Waterways Ltd. v. Barclays Bank PLC

202 A.D.2d 64, 615 N.Y.S.2d 886, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8517
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedAugust 25, 1994
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 202 A.D.2d 64 (Waterways Ltd. v. Barclays Bank PLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Waterways Ltd. v. Barclays Bank PLC, 202 A.D.2d 64, 615 N.Y.S.2d 886, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8517 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Kupferman, J.

This action arises out of plaintiffs default on a $9 million loan from Barclays Bank PLC for the renovation of the Grotto Bay Beach Hotel and Tennis Club in Bermuda, which it owned, and the subsequent appointment of a receiver and sale of the mortgaged property for $16.5 million. The verified complaint asserts that Barclays wrongfully declared the loan in default and appointed a receiver, and that the sale price was too low. Plaintiff claims that the land and hotel were worth $23 million, and seeks $7,265,000 in damages, $265,000 representing the costs and fees for the receiver.

This matter was previously before us, when we reversed the IAS Court’s dismissal on forum non conveniens grounds (174 AD2d 324). A year later, Barclays moved pursuant to CPLR 3212 for summary judgment dismissing the verified complaint.

In support of its motion, Barclays submitted excerpts from the deposition testimony of the various persons involved in the transactions at issue, along with numerous documents, including copies of the loan documents, consisting of a Building Loan Agreement, a Note, a Mortgage and a Debenture, all dated February 16, 1988. Paragraph 25 of the Building Loan Agreement contains the following provision regarding modifications: "25. Modification. This Agreement may not be modified, amended or terminated, except by an agreement in writing executed by the parties hereto.” The accompanying Note is a 10-year note, which was to mature on February 16, 1998. Pursuant to the terms of the Note, plaintiff was to make interest payments commencing August 1, 1988 and on the first day of each calendar quarter thereafter until maturity. In addition, according to the amortization schedule annexed and made part of the Note, plaintiff was required to make periodic [66]*66payments of principal. The first principal payment in the amount of $100,000 was due October 1, 1988.

The Note contains the following default provisions:

"11. It is hereby expressly agreed that the entire unpaid Principal Balance, together with all interest accrued and unpaid thereon and all other sums due under this Note and the Mortgage (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Debt), shall without notice become immediately due and payable at the option of Payee on the happening of any default or event by which, under the terms of the Mortgage, the Building Loan Agreement or the Other Security Documents, the Debt may or shall become due and payable * * *

"14.

Maker hereby waives presentment and demand for payment, notice of dishonor, protest and notice of protest of this Note and agrees to pay all costs of collection when incurred, including reasonable attorneys’ fees * * * No release of any security for the principal sum due under this Note or extension of time for payment of this Note, or any installment hereof, and no alteration, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Note, the Mortgage, the Building Loan Agreement or the Other Security Documents * * * shall release, discharge, modify, change or affect the liability of Maker under this Note, the Mortgage, the Building Loan Agreement or the Other Security Documents. * * *

"19. This Note may not be changed or terminated orally, but only by an agreement in writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of such change or termination is sought.” (Emphasis added.)

In his affidavit in support of Barclays’ motion, Robert M. Dowling, the vice-president of Barclays’ Real Estate Group, asserts that in or around June 1988, plaintiffs expansion and renovation of the hotel resulted in a cost overrun for which plaintiff needed additional cash. After plaintiff submitted additional financial information, and based upon a projected income of $1.6 million for 1988, the parties executed a modification to the loan agreement for an additional $1 million. The writings connected with this modification consisted of a second promissory note for the sum of one million United States dollars (the Second Note), a "First Further Charge”, which expanded Barclays’ interest in the mortgaged property to include the additional $1 million, a "Further Debenture” and a "First Agreement of Modification of Building Loan Agreement”, all dated and executed August 26, 1988.

[67]*67It is undisputed, that plaintiff defaulted and failed to make the principal payment due October 1, 1988 under the original Note. Dowling states that after plaintiff’s default, he entered into negotiations with plaintiff’s managing director George Robinson and its president Gary Dischel in an attempt to restructure the loan and that, at a first meeting with Robinson, which took place on November 9, 1988 in New York, Robinson requested additional time to repay the loan and informed Barclays that plaintiff would be unable to make any payments of principal or interest before July 1989. Dowling states that he found this information to be "extremely troubling” and requested a meeting with Waterways’ president, Gary Dischel.

Dowling met with Dischel and Robinson in Boston on December 6, 1988 at the office of plaintiff’s attorneys. Dischel confirmed that plaintiff was unable to repay any principal or interest but, according to Dowling, Dischel assured him that plaintiff was current with its other creditors, specifically its trade creditors in Bermuda. Dowling further states that during the course of the meeting Dischel indicated that he wanted to sell the hotel and use the proceeds to pay off the loan, and that they discussed how the loan might be restructured to accomplish that goal. Dowling asserts that the day after the meeting with Dischel he recorded the terms discussed at the meeting in a memorandum drafted to David Rockwell at Barclays’ Credit Advances Department, North America, the department that had approved the initial $9 million loan to plaintiff. The December 7, 1988 memo to Rockwell states:

"to: David Rockwell, Vice President, cadna

"from: Robert Dowling, Vice President, reg * * *
"The above mortgage facility is technically in default as they failed to provide us with a $100,000 principal payment in October. We have been in daily contact with them concerning this payment and our concern over the financial health of the loan in general. We met with the principals of the hotel in Boston yesterday to discuss the status of our loan and reached the following conclusions:
"A) Borrower will prepay up to $500,000 in interest on the loan;
"B) Loan Maturity will be shortened to June of 1989 from Feb of 1990;
"Q Borrower will put the hotel up for sale immediately:
[68]*68"D) Barclays will warrant the amortization schedule; and
"E) Bermuda Commercial Bank will provide credit support by keeping their line of credit in place.
"The above was necessitated by the hotel’s inability to generate the funds from operations to support the level of debt as occupancy for 1988 was only fifty-one percent (51%), which was approximately eleven [percent] (11%) less than budgeted. We remain confident that the hotel will command a price far in excess of the present debt, and with the prepayment of interest we do not anticipate any further problems, and in any case, we will keep you advised.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
202 A.D.2d 64, 615 N.Y.S.2d 886, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8517, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/waterways-ltd-v-barclays-bank-plc-nyappdiv-1994.