In re Town of Deerfield Beach
In re Town of Deerfield Beach
Opinion of the Court
The special master’s findings and recommendations were filed on October 11, 1943, and objections of the Town of Deerfield Beach, Broward County, Florida, to the report of the special master were filed October 20, 1943. The objections were not argued before this Court until May 18, 1944, and May 22, 1944. Interested attorneys delayed in calling up the exceptions until the disposition of the appellate court proceedings in the municipal bankruptcy of the City of Coral Gables, which was March 13, 1944.
In paragraph number 1 of the master’s findings it was concluded that the Town of Deerfield Beach is unable to meet its debts as they mature.
In paragraph number 2 the master found that the plan was inequitable and unfair to non-assenting creditors in the treatment of
In paragraph number 3 the master found that it would he unfair and inequitable to compel non-assenting creditors to accept the plan inasmuch as the Town had violated the plan by the misappropriation of a portion of the sinking fund to general operating expenses.
In paragraph 4 the master found that the plan submitted to the Court was not the same plan as that voluntarily accepted by a majority of the creditors, but is a modified or changed plan under which accepting creditors have been preferred over nonassenting creditors.
For the reasons stated in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, the master recommended that the Court withhold confirmation of the plan now before the Court pending consideration by the Court of the possible modification of the plan. The master was of the opinion that the Coral Gables case, (Wright v. City of Coral Gables) 5 Cir., 137 F.2d 192. precluded a modification of the plan, and the master recommended that unless the Coral Gables decision was reversed by the United States Supreme Court that these proceedings be dismissed at petitioner’s costs.
In 1937 the Town entered into a refunding agreement, details of which are fully covered in the master’s report. In 1942 the Town Council adopted a resolution in which the refunding plan of 1937 was ratified, approved ana adopted as “the plan of composition of the debts of Deer-field Beach, except as the same is hereafter modified or changed.” Modification or change was the provision that the cost of the bankruptcy proceedings shall be borne equally by the Town and by its creditors, not to exceed, however, 2% of the amount of the bonded debt of the Town.
The Town invokes the provisions of Section 83, sub. j of the Municipal Bankruptcy Act, and I take up first paragraph 4 of the Master’s findings, to-wit, that the bankruptcy plan is a modified or changed plan, differing from the plan under which accepting creditors had become the owners of refunding securities, and that, therefore, the petition was not properly filed under Section 83, sub. j of the Municipal Bankrutcy Act. 11 U.S.C.A. § 403 sub. j
Subsection j deals with the right to count consents of creditors who have accepted refunding obligations under a partially completed or executed plan of arrangement. When the “plan” is offered as a “plan” in a bankruptcy petition under Chapter IX of the Bankruptcy Act 11 U.S.C.A. § 401 et seq., it must be the same plan under which the refunding was theretofore made. The original plan on which a refunding did occur cannot be changed or modified and then offered as a bankruptcy plan, with the right to count consents from the holders of refunding obligations under said subsection j.
In the West Palm Beach case, (In re City of West Palm Beach) 5 Cir., 96 F.2d 85, the bankruptcy plan had been offered and accepted by a majority of the creditors long before the passage of the Act. The creditors of West Palm Beach had irrevocably scaled their debts, and the consents of the holders of the refunding obligations were held not properly to be considered when counting the necessary percentage, either for filing or for approval of the plan by the Court.
Subsection j, later passed by the Congress, permitted those holding refunding obligations to give new consents, and to be counted when the Court was considering a bankruptcy plan, but in my opinion only when that plan is the same plan under which the refunding took place. Counsel for the Town strongly relies upon Wells Fargo Bank & Union T. Co. v. Imperial Irr. Dist., 9 Cir., 136 F.2d 539, 548. In that case there was a 1932 plan of scaling down the indebtedness of the District. The debtor was unable to carry out its terms, and a modification thereof was proposed incorporating a further scaling down of the indebtedness. This was called the plan of 1939, and it was presented as the bankruptcy plan. Validity of consents, by bondholders who had previously consented to the plan of 1932 was an issue in the case. Objecting creditors stressed the difference between the 1932 and the 1939 plans and urged that creditors who had refunded under the 1932 plan were in a different class from the non-assenting creditors who had never consented to either plan. The objectors, therefore, argued that “J” did not permit the Court to disregard the effect of acceptance of any plan except the precise plan before the Court. This objection was not sustained by the majority opinion. This decision is urged by the Town of Deerfield as justifying its proposal under Subsection j
In paragraph 2 of the master’s findings the matter of unfairness or inequitability growing out of interest which accrued prior to July 1, 1937, is reported, but the master finds that the plan may be modified in such a manner as to treat all creditors alike in this regard. Deerfield claims there was no irregularity in this regard in its submitted plan. Going into that matter at this time is unnecessary. Should Deerfield seek to further proceed in this case by motion, the Town may either re-assert its position or admit unfairness, and seek tc cure such irregularity as it may be ad
The misappropriation of sinking funds, which is dealt with in paragraph 3 of the master’s findings, has been cured by the Town, and further misappropriation would be properly enjoined with the consent of the Town.
The master’s report recommending dismissal is confirmed, with the proviso as to the presentation of an amended plan as herein outlined. An order of dismissal thirty days hence will await further developments in this case.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re TOWN OF DEERFIELD BEACH, BROWARD COUNTY, FLA.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published