MEMORANDUM
Prеsently before the court is a motion (Doc. 43) by plaintiff, InterBusiness Bank, N.A. (“InterBusiness”), for reconsideration of the denial of its motion for summary judgment. InterBusiness had sought summary judgment on its claim that defendant, First National Bank of Mifflintown (“First National”), improperly liquidated certain assets of a common debtor in derogation of InterBusiness’s priority security interest in those assets. In the initial decision, the court held that InterBusiness had acquired a priority security interest in the assets but that the debt underlying that interest was deemed satisfied by operation of the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act, 42 Pa. Cons.Stat. § 8103, when InterBusiness failed to file a petition to fix the value of the debtor’s real estate within six months of the foreclosure sale of the property.
The motion for reconsideration challenges the finding of noncompliance with the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act. InterBusiness argues that the six-month limitations рeriod of the Act was tolled during the pendency of the debtor’s bankruptcy action, despite relief from the automatic stay granted by the bankruptcy court allowing InterBusiness to exercise its rights and remedies under state law against the debtor’s real property. According to InterBusiness, the period for filing a petition to fix value has still not expired and the court erred in concluding that its interest in the assets of the debtor was extinguished by оperation of the Act.
The question presented is whether a petition to fix value under the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgement Act is within the scope of a relief from stay permitting a creditor to exercise its state rights and remedies against the debtor’s real property. For the reasons that follow, the court *524 answers this question in the affirmative and will deny the motion for reconsideration. 1
I. Statement of Facts 2
The genesis of this dispute occurred when both InterBusiness and First National obtained enforceable security interests in the same collateral of a common debtor, Annlick Farm Supply, Inc. (“Ann-lick Farm Supply”), a business in central Pennsylvania. 3 (Doc. 1 ¶¶ 6-8, 12; Doc. 15 ¶¶ 1-10, 14-17; Doc. 21 ¶¶ 7-8, 14; Doc. 22 ¶¶ 1-10, 14-17; Doc. 32 ¶¶ 7-8, 14). Both InterBusiness and First National accepted security interests in the accounts receivable and inventory of Annlick Farm Supply as collateral for loans to the company. As additional security for the extension of credit, InterBusiness accepted an interest in the real property of Annlick Farm Supply. (Doc. 1 ¶¶ 6-8; Doc. 15 ¶¶ 1-10, 17; Doc. 21 ¶¶ 7-8; Doc. 22 ¶¶ 1-10, 14-17; Doc. 32 ¶¶ 7-8, 14).
In July 2002, after Annlick Farm Supply defaulted on its loan obligations, First National collected and liquidated the company’s accounts receivable and inventory. InterBusiness did not receive any of the proceeds from the liquidation of these assets. (Doc. 1 ¶¶ 22-23; Doc. 4 ¶¶ 22-23; Doc. 21 ¶¶ 19-20; Doc. 32 ¶¶ 19-20).
In October 2002, other creditors of Ann-lick Farm Supply commenced an involuntary bankruptcy action against the company, giving rise to an automatic stay of non-bankruptcy proceedings against the debt- or. Both InterBusiness and First National participated as creditors in the bankruptcy case. (Doc. 34, Ex. A at 2-4). InterBusiness moved for relief from the automatic stay to allow it “to exercise its state law rights and remedies against the ... Real Prоperty” of the debtor. On November 14, 2002, the bankruptcy court granted the request and lifted the stay “to allow [InterBusiness] to exercise its rights and remedies under state law against ... the Debtor’s real property.” (Doc. 34, Exs. A at 4, B). The bankruptcy action is still pending. See In re Annlick Farm Supply, Inc., No. 1:02-BK-5593 (Bankr. M.D. Pa. most recent filing May 14, 2004). 4
Soon after the relief from stay was granted, InterBusiness obtained judgment by confession against Annlick Farm Supply in a Pennsylvania trial court for sums owing under the loan agreement between the parties. A writ of execution was issued, and the real property of Annlick Farm Supply was sold to InterBusiness at a foreclosure sale on May 1, 2003. (Doc. 34, Exs. B, C; Doc. 40 ¶¶ 2-4). Following its purchase, InterBusiness did not file a petition to fix the fair market value of the property or take other action to determine the debt, if any, still owed by Annlick Farm Supply. (Doc. 34, Ex. D).
In December 2003, InterBusiness filed the complaint sub judice, asserting that *525 First National improperly converted the inventory and accоunts receivable of Ann-lick Farm Supply in derogation of Inter-Business’s priority security interest and demanding remittance of the proceeds of the liquidation of those assets. (Doc. 1 at 8). In the previous memorandum, the court held that InterBusiness’s failure to file a petition to fix value within six months of the foreclosure sale rendered the underlying debt satisfied by operation of the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act. (Doc. 42 at 30-36). Because InterBusinеss’s security interest in the collateral was based on this debt, the security interest was extinguished by its satisfaction. Based on this conclusion, the court denied InterBusiness’s motion for summary judgment on its claim to proceeds from the liquidation of the collateral. (Doc. 42 at 30-37). InterBusiness now contends that the limitations period of the Act was, and continues to be, tolled during the Annlick Farm Supply bankruptcy action, despite the relief from stay granted by the bаnkruptcy court. (Docs. 43-44).
II. Standard of Review
Motions for reconsideration under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e) serve primarily to correct analytical errors in a prior decision of the court.
See
Fed.R.Civ.P. 59(e);
United States v. Fiorelli,
It follows from this remedial purpose that the standard of review for a motion for reconsideration relates back to the standard applicable in the underlying decision.
Fiorelli,
III. Discussion
Upon commencement of a bankruptcy action, all non-bankruptcy proceedings against the debtor are subject to an automatic stay arising by operation of law. 11 U.S.C. § 362(a). The stay prohibits not only the commencement of new actions against the debtor but also the continuation of existing proceedings.
See McCartney v. Integra Nat’l Bank N.,
The breadth of the stay is limited by the discretion of the bankruptcy court, which may modify or lift the stay to permit a creditor to act against certain assets of the debtor outside the bankruptcy arena. 11 U.S.C. § 362(d);
In re Wilson,
The abrupt interruption caused by the automatic stay can produce significant hardships for parties pursuing claims subject to an advancing statute of limitations.
See In re Taylor,
[I]f applicable nonbankruptcy law ... fixes a period for commencing or continuing a civil aсtion in a court other than a bankruptcy court on a claim against the debtor ... and such period has not expired before the date of the filing of the petition, then such period does not expire until the later of—
(1) the end of such period, including any suspension of such period occurring on or after the commencement of the case; or
(2) 30 days after notice of the termination or expiration of the stay undеr section 362, 922, 1201, or 1301 of this title, as the case may be, with respect to such claim.
11 U.S.C. § 108(e). Any limitations period applicable in a case subject to the automatic stay is tolled until the stay is lifted, whether by conclusion of the bankruptcy action or by relief from the stay granted by the bankruptcy court. Id.; see also H.R.Rep. No. 95-595, at 318 (1977); 2 King, supra, ¶ 108.01.
One of the proceedings subject to the stay is the filing of a petition to fix value under the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act.
6
Wilkins,
The dispositive question in this case is whether the order of the bankruptcy court lifted the stay with respect to the filing of a petition to fix value under the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act. The relief from stay allowed InterBusiness “tо exercise its rights and remedies under state law against ... the Debtor’s real property.” (Doc. 34, Ex. B). InterBusiness contends that the order permitted it to commence foreclosure proceedings against Annlick Farm Supply but did not encompass the filing of a petition to fix value. Thus, according to InterBusiness, the six-month limitations period of the Act continues to be subject to the tolling provision of 11 U.S.C. § 108(c), the debt underlying the loan agreement rеmains unsatisfied, and its security interest has not been extinguished.
The court, disagrees. An examination of the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act reveals that a petition to fix value constitutes one of InterBusiness’s “rights and remedies” against the real property of Annlick Farm Supply within the meaning of the order of the bankruptcy court. Petitions to fix value are filed as part of the foreclosure action itself, as a simple, supplementаl proceeding in the existing case. 42 Pa. Cons.Stat. § 8103(a);
see Citizens Nat’l Bank of Evans City v. Gold,
This holding accords with the majority of decisions to address similar circumstances, and with all opiniоns involving the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act.
7
It also comports with the purpose of the automatic stay: to provide protection to the debtor and the bankruptcy estate.
See
*528
McCartney,
Only one court has held to the contrary, and its decision is distinguishable. In
In re Virginia Hill Partners I,
Further, the same bankruptcy court that announced the rule has declined to follow it when application would not further the interests of the debtor. In
In re Russell Corp.,
More fundamentally, the rule proposed in
Virginia Hill Partners,
and suggested by InterBusiness, bеtrays an overly dogmatic adherence to principles of strict construction. It is axiomatic that, due to the presumptively expansive scope of the automatic stay, relief from the stay must be
*529
narrowly construed.
See, e.g., Casperone v. Landmark Oil & Gas Corp.,
The relief from stay granted by the bankruptcy court in this case, which permitted InterBusiness “to exercise its rights and remedies under state law against ... the Debtor’s real property,” authorized InterBusiness to file a petition to fix value under the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act. Thus, the six-month limitations period of the Act was not tolled during the pendency of the bankruptcy action. InterBusiness’s failure to file a petition to fix value following the foreclosure sale rendered the underlying debt satisfied, extinguishing InterBusiness’s security interest in the debtor’s collateral. The prior decision of the court based on this conclusion was not in error.
In a final and belated effort to secure reconsideration, InterBusiness resurrects in its reply brief an argument previously dispatched by the court. InterBusiness asserts that the Pennsylvania Deficiency Judgment Act has no application in this case because the alleged conversion of collateral “took place
prior
to the sheriffs sale” of the real property. According to the reply brief, “InterBusiness is not pursuing the collateral itself, but[,] rather, pursuing compensation for [First National’s] conversion of the collateral
prior to the sheriffs sale."
(Doc. 58 at 5). Despite the improper timing,
see United States v. Medeiros,
In arguing that the extinguishment of its security interest in the collateral had no effect on its right to compensation for the allegedly improper conversion, InterBusiness misapprehends the nature of its claim. An action to enforcе a priority security interest against another creditor is, in reality, an action to obtain satisfaction of the debt underlying the security interest.
See Interbusiness Bank, N.A. v. First Nat’l Bank of Mifflintown,
An appropriate order will issue.
ORDER
AND NOW, this 7th day of June, 2004, upon consideration of plaintiffs motion for reconsideration (Doc. 43), and for the reasons stated in the accompanying memorandum, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion (Doc. 43) is DENIED.
Notes
. All counsel of record are commended for their thorough research of the difficult issues presented in this case.
. In accordance with the standard of review for a motion for reconsideration of a ruling on a motion for summary judgment, the court will present the facts as set forth in the materials presented in support of and opposition to the motion for summary judgment in the light most favorable to the non-moving party with respect to the motion for summary judgment. See infra Part II.
. A more extensive discussion of the underlying facts of the case is presented in the court's previous decision,
see Interbusiness Bank, N.A. v. First Nat’l Bank of Mifflintown,
. See Fed.R.Evid. 201 (permitting judicial notice of facts "capable of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned”).
. Unlike motions for relief from judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60, which permits introduction of after-discovered evidence. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(2).
. Pennsylvania law also tolls the applicable limitations period while an automatic stay remains in effect: “Where the commencement of a civil action or proceeding has been stayed by a court or by statutory prohibition, the duration of the stay is not a part of the time within which the action or proceeding must be commenced.” 42 Pa. Cons.Stat. § 5535(b);
see also In re Zinchiak,
.
See In re Tarbuck,
.
But cf. Sikes v. Global Marine, Inc.,
. As noted in the previous opinion, InterBusiness’s demand for punitive damages, seeking to penalize First National for the violation of priority rights
per se
rather than to obtain compensation for amounts owed under the debt obligation, is unaffected by the extinguishment of the security interest and remains outstanding.
See Interbusiness Bank,
