JOHN A. GIBNEY, JR., District Judge.
This matter comes before the Court on appeal from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (the "Bankruptcy Court"). Gilvia Vonzella Wilson challenges the Bankruptcy Court's decision to grant her creditor relief from the automatic stay imposed in her bankruptcy case. The Bankruptcy Court has since dismissed Wilson's case, which terminated the automatic stay. Accordingly, the Court will dismiss this appeal as moot.
Wilson filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 13 on December 19, 2017. Wilson's Chapter 13 petition triggered an automatic stay of any collection efforts against property in Wilson's bankruptcy estate.
The Bankruptcy Court granted the Trustees' motion. Wilson appealed that decision to this Court. Since Wilson filed this appeal, the Bankruptcy Court has dismissed her Chapter 13 case.
Wilson argues that the Bankruptcy Court erroneously granted the Trustees relief from the automatic stay in her Chapter 13 case. A bankruptcy court may grant a creditor relief from an automatic stay "for cause, including lack of adequate protection." 11 U.S.C. § 362(d); see also In re McCullough, 495 B.R. 692, 695 (W.D.N.C. 2013). Creditors who receive relief from an automatic stay may begin or resume debt collection efforts. See In re James River Assocs., 148 B.R. 790, 793 (E.D. Va. 1992).
In this case, the Bankruptcy Court granted the Trustees relief from the automatic stay as to two parcels of property in Wilson's bankruptcy estate. Since Wilson filed this appeal, however, the Bankruptcy Court has dismissed her Chapter 13 case. That dismissal terminated the automatic stay as to the two parcels of property. See 11 U.S.C. §§ 362(c)(1), 349(b)(3). Accordingly, the issue presented in this appeal—whether the Bankruptcy Court properly granted the Trustees relief from the automatic stay—no longer gives rise to a live dispute.
"[A] case is moot when the issues presented are no longer `live' or the parties lack a legally cognizable interest in the outcome." Townes v. Jarvis, 577 F.3d 543, 546 (4th Cir. 2009). A district court must dismiss a bankruptcy appeal as moot "if an event occurs while a case is pending on appeal that makes it impossible for the court to grant any effectual relief whatever to a prevailing party." Prologo v. Flagstar Bank, FSB, 471 B.R. 115, 123 (D. Md. 2012) (quoting Church of Scientology of Cal. v. United States, 506 U.S. 9, 12 (1992)).
Here, the Bankruptcy Court dismissed Wilson's Chapter 13 case on July 22, 2019.
Because this appeal no longer involves a live dispute, the Court will dismiss this appeal as moot.
It is so ORDERED.
Let the Clerk send a copy of this Order to all counsel of record.