VICTOR MARRERO, District Judge.
Pro se appellant Richard E. Ivers Jr. ("Ivers") appealed, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 158(a) and Rules 8001(a) and 8002(a) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, from two orders issued by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the "Bankruptcy Court"). Those orders denied Ivers's claims for money he asserts he was owed by appellee Ciena Capital Funding LLC (formerly known as BLX Capital, LLC) ("BLX") and specifically consist of: (1) a disallowance order, dated March 17, 2010 (the "Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Order"); and (2) a reconsideration order, dated May 14, 2010 (the "Bankruptcy Court Reconsideration Order") (collectively, the "Bankruptcy Court Orders"). Ivers's submissions to the Court, when read liberally and construed in his favor, present an appeal of several factual findings by the Bankruptcy Court. After reviewing the relevant record and the parties' submissions, the Court AFFIRMS the Bankruptcy Court Orders for the reasons stated below.
The instant appeal stems from Ivers's breach of contract action against BLX in
On December 12, 2008, Ivers filed a proof of claim (the "Claim"), asserting a general unsecured claim against the Debtors for $9,792,536.05 based on the damages he sought in his Breach of Contract Action. On July 22, 2009, the Debtors filed a verified objection (the "Objection") to the Claim pursuant to section 502 of the Bankruptcy Code and Rule 3007 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. The Debtors' position, among others, was that conditions precedent to the operative legal obligations necessary for a breach of contract to have transpired never occurred.
After the parties submitted briefing on the Objection, the Bankruptcy Court held oral argument on February 17, 2010. A month later, on March 17, 2010, the Bankruptcy Court issued the Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Opinion along with a separate, one-page Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Order granting the Objection and disallowing Ivers's Claim. Ivers moved for reconsideration. On May 14, 2010, the Bankruptcy Court issued the Bankruptcy Court Reconsideration Order, denying Ivers's motion seeking reconsideration because it found "no basis in law or in fact to reconsider the [Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Order.]" (Bankruptcy Court Reconsideration Order at 1.) On May 28, 2010, Ivers filed his notice of appeal, seeking review of the Bankruptcy Court Orders.
Ivers's Breach of Contract Action and the instant appeal are ultimately traceable to transactions in 2005 in which he borrowed money from BLX to purchase and renovate a convenience store in Mesa, Arizona, located at 1224 N. Gilbert Road (the "Commercial Property"). On or about April 29, 2005, Ivers, doing business as Sparky's Deli and Convenience Store, as borrower, and BLX, as lender, closed on a senior loan (the "Senior Loan") agreement and a junior loan (the "Junior Loan") agreement (collectively, the "Loan Agreements") in exchange for, among other consideration, a security interest in the Commercial Property and a promissory note. The Senior Loan was in the amount of $363,730.00 and the Junior Loan was for $254,607.00. Despite Ivers's present Claim for $9,792,536.05, the contract that he alleges was breached involves loans totaling approximately $600,000.
On March 16 and 21, 2005, before the closing on the Loan Agreements, BLX delivered two commitment letters (the "Pre-Closing Commitment Letters") to Ivers,
(Id. at 6-7 n. 5.)
Before closing on the Senior Loan and Junior Loan, BLX informed Ivers that CDC would reduce the amount of the loans. Additionally, the CDC sent Ivers a letter stating that the amounts of the loans governed by the Pre-Closing Commitment Letters had been decreased. Ivers subsequently closed on the Loan Agreements, independent of the Pre-Closing Commitment Letters. By September 9, 2005, BLX had disbursed to Ivers a total of $601,485.23 under the Loan Agreements.
In the summer of 2005, even before BLX had disbursed the $601,485.23, Ivers failed to make complete and timely monthly payments that were required under the Loan Agreements. Ivers also did not make payments due to contractors who had worked on the Commercial Property. As a result, several contractors filed mechanic's liens against that property in late 2005. In early December 2005, Ivers provided BLX with a check for $16,881.84 to reinstate his loan through the end of that month. The December 2005 payment was the last that Ivers submitted to BLX under the Loan Agreements. Ivers omitted to make his required payment in January 2006. On February 6, 2006, BLX provided Ivers with a notice of default pursuant to the Loan Agreements. Approximately one week later, Ivers closed his convenience store. CDC had never funded the Junior Loan.
On May 15, 2006, BLX instituted foreclosure proceedings on the Commercial Property. BLX then purchased its security interest through a credit of $600,320.00 at an uncontested foreclosure proceeding. On or about February 27, 2007, it subsequently sold the property at a loss for a total sale price of $480,000.00. BLX has not pursued a deficiency judgment against Ivers (or any other loan guarantor) under the Loan Agreements.
Two years after the foreclosure proceeding, Ivers filed the Breach of Contract Action. Specifically, Ivers's suit alleged
The Bankruptcy Court disallowed Ivers's Claim against the Debtors, holding that "neither BLX nor Ivers had obligations to perform under the [the Pre-Closing Commitment Letters]" because "the conditions precedent [enumerated in those letters] were not satisfied." (Id. at 7.) The Bankruptcy Court stated that "when a contract is contingent on an express condition and that condition is not fulfilled, parties are excused from performance." (Id. at 6 (citing Oppenheimer & Co. v. Oppenheim, Appel, Dixon & Co., 86 N.Y.2d 685, 636 N.Y.S.2d 734, 660 N.E.2d 415, 421 (1995) for the proposition that "[e]xpress conditions are those imposed by the parties themselves.... They must be literally performed." (alteration omitted)).) The Bankruptcy Court identified "several conditions precedent" in "[t]he [Pre-Closing] Commitment Letters between BLX and Ivers" and stated that the non-occurrence of any one of them would preclude the contractual obligation of either party." (Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Opinion at 6.)
Applying this hornbook law to the facts here, the Bankruptcy Court concluded "that the [Pre-Closing] Commitment Letters created no enforceable legal obligation of the parties in this case as the multiple conditions precedent in the [Pre-Closing Commitment] Letters were never satisfied." (Id. at 5.) The Bankruptcy Court made factual findings as to the non-occurrence of four conditions precedent, stating:
(Id. at 6-7 (ellipsis in original) (emphasis added) (citation omitted).) Accordingly, it granted the Debtors' Objection and issued the Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Order. Further, the Bankruptcy Court denied Ivers's motion for reconsideration of the Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Order.
On appeal from a disallowance order, the Court accepts the Bankruptcy Court's findings of fact unless clearly erroneous while reviewing its conclusions of law de novo. See Momentum Mtg. Corp. v. Employee Creditors Comm. (In re Momentum Mfg. Corp.), 25 F.3d 1132, 1136 (2d Cir.1994); see also Fed. R. Bankr.P. 8013 ("Findings of fact, whether based on oral or documentary evidence, shall not be
Ivers filed a statement of issues, dated June 28, 2010 (the "Statement of Issues"), in the Bankruptcy Court, but does not include a statement of issues in his Appeal Brief, or provide an argument section that addresses the issues raised in his Statement of Issues. The Court will read Ivers's submissions liberally because he is proceeding pro se, construing them to present issues on appeal and explaining his asserted basis for reversal.
Ivers purports to present seven bases for reversal on appeal:
(See Statement of Issues.)
In setting forth these issues for appeal, Ivers appears to challenge the Bankruptcy Court's factual findings.
In sum, Ivers falls far short of carrying his burden on appeal; he has presented no compelling evidence to show that the Bankruptcy Court clearly erred in making these factual findings. Thus, reversal is unwarranted.
Ivers's appeal also seeks review of the Bankruptcy Court Reconsideration Order. The Bankruptcy Court denied Ivers's motion for reconsideration of the Bankruptcy Court's Disallowance Order, stating that it found "no basis in law or in fact to reconsider the [Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Order.]" (See Bankruptcy Court Reconsideration Order at 1.) As a threshold, Ivers's Statement of Issues and his Appeal Brief argue for reversal only as to the Bankruptcy Court's Disallowance Order. Accordingly, the Court treats Ivers's appeal of the Bankruptcy Court Reconsideration Order as abandoned. See Anti-Monopoly, Inc., v. Hasbro, Inc., 958 F.Supp. 895, 907 n. 11 (S.D.N.Y.1997) ("[T]he failure to provide argument on a point at issue constitutes abandonment of the issue.").
Even if the Court reviewed the Bankruptcy Court Reconsideration Order, it would reject any alleged infirmity based on reasoning consistent with that found above. Ivers's Reply Brief here admits that his motion for reconsideration was simply an attempt to get the Bankruptcy Court to look again at the Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Order. (See Ivers's Reply Brief at 1 ("My appeal brief was based on the [Bankruptcy Court Disallowance Order] because it was the Bankruptcy Courts [sic] Ruling on my Proof of Claim. The Motion for Reconsideration on this Ruling was an attempt to get the judge to review and see the errors. He failed to do that [sic] forced me to file the Appeal of that Opinion and Ruling. The fact that I did not include the Motion for Reconsideration in my appeal is not relevant because that motion did not affect the bankruptcy courts [sic] ruling and the Motion for Reconsideration in my brief because they are the same issues.").) Thus,
For the reasons stated above, it is hereby
The Clerk of Court is directed to terminate any pending motions and to close this case.