Toshiba America, Inc. v. Video King of Illinois, Inc. (In Re Video King of Illinois, Inc.)

100 B.R. 1008, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 868, 19 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 655, 1989 WL 60634
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedJune 6, 1989
Docket19-05224
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 100 B.R. 1008 (Toshiba America, Inc. v. Video King of Illinois, Inc. (In Re Video King of Illinois, Inc.)) 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
Toshiba America, Inc. v. Video King of Illinois, Inc. (In Re Video King of Illinois, Inc.), 100 B.R. 1008, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 868, 19 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 655, 1989 WL 60634 (Ill. 1989).

Opinion

*1011 MEMORANDUM DECISION

ROBERT E. GINSBERG, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on cross motions of all the parties for summary judgment in whole or in part. Each of the motions is brought under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, which is applicable to these proceedings by virtue of Bankruptcy Rule 7056. The plaintiffs in these proceedings, Toshiba America, Inc. and Panasonic Company, each filed motions for partial summary judgment. The debtor/defendant, Video King of Illinois (“Video King”) filed a cross motion for summary judgment. The intervenor, Berkshire Bank and Trust Company (“Bank”) also filed a motion for partial summary judgment against Panasonic and Toshiba. This memorandum decision addresses all four of these motions.

FACTS

The stipulations and statements of undisputed facts submitted by the parties pursuant to Local Rule 12 reveal the following. Video King was a retail seller of consumer electronic goods. On October 13, 1987 Toshiba delivered a shipment of consumer electronics goods consisting of VCR’s and color televisions to Video King. Between October 14, 1987 and October 21, 1987, Video King also received deliveries of consumer electronics goods from Panasonic.

On October 21, 1987, Video King announced to its creditors its intention to immediately surrender substantially all of its assets to Berkshire Bank, its major lender. Video King asked the Bank to conduct a retail foreclosure sale of its assets and apply any proceeds to Video King’s debt to the Bank which was allegedly secured by a blanket security interest in Video King’s inventory and other assets. 1 Later that evening, American Auction Associates (“American Auction”), a liquidator retained by the Bank, began taking an inventory of Video King’s merchandise on Video King’s premises. On October 22 and 23, 1987, respectively, Toshiba and Panasonic sent Video King, the Bank and American Auction written demands for the reclamation of the goods delivered by Toshiba and Panasonic to Video King within the previous ten days.

On October 26, 1987, an involuntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code was filed against Video King. An order for relief was entered by this Court on October 30, 1987.

Video King has not returned either the goods or the proceeds of any sale of the goods to Toshiba or Panasonic. Because the goods were previously sold pursuant to court order, reclamation is no longer possible. Of course, the sale of the goods was without prejudice to other rights Toshiba or Panasonic might assert in connection with their prepetition reclamation demands. In these adversary proceedings Toshiba and Panasonic seek relief under 11 U.S.C. § 546(e) in the form of an administrative priority under § 503(b) of the Bankruptcy Code or a lien on property of Video King’s estate to protect the value of their respective reclamation claims. 2 The trustee opposes the relief sought by both Toshiba and Panasonic. Berkshire Bank has intervened in these proceedings to assert that its blanket security interest is prior to any rights of reclamation Panasonic or Toshiba may have. 3

Jurisdiction and Procedure

This is a matter arising under § 546(c) of the Bankruptcy Code. Accordingly this court has jurisdiction over this dispute under 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b) and the General Order of the United States District Court *1012 for the Northern District of Illinois of July 10, 1984 automatically referring bankruptcy cases and proceedings to this court. This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(B) and (K).

The Standard for Summary Judgment

To prevail in a motion for summary judgment, the moving party must meet the criteria set forth in Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure made applicable to adversary proceedings in bankruptcy by Bankruptcy Rule 7056. Rule 56 provides that summary judgment:

... shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56.

Under Rule 56(c), summary judgment is proper if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Rule 56 applies to adversary proceedings under Bankruptcy Rule 7056. “The primary purpose for granting a summary judgment motion is to avoid unnecessary trials when there is no genuine issue of material fact in dispute.” Fames v. Stanadyne/Chicago Din, 832 F.2d 374, 378 (7th Cir.1987) (quoting Wainwright Bank & Trust Co. v. Railroadmens Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n of Indianapolis, 806 F.2d 146, 149 (7th Cir.1986)). On a summary judgment motion, the inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Moreover, the existence of a material factual dispute is sufficient only if the disputed fact is determinative of the outcome under the applicable law. Egger v. Phillips, 710 F.2d 292, 296 (7th Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied; 464 U.S. 918, 104 S.Ct. 284, 78 L.Ed.2d 262 (1983).

The party seeking summary judgment always bears the initial responsibility of informing the court of the basis for the motion, and must identify those portions of the “pleading, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and affidavits, if any” which it believes demonstrate the lack of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Structured Investments Co. v. Price (In Re Price)
313 B.R. 805 (E.D. Arkansas, 2004)
In Re Georgetown Steel Company, LLC
318 B.R. 336 (D. South Carolina, 2004)
InRe: Pittsburgh-Can v.
Sixth Circuit, 2004
In Re Phar-Mor, Inc.
301 B.R. 482 (N.D. Ohio, 2003)
In Re Waccamaw's HomePlace
298 B.R. 233 (D. Delaware, 2003)
In Re Pittsburgh-Canfield Corp.
305 B.R. 688 (N.D. Ohio, 2003)
In Re Quality Stores, Inc.
289 B.R. 324 (W.D. Michigan, 2003)
In Re Dairy Mart Convenience Stores, Inc.
302 B.R. 128 (S.D. New York, 2003)
In Re Bradlees Stores, Inc.
262 B.R. 253 (S.D. New York, 2001)
Harrison Properties, Ltd. v. Spears (In re Swaffar)
222 B.R. 326 (E.D. Arkansas, 1998)
In Re Victory Markets Inc.
212 B.R. 738 (N.D. New York, 1997)
Monfort, Inc. v. Kunkel (In Re Morken)
182 B.R. 1007 (D. Minnesota, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
100 B.R. 1008, 1989 Bankr. LEXIS 868, 19 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 655, 1989 WL 60634, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/toshiba-america-inc-v-video-king-of-illinois-inc-in-re-video-king-of-ilnb-1989.