To prevent landlords under long-term real property leases from reaping a windfall for future rent claims at the expense of other creditors, the Bankruptcy Code caps the amount of a landlord's claim against a debtor-tenant for damages "resulting from the termination" of a real property lease.
The perspective of a landlord
In brief
A tenant's insolvency hits landlords particularly hard. Existing rental securities (e.g., rent deposit, landlord's lien) cannot always cushion the loss of rent and operating costs. Especially in times of the current energy crisis and rising costs, this issue is becoming increasingly explosive. This is demonstrated by the numerous insolvencies in the fashion retail sector, such as Galeria, Peek & Cloppenburg, KaDeWe and Esprit. High rents are often of the main reasons for insolvency.
Preparing a business for an exit can be a complex and time-consuming task.
Gläubigerbenachteiligungsvorsatz bei der Vorsatzanfechtung im Rahmen von Grundstücksverkäufen (BGH, Urteil vom 22. Februar 2024 – IX ZR 226/20).
In In re New Dragon Toy Wholesale, Inc., Chief Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn denied a debtor/tenant’s motion for a temporary restraining order to enjoin a landlord and the New York City marshal from evicting the debtor from a commercial property, holding that the eviction was excepted from the automatic stay since the commercial lease terminated pre-bankruptcy.
Background
The real estate industry forms a significant portion of the flourishing Indian economy. However, it is also plagued with inordinate delays, cash-flow issues and anguished homebuyers. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (“IBBI”) has recently added to the array of steps being taken to address these issues.
For RSLs who are routinely contracting with housebuilders for golden brick delivery of affordable housing across multiple phases, we discuss the four key actions that can help if the housebuilder becomes insolvent.
1. Pre-Insolvency – Financial Distress Provisions and Due Diligence
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (“NCLAT”) in Anjani Kumar Prashar v. Manab Datta & Ors, Company Appeal (AT) (Ins) No.
Bankruptcy Code Section 502(b)(6) establishes a Statutory Cap on the damages a landlord can claim arising from the termination of a lease in bankruptcy case. Courts have split on how to calculate the Statutory Cap, whether and how to apply letters of credit to reduce the Statutory Cap, and whether the Statutory Cap applies to a landlord’s claims against a lessee’s debtor-guarantor.
On March 26, 2024, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an opinion addressing the foregoing issues:
The Porter Davis liquidation in early 2023 put into sharp focus the practice of some builders taking deposits from owners before obtaining domestic building insurance for their work, insurance that helps to protect owners in the event of a builder’s insolvency.
In the case of Porter Davis, this practice left thousands of owners without insurance to recover the loss of their deposits, leading the State Government to implement a relief scheme to compensate home owners over $28 million, later extended to 20 February 2024 and expanded to other builders in liquidation.