Michael E. Ridgway, United States Bankruptcy Judge.
This matter came on for evidentiary hearing before the Court on December 16, 2014, upon the chapter 7 Trustee's ("Trustee") motion for a determination that conversion from chapter 13 to chapter 7 was done in bad faith under 11 U.S.C. § 348(f)(2), and for a determination that the "inheritance"
This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A), (B), (E), and (O); this Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(a) and 1334. The motions arise under 11 U.S.C. §§ 521 and 542. The motions were filed under Fed. R. Bankr.P. 9014 and Local Rule 6072-1. For the reasons set forth below, the Court will grant the Trustee's motions.
The Debtors, Bruce and Sherie Lien, originally filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy
The chapter 13 trustee's final report and account was filed on August 18, 2014; it reflects that the Debtors paid a total of $19,250.00 during the chapter 13 plan, $4,308.24 of which went to costs of administration, and the remainder to creditors. The chapter 13 trustee's final report shows total allowed claims of $345,241.97.
Bruce Lien was appointed the trustee of the Loretta A. Lien Irrevocable Trust dated November 2, 1999. Ex. 9; Ex. B. Loretta A. Lien was Bruce Lien's mother. Mr. Lien testified that, at the time, he understood that he was also a beneficiary under the trust and he knew that his mother owned farmland. Bruce and his siblings are each beneficiaries under the trust. The trust provided that upon the death of the debtor's mother, Bruce, along with his eleven siblings, would each be entitled to one equal share of the assets of the trust, i.e., each was entitled to a one-twelfth share, unless alternative provisions of distribution were invoked.
Bruce Lien testified that he began his duties as trustee of the trust in January 2012, when his mother was admitted to the nursing home;
Sherie Lien testified that Bruce and his brother decided to liquidate their mother's trust estate sometime in 2013. There were two parcels of real estate in the trust, which are legally described in the trust document. Ex. 9; Ex. B.
Parcel 1 was sold and the debtor received his share from the sale of that property in August, 2013, in the amount of $34,191.00. The Debtors did not report the income from this inheritance/land sale to the chapter 13 trustee. These funds
Prior to trial, and per the parties' stipulation of undisputed facts, Parcel 2 had been listed for sale with a listing price of $159,000.00, which would have yielded a potential gross recovery from the sale of that land, before costs of sale, of $13,250.00 ($159,000.00/12 children = $13,250.00). ECF No. 66.
In addition, Bruce Lien has a claim to a one-twelfth interest in $40,000.00 currently being held in escrow for taxes and trust expenses by the attorney for the trust.
As noted, Bruce Lien received the funds from the sale of Parcel 1 of the real estate in approximately August 2013 and did not notify the chapter 13 trustee.
Not long after receiving a copy of the Debtors' 2013 federal tax return, on May 29, 2014, the chapter 13 trustee's office sent the Debtors a letter inquiring about the Loretta Lien Irrevocable Trust referred to in Schedule E of the Debtors' 2013 tax return, as well as requesting other income information,
On June 19, 2014, the Debtors' attorney requested information from the chapter 13 trustee as to a "payoff" amount for the chapter 13 case. Ex. 16. The chapter 13 trustee's office provided counsel for the Debtors the amount required to pay all claims in full, $293,432.80.
Sherie Lien testified that the reason for the conversion had not been because the Debtors were financially unable to make their chapter 13 plan payments; rather, it was because the Debtors understood that they could "pay off" their chapter 13 plan. When asked by the Trustee at trial whether the inheritance had anything to do with the conversion, Sherie Lien — rather forcefully — responded, "absolutely not!" Initially, Bruce Lien testified at trial that the reason the Debtors converted their case to chapter 7 was to "move on" with life.
On Schedule B of the conversion documents, the Debtors identified an "inheritance over 180 days from filing date" in the amount of $34,191.00, which was Bruce Lien's interest in the proceeds from a sale of one parcel of farmland previously owned by his mother. Ex. 13. None of the conversion documents, however, disclosed Bruce Lien's one-twelfth interest in the second parcel of real property, also previously owned by his mother, and which, according to Mr. Lien's testimony, sold on December 12, 2014 for $140,000.00; he also testified that he was entitled to one-twelfth of the net proceeds of the $140,000.00.
The Debtors testified that they could have continued making payments under the chapter 13 plan without incurring a financial hardship,
In point of fact, the Debtors' income had actually increased each year since their chapter 13 bankruptcy was filed.
Section 348(f)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code provides: "If the debtor converts a case under chapter 13 of this title to a case under another chapter under this title in bad faith, the property of the estate in the converted case shall consist of the property of the estate as of the date of conversion." 11 U.S.C. § 348(f)(2). Because "bad faith" is not a defined phrase, the Court must look to the case law to discern its meaning:
In re Mullican, 417 B.R. 389, 401 (Bankr. E.D.Tex.2008), aff'd, 417 B.R. 408 (E.D.Tex.2009). See also In re Love, 957 F.2d 1350, 1357 (7th Cir.1992) ("[T]he focus of the good faith inquiry under both Sections 1307 and 1325 is often whether the filing is fundamentally fair to creditors and, more generally, is the filing fundamentally fair in a manner that complies with the spirit of the Bankruptcy Code's provisions."). And, as the Eighth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel recently stated:
Fink v. Thompson (In re Thompson), 439 B.R. 140, 143 (8th Cir. BAP 2010); Tina Livestock Sales, Inc. v. Schachtele (In re Schachtele), 343 B.R. 661, 668 (8th Cir. BAP 2006) ("the Eighth Circuit preserved parts of the Estus `totality of circumstances' approach and, thus, factors such as the type of debt sought to be discharged and whether the debt is nondischargeable in Chapter 7, and the debtor's motivation and sincerity in seeking Chapter 13 relief, are particularly relevant").
In a case largely on "all fours" with the case at bar, the court in Mullican utilized the "totality of circumstances" approach and found the following circumstances should be considered in making the "bad faith" determination under § 348(f)(2):
Mullican, 417 B.R. at 401. Utilizing this rubric, the Mullican court found that the debtors had converted their case in bad faith because the debtors had been current on their chapter 13 plan payments; the inheritance would have paid unsecured creditors in full; the debtors paid family member debts and not other unsecured creditors; the debtors had spent some of the inheritance; and the debtors had made false representations about the use of some the inheritance proceeds. Id. at 402-03. See also In re Castillo, 508 B.R. 1 (Bankr.W.D.Tex.2014) (utilizing the Mullican test in addressing the "bad faith" issue under § 348(f)(2); trustee failed to satisfy burden of showing that conversion of debtors' chapter 13 case to one under chapter 7 was in bad faith, so that chapter 7 estate did not included these inherited interests).
Further, the another court described the fact-intensiveness of the inquiry under § 348(f)(2):
In re Perez, 345 B.R. 137, 141 (Bankr. D.Del.2006) (citing In re Bejarano, 302 B.R. 559, 562 (Bankr.N.D.Ohio 2003) and In re Siegfried, 219 B.R. 581 (Bankr. D.Colo.1998)). See also In re Malone, 2011 WL 1541289, at *4 (Bankr.D.Neb. Apr. 21, 2011) ("For purposes of § 348(f)(2), it generally is found in situations where the weight of the evidence indicates the debtor is dishonest, deceptive, or unfairly manipulating the bankruptcy system.").
In Perez, the court concluded:
Perez, 345 B.R. at 141-42.
Additional factors for consideration include "the timing of the conversion, the chapter 13 pay history, the debtor's participation in the chapter 13 process, the amount of post-petition debt, ... the debtor's previous bankruptcy filings, and the value of assets in question." In re Smith, 2012 WL 43647, at 3 (Bankr.N.D.Ohio January 9, 2012) (citing In re Bejarano, 302 B.R. 559, 562 (Bankr.N.D.Ohio 2003)). "The undisputed conduct of concealment of assets and the non-reporting of income is
"Similarly, the court must look at conduct throughout the entire case, both pre- and post-conversion, ... as a debtor's actions post-conversion are relevant to `help a court ascertain the credibility of a debtor's statements regarding the motivation for conversion[.]'" In re Wiggins, 2012 WL 3889099, at **4-7 (Bankr. E.D.Tenn.2012) (quoting Smith, 2012 WL 43647, at *3 and adopting the above analysis; "the court finds that the Debtors converted their Chapter 13 case in bad faith. The inherited property consisting of the remaining funds in the amount of $10,000.00 and the [real property] are property of their converted Chapter 7 bankruptcy case and subject to administration by the Trustee").
The Court finds the analyses of these courts instructive,
In this case, the evidence shows that the Debtors could have continued making payments under their chapter 13 plan without incurring a financial hardship, as their income has increased during the chapter 13 bankruptcy, and since, for that matter. This is troubling to the Court. Indeed, the Debtors testified that they could have continued making payments under their chapter 13 plan. They also testified that no negative financial event occurred that would have prevented the Debtors from making their plan payments. And, significantly, the Debtors are still employed.
Also troubling is that both of the Debtors testified, rather unconvincingly, that they had no idea that they had an obligation to report additional disposable income or property to which they became entitled during the pendency of their chapter 13 case, including, most importantly, the inheritance-related property, i.e., after the filing of their chapter 13 case. See the Debtors' second amended chapter 13 plan, at ¶ 13. Ex. J. As noted, this testimony was belied by the fact that Bruce Lien testified that he knew he had an obligation, among other things, to submit copies of the Debtors' state and federal income tax returns, as well as, at least potentially, excess tax refunds, to the chapter 13 trustee. Id.
Additionally, the Court finds the Debtors' testimony regarding the true reason(s) for the conversion less than entirely forthcoming. As noted, Sherie Lien testified that the reason for the conversion was not because the Debtors were financially unable to make their chapter 13 plan payments, but rather because the Debtors understood that they could "pay off" their chapter 13 plan. And when asked by the Trustee at trial whether the inheritance had anything to do with the conversion, Sherie Lien rather forcefully responded, "absolutely not!" This testimony is rather convenient for the Debtors, especially when viewed in the light of the fact that Bruce Lien later admitted at trial that at least "part of" of the reason for the conversion
Further, on Schedule B of the conversion documents, while the Debtors identified an "inheritance over 180 days from filing date" in the amount of $34,191.00, the Debtors did not disclose Bruce Lien's one-twelfth interest in a second parcel of real property, also previously owned by his mother — a parcel that, according to Bruce Lien's testimony, sold on December 12, 2014, for $140,000.00. Mr. Lien also testified at trial that he was entitled to one-twelfth of the net proceeds of the $140,000.00. The Debtors also failed to disclose a Toyota automobile purchased, pre-conversion, for $2,500.00, for Sherie Lien. Finally, the Debtors did not disclose CRP annual payments, which Bruce Lien testified totaled approximately $2,500.00 to $3,000.00 per year, and which Mr. Lien testified the Debtors had been receiving since 2001 or 2002.
Taken in isolation, one of the above omissions might be understandable-an innocent mistake, or oversight, if you will. But, taken collectively, as the Court must do under the totality-of-the-circumstances analysis required under § 348(f)(2), these omissions evidence a manipulation of the Bankruptcy Code in an effort to obtain a windfall,
If the inheritance-related property is not brought into the chapter 7 bankruptcy estate, the Debtors will receive a windfall by virtue of their conversion to chapter 7. The Court finds that the main reason for the Debtors' conversion from chapter 13 to chapter 7 was to avoid paying to the chapter 13 trustee the non-exempt inheritance
Section 348(f)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code provides, among other things, that property of the estate in a converted case is the property the debtor had when the debtor filed the original chapter 13 petition, that is still in the possession of or under the control of the debtor. 11 U.S.C. § 348(f)(1). See also, In re Alexander, 236 F.3d 431, 433 (8th Cir.2001) ("The legislative history to section 348(f)(1) indicates that Congress intended this language to overrule the holding of cases ... holding that the property of the estate in a converted case is the property the debtor had when he filed his original Chapter 13 petition.")
Section 348(f)(2), however, trumps the general rule of § 348(f)(1); § 348(f)(2) provides that, if a chapter 13 debtor converts the case to another chapter in bad faith, the property of the estate in the converted case consists of the property of the estate as of the date of conversion. 11 U.S.C. § 348(f)(2) ("If the debtor converts a case under chapter 13 of this title to a case under another chapter under this title in bad faith, the property of the estate in the converted case shall consist of the property of the estate as of the date of conversion."). See, e.g., Standiferd v. U.S. Trustee, 641 F.3d 1209 (10th Cir.2011) (§ 348(f)(2) provides that, if a chapter 13 debtor converts a case to a case under another chapter in bad faith, the property of the estate in the converted case shall consist of the property of the estate as of the date of conversion); In re Bell, 225 F.3d 203 (2d Cir.2000) (under § 348(f)(2), upon conversion of a chapter 13 case, after-acquired property does not form part of the converted estate unless the case was converted in bad faith). See also In re Michael, 699 F.3d 305 (3d Cir.2012) (absent a showing of bad faith, undistributed plan payments that are held by a chapter 13 trustee when the chapter 13 case is converted must be returned to debtor); In re Rosenberg, 303 B.R. 172, 176 (8th Cir. BAP 2004) ("Absent bad faith, when a case is converted from Chapter 13 to Chapter 7, property of the estate in the Chapter 7 case consists of the property of the estate as of the original Chapter 13 petition date which remains in the debtor's control at the time of conversion."); Farmer v. Taco Bell Corp., 242 B.R. 435, 439 (W.D.Tenn. 1999) (debtors' failure to schedule personal injury claim that arose after debtors' chapter 13 plan was confirmed but prior to debtors' conversion of their case to chapter 7 did not preclude debtors from pursuing claim when claim did not become property of bankruptcy estate under § 348(f)(1)(A), "after-acquired property belongs to the debtor pursuant to § 348(f)(1)(A) unless the conversion was made in bad faith, triggering application of the bad faith exception under § 348(f)(2)").
In a bad faith conversion case, property of the estate includes after-acquired property, i.e., property of the chapter 13 debtor acquired post-petition. See, e.g., In re Harris, 757 F.3d 468, 478 (5th Cir.2014) ("If the debtor is found to have converted in bad faith, all of the property he has acquired after filing will be included in the Chapter 7 estate and therefore be liquidated."); In re Reeves, 509 B.R. 35 (Bankr.S.D.Tex.2014) (debtors, who converted their case from chapter 13 to chapter 7 in bad faith after confirmation of a chapter 13 plan, were required to file amended schedules reflecting their financial condition on the conversion date, i.e., a schedule of property, not listed in the final report, acquired between the petition date and the conversion date). "Of course, it is possible that upon conversion, the debtor may no longer have in his possession any property acquired after filing the Chapter 13 petition; in that specific scenario, undistributed wages held by the trustee would constitute all of the debtor's remaining post-petition property." Harris, 757 F.3d at 478 n. 9.
On November 24, 2014, the Trustee filed the Turnover Motion, seeking turnover of the following "nonexempt" property of the Debtors:
Initially, the Debtors responded and proposed that they obtain third-party valuations for the following property: 2005 GMC Sierra;
As noted earlier, at the hearing on the Trustee's motion for turnover held on December 16, 2014, and after some discussion, the Court allowed the parties to submit supplemental briefing on the Turnover Motion. The Trustee filed his supplemental brief at ECF No. 72, and the Debtors filed their supplemental brief at ECF No. 73, along with amended Schedules B and C, at ECF No. 74 (via this document, and as relevant here, the valuations of the "nonexempt" assets in the Trustee's Turnover Motion remain unchanged).
In his supplemental brief, the Trustee states, among other things, and rather pragmatically: "The trustee is merely seeking turnover of assets which were either not exempted or were partially nonexempt... The estate is not seeking the difference between what the assets were worth at the time of the Chapter 13 filing, and their value at conversion. There is no need to revalue assets as of the time of conversion, and the trustee requests that the Court order turnover of the assets as requested in the turnover motion." ECF No. 68. In their response, however, the Debtors stated that "the parties agree that an updated valuation is not necessary and the [] assets [listed in the Turnover Motion], with their chapter 13 values, are correct," but then jumped to the conclusion that, in this case, "liquidation would create a disincentive for debtors to file chapter 13 if their actual payments to creditors were not recognized by the Court." Such an argument is fundamentally flawed, however, since a finding of "bad faith" under § 348(f)(2) trumps the "default" rule of § 348(f)(1). And the Court has already determined that this is not a "§ 348(f)(1)" case; it is a "bad faith" case under § 348(f)(2).
"Section 348(f)(1) provides that property of the estate in a converted chapter 13 case shall consist of the property of the estate as of the date of the petition and that remains in the debtor's possession or control at conversion. Notably, subsection (f)(2) provides that valuations of property in chapter 13 do not survive conversion to chapter 7." In re Auernheimer, 437 B.R. 405, 409 (Bankr.D.Kan.2010). "Section 348(f)(2) provides that any appreciation in the value of [the debtors'] home becomes property of the converted Chapter 7 estate." In re Standiferd, 2008 WL 5273690 (Bankr.D.N.M.2008) (citing In re Perez, 345 B.R. 137, 141 (Bankr.D.Del.2006) (acknowledging
Both parties argue that no re-valuation of the property listed in the Turnover Motion is required; that may or may not be true. But, the Trustee is not bound by an earlier valuation, i.e., with respect to the § 348(f)(2) context, including valuation of after-acquired property. Here, however, neither the Debtors nor the Trustee seek re-valuation. And as § 348(f)(2) makes clear: "If the debtor converts a case under chapter 13 of this title to a case under another chapter under this title in bad faith, the property of the estate in the converted case shall consist of the property of the estate as of the date of conversion." 11 U.S.C. § 348(f)(2). Because the following property is not claimed exempt by the Debtors, and because it is property of the estate virtue of § 348(f)(2), the Trustee is entitled to its turnover:
Because the 2005 GMC Sierra is the subject of a separate motion by the Trustee objecting to Sherie's claim of exemption in the vehicle, see ECF No. 78, and because the motion is currently set for evidentiary hearing on May 27, 2015, the Court reserves ruling on its turnover pending the outcome of the evidentiary hearing.
The Court concludes that the Debtors' conversion in this case was done in bad faith. Because the conversion was in bad faith under § 348(f)(2), the property of the Debtors as of the date of conversion is property of the chapter 7 bankruptcy estate, and the non-exempt property thereof must be turned over to the Trustee.
Accordingly,