Opinion ID: 503091
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Trustee's Timely Assumption of the Lease

Text: 48 Finally, Vanderpark argues that even if the lease could have been assumed, the trustee, Buchbinder, failed to exercise his right to assume it in a timely manner. The Bankruptcy Code allows the trustee 60 days after the date the order for relief is granted in which to assume or reject a lease. 11 U.S.C. Sec. 365(d)(4). It is uncontested that Buchbinder brought WFI's motion to assume the lease on the day that WFI filed its petition. This election to assume the lease was obviously timely. Vanderpark contends, however, that WFI was the alter ego of other Windmill Farms entities, and because of this, the 60-day period for assumption or rejection of the lease ran from the date the first bankruptcy court petition was filed involving a Windmill Farms entity. That date was April 10, 1985. We reject this argument. The bankruptcy court expressly found that WFI was not the alter ego of other Windmill Farms entities. This finding is not clearly erroneous. See Wolfe v. United States, 798 F.2d 1241, 1243 n. 2 (9th Cir.) (Because question of alter ego is essentially factual, it is generally reviewed under the clearly erroneous standard.), amended and reh'g denied, 806 F.2d 1410 (1986), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 107 S.Ct. 3210, 96 L.Ed.2d 697 (1987). III