Joyce Farms, LLC v. Van Vooren Holdings, Inc

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NO. COA13-773 NORTH CAROLINA COURT OF APPEALS Filed: 4 March 2014 JOYCE FARMS, LLC f/k/a HICKORY MOUNTAIN FARMS, LLC, Plaintiff, v. Forsyth County No. 12 CVS 2114 VAN VOOREN HOLDINGS, INC., STANNY H. VAN VOOREN, and WARRY VAN VOOREN And VAN VOOREN GAME RANCH, INC. An Ontario, Canada corporation, Defendants. Appeal by defendants from order entered 18 April 2013 by Judge William Z. Wood, Jr. in Forsyth County Superior Court. Heard in the Court of Appeals 10 December 2013. Hendrick Bryant Nerhood & Otis, LLP, by Matthew H. Bryant, for plaintiff-appellee. Craige Brawley Liipfert & Walker, Walker, for defendants-appellants. LLP, by William W. HUNTER, Robert C., Judge. Defendants appeal from an order entered 18 April 2013 in Forsyth County Superior Court by Judge granting plaintiff s motion for partial William Z. Wood, Jr. summary judgment and -2dismissing defendants counterclaims. Defendants contend on appeal that the trial court erred by granting plaintiff s motion for partial summary judgment because defendants counterclaims were not barred, and there was ambiguity in the receivership sale documents as to whether liabilities were transferred, thus creating a genuine issue of material fact. Alternatively, defendants argue that summary judgment was improper because they fall under an exception to the general successor liability rule as set out in Budd Tire Corp. v. Pierce Tire Co., 90 N.C. App. 684, 687, 370 S.E.2d 267, 269 (1988). After careful review, we affirm the trial court s order. I. Background This action arises from the second of two related proceedings between the parties. The first proceeding involved a civil action and arbitration leading to the judicial dissolution of Van Vooren Game Ranch USA, LLC ( VVGR USA ). The second proceeding, which gives rise to this appeal, involved a civil action after VVGR USA was dissolved and sold at auction. Stan Van Vooren ( Stan ) formed Van Vooren Game Ranch, Inc. ( VVGR Canada ) in Ontario, Canada in 1987 to grow and sell pheasants for commercial consumption. VVGR Canada created a breed of white pheasants especially suited for meat production -3and developed a market in North America and overseas. Ron Joyce ( Joyce ) joined the family poultry distribution business, Joyce Foods, Inc. ( JFI ) in Forsyth County, North Carolina in 1971, became sole shareholder and manager in 1981, and formed Hickory Mountain Farms, LLC ( HMF ) in 2003 to manage JFI s farming operation. In 2006, VVGR Canada sought a processor for its pheasants. After negotiation, HMF and Joyce entered into an agreement with Stan and Van Vooren Holdings Ltd. ( VVH ) to form VVGR USA. VVGR USA was owned equally; HMF and Joyce owned 50% and Stan and VVH owned 50%. company. Joyce and Stan served as co-managers of the new VVGR USA was to purchase the assets of VVGR Canada for $2,200,000.00. In late 2006 VVGR Canada moved its assets to North Carolina. JFI provided office space and other services for VVGR USA, and JFI s chief financial officer administered VVGR USA s books and bank accounts. In March 2007, VVGR USA established a $300,000.00 line of credit with SunTrust Bank ( the SunTrust loan ) which was converted to a promissory note in 2008. The note gave SunTrust a USA s security interest in all of VVGR personally guaranteed by Joyce and Stan. into default in 2009. VVGR USA assets and was The SunTrust loan went negotiated a forbearance -4agreement with SunTrust to keep SunTrust from seizing VVGR USA s assets while VVGR USA looked for other sources of income as it paid interest on the note. Out of the three parties liable on the note Joyce, Stan, and VVGR USA Joyce was the only party with sufficient assets to pay the debt. Joyce and Stan were unable to work together as co- owners/managers of VVGR USA due to myriad disputes related to VVGR USA s relationship with JFI. In July 2011, JFI sent VVGR USA a demand letter for $100,548.62 owed for product sold and delivered. VVGR charges, actually JFI USA amount demanded by JFI. contended owed VVGR that, USA because funds in of excess improper of the Joyce, JFI, Stan, and VVGR USA agreed in August 2011 to submit their disputes to arbitration. A. Arbitration and Judicial Dissolution In the arbitration, Stan and VVGR USA filed, among other claims, a request for judicial dissolution of VVGR USA pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 57-6-02. Because judicial dissolution of VVGR USA would trigger default of the SunTrust note and Joyce s guaranty would be called upon, Joyce began a plan to protect his personal obligation in the note. Joyce determined that he would be paying off the note one way or the other and decided he would rather have control of the VVGR USA assets than lose them -5in a bank assets formed auction, value. by which he believed would not realize the 2011 Asset Acquisition, LLC ( 2011 AA ) was Todd Tucker, a JFI shareholder purchase the SunTrust note from the bank. and officer, to Art Pope, another JFI shareholder and creditor, loaned the funds to 2011 AA to buy the SunTrust note for $299,589.42. Joyce agreed, through HMF, to underwrite and fund 2011 AA s costs of purchasing the SunTrust note and take control of the VVGR USA collateral. On 3 October 2011, Joyce and HMF commenced the dissolution action in Forsyth County Superior Court seeking (1) judicial dissolution of VVGR USA; (2) an order allowing the other VVGR USA owners to buy Stan and VVGR Canada s interest in VVGR USA; (3) a declaratory judgment determining the scope of the arbitration agreement; and (4) an order staying the arbitration proceeding. HMF specifically alleged management deadlock, that HMF was not a party to the arbitration agreement, and that VVGR USA should be dissolved, its assets liquidated and creditors paid. On 5 October 2011, the attorney for Joyce and JFI informed Stan and SunTrust note. VVGR 2011 USA AA that 2011 demanded AA had immediate purchased payment of the the $299,589.42 balance on the SunTrust note and took possession of all of VVGR USA s assets pursuant to the original security -6agreement. On 10 October 2011, Stan and VVGR USA filed a counterclaim, a third-party complaint, and a motion for injunctive relief in the dissolution action. They argued that there was no factual or legal difference between Joyce, JFI, HMF, Tucker, and 2011 AA and that the acts of any one of them was the act of the others, meaning that all were subject to the arbitration agreement entered into by Joyce and JFI as part of their dispute with Stan and VVGR USA. Joyce, JFI, Alternatively, they asked the court to enjoin HMF, Tucker, and 2011 AA from pursuing claims outside the arbitration proceeding, and for the court to appoint a receiver to manage VVGR USA. On 4 November 2011, the trial court: (1) denied the preliminary injunction motion; (2) found that HMF and 2011 AA were not parties to the arbitration agreement; (3) found that VVGR USA was deadlocked; and (4) ordered that a receiver be appointed to dissolve VVGR USA. The receiver operated VVGR USA until he made a motion to sell VVGR USA s assets, which was granted on 15 December 2011. receiver nor the order Neither the order appointing the approving the receiver s sale specifically mention any contract-based claims that Stan, his father Warry Van Vooren ( Warry ), VVH or VVGR Canada held -7against VVGR USA. The bill of sale and motion to sell were silent with regard to the transfer of liabilities; however, an attached asset protection agreement explicitly stated that the sale would not transfer liabilities. The receiver conducted an auction of VVGR USA s assets, where HMF submitted the highest bid of $510,000.00. The court approved the sale in an order dated 16 December 2011, with the details of the sale attached. The order approving sale provided that [t]he Purchased Assets shall be sold free and clear of all liens, interests and encumbrances whatsoever[.] With the sale complete, the receiver asked Tucker to specify all amounts VVGR USA owed to 2011 AA on the SunTrust note and security agreement purchased by 2011 AA. Tucker claimed 2011 AA was due $485,630.00 from VVGR USA, and the receiver paid the requested amount to 2011 AA. 2011 Tucker subsequently transferred his sole ownership of AA therefore controlled to all Joyce of for VVGR no consideration. USA s assets Joyce through the auction sale to HMF, and had the SunTrust note paid off to 2011 AA, which Joyce now solely owned. The arbitrator later conducted a hearing in March 2013 and entered a ruling on 2 April 2013 denying Stan s and VVH s claims against Joyce for money owed from unpaid capital contributions at VVGR USA s -8creation. B. The Present Action HMF commenced this action against Stan, Warry, VVH, and VVGR Canada (collectively defendants ) claiming they were liable to HMF as assignee for legal claims previously held by VVGR USA related to unapproved invoices, among other things. distributions and unpaid Defendants counterclaimed that HMF, as the owner of VVGR USA s contracts and goodwill, was liable to defendants for, inter alia, money owed from VVGR USA s initial purchase subsequent loans of assets defendants course of the business. from made VVGR to Canada VVGR USA in 2006 and throughout the After discovery, HMF filed a partial summary judgment motion claiming that the liabilities of VVGR USA were not transferred in the dissolution sale, and therefore all of defendants counterclaims should be dismissed. The trial court denied HMF s motion for summary judgment as to its own claims counterclaims, but granted concluding that the the motion as to receivership transfer VVGR USA s liabilities to the buyer, HMF. defendants sale did not The parties settled all remaining claims shortly after jury selection. The settlement specified that it was a final determination of the rights of the parties and that [d]efendants right to appeal -9the dismissal of [d]efendants counterclaims [was] not waived or abridged by [the] settlement. Defendants filed timely notice of appeal from the trial court s order. II. Discussion Defendants contend that summary judgment was improper for three reasons: (1) their counterclaims were not barred by the dissolution because a genuine issue of material fact existed as to whether the trial court ordered a sale free and clear of defendants contract claims against VVGR USA; (2) the order approving the sale of VVGR USA s assets to HMF was ambiguous, and thus its effect could not be determined as a matter of law; and (3) the evidence raises genuine issues of material fact as to whether any exceptions to the general successor liability rule apply. After careful review, we affirm the trial court s order dismissing defendants counterclaims. Our standard of review of an appeal from summary judgment is de novo; such judgment is appropriate only when the record shows that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that any party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. In re Will of Jones, 362 N.C. 569, 573, 669 S.E.2d 572, 576 (2008) (quoting Forbis v. Neal, 361 N.C. 519, 524, 649 -10S.E.2d 382, 385 (2007)). An issue is material if the facts alleged would constitute a legal defense, or would affect the result of the action, or if its resolution would prevent the party against action. whom it is resolved from prevailing in the Koontz v. City of Winston-Salem, 280 N.C. 513, 518, 182 S.E.2d 897, 901 (1972). On summary judgment, facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Caldwell v. Deese, 288 N.C. 375, 378, 218 S.E.2d 379, 381 (1975). A. Effect of Dissolution on Defendants Contract Claims Defendants first argue that a genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether the trial court actually ordered that VVGR USA s assets were to be sold free and clear of defendants contract claims against VVGR USA. We disagree. Under the general successor liability rule, a corporation which purchases another all or corporation is liabilities. Defendants substantially not all liable for of the the are of transferor s Budd Tire, 90 N.C. App. at 687, 370 S.E.2d at 269. counterclaims all stem from alleged breach contractual agreements defendants held with VVGR USA. claims assets liabilities successor corporations. that generally do not of Contract transfer to See Becker v. Graber Builders, Inc., -11149 N.C. App. 787, 791, 561 S.E.2d 905, 909 (2002). Thus, under the general rule, when plaintiff purchased all of VVGR USA s assets at the receivership sale, it did not acquire VVGR USA s liabilities, which included defendants contract claims against it. Despite the general successor liability rule, defendants argue that there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the judicial dissolution court specifically ordered VVGR USA s assets to be sold free and clear of defendants contract claims. the Because neither the order appointing the receiver nor order approving the receiver s sale specifically mention defendants contract claims against VVGR USA, defendants argue that there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether these liabilities were transferred. We disagree. Though the trial court s orders do not expressly indicate that defendants contract claims against VVGR USA were excluded in the receiver s sale of VVGR USA s assets, they do indicate that VVGR USA s assets were to be sold free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances[.] Furthermore, as is discussed in more detail below, all relevant documents related to the receivership sale indicate that it was intended to be a sale of assets only, with no liabilities included. -12Absent any indication to the contrary, we hold that the trial court, consistent with the general successor liability rule, ordered a sale of VVGR USA s assets and did not order the transfer of VVGR USA s liabilities, including any contract claims defendants may have had against it. B. Ambiguity of Order Approving Sale Defendants next argue that the order approving the sale of VVGR USA s assets was ambiguous determined as a matter of law. and therefore could not be We disagree. At the outset, we note that defendants argument as to this issue amounts receivership validity of permissible to an impermissible sale of VVGR receiverships under North USA s by collateral collateral Carolina law. on the Attacks assets. attack on the are not All Star actions Hudson v. Mills, Inc., 68 N.C. App. 447, 451, 315 S.E.2d 514, 517 (1984). The method of attacking a public sale of assets must be direct, either by motion in the cause or appeal, not through a separate action. 502, 504 See Brown v. Miller, 63 N.C. App. 694, 697, 306 S.E.2d (1983). [T]he court being one of competent jurisdiction in receivership proceedings, and having acquired jurisdiction of the parties and the subject matter in controversy, it may not be interfered with by any other court of -13co-ordinate authority[.] Hall v. Shippers Exp., 234 N.C. 38, 40, 65 S.E.2d 333, 335 (1951). Here, defendants attempted to challenge the order approving the receivership sale in a new action brought in a trial court of coordinate authority as that which conducted the dissolution. The trial court in the dissolution action concluded, and defendants do not contest, that it had proper subject matter jurisdiction to oversee the receivership sale. Defendants failed to file any claims, motions, objections, or appeals in the dissolution action or otherwise challenge the receivership proceedings or the order authorizing the sale in any way. Therefore, because the trial court in the judicial dissolution case had proper subject matter jurisdiction over the parties with regard to the receivership sale, and defendants now contest the receivership authority, we sale hold before that this a new judge argument is with an co-ordinate impermissible collateral attack. However, even if this were not an impermissible collateral attack, we would hold that defendants argument fails. ambiguity exists in a court order is a question of law. Whether Emory v. Pendergraph, 154 N.C. App. 181, 186, 571 S.E.2d 845, 848 (2002). [W]here a judicial ruling is susceptible of two -14interpretations, the court will adopt the one which makes it harmonize with the law properly applicable to the case. Kniep v. Templeton, 185 N.C. App. 622, 631, 649 S.E.2d 425, 431-32 (2007) (citations and quotation marks omitted). Defendants contention that the order approving the sale was ambiguous arises from the order s provision that VVGR USA s contracts would be sold with its assets but that [t]he [p]urchased [a]ssets shall be sold free and clear of all liens, interests and encumbrances whatsoever. Defendants argue that because their contract claims against VVGR USA were not liens, interests or encumbrances, and that VVGR USA s contracts were transferred to plaintiff, ambiguity existed as to whether liability on defendants contract claims were sold to plaintiff and this issue should have been decided by a trier of fact. We disagree. The receiver s report and motion to sell assets both indicate that the receiver intended to conduct an asset sale exclusive of liabilities. An Asset Purchase Agreement form, which the receiver attached to the motion as a template for the sale, specifically excluded transfer of VVGR USA s liabilities to the buyer: NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING CONTAINED HEREIN TO THE CONTRARY, THE PURCHASER SHALL NOT ASSUME -15ANY LIABILITIES OR OBLIGATIONS (FIXED OR CONTINGENT, KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, MATURED OR UNMATURED), INCLUDING ANY AND ALL ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITIES, OF THE COMPANY OR ITS MEMBERS OR SHAREHOLDERS WHETHER OR NOT ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PURCHASED ASSETS OR THE BUSINESS OR ANY OTHER BUSINESS OF THE COMPANY OR ITS MEMBERS OR SHAREHOLDERS, ALL OF WHICH LIABILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS SHALL, AT AND AFTER THE CLOSING, REMAIN THE EXCLUSIVE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMPANY OR ITS MEMBERS OR SHAREHOLDERS (AS APPLICABLE). Furthermore, the bill of sale refers only to the sale of assets and is silent with regard to liabilities. affidavit in which he stated assets only, not liabilities. that the The receiver filed an auction sale was for Finally, the order itself states that [t]he Purchased Assets shall be sold free and clear of all liens, interests and encumbrances whatsoever. In short, all of the evidence related to the receivership sale clearly indicates that it was a sale of assets, not liabilities. Defendants produced no evidence indicating that the parties, the receiver, or the general trial court successor intended liability to contravene rule by the selling long-standing defendants unspecified contract claims together with VVGR USA s assets. Based on these facts, we agree with plaintiff that the order unambiguously transferred liabilities, including VVGR USA s defendants assets contract and excluded claims, in all the -16receivership sale. Therefore, defendants argument is overruled. C. Exceptions to the General Successor Liability Rule Defendants material fact final existed argument as to is that whether general successor liability rule apply. a any genuine issue exceptions to of the We disagree. Defendants rely on the four exceptions enunciated in Budd Tire to support their argument. with a private consideration sale where of the In Budd Tire, the Court dealt company purchaser general successor liability rule. 684, 370 S.E.2d at 267. assets would be for inadequate protected by the Budd Tire, 90 N.C. App. at The Court was forced to carve out exceptions to the general successor liability rule to provide an equitable remedy transaction. to a creditor in the face Id. at 689, 370 S.E.2d at 270. of a fraudulent Thus, the Court held that the general successor liability rule does not apply where: (1) there is an express or implied agreement by the purchasing corporation to assume the debt or liability; (2) the transfer amounts to a de facto merger of the two corporations; (3) the transfer of assets was done for the purpose of defrauding the corporation s creditors, or; (4) the purchasing corporation is a mere continuation of the selling corporation in that the purchasing corporation has some of -17the same officers. shareholders, directors, and Id. at 687, 370 S.E.2d at 269. However, the structured court-ordered sale of assets in the present case is distinguishable private transaction in Budd from Tire the that type of fraudulent involved inadequate consideration and shielding the insolvent company from creditors without the creditors having legal remedies prior to the sale. See id. Defendants cite to no caselaw, and we find none, supporting the contention that these exceptions are applicable to a court-ordered and supervised public sale. In this context, statutory safeguards are already in place to ensure that the trial court and without fraud. the receiver conduct dissolution fairly and See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-505 (2013) ( Sales of property [by receivers] shall be upon such terms as appear to be to the best interests receivership. ). of the creditors affected by the Furthermore, unlike the private sale in Budd Tire, defendants here could have protected their interests by bidding on VVGR USA s assets. The Budd Tire exceptions were put in place to prevent fraudulent transfers in private sales. at 689, 370 S.E.2d at 270. fraud through application Id. The need to protect creditors from of these exceptions is minimized where, as here, statutory safeguards were already in place to -18ensure dissolution without fraud and the creditors could have protected their own interests by participating in the public sale. For these reasons, we decline to extend the exceptions to the general successor court-ordered and liability supervised rule public to the sales of new context company of assets. Defendants contention that there existed a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the exceptions apply is overruled. III. Conclusion Because the trial court unambiguously ordered VVGR USA s assets to be sold at the receivership sale free of all liabilities, and the general successor liability rule applies, there is no genuine issue of material fact and defendants counterclaims against plaintiff based on alleged contracts with VVGR USA are barred as a matter of law. Furthermore, we hold that the Budd Tire exceptions to the general successor liability rule put in place to prevent fraudulent transfers in private sales of company assets are inapplicable here. affirm the trial court s order. AFFIRMED. Judges MCGEE and ELMORE concur. As such, we

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