Zurich American Insurance v. International Fibercom, Inc. (In Re International Fibercom, Inc.)

503 F.3d 933, 68 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1549, 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 21826, 48 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 222, 2007 WL 2610892
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 12, 2007
Docket05-16358
StatusPublished
Cited by143 cases

This text of 503 F.3d 933 (Zurich American Insurance v. International Fibercom, Inc. (In Re International Fibercom, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zurich American Insurance v. International Fibercom, Inc. (In Re International Fibercom, Inc.), 503 F.3d 933, 68 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1549, 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 21826, 48 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 222, 2007 WL 2610892 (9th Cir. 2007).

Opinion

HUG, Circuit Judge:

This case presents the question of whether a bankruptcy court may limit a prior order where the prior order granted relief not permitted by the Bankruptcy Code. Here, the bankruptcy court issued an order approving the assumption of a workers’ compensation insurance policy under § 365 of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 365. The' bankruptcy court later concluded that the assumption order violated § 365 because it allowed the assumption of a non-executory contract. Relying on Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(6), applied to bankruptcy proceedings by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9024, the bankruptcy court interpreted the assumption order to comply with § 365. We hold that the bankruptcy court properly relied upon Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(6) in limiting its pri- or order to ensure that the order complied with the Bankruptcy Code. Accordingly, we affirm.

I.

International FiberCom, Inc. (“IFCI” or “Debtor”) filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code 1 on February 13, 2002. At that time, IFCI had a workers’ compensation insurance policy with Zurich American Insurance Co. (“Zurich”), but the policy was set to expire on February 28, 2002. Weeks earlier, Zurich expressed its intent not to renew the policy upon expiration. Applicable non-bankruptcy laws required IFCI to maintain workers’ compensation insurance in order to continue operating. Consequently, IFCI needed to replace Zurich’s policy in order to continue operating until it could sell its business as a going concern. Al *937 though IFCI attempted to find another insurer prior to the petition date, it was unable to do so because other insurance companies had no interest in doing business with an ailing telecommunications company whose financial weakness was known throughout the industry. As a result, IFCI requested that Zurich renew the policy and eventually negotiated an extension of the policy until IFCI could sell its business.

Under IFCI’s original workers’ compensation insurance policy with Zurich, IFCI paid an annual premium of $927,952, which had already been paid before the petition date. The policy also required IFCI to pay a $100,000 deductible on any workers’ compensation claim paid by Zurich. In addition, IFCI set aside $500,000 in “initial collateral” to secure its reimbursement obligations in case of default.

As required by Arizona law 2 and similar state statutes, the original workers’ compensation insurance policy contained the following provision: “Your [IFCI’s] default or the bankruptcy or insolvency of you or your estate will not relieve us [Zurich] of our duties under this insurance after an injury occurs.”

IFCI and Zurich eventually agreed to assume the policy pursuant to § 365 of the Bankruptcy Code, effectively extending the policy from February 28 to July 1, 2002. In consideration, IFCI agreed to pay an additional $294,523 premium for the 9-week extension. IFCI also agreed to provide an additional $750,000 in “additional collateral” to secure its obligation to reimburse Zurich for deductibles arising under the assumed policy. Zurich would have a first priority lien on the additional collateral. If the initial collateral and additional collateral were insufficient to provide full reimbursement of the deductible amounts due to Zurich, Zurich would be entitled to an administrative claim under 11 U.S.C. § 507(a)(1). IFCI and Zurich also agreed to a brief extension of the original policy until March 14 so that the bankruptcy court could approve IFCI’s request to assume the policy.

II.

IFCI filed a motion for entry of an order approving assumption of the policy on March 8, 2002. 3 In its assumption motion, IFCI requested the bankruptcy court’s approval of the assumption of its workers’ compensation insurance policy, as required by § 365(a). At the same time, IFCI also filed a motion for an emergency hearing on the assumption motion. Notice of the assumption motion and motion for emergency hearing was served on counsel for the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (“Creditors Committee”), which the U.S. Trustee appointed approximately two weeks before the assumption motion was filed. Notice was also served on the U.S. Trustee and three creditors. The bankruptcy court initially scheduled the emergency hearing for March 13, 2002, but, because no objections to the assumption motion were filed, the bankruptcy court did not hold a hearing.

On March 14, 2002, the bankruptcy court issued an order granting IFCI’s request for approval of the assumption of the workers’ compensation insurance policy. The bankruptcy court’s assumption order approved the terms and conditions presented in IFCI’s assumption motion and extended the policy through July 1, 2002. 4 *938 The assumption order also required IFCI to “immediately establish a segregated account ... and deposit into such account the sum of $750,000.” The bankruptcy court further provided Zurich a first priority lien on the funds in the additional collateral account for the purpose of securing Zurich’s entitlement to reimbursement for disbursements made to workers’ compensation claimants up to the deductible amount provided for under the policy.

IFCI never in fact established the additional collateral account after the bankruptcy court issued the assumption order. Not only did IFCI fail to set aside the additional collateral, IFCI also failed to pay deductibles due to Zurich under the policy. In response, Zurich filed motions for allowance of administrative expense and relief from the automatic stay in October 2002. Discovery and briefing on the motions continued until the bankruptcy court granted IFCI’s motion to convert its bankruptcy petition from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 on August 25, 2003. At that time, the bankruptcy court appointed Maureen Gaughan as Trustee for IFCI’s estate. Shortly thereafter, the bankruptcy court vacated the scheduling order and the motions were never decided.

Zurich later filed a motion for summary judgment on March 24, 2004, in which it requested release of the additional collateral in order to cover IFCI’s unpaid reimbursement obligations. By the time Zurich filed its summary judgment motion, deductibles accrued under the initial and extended terms of the policy amounted to nearly $2 million, exceeding the total of both the initial collateral of $500,000 and the $750,000 in additional collateral. In its summary judgment motion, Zurich requested that the bankruptcy court order IFCI to establish the additional collateral account out of the proceeds of the sale of its assets (i.e., the assets of the estate) and then permit Zurich to exercise its rights to the funds in the account.

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503 F.3d 933, 68 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1549, 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 21826, 48 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 222, 2007 WL 2610892, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zurich-american-insurance-v-international-fibercom-inc-in-re-ca9-2007.