Williamson v. Kay (In re Villa West Associates)

151 B.R. 265, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2721
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedFebruary 5, 1993
DocketNos. 88-40614-7, 91-4044-SAC; Adv. No. 89-7309
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 151 B.R. 265 (Williamson v. Kay (In re Villa West Associates)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williamson v. Kay (In re Villa West Associates), 151 B.R. 265, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2721 (D. Kan. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CROW, District Judge.

This case comes before the court on appeal from a bankruptcy adversarial proceeding. On March 8, 1991, following a trial, the bankruptcy court entered judgment. The appellants, who are some of the limited partners in Villa West Associates,1 raise several issues on appeal. The appel-lees have filed a response and MN associates have filed a reply.2

This case arises out of the bankruptcy of Villa West Associates, a Kansas limited partnership. MN Associates’ appeal primarily concerns the liabilities and obligations of the limited partners under the limited partnership agreement and the limited partners obligations to other members of the limited partnership.

Having considered the briefs of counsel and the applicable law, the court is now prepared to rule.

Factual Overview

While some of the facts presented by this appeal are disputed, most of the issues raised on appeal are purely questions of law. The court will endeavor to set forth a chronological recitation of the facts so that the issues on appeal can be understood.

On August 26, 1983, Villa West Associates was formed as a limited partnership pursuant to the Kansas Uniform Limited Partnership Act. On January 1, 1986, the limited partnership agreement became subject to the Kansas Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act. The limited partnership agreement is also subject to the Kansas Uniform Partnership Act, K.S.A. 56-301 et seq., except insofar as the ULPA [267]*267and RULPA are inconsistent with the Villa West Associates agreement. K.S.A. 56-306(b).

Villa West Associates was formed as a single asset commercial real estate partnership which owned a shopping center known as “Villa West Shopping Center” located at 29th Street and Wanamaker in Topeka, Kansas. Fred C. Kay is and always has been Villa West Associates’s sole general partner.

Villa West Associates solicited subscribers through a Confidential Private Placement Memorandum. Subscribers to the partnership contracted to purchase interests in the limited partnership at $20,000 per unit by executing a Limited Partner Subscription Agreement. Along with the Subscription Agreement, each potential limited partner delivered to the General Partner a check for a portion of the initial cost of their limited partnership interest (“Initial Capital Contribution”), an executed promissory note for the balance of the Initial Capital Contribution, an executed Signature Page and Participation Agreement (Signature Page) and an executed Continuing Guaranty Escrow Agreement in favor of Metro North State Bank (MNSB).

The limited partners, excluding Fred Kay (who holds a one-half unit limited partnership interest) and his parents, Douglas and Ann Kay (who hold one unit of the limited partnership interest collectively), constitute the appellants in this case. The appellees are Fred Kay and his parents, Donald and Ann Kay. The trustee in bankruptcy takes no position on the issues raised in this appeal.

At the time the limited partnership was formed, the limited partners knew that Villa West Associates would be financing the property through a $2,300,000.00 nonre-course mortgage loan from the Travelers Insurance Company (TIC). TIC required Villa West Associates to post a $225,000 irrevocable letter of credit as a condition of the loan. The limited partners knew at the time that Villa West Associates was formed that it would obtain recourse financing from MNSB in the amount of $300,000 for operating capital, and that MNSB would be posting the $225,000 letter of credit required by TIC, requiring a $225,000 recourse note from the Villa West Associates.

At subscription, the limited partners knew the two notes were to be secured by each limited partner’s personal Continuing Guaranty. The Subscription Agreement voluntarily signed by each limited partner required each limited partner to assume personal liability for a 125% pro rata share of the notes by executing a Continuing Guaranty.

In addition to committing their Initial Capital Contribution and Continuing Guaranty of the two notes, each limited partner was required under certain circumstances to make additional capital contributions to Villa West Associates as set forth in paragraph 9 of the agreement, or face dilution of their limited partnership interest. Paragraph 9 provides:

9. Additional Capital Contributions. In any year in which the Partnership incurs operating deficits, and funds for the payment thereof are not available and cannot be borrowed on terms acceptable to the General Partner, then each partner, general or limited, shall be required to contribute his proportionate share of such deficit as an additional capital contribution (determined in accordance with the percentages for the division of profits and losses provided in Paragraph 8 hereof, as subsequently modified by any other provisions in this Agreement) in an amount not to exceed his proportionate share of the excess of operating expenses and mortgage payments' over gross revenues from the property. In the event any partner fails to make any such required contribution within thirty (30) days following the receipt of written notice of the requirement to make such a contribution, such partner shall be deemed in default and the remaining Limited Partners shall have the right to make such additional capital contribution pro rata and thereby increase their percentage interests in the capital of the partnership. In the event all Limited Partners have declined to pro[268]*268vide all or any portion of such additional capital, then notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein contained, the General Partner is authorized to admit additional Limited Partners as necessary to raise the additional capital. The percentage interests in the capital and profits and losses of the Partnership shall be adjusted to reflect such additional cash capital contributions of the existing Partners and the admission and cash capital contributions of any Limited Partners to be added.

In relevant part, the Villa West Associates limited partnership agreement further provides:

10. Default in Making Capital Contribution. Any Limited Partner who fails to make a capital contribution to the Partnership in the amount and at the time called for in the promissory note signed by such Limited Partner and in this Limited Partnership Agreement shall be in default. The Limited Partner shall be notified of the default by the General Partner and shall be given five days in which to make the required capital contribution to the Partnership and cure the default. In the event the Limited Partner fails to make the required capital contribution to the Partnership within the five-day period:
(a) The General Partner shall notify, in writing, the remaining Limited Partners of any default to later than 20 days following the date upon which the defaulted limited Partner’s payment was originally due.
(b) Any Limited Partner, other than the defaulted Limited Partner may, within 10 days thereafter, purchase the Limited Partnership interest of the defaulted Limited Partner by notifying the General Partner and by making payment:

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Related

Burns v. Plaza West Associates
979 S.W.2d 540 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
151 B.R. 265, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2721, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williamson-v-kay-in-re-villa-west-associates-ksd-1993.