and Affirmative Defenses of Edward W. Tonyan, John J. Tonyan, and Janice Tonyan to the Complaints filed by Debtor and the Plaintiffs in Intervention, and upon the Debtor’s Answers to the Intervening Complaints filed by Eldridge and Daly, Inc. and R.B. Kapus Fabricating & Supply Corp., and

The Court having examined the pleadings filed in this matter, and having received and examined the evidence adduced, and having heard the testimony of witnesses and arguments of counsel, and having received and examined memoranda of the parties in support of their respective positions, and the Court being fully advised in the premises;

The Court Finds:

1. Debtor, Tonyan Construction Company, Inc., is a general contractor operating primarily in McHenry County, Illinois. Henry B. Tonyan is Debtor’s president and majority shareholder. From October 23, 1975 to October 30, 1980, Henry B. Tonyan also owned approximately .03% of the outstanding shares of Defendant, McHenry State Bank (the “Bank”). The Bank is Debtor’s only secured creditor.

Debtor first borrowed funds from the Bank sometime prior to 1976, and their business relationship is one of long standing. Debtor acted as general contractor for the construction of the bank building, and over the years, the Bank has continued to loan money to Debtor for working capital and other purposes.

2. For several years, Debtor has maintained two accounts at the Bank, Nos. 510-271 and 510-289. Bank statements for these accounts for the period January 1, 1981 through June 30, 1981 were offered and received into evidence as Plaintiff’s Exhibits Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. According to the bank statements, the title of Account No. 510-271 is “Tonyan Construction Co., Inc.” (the “general account”) and of Account No. 510-289 is “Tonyan Construction Co., Inc. Payroll Account” (the “payroll account”). Neither account is an escrow or trust account, and checks drawn on either account are payable without restriction, as long as they bear the necessary signatures.

3. In November of 1976, Debtor reorganized its debt and entered into new financing arrangements with the Bank. Copies of a Loan Agreement, dated November 26, 1976, and a Security Agreement, dated November 30, 1976, were offered and received into evidence as McHenry State Bank Exhibit No. 6. The Loan Agreement recited that at the time of its execution, the amount of financing outstanding from the *717 Bank to Debtor was $300,000.00. The $300,-000.00 then outstanding was to form the initial extension of credit under the agreement, which amount was to be secured by a first mortgage on Debtor’s real estate located in McHenry County and commonly known as 1309 No. Borden Street, McHen-ry, Illinois (the “real estate”). The Loan Agreement further provided that the Bank would make additional short term loans from time to time, up to a maximum total extension of credit in the amount of $500,-000.00. All such loans were to be evidenced by notes secured by the real estate mortgage referred to above as well as by a security agreement in all Debtor’s furniture, fixtures, equipment, inventory, and receivables, other than job receivables.

On November 30, 1976, the Security Agreement was executed granting to the Bank a security interest in the aforementioned personal property of Debtor, whether then owned or thereafter acquired. The Security Agreement secures performance of all Debtor’s obligations under the terms of the Loan Agreement, including payment of all loans made pursuant thereto.

In accordance with these agreements, a Trust Deed Note was made and delivered by Debtor to the Bank on November 30, 1976 in the principal sum of $300,000.00, with interest at the rate of 9% per annum, representing the initial extension of credit under the Loan Agreement. A copy of the Trust Deed Note was offered and received into evidence as McHenry State Bank Exhibit No. 4. The Trust Deed Note provided that Debtor would make semi-annual payments in the amount of $20,000.00 on June 1st and December 1st of each year, such payments to be first applied to accumulated interest and then to principal, until November 30, 1981, at which time the balance of principal and any accrued interest would be due and payable.

Concurrently with the making and delivery of the Trust Deed Note, Debtor executed and delivered to Thomas F. Bolger, Trustee, a Trust Deed on Debtor’s real estate to secure payment of the Trust Deed Note and any additional advances to be made by the Bank pursuant to the terms of the Loan Agreement. A copy of the Trust Deed, duly recorded on November 30, 1976, was offered and received into evidence as McHenry State Bank Exhibit No. 5.

Thereafter, on December 9, 1976, the Bank filed a financing statement, Form UCC-1, with the Secretary of State of Illinois, covering each type of property interest designated as collateral in the Security Agreement. A similar financing statement, with the legal description of Debtor’s real estate attached, was filed for record with the McHenry County Recorder of Deeds on December 14, 1976. Copies of these financing statements were offered and received into evidence as McHenry State Bank Exhibits Nos. 7 and 8, respectively.

4. Pursuant to the terms of the Loan Agreement, Debtor submitted periodic financial statements to the Bank, although it appears that until March of 1981, the most recent annual statement submitted by Debtor was for the period ending February 28, 1979. The Loan Agreement contained additional restrictions and conditions, including a requirement that Debtor hold regular monthly board meetings with formal minutes, copies to be submitted to the Bank for review, and a requirement that all debts incurred by Debtor to the Bank be guaranteed by officer/employee stockholders to the extent of their ownership in Debtor. Mr. Ormel J. Prust, Executive Vice-President of the Bank, testified that all debt owed by Debtor to the Bank has been guaranteed by Henry B. Tonyan. The remaining shareholder/employees have executed guarantees of Debtor’s obligations in proportion to the extent of their ownership in Debtor, or approximately 4% of the total indebtedness.

5. Over the years, the Bank has made several additional advances to Debtor evidenced by short terms notes in accordance with the terms of the Loan Agreement.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 B.R. 714, 1983 Bankr. LEXIS 6667, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tonyan-construction-co-v-mchenry-state-bank-in-re-tonyan-construction-ilnb-1983.