Wythe Berry Fee Owner LLC

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York·Decided March 13, 2023·No. 22-11340·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK -----------------------------------------------------------------------x In re: NOT FOR PUBLICATION

WYTHE BERRY FEE OWNER LLC, Chapter 11

Case No. 22-11340 (MG) Debtor. -----------------------------------------------------------------------x

MEMORANDUM OPINION GRANTING THE USE OF CASH COLLATERAL

A P P E A R A N C E S:

HERRICK, FEINSTEIN LLP Proposed Counsel to the Debtor Two Park Avenue New York, New York 10016 By: Stephen B. Selbst, Esq. Avery S. Mehlman, Esq. Janice Goldberg, Esq. Zachary Denver, Esq.

PAUL HASTINGS LLP Counsel to Zelig Weiss 200 Park Avenue New York, New York 10166 By: Kristopher M. Hansen, Esq. Nicholas A. Bassett, Esq. Jason M. Pierce, Esq. Will Clark Farmer, Esq.

CHAPMAN AND CUTLER Counsel to Mishmeret Trust Company, Ltd.; Klirmark Opportunity Fund III L.P, Yelin Lapidot Provident Funds Management Ltd. and The Phoenix Insurance Company Limited, 320 South Canal Street, 27th Floor Chicago, Illinois 60606 By: Eric S. Silvestri, Esq. MARTIN GLENN UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Pending before the Court was a motion (the “Cash Collateral Motion,” ECF Doc. # 72) filed by Wythe Berry Fee Owner LLC (the “Debtor” or “Fee Owner”) seeking entry of an order (the “Cash Collateral Order”), pursuant to sections 105, 361, 362, 363, 503 and 507(b) of the Bankruptcy Code and Rules 4001, 6004, and 9014 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, (a) authorizing the Debtor’s use of cash collateral; (b) granting adequate protection to Mishmeret Trust Company Ltd., solely in its capacity as Trustee of the Series C Bonds (“Mishmeret” or the “Trustee”), pursuant to Bankruptcy Code sections 105, 361, 362, 363, and 507; (c) vacating and modifying the automatic stay arising under section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code to the extent necessary to implement and effectuate the terms and provisions of the Cash Collateral Order; and (c) granting related relief. Also pending before the Court was the Stipulation, Agreement and Order Regarding Consent to Removal of Certain State Court Litigation (the “Removal Stipulation,” ECF Doc. # 83), which seeks as a condition of the consensual Cash Collateral Motion to remove the Debtor’s state court action (Index No. 514152/2021) against Zelig Weiss (“Weiss”), his partner, Yoel Goldman (“Goldman”), and WB LLC to this Court. The Debtor submitted an amended cash collateral order (the “Amended Order”), which reflects certain changes to the Cash Collateral Order.

The Court held a hearing on the Cash Collateral Motion on March 2, 2023. That same day the Court entered an order (ECF Doc. # 91) approving the Cash Collateral Motion and entered the Removal Stipulation (ECF Doc. # 90.) The Court writes separately here to explain its reasoning for approving the Cash Collateral Motion and the Removal Stipulation. I. BACKGROUND A. General Background On October 6, 2022, Mishmeret, Yelin Lapidot Provident Funds Management Ltd., The Phoenix Insurance Company Limited, and Klirmark Opportunity Fund III L.P. (each a

“Petitioning Creditor” and together the “Petitioning Creditors”) filed an involuntary petition (the “Involuntary Petition”) seeking an Order for Relief pursuant to section 303 of the Bankruptcy Code against the Debtor. (Cash Collateral Motion ¶ 3.) On January 18, 2023, the Court entered an Order for Relief (ECF Doc. # 57) against the Debtor. (Id. ¶ 4.) The Debtor continues in possession of its property and continues to operate and manage its business, to the extent required, as a debtor-in-possession pursuant to sections 1107(a) and 1108 of the Bankruptcy Code. (Id. ¶ 7.) No trustee or committee has been appointed in this case. (Id. ¶ 8.) Fee Owner is the owner of the William Vale Hotel, which was developed by Weiss and his partner Goldman and completed in 2016. (Id. ¶ 9.) Fee Owner’s sole asset is the William Vale Hotel and its surrounding complex, and Fee Owner’s sole business is to lease that asset.

(Id. ¶ 17.) In 2017, Goldman and Weiss refinanced the mortgage on the William Vale Hotel in a transaction in which: (1) All Year Holdings Limited (“All Year”) issued bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange; (2) All Year loaned the proceeds from the bond issuance to Fee Owner, which loan was secured by a mortgage on the William Vale Hotel; and (3) Fee Owner leased the William Vale Hotel to Wythe Berry LLC (the “Lessee”), an entity owned by Weiss and Goldman,. (Id. ¶ 9.) In connection with the refinancing, Goldman and Weiss incorporated several limited liability companies to hold their respective interests in the William Vale Hotel. (Id. ¶ 10.) Fee Owner, which has title to the William Vale Hotel, is solely owned and managed by Wythe Berry Member LLC (“Member LLC”). (Id.) Member LLC has two owners, Weiss, and YG WV LLC (the “Managing Member”). (Id.) The Managing Member is wholly owned by All Year. (Id.) All Year was founded in 2014 as a British Virgin Islands Company; it operates as a holding company that, through its direct and indirect subsidiaries—including Managing Member,

Member LLC, and Fee Owner—focuses on the development, construction, acquisition, leasing, and management of residential and commercial income-producing properties in Brooklyn, New York. (Id. ¶ 11.) In February 2017, All Year issued Series C Debentures (the “Series C Bonds” and the holders thereof the “Series C Bondholders”) in the original principal amount of NIS 617,970,000 under a Deed of Trust dated February 19, 2017 (the “Deed of Trust”) between All Year and Mishmeret. (Id. ¶ 12.) In connection with the issuance of the Series C Bonds, on February 28, 2017, Fee Owner executed an unsecured Guaranty of Payment (the “Guaranty”) in favor of the Trustee with respect to the Series C Bonds. (Id. ¶ 13.) On February 28, 2017, Fee Owner, as lessor, the Lessee, Weiss and Goldman entered into

a Lease Agreement (the “Lease”) for the William Vale Hotel. (Id. ¶ 14.) Weiss and Goldman are guarantors of the Lessee’s obligations under the Lease. (Id.) Weiss and Goldman are the sole members and owners of the Lessee. (Id.) Weiss is the manager of the Lessee and is responsible for all business decisions made by the Lessee. (Id.) The rent payable under the Lease was structured to enable Fee Owner to service the Amended and Restated Promissory Note, dated as of February 28, 2017 (the “Note”), in the original principal amount of $166,320,000, which is secured by a mortgage against the William Vale Hotel (the “Mortgage”). (Id. ¶ 15.) The Note and the Mortgage were originally held by All Year. (Id.) On March 16, 2021, by an assignment, the Trustee acquired all right, title, and interest in the Note and Mortgage from All Year. (Id. ¶ 16.) B. The Cash Collateral On February 1, 2021, the Lessee breached the Lease when it failed to make the $7.5

million rent payment when due. The Lessee’s failure to make its rent payment was also an Event of Default under the Deed of Trust. (Id. ¶ 18.) On May 5, 2021, the Debtor served a Notice of Default on the Lessee and Weiss, advising them that the Lessee was in default of its obligations to (1) pay $7.5 million in rent due on February 1, 2021, and (2) provide the Debtor with the financial reporting due under the Lease. (Id. ¶ 22.) On May 20, 2021, the Debtor served a Notice of Cancellation and Termination on the Lessee. (Id. ¶ 23.) On June 11, 2021, the Debtor commenced a state court action against Weiss, the Lessee, and Goldman in the Supreme Court, Kings County (the “State Court”), seeking money damages for unpaid rent by the Lessee. (Id. ¶ 24.) On December 6, 2021, the State Court entered an order (the “Payment Order”) directing the Lessee to make semi-annual use and occupancy payments of

$7.5 million to the Debtor starting February 1, 2022. (Id.

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