The Court sustained the creditor's objection to "termination pay" being a similar plan or contract entitled to exemption under section 522(d)(10(E). Although contingent at the time of filing, the contract is property of the estate; the Court found it to be an unadministered asset.
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Judge Ben T. Barry
The Court sustained the chapter 13 trustee's objection to the debtor's modified plan, which provided for post-petition creditors that had not filed proofs of claim.
The Court denied the plaintiff's complaint to avoid an alleged preferential transfer because the plaintiff did not meet its burden of proof with regard to the fifth element of a preferential transfer--that the transfer enabled the creditor to receive more than it would receive in a chapter 7 liquidation case. The Court also recognized that the earmarking doctrine was not applicable when the transfer was from a secured creditor to an unsecured creditor.
Creditor objected to the confirmation of the debtors' chapter 13 plan claiming it held a 910 car claim that was not subject to bifurcation. The debtors argued that because negative equity from a trade-in vehicle was part of the purchase price, the creditor did not hold a PMSI as described in the hanging paragraph of section 1325(a), and bifurcation was appropriate. The Court sustained the creditor's objection because the final agreement between the parties did not show that negative equity was part of the obligation.
The Court granted creditor's Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment based on conflicting orders entered by the Court, and set aside the second order entered. The debtor did not object to or appeal from the first order entered, and it became a final order, which the Court will enforce.
The Court overruled the chapter 7 trustee's objection to exemptions after finding that the debtor's actions surrounding her failure to disclose an asset of her bankruptcy estate (a sexual harassment claim) did not rise to the level of bad faith.
Court denied creditor's motion to strike the entities listed as trade names on the debtors' chapter 7 petition. Even though the entities listed as the debtor's trade names may be separate legal entities, there was no evidence introduced that those names were not also used as trade names.
Debtor who, in a prior case, originally filed a chapter 13 case that later converted to a chapter 7 case was eligible to receive a discharge in his current chapter 13 case even though the current case was filed within four years of the date his previous case was filed. The section 1328(f) time limits relating to a subsequent discharge refer to the chapter under which the previous case was filed, regardless of later conversion to another chapter.
Amended by Correcting Order entered March 17, 2008
The debtor is entitled to claim a vehicle ownership expense on her Form B22C (chapter 13 means test) even though she owns the vehicle free and clear of liens and makes no monthly payments on the vehicle. The debtor was also entitled to claim operating expenses for two vehicles absent any evidence to rebut the debtor's claim.
Chapter 7 and chapter 13 means tests serve different purposes. Chapter 13 debtors who surrender property in their plan are not entitled to include payments for that property on their Form B22C to determine disposable income.