Twentieth Century Land Corp. v. Landmark North Freeway, Ltd. (In Re Bill Heard Enterprises, Inc.)

406 B.R. 98, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 1921, 51 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 231, 2009 WL 1678111
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedJune 17, 2009
Docket17-80959
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 406 B.R. 98 (Twentieth Century Land Corp. v. Landmark North Freeway, Ltd. (In Re Bill Heard Enterprises, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Twentieth Century Land Corp. v. Landmark North Freeway, Ltd. (In Re Bill Heard Enterprises, Inc.), 406 B.R. 98, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 1921, 51 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 231, 2009 WL 1678111 (Ala. 2009).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

JACK CADDELL, Bankruptcy Judge.

Now before the Court for consideration is HSBC Bank USA’s motion to dismiss the counterclaim of Landmark North Freeway, Ltd. and William T. Heard for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. After reviewing the record and all briefs submitted in connection with the motion, the Court enters the following order.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On September 28, 2008, Bill Heard Enterprises, Inc. and twenty-four related entities filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code and sought joint administration of their petitions. Pre-petition, the debtors owned and operated fourteen automobile dealerships in seven states. On February 6, 2009, Twentieth Century Land Corporation (“Twentieth *100 Century”), one of the twenty-five debtors, filed a complaint against Landmark North Freeway, Ltd. (“Landmark North”), a Texas limited partnership, and others to avoid the transfer of real property located at 9111 North Freeway, Houston, Texas to Landmark North under 11 U.S.C. § 544(a)(3) and to determine the validity, priority or extent of the defendants’ interest in the property. Twentieth Century transferred the property to Landmark North by Warranty Deed dated November 15, 2002 and seeks to set aside the transfer on the grounds that the Warranty Deed was never recorded as required by Texas law. Twentieth Century argues that the deed is void under Texas law as to a subsequent purchaser for value without notice because it was not recorded and, thus, the transfer is voidable under § 544(a)(3).

On March 19, 2009, Twentieth Century filed an amended complaint adding HSBC Bank USA, as Trustee for the Registered Holders of Falcon Auto Dealership Loan Trust 2003-1 Loan Backed Bonds (“HSBC”), as a defendant. HSBC is the current holder of a Deed of Trust pursuant to which Landmark North purported to “mortgage, grant, bargain, sell, pledge, assign, warrant, transfer and convey ... and grant a security interest ....” in the subject property to Falcon Financial, LLC (“Falcon”). The Deed of Trust secured a $20,000,000.00 loan from Falcon to Landmark North. Through the amended complaint, Twentieth Century seeks to avoid Landmark North’s granting of the Deed of Trust to Falcon, HSBC’s predecessor in interest.

On March 30, 2009, HSBC filed an answer to the amended complaint, a cross-claim against Landmark North and third-party complaint against Landmark 1-45, Inc. and William T. Heard (“Heard”), individually.

On May 8, 2009, Heard and Landmark North filed a counterclaim against HSBC and third-party complaint against Falcon for breach of contract, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. Heard also seeks a declaratory judgment discharging him from his liability under the Guaranty he signed to guarantee payment of the loan.

On May 22, 2009, HSBC filed a motion to dismiss the counterclaim of Landmark North and Heard for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. HSBC argues that each of the counts plead in Landmark North and Heard’s counterclaim against HSBC and third-party complaint for breach of contract, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty are premised on the same operative factual allegations that Falcon failed to record the Warranty Deed transferring the subject property from Twentieth Century to Landmark North. HSBC asserts that Heard and Landmark North expressly waived any claims relating to impairment of the collateral in the Guaranty and the Deed of Trust. HSBC further asserts that a fiduciary relationship did not exist between Falcon and the plaintiffs.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

In October of 2002, Falcon agreed to make a $20,000,000.00 loan to Bill Heard Enterprises, Inc. (“BHE”). To make the loan, Falcon required BHE to form a “bankruptcy remote single purpose entity” that would own the subject property and grant Falcon a security interest in same to secure the loan. BHE formed Landmark 1-45, Inc. to be the general partner and owner of the bankruptcy remote single purpose entity, Landmark North.

Falcon required Heard and Landmark Chevrolet, the debtor-dealership located on the property, to guarantee payment of the loan. Pursuant to the Guaranty, *101 Heard is obligated to fulfill Landmark North’s obligations under the loan if certain specified trigger events occur. Landmark Chevrolet guaranteed payment of the loan without limitation.

On December 2, 2002, BHE received the loan documents to be executed in connection with the loan. Heard and Landmark North assert that BHE was instructed to execute same and send the originals to Falcon. Falcon advised BHE that it would forward the executed loan documents, including the Warranty Deed, to the Title Company to be recorded after the loan closing. On December 6, 2002, Falcon sent closing instructions to the Title Company listing the documents to be recorded after the loan closing, but the instructions did not list the Warranty Deed as a document to be recorded.

The following documents were executed in connection with the loan:

1. Twentieth Century conveyed the subject property to Landmark North by Warranty Deed dated November 15, 2002. Heard signed the Warranty Deed in his capacity as president of Twentieth Century.

2. On December 1, 2002, Landmark North leased the subject property to Landmark Chevrolet. The lease agreement was executed by Landmark 1-45, as general partner of Landmark North, and by Landmark Vehicle Management, as the general partner of Landmark Chevrolet. Heard signed the lease as president of Landmark 1-45 and as president of Landmark Vehicle Management.

3. On December 12, 2002, Falcon loaned Landmark North $20,000,000.00. The loan agreement was executed by Landmark 1-45, as the general partner of Landmark North. On the same day, Landmark North executed a promissory note in the principal amount of $20,000,000.00 in favor of Falcon. Heard signed the loan agreement and the promissory note as president of Landmark 1-45.

4. As collateral for the loan, Landmark North executed a Deed of Trust and Security Agreement granting Falcon a security interest in the subject property. The Deed of Trust is dated December 12, 2002 and signed by Heard as president of Landmark 1-45. In § 9.1, the Deed of Trust provides that upon the occurrence of an event of default, Landmark North agrees that the lender may “recover judgment on the Note either before, during or after any proceedings for the enforcement of this Security Instrument of the Other Security Documents-” In § 9.7, the document further retains the lenders right to release any portion of the property held as security “for such consideration as Lender may require without, as to the remainder of the Property, in any way impairing or affecting the lien or priority of the Security Instrument....”

5. On December 12, 2002, Heard individually executed a Guaranty in favor of Falcon. The Guaranty provides in part in paragraph 6 that:

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406 B.R. 98, 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 1921, 51 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 231, 2009 WL 1678111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/twentieth-century-land-corp-v-landmark-north-freeway-ltd-in-re-bill-alnb-2009.