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中伦观点

在系列上篇中,我们梳理了地产项目债务重组相关政策,结合经验总结债务重组的原则、项目与项目公司尽职调查实务重点。在下篇中,我们着重梳理困境项目重组方案经验,并分享对行政赋能的一些思考,供读者参考。

房地产行业高速发展10余年,在“房住不炒”的宏观背景以及2020年8月“三道红线”政策后,因房地产行业的发展模式及市场发展规律、政策执行力度、国家宏观调控等多方面的原因,房地产市场从2021年9月开始经历行业“缩表”的阵痛,不少大型房地产企业先后出现债务风险,面临诸多的困难处境,继而影响资金方、施工方、材料设备供应方及购房业主等多方主体。房地产市场影响国民经济及民生多个方面,在行业困境下,政府亦在监管、维稳、施救等多方面遇到难题。表面上看,各方主体皆可按政策与法律处理,但实操中,商业诉求与法律的平衡,经济效果与社会效果、法律效果的协调,社会资源的调度与节约,仍需探索最佳路径。

本文仅就困境项目的成因、市场常见盘活方案等问题,从法律角度予以整理,请勿以此作为法律意见在实践中套用。

一、困境项目重组方案

房地产行业高速发展10余年,在“房住不炒”的宏观背景以及2020年8月“三道红线”政策后,因房地产行业的发展模式及市场发展规律、政策执行力度、国家宏观调控等多方面的原因,房地产市场从2021年9月开始经历行业“缩表”的阵痛,不少大型房地产企业先后出现债务风险,面临诸多的困难处境,继而影响资金方、施工方、材料设备供应方及购房业主等多方主体。房地产市场影响国民经济及民生多个方面,在行业困境下,政府亦在监管、维稳、施救等多方面遇到难题。表面上看,各方主体皆可按政策与法律处理,但实操中,商业诉求与法律的平衡,经济效果与社会效果、法律效果的协调,社会资源的调度与节约,仍需探索最佳路径。

单纯的法律手段难以解决问题的情形下,笔者认为:房地产困境的解决,最终需要落实到具体的房地产项目庭外重组与盘活。开展全行业性的政策拯救或对大型地产公司进行全面的庭外重组盘活,需假以时日并多方共同努力。因此,结合近一年多的地产项目重组盘活经验,笔者希望从政府管理、商业诉求、法律实践等方面,为各方在房地产项目困境中破局提供些建议,达到解决具体房地产项目的实际问题,使项目价值最大化,最大程度实现各方利益诉求,从一定程度上缓解目前房地产困境。

本文仅就困境项目的成因、市场常见盘活方案等问题,从法律角度予以整理,请勿以此作为法律意见在实践中套用。

On July 6-7, 2017, Craig Jalbert, in his capacity as Trustee for F2 Liquidating Trust, filed approximately 187 complaints seeking the avoidance and recovery of allegedly preferential and/or fraudulent transfers under Sections 547, 548 and 550 of the Bankruptcy Code (depending on the nature of the claims). In certain instances, the Trustee also seeks to disallow claims of such defendants under Sections 502(d) and (j) of the Bankruptcy Code.

On June 15, 2017, Curtis R. Smith, as Liquidating Trustee of the Hastings Creditors’ Liquidating Trust, filed approximately 69 complaints seeking the avoidance and recovery of allegedly preferential and/or fraudulent transfers under Sections 547, 548 and 550 of the Bankruptcy Code. The Liquidating Trustee also seeks to disallow claims of such defendants under Sections 502(d) and (j) of the Bankruptcy Code.

On June 13, 2017, The Original Soupman, Inc. and its affiliates (collectively “Debtors” or “Original Soupman”) commenced voluntary bankruptcy proceedings under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. According to its petition, Original Soupman estimates that its assets are between $1 million and $10 million, and its liabilities are between $10 million and $50 million.

On May 17, 2017, GulfMark Offshore, Inc. (“GulfMark” or “Debtor”) filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.

Starting on April 28, 2017, Craig R. Jalbert, as Distribution Trustee of the Corinthian Distribution Trust, filed approximately 122 complaints seeking the avoidance and recovery of allegedly preferential and/or fraudulent transfers under Sections 547, 548, 549 and and 550 of the Bankruptcy Code (depending upon the nature of the underlying transactions). The Distribution Trustee also seeks to disallow claims of such defendants under Sections 502(d) and (j) of the Bankruptcy Code.

Whether a claim against company management is direct or derivative is not infrequently disputed in litigation before the Delaware Court of Chancery. This determination becomes important in many contexts, including whether it was necessary for plaintiff to make a pre-suit demand upon the board, whether derivative claims of a company have been assigned to a receiver, or whether such claims have previously been settled in a prior litigation.

Not uncommonly, a preference complaint fails to adequately allege that the transfers sought to be recovered by the trustee were made “for or on account of an antecedent debt owed by the debtor before such transfer was made”, as required under Section 547(b) of the Bankruptcy Code. Thus, when faced with a complaint to recover alleged preferential transfers, a defendant can proceed in one of two ways: (i) file an answer and raise affirmative defenses, or (ii) move to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6).

In the recent decision of In re Molycorp, Inc., 562 B.R. 67 (Bankr. D. Del. 2017), Judge Sontchi held that a carve-out provision in a DIP financing order did not act as an absolute limit on the fees and expenses payable to counsel to the creditors committee in a case with a confirmed chapter 11 plan.