Bankruptcy › Commercial Real Estate

In re School Specialty, Inc., Case No. 13-10125 (KJC) (Bankr. D. Del. Apr. 22, 2013)

In an age of historically low interest rates, lenders rely on fee income and other devices to enhance their returns. One of these mechanisms -- and one that can have dramatic consequences for a borrower -- is the inclusion of...more

Michigan, Ohio Lenders Will See Impact from New Nonrecourse Loan Restrictions

Lenders located in Michigan and Ohio that are engaging in nonrecourse loans will want to become familiar with a recent change in the law which will have an impact on the use of certain carve-outs in nonrecourse loans....more

How Graphics Helped a Trial Team Show Complex Data and Win

I love hearing the news that one of our clients had a great result using the work we did for them. The most recent big win I’m happy to report is Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, won a major lender liability/wrongful...more

Louisiana Receivers In Foreclosure - "Keep-er Away From My Collateral!!" Part II

In my prior post, I discussed (1) what a keeper is and (2) why you should designate a Keeper. This post examines (3) the benefits of a Keeper and (4) some risks relating to a Keeper....more

Fifth Circuit Decisions Concerning Confirmation Of Plans Of Reorganization

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently issued two decisions that affect a borrower’s ability to confirm a bankruptcy plan, Western Real Estate Equities, L.L.C. v. Village at Camp Bowie I, L.P. (In re Village...more

Rogers Towers: Radlax

Can a Chapter 11 debtor propose a plan to sell a lender’s collateral free and clear of the lender’s lien without allowing the lender to credit bid? The Supreme Court says “no”—unless there’s cause....more

Baker Donelson Launches CMBS Special Servicing Southeast Blog

The headlines tell the story of the current state of CMBS and CRE defaults here and abroad. "Watch out for CMBS Re-Defaults" trumpets Real Estate Finance Intelligence. Financial News announces "Break Time Over as CMBS Bounce...more

When Lenders are the Losers in Bankruptcy Court...Well, Not so Fast

Last October, I wrote about a scheme employed, in three separate bankruptcy cases, by debtors seeking to evade the absolute priority rule in order to keep the real property owned by the debtor in the hands of the ‘family’ at...more

U.S. Bank, Nat’l Ass’n v. Lightstone Holdings, LLC (N.Y. App. Div. Feb. 14. 2013) -- Senior Lender Gets Second Chance to Assert...

A recent decision in the protracted litigation by lenders of Extended Stay to recover under guaranties executed by owners of Extended Stay highlights the need for clear and unambiguous drafting in intercreditor agreements....more

United States of America v. Susquehanna Bank

Appellee's Brief

The Internal Revenue Service appealed a grant of summary judgment favoring Mr. Valkenet's client, Susquehanna Bank. The Maryland bankruptcy court granted the bank's indemnity deed of trust priority over IRS tax liens by...more

Summary of the 2010 Amendments to Chapter 9 of the Texas Uniform Commercial Code: Effective July 1, 2013

Summary of the 2010 Amendments to Chapter 9 of the Texas Uniform Commercial Code: Effective July 1, 2013, Allen Dickey, Esq. Jonathan Ursprung, Esq. New secured lending rules in Texas will change a number of the...more

The Tide Turns Against Hybrid Plans in the Circuit Where They Began

In this article from the February 2013 ABI Journal, I review the reasoning of several recent decisions which depart from previous precedent permitting the treatment of real estate loans beyond the term of a chapter 13 plan....more

Bankruptcy Loses Arguments for Special Relief Under Prepetition Agreements for Environmental Liability

A recent case from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York addressed the recurring conflict between the goals of bankruptcy law, which seeks to give debtors a fresh start, and the goals of federal and...more

Suppliers Must Take Affirmative Steps to Determine Source of Payments to Protect Construction Lien Claim Rights

In L&W Supply Corp. v. Joe DeSilva, et al., (Docket No. A-2960-10T2, December 19, 2012) (“L&W Supply”), a decision recently approved for publication, the Appellate Division provides guidance to material suppliers seeking to...more

Rogers Towers: A Troubling Interpretation: Prepetition Foreclosures as Preferential Transfers under § 547

As stated in Doug Waldorf’s post below, the concept of property valuation in regards to a deficiency judgment is well established within the Eleventh Circuit. The fair market value of the property is established at the...more

State Law Update: Michigan Excludes Certain Loans From State Mortgage Laws, Extends Loan Modification Program

On December 22, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed three bills—SB 1283, SB 1284, and SB 1285—to exclude from state mortgage laws, including its predatory lending law and loan originator licensing act, any loan transaction...more

Using Letters Of Credit For Tenant Credit Enhancement

I. Introduction. Cash security deposits (typically in the amount of one or two month’s rent) have been the traditional form of tenant credit enhancement required by commercial landlords. However, in instances where...more

2012 Year In Review – Part 1

In This Issue: - March 9, 2012: Publication of Dynegy Examiner’s Report - March 29, 2012: SDNY Rules That 363 Sales May Not Be Free and Clear of Future Claims - May 15, 2102: Eleventh Circuit Rules in...more

Perspectives on Real Estate - Fall 2012

In This Issue: - Energy Consumption Data Reporting in California – AB 1103 and 531 - Real Estate and Construction Risk Management: Tips to Ensure Your Status as an Additional Insured - Attention: New Foreign Tax...more

Fool Me Once...: When Lenders are the Losers in Bankruptcy Court

This is about bad law in the bankruptcy courts, but let us instructively begin with Charlie Brown. Bear with me. Everyone knows the classic Peanuts comic strip, which features the running joke of Lucy and Charlie Brown...more

A New Kind of PIN: Essential Requirements for Recording Deeds of Trusts in North Carolina

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in the case of In Re: McCormick that a recorded North Carolina deed of trust indexed in a county’s grantor/grantee index may nevertheless be avoided by a trustee in...more

Using Receiver’s Certificate To Pay Receiver’s Fees

QUESTION: I was appointed receiver for an unfinished housing development. I have convinced the Plaintiff (Bank) to advance funds to pay for guards, insurance and to complete construction, as well as to pay for my and my...more

Ruling Protects Secured Creditors' Rights

Originally published in the Connecticut Law Tribune on September 24, 2012. When a Chapter 11 debtor proposes to sell secured assets prior to confirmation of a plan, it may not do so without providing its secured...more

Susquehanna Bank v. United States (In re: Restivo Auto Body, Inc.)

Order granting summary judgment

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gordon entered an order granting summary judgment in favor of Susquehanna Bank, and against the IRS, declaring the bank has lien priority and thus may claim the fund created by the sale of the...more

Who owns the rents? Recent cases highlight uncertainty as to effect of mortgage rent assignments in New York bankruptcies

Originally published in the August 27, 2012 issue of Thomson Reuters News & Insight. Amid the recent proliferation of commercial mortgage defaults in New York, the question of whether property of a debtor’s bankruptcy...more