Reyal Urbis’ Liquidation Process Begins

6 September 2017 – Expansión

Three months after receiving the “No” decision from its creditors to its payment proposal, the real estate company Reyal Urbis is starting its liquidation process, with Sareb, the Tax Authority and several banks, such as Santander, as the main beneficiaries.

On Monday, the property developer controlled by Rafael Santamaría received the ruling from Mercantile Court number six in Madrid, ordering the launch of the liquidation phase. In this way, Reyal Urbis will star in the second largest bankruptcy in Spain’s history, with debt amounting to more than €3,500 million, exceeded only by that of Martinsa Fadesa.

This new phase will be led by the bankruptcy administrator, given that the judge is continuing to suspend the managers of the company and has ordered the termination of its corporate governance bodies.

Since its appointment as the bankruptcy administrator in February 2013, the audit firm DBO has taken care of the company’s legal proceedings. It was responsible for submitting the payment proposal prepared by the company for its creditors, which included discounts of more than 90% on its liabilities. Only 32.7% of its shareholders supported that payment plan in June, which effectively condemned the company to extinction.

Now, the administrations will have to determine the best solution for the creditors, which are owed around €3,600 million, according to the most recent figures presented, whilst the company owns assets worth €1,170 million as at 31 December 2016.

Portfolio

The company’s assets include €188 million corresponding to properties that generate rental income and €863 million relating to around 200 finished homes and land. Specifically, Reyal Urbis owns one of the largest land portfolios in Spain, with 6.7 million m2, exceeding the large property developers such as Metrovacesa (6 million) and Neinor Homes (1.3 million).

Distributed over more than 30 cities in Spain and Portugal (the company owns assets in Lisbon and Porto), the portfolio of land and rental assets, such as the best-located hotels in the Rafael Hoteles chain, as well as its stake in the Castellana 200 retail and office complex, will be the jewels in the crown to be shared out amongst the creditors or sold to allow them to recover at least some of their investment, according to sources close to the process.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake