TSA Stores, Inc. v. Performance Apparel Corp. (In re TSAWD Holdings, Inc.)
TSA Stores, Inc. v. Performance Apparel Corp. (In re TSAWD Holdings, Inc.)
Opinion of the Court
Mary F. Walrath, United States Bankruptcy Judge *678Before the Court are cross-motions for summary judgment under Rule 56(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff-Intervenor Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB ("WSFS") seeks disgorgement of proceeds from certain goods sold on consignment. Defendant Performance Apparel Corporation ("PAC") contends it is entitled to keep the proceeds because WSFS's actual knowledge of the consignment relationship between PAC and the Debtors precludes WSFS from claiming a superior interest in goods that PAC sold to the Debtors on consignment. The Court agrees with PAC and finds that WSFS had actual knowledge of PAC's consignment interest which precludes it from obtaining a superior interest in the consigned goods. Accordingly, the Court will grant PAC's motion and deny WSFS's motion for summary judgment.
I. JURISDICTION
The Court has jurisdiction over this core adversary proceeding.
II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
On March 2, 2016 (the "Petition Date"), The Sports Authority Holdings, Inc., and its affiliates (the "Debtors") filed voluntary chapter 11 petitions. The Debtors were national retailers of sporting goods and active apparel.
As part of their business, the Debtors developed a program for the sale of goods on consignment. To participate in the program, vendors entered into a "pay by scan" deal sheet specifying whether they would be paid on a cost or retail split basis. The Debtors would then pay the vendor in accordance with the terms of the consignment agreement.
PAC was one of the first vendors to begin selling goods on consignment to the Debtors. PAC filed a UCC-1 financing statement with respect to consigned goods on August 28, 2009, and gave notice to the Agent at that time for the Term Loan Lenders. (Orenstein Decl. Ex. K, Adv. D.I. 93-11; McNeill Decl. Ex. H at 2, Adv. D.I. 100-8.) However, there is no evidence that PAC filed a continuation statement for that UCC-1.
Pre-petition, the Debtors had borrowed approximately $1.1 billion, which included a $650 million asset-based revolving credit facility (the "ABL Loan") and a Term Loan of $300 million. Bank of America *679("BOA") was the administrative agent under both loans. An Amended and Restated Credit Agreement was executed by BOA and the Debtors on November 16, 2010. (Orenstein Decl. Ex. D, Adv. D.I. 93-4.) The Term Loans were secured by a first-priority lien on the Debtors' hard assets, intellectual property and general intangibles as well as a second-priority lien on the Debtors' inventory and other assets that also served as collateral for the ABL Loan. (Id. at Ex. B, Adv. D.I. 93-2.) The Term Loan lien was perfected by the execution of a Security Agreement and the filing of UCC financing statements in the appropriate jurisdictions. (Id. at Exs. B-F, Adv. D.I. 93-2,3,4,5,6.) On December 31, 2015, WSFS replaced BOA as the Administrative and Collateral Agent for the Term Loan. (Id. at Ex. C. 31:8-10, Adv. D.I. 93-3.)
As of the Petition Date, approximately 11-12% of the Debtors' total inventory was for sale on consignment. (McNeill Decl. Ex. F at 2, Adv. D.I. 100-6.) Early in the case, an issue arose as to the Debtors' authority to pledge or sell consigned goods in their possession.
As of the Petition Date, all transactions between the Debtors and PAC were on a consignment basis. (Id. at 10-11.) At that time, the Debtors estimated that the "extended cost" of all PAC consigned goods in the Debtors' possession was $1,586,446. (Id. at 16.) Postpetition, the Debtors continued to pay PAC for consigned goods that were sold pursuant to the Consignment Order. By the end of July 2016, the Debtors had returned or sold all consigned goods in their possession and paid the proceeds to PAC in accordance with the Consignment Order.
On March 15, 2016, the Debtors filed a Complaint against PAC seeking, inter alia, a declaratory judgment regarding the priority of PAC's interest in the consigned goods. (Compl., Adv. D.I. 1.) WSFS intervened as a plaintiff. (WSFS Intervention Order, April 27, 2016, Adv. D.I. 9.)
On July 19, 2016, WSFS filed a motion for partial judgment on the pleadings contending that its lien is superior to PAC's interests. (WSFS Motion, Adv. D.I. 29.)
*680The Court denied that motion finding there were factual issues in dispute. (Opinion, March 7, 2017, Adv. D.I. 37.)
On May 18, 2018, the parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment seeking a determination of their respective interests in the consigned goods and their proceeds. (WSFS Motion, Adv. D.I. 91; PAC Motion, Adv. D.I. 96.) Briefing is complete, and the matter is now ripe for decision.
III. DISCUSSION
A. Rule 56 Standard of Review
Rule 7056 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure incorporates Rule 56(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure which sets forth the applicable summary judgment standard. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7056 ; Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). Summary judgment may be granted only "if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). See also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett,
B. Priority of Liens under the UCC
1. Contention of WSFS
In its motion for summary judgment, WSFS contends that it has a perfected security interest under the Uniform Commercial Code ("UCC") that is superior to the security interest asserted by PAC because PAC allowed its 2009 UCC-1 financing statement to lapse, thereby resulting in its interest becoming unperfected.
WSFS presented evidence to establish that the Term Loan Credit Agreement granted it a lien on, inter alia, the Debtors' inventory and proceeds. (Orenstein Decl. Ex. F at 7, Adv. D.I. 31-6.) That lien was secured by the execution of a Security Agreement and the filing of UCC-1 financing statements in the appropriate jurisdictions. (Id. at Exs. G & H, Adv. D.I. 31-7 & 8.)
WSFS also presented evidence that PAC had filed a UCC-1 financing statement with respect to the goods it sold to the Debtors on August 28, 2009, and gave notice to the Term Loan Agent. (Id. at Ex. K, Adv. D.I. 94-11; McNeill Decl. Ex. H., Adv. D.I. 98-8.) No evidence was presented that PAC filed a continuation statement for that UCC-1.
As a result, WSFS contends that its perfected security interest has priority over PAC's unperfected security interest in the consigned goods under § 9-322(a) of the UCC, which provides:
(a) General priority rules. Except as otherwise provided in this section, priority among conflicting security interests and agricultural liens in the same collateral is determined according to the following rules:
(1) Conflicting perfected security interests and agricultural liens rank according to priority in time of filing or perfection. Priority dates from the earlier of the time a filing covering the collateral is first made or the security interest or agricultural lien is first perfected, if there is no period thereafter when there is neither filing nor perfection.
(2) A perfected security interest or agricultural lien has priority over a *681conflicting unperfected security interest or agricultural lien.
2. PAC's Contention
PAC argues that notwithstanding the lapse of its UCC security interest, WSFS cannot assert its rights are superior to PAC. PAC contends that its consignment rights are not subject to the filing requirements and priorities of the UCC at all, because the Term Loan Lenders had actual knowledge of PAC's consignment arrangement with the Debtors before the Term Loan was extended.
3. Applicability of the UCC to Consignments
Section 9-102 of the UCC describes whether an arrangement is a "consignment" for Article 9 purposes:
"Consignment" means a transaction, regardless of its form, in which a person delivers goods to a merchant for the purpose of sale and:
(A) the merchant:
(i) deals in goods of that kind under a name other than the name of the person making delivery;
(ii) is not an auctioneer; and
(iii) is not generally known by its creditors to be substantially engaged in selling the goods of others;
(B) with respect to each delivery, the aggregate value of the goods is $1,000 or more at the time of delivery;
(C) the goods are not consumer goods immediately before delivery; and
(D) the transaction does not create a security interest that secures an obligation.
Under section 9-102(a)(20), an arrangement is not a consignment subject to the priorities of the UCC if a consignor can show that the consignee's creditors generally knew that it was substantially engaged in selling consigned goods. See Valley Media,
In addition, some courts have held that Article 9's priority rules will not apply vis-a-vis another secured creditor if it had actual knowledge that goods were held on consignment when its security interest was granted. See, e.g., GBS Meat Ind. Pty. Ltd. v. Kress-Dobkin Co., Inc.,
The reasoning of those courts is that the UCC policy of protecting creditors from the "secret lien" of a consignor is not implicated if the creditor in question has actual knowledge of the consignor's lien. The courts note that if a creditor's constructive knowledge of a consignment lien (from the filing of a UCC financing statement or from the fact that other creditors generally know the debtor is selling consigned goods) is sufficient to give the consignor priority, it would be absurd to conclude that actual knowledge of the consignment is not sufficient. See, e.g., Fariba,
Those courts also conclude that allowing an "actual knowledge" exception does not offend the underlying UCC policy of protecting creditors from secret liens. See, e.g., Fariba,
There are cases to the contrary, but the Court does not find them persuasive. See Russell v. Mountain Nat'l Bank (In re Russell),
The Court agrees with the analysis of those cases which conclude that actual knowledge of a consignor's interest will preclude a creditor from arguing that the consignor's interests are inferior to its interests. It truly would be absurd to bind a secured creditor to the constructive notice of a consignor's interest arising from a UCC-1 filing or from the fact that the debtor is "generally known" to be selling consigned goods but not bind a creditor who has actual knowledge of the consignor's interest in the goods when lending to the debtor.
The UCC is to be liberally construed to promote its underlying purposes. See
Therefore, the Court concludes that if the Term Loan Lenders knew PAC was a consignor of goods to the Debtors at the time they extended a loan to the Debtors, it would be absurd to conclude that PAC had to give constructive notice to them by filing a UCC continuation form.
4. The Term Loan Lenders' Actual Knowledge
PAC contends that the Term Loan Lenders had actual knowledge of its consignment arrangement with the Debtors at the time they lent to the Debtors. This is evidenced, it contends, by the very language of the Term Loan Credit Agreement Amended and Restated as of November 16, 2010. Section 7.01 of the Credit Agreement provides that the Debtors would not:
7.01. Liens. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, other than the following Liens (Liens described below are herein referred to as "Permitted Liens"):
...
(b) Liens existing on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 7.01(b)....
7.02. Indebtedness. Create, incur, assume, guarantee, suffer to exist or otherwise become liable with respect to any Indebtedness, except (Indebtedness described below is herein referred to as "Permitted Indebtedness"):
...
(h) Indebtedness in respect of ... purchase money obligations to finance *684the acquisition of assets within the limitations set forth in Section 7.01(i) ...; provided, however, that the aggregate amount of all such Indebtedness at any one time outstanding shall not exceed $40.0 million ....
(McNeill Decl. Ex. D., Adv. D.I. 98-4.) PAC was listed as a Permitted Lien on that Schedule of the Credit Agreement. (Id. at Schedule 7.01(b).) WSFs' 30(b)(6) witness acknowledged that "as of the time the credit agreement was entered, Bank of America and all the other parties to the credit agreement were on notice that [PAC] was a secured party with regard to its consignment inventory." (Healy Dep. 98:18-24, Jan. 17, 2018, Adv. D.I. 98-2.)
WSFS argues nonetheless that this was not actual knowledge but only constructive knowledge. It argues that Schedule 7.01 merely gave constructive notice of those parties (including PAC) who had filed UCC-1 financing statements. It contends that there is no evidence that either BOA or it had any communications with the Debtors regarding its consignment program generally or PAC's consignment relationship in particular. (Id. at 49:18-51:7, 67:18-69:25.) It also notes that in the Security Agreement, the Debtors represented and warranted that they did not have any property on consignment except for "an immaterial portion of total inventory for sale." (McNeill Decl. Ex. E at 32-33, Adv. D.I. 98-5.) Finally, WSFS asserts that even if the Collateral Agent had obtained actual knowledge of PAC's consignment arrangement, the Term Loan Lenders did not have any such knowledge because neither the Credit Agreement nor the Security Agreement required the Agents to forward that information to them and there is no evidence that they did so.
The Court rejects the latter assertion because the knowledge of an agent is imputed to the principal. See Meisel v. Grunberg,
Even if that knowledge could not be imputed from the Agent to the Term Loan Lenders, parties to a contract are conclusively presumed to know its contents and are bound by its terms. Level Export Corp. v. Wolz, Aiken & Co.,
Nor does the Court accept the argument that the information was just constructive knowledge of PAC's security interest under the UCC and that the expiration of PAC's UCC-1 financing statement somehow caused that information to be lost. Schedule 7.01(b) expressly noted PAC's "consignment" interest in the inventory. (Id. )
*685In an analogous situation, the First Circuit held that a bank - which acquired a security interest after (and with notice of) a security interest filed by a vendor holding a purchase money security interest in goods it sold to the debtor - had actual knowledge of that interest which precluded it from asserting priority over the vendor's interest even after the vendor's lien became unperfected. See, e.g., In re Halmar Distrib., Inc.,
Thus, the Court concludes that because the Term Loan Agent (and Lenders) actually knew of PAC's interest in the consigned goods at the time the Term Loan was extended, the UCC does not determine their relative priority and the rights of the consignor are paramount. See, e.g., GBS Meat,
Therefore, the Court concludes that PAC's interest in the goods it consigned to the Debtors is superior to the blanket interests of the Term Loan Lenders in the Debtors' inventory.
IV. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court will grant PAC's Motion for Summary Judgment and deny WSFS's Motion for Summary Judgment.
An appropriate Order is attached.
See Motion for Interim and Final Orders (A) Authorizing the Debtors to (I) Continue to Sell Consigned Goods in the Ordinary Course of Business Free and Clear of All Liens, Claims and Encumbrances and (II) Grant Administrative Expense Priority to Consignment Vendors for Consigned Goods Delivered Postpetition; and (B) Grant Replacement Liens to Consignment Vendors with Perfected Security Interests in Consigned Goods and/or Remit the Consignment Sale Price Arising from the Sale of Consigned Goods to Putative Consignment Vendors and Objections thereto. (D.I. 9; Agron Obj., D.I. 102; Gordini Obj., D.I. 110; Wigwam Mills Obj., D.I. 608; ASICS Am. Corp. Obj., D.I. 644; Casio Obj., D.I. 646; Ameriform Acquisition Co. Obj., D.I. 656.)
See In re Whitehall Jewelers Holding, Inc., Bankr. No. 08-11261,
Interim Order, March 11, 2016, D.I. 278.
Final Order, May 3, 2016, D.I. 1704.
Cf. Gen. Elec. Credit Corp. v. Nardulli & Sons, Inc.,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- IN RE: TSAWD HOLDINGS, INC., Debtors. TSA Stores, Inc., TSA Ponce, Inc., and TSA Caribe, Inc., and Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, as Successor Administrative and Collateral Agent, Plaintiff-Intervenor Counterclaim v. Performance Apparel Corp. a/k/a Hot Chilly's, Inc., Defendant/Counterclaim
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published