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UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO DIVISION ______________________________________ In re: Chapter 11 1 DELTA PRODUCE, L.P. , Case No. 12-50073-LMC Debtors Jointly Administered _______________________________________ RESPONSE AND LIMITED OBJECTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE TO THE SPECIAL COUNSELS FIRST INTERIM APPLICATION FOR ATTORNEYS FEES & COSTS (Doc. No. 284) TO THE HONORABLE LEIF M. CLARK, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE: Now Comes INTERNATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE (IBC), to file this its Response and Limited Objection (the Objection) to Special Counsels First Interim Application for Attorneys Fees & Costs (the Application) of Stokes Low Office, LLP (Stokes) for Allowance of Compensation and Reimbursement of Expenses from January 3, 2012 through August 7, 2012, and would respectfully show unto the Court as follows. I. 1.1 SPECIFIC RESPONSES
IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within A.1 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.2 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within A.2 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.3. IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within A.3 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein.
Debtors are the following entities: Delta Produce, L.P. Case No. 12-50073-LMC-11, Superior Tomato-Avocado, Ltd. Case No. 12-50074-LMC-11, Atled, Ltd. Case No. 12-50075-LMC11 and Staci Properties, Ltd. Case No. 12-50110-LMC
1.4
IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B.1 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.5 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B.2 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.6 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B.3 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.7 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B.4 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.8 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B.5 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.9 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B.6 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.10 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B.7 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.11 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B.8 a-k of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. 1.12 IBC has no personal knowledge about matters set forth within B-9 of the
Application but IBC does not dispute the matters set forth therein. II. 2.1 FURTHER RESPONSES
IBC is a secured creditor of the estate having extended prepetition loans on the
following basis: i. ii. Delta Note in the amount of $1,500,000.00 dated April 23, 2007; Delta Note in the amount of $2,000,000.00 dated April 1, 2007;
iii. iv.
Delta Note in the amount of $6,000,000.00 dated June 8, 2010; Staci Produce (Superior) Note in the amount of $2,000,00.00 dated March 3, 2005;
v.
Staci Properties (Superior) Note in the amount of $2,400,000.00 dated March 3, 2005; and
vi.
Atled, Ltd. Note in the amount of $1,300,000.00 dated December 12, 2005.
2.2
As of January 4, 2012, IBC shows that the combined outstanding balance owed to
IBC by the Debtors amounts to $6,455,615.00. IBC has previously tendered IBC Exhibit Nos. 116 as attachments to its reply of the Joint Motion of Some PACA Trust Beneficiaries and Debtors for Use of the PACA Trust Funds (Doc. No. 45) and at the hearing held January 13, 2012 providing interim use of cash collateral. IBC requests that the Court take judicial notice of those previously tendered exhibits, including therein, copies of Deed of Trusts and Security Agreements confirming collateral rights of IBC within virtually all property owned by Debtors. In essence, IBC asserts a security interest which globally attaches to practically all of Debtors property including real property, furniture, fixtures and equipment, inventory, account receivables, general in tangible and funds on deposit at IBC. IBCs security interest constitutes a first and prior security interest above all other collateral rights of creditors and parties-in-interest including collateral rights to Debtors receivables/cash and proceeds derived therefrom. 2.3 On January 24, 2012 this Court entered its Order Granting Debtors Authorization
for Interim Use of Cash Collateral of the International Bank of Commerce Doc. No. 49, therein: the International Bank of Commerce is automatically granted a perfected first and priming lien on all the Debtors real property and real property income
generated in the form of rents and lien on all automobiles and trucks and other equipment to the extent the cash collateral of IBC is used to pay any insurance costs. 2.4 In addition, on the April 10, 2012 this Court entered its Order Granting Debtors
Motion to Enter into Debtor in Possession Financing with International Bank of Commerce and Grant Post-Petition Liens (Doc. No. 192). Therein, the Court authorized Debtors to borrow money from IBC on a post-petition basis to pay post-petition operating expenses of business including taxes, fuel, rentals, insurance, payroll, payroll expenses, utility charges, and the costs of supplies used in the operation of the business. In consideration therefore, IBC was
automatically granted a perfected first and priming lien on all Debtors real property and real property income generated in the form of rents and liens and upon all automobiles and trucks and other equipment to the extent the cash collateral of IBC is used to pay any post-petition insurance costs (Order Granting Post-Petition Financing Doc. No. 192). 2.5 IBCs objection is limited to the extent that the Application requests payment of
interim compensation out of funds which constitute the cash collateral of IBC and/or funds to which IBC has priming liens for reimbursement of cash collateral budgeted items. 2.6 IBCs objection is also to the extent that prior orders of the court wherein the
Court approved the retention of Stokes as Special PACA Counsel (Doc. No. 82) provided for compensation from the PACA Trust Funds (PACA Order - 15 Doc. No. 82). To the extent the instant application seeks compensation from non-PACA Trust Funds IBC objects. PRAYER WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, IBC respectfully requests that upon due consideration, this Court grant the limited objection of IBC limiting payment of approved amounts of Stokes to proceeds not subject to pre or post-petition liens and that any compensation
be paid by PACA Trust Funds, and that IBC be provided such other relief at law or in equity to which IBC may be justly entitled. Respectfully submitted, MARTIN & DROUGHT, P.C. 2500 Bank of America Plaza 300 Convent Street San Antonio, Texas 78205-3789 (210) 227-7591 / (210) 227-7924 By: /s/ Michael G. Colvard Michael G. Colvard State Bar No. 04629200 ATTORNEYS FOR INTERNATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the above and foregoing instrument was forwarded via United States Mail, First Class, postage prepaid, to the parties listed on the attached service list on September 12, 2012.
Atled, Ltd. 200 S Laredo St San Antonio, TX 78207-7023 United States Trustee - SA12 US Trustee's Office 615 E Houston, Suite 533 PO Box 1539 San Antonio, TX 78295-1539 Dimare Newman, Inc. P.O. Box 517 Newman, CA 95360-0517
Craig A. Stokes Stokes Law Offices, LLP 3330 Oakwell Court, Suite 225 San Antonio, TX 78218
Harvest Crown Co., Inc. P.O. Box 13578 Bakersfield, CA 93389 J-C Distributing, Inc. 2731 N. Donna Avenue Nogales, AZ 85621
Alamo Leasing 2010 NW Military Hwy. San Antonio, TX 78213 International Bank of Commerce 130 E. Travis San Antonio, TX 78205
Kingdom Fresh Produce, Inc. 2243 North Goolie Rd., #A Donna, TX 78537 Mission Produce, Inc. 2500 Vineyad Ave., Suite 300 Oxnard, CA 93036
Averitt Brokerage Co., Inc. Mr. David Faubion 9999 Perrin Beitel, Suite B San Antonio, TX 78217
Touchstone & Associates 1500 S. Zarzamora St., #205 San Antonio, TX 78207
Robert E. Goldman 1 East Broward Blvd. Ste. 700 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Tijerina & Sons, LLC c/o Zachary B. Aoki Thurman & Phillips, P.C. 8000 IH-10 West, Suite 1000 San Antonio, TX 78230 David G. Aelvoet Linebarger Gogan Blair 711 Navarro, Suite 300 San Antonio, TX 78205 Flatiron Capital c/o Robert L. Barrows 800 Broadway San Antonio, TX 78215
General Electric Capital Corp, NMHG Financial Services, Inc. c/o William H. Daniel McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore 600 Congress Ave., Ste. 2100 Austin, X 78701
Market Dispatch Service, Inc. c/o Celinda Baez Guerra Flume Law Firm, LLP 1020 N.E. Loop 410, Ste. 200 San Antonio, TX 78209 Muller Trading c/o Bruce W. Akerly Cantey Hanger LLP 1999 Bryan St., Suite 3300 Dallas, TX 75201
Divine Ripe, Rio Queen Citrus, Eco-Farms Sales, Garguilo, Inc. c/o Michael J. Black Burns & Black 750 Rittiman Road San Antonio, TX 78209 Steven E. Nurenberg Meuers Law Firm 5395 Park Centra Court Naples, FL 34109
Paul T. Curl/ Diana M. Geis Curl & Stahl, P.C. 700 N. St. Marys Street, Suite 1930 San Antonio, TX 78205 Wilson Davis Co. c/o Paul D. Barkhurst Barkhurst & Hinojosa, PC 110 Broadway, Suite 350 San Antonio, TX 78205
W. Scott Jenson c/o Elliott S. Cappuccio/Randall Pulman/Leslie S. Hyman Pulman Cappuccio Pullen & Benson 2161 NW Military Hwy., Suite 400 San Antonio, TX 78213
PACCAR Financial Corp. c/o Robert J. Reagan Reagan McLain Lee & Hatch, LLP 6060 North Central Expy., Ste. 690 Dallas, TX 75206 Harllee Packing, Inc. c/o Chris S. Tillmanns Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP 711 Louisiana Street, Ste. 2300 Houston, TX 77002-2770
Divine Ripe, LLC c/o John Kurt Stephen Cardenas & Stephen 100 South Bicentennial McAllen, TX 78501
Daimler Trust c/o Stephen G. Wilcox Bassel & Wilcox P.O. Box 11509 Fort Worth, TX 76110-0509
Harllee Packing, Inc. c/o Jake Blanchard Fowler White Boggs P.A. 501 E. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 1700 Tampa, FL 33602 Jason A. Starks Assistant Attorney General P.O. Box 12548 Austin, TX 78711-2548
Guadalupe County c/o Lee Gordon McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen P.O. Box 1269 Round Rock, Texas 78680