On January 14, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided City of Chicago, Illinois v. Fulton (Case No. 19-357, Jan. 14, 2021), a case which examined whether merely retaining estate property after a bankruptcy filing violates the automatic stay provided for by §362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code. The Court overruled the bankruptcy court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in deciding that mere retention of property does not violate the automatic stay.

Case Background

In a recent opinion issued in the Cinemex theater bankruptcy cases, In re Cinemex USA Real Estate Holdings, Inc., Case No. 20-14695-BKC-LMI, 2021 WL 564486 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. Jan. 27, 2021), Judge Laurel M. Isicoff of the U.S.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been with us now for over 12 months. At the time of writing, we are part way through the third national lockdown. The Government has indicated that schools should start reopening on 8 March 2021, but there is no indication of when non-essential retail will reopen or when the directive to work from home ‘where possible’ will be eased.

Sky Building Ltd (the Company) owned a development property (the Property) and granted leases for 145 flats. Leasehold contracts were exchanged in relation to 143 flats, giving rise to purchasers' liens. Some of the purchasers' liens (securing liabilities of approximately £6.5 million) were protected by registration of notices against the title to the Property, conferring a priority interest in the event of a sale of the Property.

Many commercial landlords are increasingly alarmed that COVID-19 may cause a surge in tenant bankruptcies or restructurings. We outline below the major issues for landlords arising from tenant defaults and insolvencies and suggest best practices to minimize losses.

1.1 Corona Relief Fund (for more details check out our legal insight)

There are nine changes in the Bankruptcy code under the CAA, which extends additional support from the federal government both individual and business debts due to the COVID pandemic. Of these nine bankruptcy changes only three directly affect the residential mortgage industry. These are:

1. Chapter 13 only – Order of discharge entered albeit mortgage debt still in default. Even when the debtor has not cured the mortgage debt under chapter 13, a discharge order may be entered where 2 requirements are satisfied:

Status as of 17/02

Table of Content

• 1 Financial Support Measures
• 2 Capital Markets
• 3 Employment
• 4 Real Estate & Construction
• 5 Tax & Duties
• 6 Corporate, M&A
• 7 EU & Competition
• 8 Courts and Authorities
• 9 Healthcare
• 10 Insolvency & Restructuring
• 11 Insurance
• 12 Intellectual Property
• 13 Telecom & Data Protection
• 14 Other

1 Financial Support Measures

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the Appropriations Act) is a $2.3 trillion spending bill that combines stimulus relief for the COVID-19 pandemic and an omnibus spending bill for the federal fiscal year. While the Appropriations Act is intended to enhance stimulus relief under the CARES Act and does so in many profound ways, it also includes provisions narrowly targeted to assist companies that have filed for protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Bankruptcy Code) by temporarily modifying the rules governing a tenant’s performance under its leases.

I had an interesting conversation this week with the Evening Standard, considering the prospect of further company voluntary arrangements, or 'CVAs' on the UK high street as the year progresses.

The vast majority of ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers, as well as hospitality venues, are desperately seeking ways to cut their fixed costs to improve their chances of riding-out the pandemic. Leasehold obligations are often among the most significant of those fixed costs, and the CVA offers a well-tested route to compromise those obligations.