Opinion ID: 203038
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Confirmation of the Reorganization Plan

Text: We have jurisdiction, in these circumstances, to reach the issue of the confirmation of Northwood's plan. The district court did not consider two other objections made by Bourne, Delise, and Tyler to that confirmation. As our review of these issues is de novo and on the record from the bankruptcy court, we can and do resolve them ourselves. See Advanced Testing Techs., Inc. v. Desmond (In re Computer Eng'g Assocs., Inc.), 337 F.3d 38, 45 (1st Cir.2003) (Our review of the district court's decision amounts to review of the bankruptcy court's decision in the first instance.); In re SPM Mfg. Corp., 984 F.2d at 1310-11 (In an appeal from district court review of a bankruptcy court order, the court of appeals independently reviews the bankruptcy court's decision . . . .) (emphasis added). Given the lengthy history of this dispute and the need to avoid piecemeal litigation, we decline to remand to the district court, with the attendant expense and delay, to address issues fully briefed before us that we can resolve. We turn to the two other objections. We reject the claim that there has been a violation of the Statute of Frauds. No separate written document was needed as this dispute concerns no sale of real property. See Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 259, § 1 ([n]o action shall be brought . . . [u]pon a contract for the sale of lands, tenements . . . or of any interest in or concerning them unless the contract is in writing and signed by the party to be charged). The appellees' second objection is that they were erroneously grouped into an artificial convenience class in the revised plan in order to orchestrate acceptance of the plan. The bankruptcy court found that the reclassification improves the financial position of Bourne, Delise, and Tyler by providing for full payment of their claims and, hence, does not adversely affect them. There was no error, much less clear error, in this finding. Once their interests as creditors are fully protected, Bourne, Delise, and Tyler have no legitimate grounds for objecting to the reorganization plan.