In re Stable Mews Associates, Inc.

• Decision Date: 11 July 1984
• Docket Number: Bankruptcy No. 82-B-12454.
• Citation: 41 BR 594
• Parties: In re STABLE MEWS ASSOCIATES, INC., Debtor.
• Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court — Southern District of New York

41 B.R. 594 (1984)

In re STABLE MEWS ASSOCIATES, INC., Debtor.

Bankruptcy No. 82-B-12454.

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York.

July 11, 1984.

Albert Togut, New York City, Chapter 11 Trustee; Kenneth Coleman, New York City, of counsel.

Fischbein, Olivieri, Orzenholc & Badillo, New York City for various tenants; Robert Chira, New York City, of counsel.

Raymond Aab, New York City, for R. Fiske Whitney.

MEMORANDUM AND DECISION

HOWARD C. BUSCHMAN III, Bankruptcy Judge.

This case presents the issue of whether an operating trustee for a debtor-in-possession may reject leases of tenants and thereby be relieved of the contractual obligation to service a building that is property of the estate notwithstanding the requirements of local laws that landlords provide essential services.

I

The Chapter 11 Trustee of the estate of Stable Mews Associates, Inc. ("Trustee") moves, pursuant to § 365(a) of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, 11 U.S.C. § 365(a) (the "Code"), to reject the unexpired leases between the debtor as lessor and the five tenants currently occupying the debtor's building at 412-414 East 75th Street in New York City, ("Tenants").¹ By so doing, he seeks to discontinue providing essential services to the building. Under § 365(a) of the Code, the Trustee is empowered, subject to court approval, to assume or reject executory contracts, such as unexpired leases of the debtor. Given that the Code, like the Bankruptcy Act of 1898 (11 U.S.C. § 110a(5) (1938) (repealed) before it, provides no guidance as to the standards to be applied by the court in evaluating the rejection of an unexpired lease, two divergent standards have evolved: the burden-some property test and the business judgment test.

Under the burdensome property test, an executory contract can be repealed only when continued performance under the contract results in an actual loss to the estate. American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co. v. New York Rys. Co., 278 F. 842 (S.D.N.Y.1922); In re Vidicom Systems, Inc., 2 B.C.D. 2 (Bankr.S.D.N.Y.1975). Under this standard, a trustee must demonstrate that income generated under the leases fails to cover the operating expenses of the building. In re Chicago Rapid Transit Co., 129 F.2d 1 (7th Cir.1942).

The business judgment test provides considerably more flexibility to a trustee. It requires only that the trustee demonstrate that rejection of the executory contract will benefit the estate. Matter of Minges, 602 F.2d 38 (2d Cir.1979); Local Joint Executive Board, AFL-CIO v. Hotel Circle, Inc., 419 F.Supp. 778 (S.D.Cal.1976), aff'd., 613 F.2d 210 (9th Cir.1980); The primary element of such a showing is the extent to which a rejection will benefit the general unsecured creditors of the estate. This may involve a balancing of interests. In re Chi-Feng Huang, 23 B.R. 798, 9 B.C.D. 972, 7 C.B.C.2d 639 (Bkrtcy.App. 9th Cir. 1982). As the Second Circuit has stated: "The trustee and ultimately the court, must exercise their discretion fairly in the interests of all who have had the misfortune of dealing with the debtor." Matter of Minges, 602 F.2d at 43.

The great weight of modern authority applies the business judgment test. Group of Institutional Investors v. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific R. Co., 318 U.S. 523, 63 S.Ct. 727, 87 L.Ed. 959 (1943); Matter of Minges, 602 F.2d 38 (2d Cir. 1979); Matter of Tilco, 558 F.2d 1369, 1372 (10th Cir.1977); King v. Baer, 482 F.2d 552, 557 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 1068, 94 S.Ct. 577, 38 L.Ed.2d 473 (1973). Indeed, virtually all recent Bankruptcy Court decisions apply this test. See, e.g., In re Chi-Feng Huang, 23 B.R. 798, 800, 9 B.C.D. 972, 7 C.B.C.2d 639 (Bkrtcy.App. 9th Cir.1982); In re Roman Crest Fruit, Inc., 35 B.R. 939, 948-49 (Bkrtcy.S.D.N.Y.1983); In re O.P.M. Leasing Services, Inc., 23 B.R. 104 (Bkrtcy.S.D.N.Y.1982); In re National Sugar Refining Co., 21 B.R. 196 (Bkrtcy.S.D.N.Y.1982); In re Sombrero Reef Club, Inc., 18 B.R. 612, 8 B.C.D. 1277, 6 C.B.C.2d 506 (Bkrtcy.S.D.Fla.1982); In re International Coins & Currency, 18 B.R. 335, 6 C.B.C.2d 309 (Bkrtcy.D.Vt.1982); In re Marina Enterprises, Inc., 14 B.R. 327, 8 B.C.D. 59, 5 C.B.C.2d 434 (Bkrtcy.S.D.Fla. 1981); In re Lafayette Radio Electronics Corp., 8 B.R. 528, 533, 3 C.B.C.2d 804 (Bkrtcy.E.D.N.Y.1981); In re J.H. Land & Cattle Co., Inc., 8 B.R. 237, 238, 7 B.C.D. 228, 3 C.B.C.2d 695 (Bkrtcy.W.D.Okl.1981); In re Hurricane Elkhorn Coal Corp. II, 15 B.R. 987, 989 (Bkrtcy.W.D.Ky.1981); In re Summit Land Co., 13 B.R. 310, 314, 7 B.C.D. 1361 (Bkrtcy.Utah 1981). The Supreme Court apparently accepted the business judgment test in National Labor Relations Board v. Bildisco & Bildisco, ___ U.S. ___, 104 S.Ct. 1188, 1195, 79 L.Ed.2d 482 (1984) terming that standard "traditional."

II

Nevertheless, Bildisco itself poses the issue of whether "a somewhat stricter standard" (104 S.Ct. at 1195) should apply to a lessor's rejection of residential or commercial leases where the effect sought would be to relieve the trustee of the contractual obligation to provide essential services that are also mandated by local law.

Nothing in § 365 of the Code, however, indicates that Congress desired the application of a stricter test. The structure of § 365 of the Code, particularly in its inclusion of § 365(h),² counsels against the application of such a test. It indicates that Congress expected the test of rejection by a lessor to be that applicable to other executory contracts. It further indicates that Congress carefully considered the variant cases decided under the Bankruptcy Act and drafted that section in order to afford tenants with appropriate balancing protections. In re Stable Mews, Inc., 35 B.R. 603, 604 (Bkrtcy.S.D.N.Y.1983).

Thus, in § 365(h)(2) Congress enabled a trustee to reject an undesirable lease regardless of the condition of the premises at the time of rejection, In re Acme Precision Building, Ltd., 23 B.R. 79 (Bkrtcy.S.D.Ohio 1982), thereby relieving the estate from covenants requiring future performance, such as the provision of utilities, repairs, maintenance and janitorial services by the debtor. In re LHD Realty Corp., 20 B.R. 717, 719, 9 B.C.D. 361 (Bkrtcy.S.D.Ind.1982).

Similarly, Congress protected tenants by giving them the option to treat the lease as terminated by the rejection, and to assert general claims against the estate, H.Rep. No. 95-595, p. 349, U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 1978, p. 5787, Sen.Rep. No. 95-989, p. 60, U.S.Code Cong. & Admin. News, 1978, p. 5846, or to retain possession for the balance of the term. If a tenant remains in possession, the rent owed is that reserved in the lease less any damages caused by non-performance of the lessor's obligations after rejection. In re Stable Mews Associates, Inc., 35 B.R. 603 (Bkrtcy. S.D.N.Y.1983).

In contrast, The Administrative Code of the City of New York, Title D ("The Housing Maintenance Code"), Subtitle II, Articles 10-22 (1967) requires owners of multiple dwelling units to keep the premises in good repair, properly maintain and keep in good repair the plumbing and drainage systems, provide heat and hot water, provide electric lighting fixtures for public areas, and provide adequate janitorial services. But, in addition to being able to compel performance of that obligation, tenants of such premises may treat a lease as terminated upon its breach, Mayers v. Kugelman, 81 Misc.2d 998, 367 N.Y.S.2d 144 (3d Dist.Ct. Suffolk Co. 1975) or obtain the required services not provided by a landlord, and set off their cost against the rent reserved in the lease. See, e.g., Katurah Corp. v. Wells, 115 Misc.2d 16, 454 N.Y.S.2d 770 (Sup.Ct.App. Term 1st Dept.1982) (necessary repairs); Garcia v. Freeland Realty Co., 63 Misc.2d 937, 314 N.Y.S.2d 215 (N.Y.C.Civ.Ct.N.Y.County 1970) (urgently needed repairs); J.T.L. Associates v. Fred, 112 Misc.2d 742, 447 N.Y.S.2d 337 (N.Y.C.Civ.Ct. Queens County 1981) (repair of broken locks); Jackson v. Rivera, 65 Misc.2d 468, 318 N.Y.S.2d 7 (N.Y.C.Civ.Ct. N.Y.County 1971) (repair broken toilet). A tenant may also contract and pay for delivery of heating oil and utilities upon the landlord's failure to do so, and deduct any payments from the rent reserved in the lease. N.Y. Multiple Dwelling Law § 302-c (1982), N.Y.Real Property Law § 235-a(1) (1972).

These remedies, consistent with those provided by Congress, show that the exact nature of the statutory inconsistency lies in the Code's enabling a trustee to avoid further obligation rather than totally negate health and safety ordinances of particularly local concerns. Freeing an estate from further contractual obligations, the rejection of which, in the business judgment of the trustee, will benefit the estate and its creditors, is a hallmark of the twin federal goals of rehabilitation and maximization of the estate for the benefit of creditors. State and Local laws that stand "as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of the full purposes of Congress" under the Supremacy Clause (Art. VI, Cl. 2 U.S. Const.) are preempted. Hines v. Davidowitz, 312 U.S. 52, 67, 61 S.Ct. 399, 404, 85 L.Ed. 581 (1941); Perez v. Campbell, 402 U.S. 637, 91 S.Ct. 1704, 29 L.Ed.2d 233 (1971). Even though such laws and ordinances may otherwise be valid as an exercise of the state's police power and carry a heavy presumption against preemption, A Framework for Preemption Analysis, 88 Yale L.J. 363, 380-381 (1978), they must yield if they conflict with the bankruptcy laws. Perez v. Campbell, 402 U.S. at 649, 91 S.Ct. at 1711; Johnson v. First National Bank of Montevideo, Minnesota, 719 F.2d 270, 273 (8th Cir.1983), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 104 S.Ct. 1015, 79 L.Ed.2d 245 (1984); In re Gunder, 8 B.R. 390, 392 (Bkrtcy.S.D.Ohio 1980); In re Erlin Manor Nursing Home, Inc., 36 B.R. 672, CCH B.L.D. ¶ 69,706, p. 84,314 (1984); Matter of Bohack Corp., 2 B.C.D. 1740, 1742 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y.1977).

These considerations all support the notion that § 365, standing alone, is to...