Note H - Other Real Estate Owned

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Real Estate Owned [Text Block]

NOTE H – OTHER REAL ESTATE OWNED

On February 7, 2012, we, VRM II and Fund III entered into a Deed in Lieu Agreement with a borrower resolving the foreclosure of our secured loan which had matured on December 31, 2011, with a balance of approximately $11.8 million, of which our portion was approximately $0.9 million.  Our subsidiary 1701 Commerce, LLC, pursuant to the Deed in Lieu Agreement received a deed to the property which had secured the loan.  The property, which is being operated as the Sheraton – Forth Worth, Texas, is the subject of litigation relating to the validity, priority, nature, and extent of liens claimed by other parties that may secure claims ranging from approximately $39 million to $43 million. We dispute both the validity of the claimed liens and the amount of the claimed secured debt in whole or in part and as of this time intend to pursue our objections and disputes as to such matters.  On March 26, 2012, 1701 Commerce filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Ft. Worth Division, to reorganize its financial affairs and to avoid a potential foreclosure of the property that had been scheduled by the lien claimants and to preserve and protect 1701 Commerce’s equity in the and the interests of the other creditors of the property.  Due to the uncertainty and dispute involving this property, we have recorded this investment as Other Real Estate Owned on the balance sheet. We will continue to pursue and protect our equity in this property and have formulated and proposed a plan of reorganization for the Debtor and the property. Such plan has not been confirmed or approved by the Bankruptcy Court as of this time and we anticipate that revisions to the plan will be required to confirm the plan. If the Bankruptcy Court confirms a plan of reorganization in which our equity in the Debtor is preserved or retained, we expect to include the operations through consolidation into our financial statements from that date. If we are not able to confirm such a plan or if the Bankruptcy Court confirms a reorganization plan that does not retain or preserve 100% of the loan, we will determine the appropriate accounting treatment as of the date of such event, if any.  We hold an interest of approximately 8%, VRM II holds an interest of approximately 90% and Fund III holds an interest of approximately 2% in 1701 Commerce.