Wilmington Trust Co. v. Gilda Gradenigo, Inc. (In re Gilda Gradenigo, Inc.)

80 B.R. 666, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 1996
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware
DecidedOctober 8, 1987
DocketBankruptcy No. 83-360; Adv. No. 84-6
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 80 B.R. 666 (Wilmington Trust Co. v. Gilda Gradenigo, Inc. (In re Gilda Gradenigo, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilmington Trust Co. v. Gilda Gradenigo, Inc. (In re Gilda Gradenigo, Inc.), 80 B.R. 666, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 1996 (Del. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

HELEN S. BALICK, Bankruptcy Judge.

Following extensive discovery, Wilmington Trust Company on November 26, 1985, filed a motion for summary judgment on its complaint filed January 23, 1984 seeking lien enforcement. The gist of the complaint is a violation of 11 U.S.C. § 363 in that proceeds of inventory subject to WTC’s security interest were paid to Defendant/Greenville Center Associates, L.P. as payment of rent in accordance with a settlement reached December 5, 1983 during trial of Greenville’s motion for relief from stay. (M-83-20, Doc. # 6). That trial occurred during the Chapter 11 case initiated by Gilda Gradenigo, Inc., t/a Bagatelle/Gilda, defendant/debtor on October 13, 1983. On January 4, 1984, Gilda voluntarily converted its case to one under Chapter 7. The U.S. Trustee appointed the defendant Stephen Spence as interim trustee on January 5, 1984 to serve as trustee in the absence of an election at the 341 meeting.

The facts gleaned from admissions, supporting affidavits and court records in the case file (83-360) are as follows:

At the time Gilda filed its Chapter 11 case, it operated a retail women's apparel store in the Greenville Center, 3801 Ken-nett Pike, Greenville, Delaware. It was in possession of Suites E-115 and E-110 under a lease and rider with Greenville Center, Inc., dated respectively December 11, 1979 and September 29, 1981. The defendant Greenville Center Associates purchased the Greenville Center from Greenville Center, Inc. As a part of the purchase transaction, leases for units (suites) in the Center were transferred to the defendant.

On June 13, 1980, Gilda borrowed $25,-000 from WTC. To secure payment of the note evidencing the loan, Gilda executed two security agreements. One gave WTC a security interest in “all machinery, equip[667]*667ment, furniture and fixtures now owned and to be acquired wherever located, any accessions thereto and proceeds thereof.” The other covered “all inventory, raw materials, work in process, accounts receivable and contract rights now owned and hereafter acquired wherever located, any accessions thereto.” (See Claim # 6, Claim #31). These interests were perfected by the filing of financing statements with the Recorder of Deeds of New Castle County and the Secretary of State on June 16 and June 18, 1980. In order to induce WTC to loan money to Gilda, Greenville Center, Inc. executed a “Landlord’s Waiver” on June 13, 1980 whereby it waived its right to distraint and levy for rent under the lease as well as any other claims due from the tenant to the landlord pursuant to the lease with respect to all items in which WTC had been granted a security interest as set forth in the attached Exhibit A. (Appendix # 1). The language in the Exhibit generally tracks the language of the financing statements which is slightly broader than that of the security agreement.

By the Fall of 1983, Gilda was in default under the terms of its lease in monthly rental payments and its pro rata share of common area maintenance, insurance fees and real estate taxes. Defendant Green-ville brought an action in the Delaware Justice of the Peace Court to evict Gilda and to distrain upon personal property in the leased premises. A levy was made September 14, 1983. On September 21, the JP Court entered an order in favor of Greenville for possession and a money judgment totaling $9,804. On September 23, Greenville and Gilda entered into a stipulation under which Gilda was to remain in possession to sell the distrained goods in the ordinary course of business so as to generate funds to satisfy Greenville’s claim. Gilda failed to satisfy the payment obligation as agreed and in accordance with the stipulation, Greenville on October 12 requested the JP Court to proceed with the distress sale. Gilda filed her bankruptcy case the next day thereby activating the automatic stay provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 362(a).

On October 31 Greenville moved for relief from stay to proceed with the state court action to obtain possession of the leased premises. The motion was contested and settled at trial on December 5, as previously noted. (Stipulation and Order, Appendix 2).

WTC filed its proof of claim as a secured creditor in the amount of $5,975.34 on November 21. Copies of the security agreements, landlord’s waiver and perfection documentation were attached. WTC also wrote to Gilda’s attorney on November 18 and 30 advising of WTC’s security interests and proposing a means of adequately protecting its interest that would enable Gilda to use cash collateral. (Burnham Affidavit — Attachment to Doc. # 33).

Despite this notification, WTC was not told of Greenville’s pending motion nor of the settlement reached between Greenville and Gilda on December 5 under which proceeds of inventory were paid to Greenville. Neither Gilda nor Greenville brought to the court’s attention that WTC was claiming a security interest in, among other things, the inventory and proceeds.

On December 8, Gilda filed an objection to WTC’s claim attacking the validity of WTC’s security interest. On December 9 the court advised Gilda’s attorney that the objection would not be scheduled for hearing inasmuch as the reason stated required an adversary proceeding under BR 3007 and 7001(2). Gilda did nothing further with respect to the objection, nor did it either receive WTC’s consent or request court authorization to use WTC’s collateral.

WTC asks for an order directing (1) Gilda and Greenville to forward to it all funds transferred by Gilda to Greenville; (2) Gilda to forward to it all proceeds of sale of property of the bankrupt estate of Gilda in which WTC has a security interest; (3) Gilda to account to WTC for all property and proceeds thereof in which WTC has a security interest, and (4) Gilda and the Trustee to refrain from making any further transfer of assets of the bankrupt estate in which WTC has a security interest. Greenville and the Trustee answered [668]*668WTC’s complaint but Gilda did not respond or otherwise plead.

All facts necessary to resolve the initial question of whether Greenville, as Gilda’s landlord, or WTC, as the holder of a security interest, is entitled to the funds generated by Gilda from the sale of inventory subsequent to December 5 are present.

Gilda’s failure to pursue any objections to WTC’s proof of claim #6, as amended by claim # 31, leaves WTC with an allowed claim of $5,975.34. Thus, the first step in this analysis is the existence or non-existence of WTC’s security interest in inventory and its proceeds. Although Gilda had listed WTC as an unsecured creditor in its schedules, it knew or should have known that WTC was the holder of a security interest in a major portion of its assets. Furthermore, Greenville cannot claim reliance on this incorrect listing. By the time Gilda and Greenville reached settlement on December 5, each had ample opportunity to apprise themselves of the extent of WTC’s security interest.

In accordance with 6 Del. C. § 9-401(l)(a) and (b), WTC had perfected its security interest by filing financing statements with the Recorder of Deeds of New Castle County and the Secretary of State in June 1980. Those statements reflected, among other things, inventory and its proceeds as collateral for WTC’s loan to Gilda. Thus, as to other creditors, it is clear that WTC maintained a fully perfected security interest.

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Bluebook (online)
80 B.R. 666, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 1996, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilmington-trust-co-v-gilda-gradenigo-inc-in-re-gilda-gradenigo-inc-deb-1987.