In re Howard
Opinion of the Court
Background
The Debtor Jason Scott Howard filed for relief under chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code on August 22, 2017. His modified chapter 13 plan was confirmed on October 16, 2017. It requires the Debtor to make monthly payments of $100.00 for 60 months to the chapter 13 Trustee, Thomas Vaughn. He scheduled a $13,000.00 non-priority unsecured debt owed to the City of Chicago for parking tickets on his schedule E/F, part 2, of creditors who have unsecured claims. Bankruptcy Case 17-25141, Docket No. 1, p. 25. Unsecured creditors were set to receive 10% of the amounts owed them. Docket No. 28, p. 4. On October 30, 2017 an order was entered increasing the monthly plan payment to $420.00. Docket No. 44.
Parking ticket fines and penalties payable to governmental units are not dischargeable in chapter 7 cases. See
The court notes that the City of Chicago filed a secured proof of claim for $17,110.80 on August 23, 2017. See Claim No. 1, Claims Register for Bankruptcy Case 17-25141.
The Debtor's chapter 13 bankruptcy case, 16-26667, where he represented himself, was filed on August 19, 2016; it was dismissed on September 21, 2016 for failure to file required documents. The Debtor filed another chapter 13 case, 17-03665, on February 8, 2017. That case was dismissed on July 19, 2017 for failure to pay filing fee. Docket No. 38. Attorney John A. Haderlein sought leave to appear on the Debtor's behalf on August 9, 2017; that request was withdrawn on August 16, 2017. Docket No. 46. The Debtor's pro se Motion to Reopen was also withdrawn on August 16, 2017. Docket No. 45.
When the Debtor filed this case, number 17-25141, no automatic stay came into existence pursuant to
On August 22, 2017 the Debtor filed a Motion to Impose the Automatic Stay. The *254automatic stay was imposed up to the October 16, 2017 10:30 a.m. confirmation hearing. The Motion to Impose an Automatic Stay was granted on October 16, 2017 when the Debtor's plan was confirmed. Docket Nos. 32 and 34.
Although the City of Chicago had notice of this case, evidenced by its Proof of Claim filed on August 23, 2017, it did not object to the treatment of its claim as unsecured or the amount of funds it was to receive under the plan. Creditors are required to address such issues before confirmation or be bound by the plan's terms. United Student Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa ,
On December 29, 2017 the Debtor filed a Motion to Modify Plan in which he admitted that this case was filed to obtain release of his 1975 Buick Regal vehicle which had been impounded by the City of Chicago, He alleges that "[i]n order for the City of Chicago to release the vehicle, the Debtor's plan needs to pay the claim of the City of Chicago as secured."See Motion to Modify Plan, Docket No. 54, p. 1, ¶ 3. The Proof of Claim notes that the City's debt was secured. The court notes, however, that the City of Chicago did not object that the confirmed plan treated its claim as unsecured. It is bound by the terms of the confirmed plan.
On January 22, 2018 the court issued a Rule to Show Cause directed to the City of Chicago to show cause why it should not be sanctioned for refusing to release the vehicle pursuant to Thompson v. GMAC,
In Thompson the Seventh Circuit held that a secured creditor has to return collateral to the bankruptcy estate and then, if necessary, seek adequate protection of its interests from the bankruptcy court. According to the Seventh Circuit the secured creditor therein exercised control over a vehicle in violation of the automatic stay by refusing to return it upon request.
The City of Chicago has excepted itself from the operation of federal bankruptcy law by not objecting to its treatment in the plan before confirmation and refusing to return the debtor's vehicle unless its claim gets paid in full as a secured claim. In addition, the City is assuming that all of its claims are excepted from the imposition of the automatic stay by
Adequate Protection Issue
Debtors are required to give secured creditors some form of assurance that they will not suffer a decline in the value of their interest in a bankruptcy estate's property if they are stayed from enforcing their interest or the debtor is using, selling or borrowing against collateral.
The City of Chicago is usurping the court's authority and responsibility to decide whether and how debtors have to provide adequate protection. In addition, the City of Chicago is ignoring its duty to return vehicles under the Thompson case.
Possessory Liens Under Illinois Law
The City argues that it has a possessory lien which allows it to refuse to return vehicles unless its claim gets paid in reliance on In re Avila ,
(a) "Possessory lien." In this Section, possessory lien means an interest, other than a security interest or an agricultural lien:
(1) which secures payment or performance of an obligation for services or materials furnished with respect to goods by a person in the ordinary course of the person's business;
(2) which is created by statute or rule of law in favor of the person; and
(3) whose effectiveness depends on the person's possession of the goods.
The City of Chicago does not have a possessory lien as it has not supplied the Debtor with goods or services and it does not cite to a statute or rule of law in its favor.
A District Court ruled that federal bankruptcy law does not preempt Municipal Code of Chicago (hereinafter "MCC") § 9-92-80. That ordinance states that "Any vehicle impounded by the City or its designee shall be subject to a possessory lien in favor of the City in the amount required to obtain release of the vehicle." MCC § 9-92-80(f). That Court stated that "[t]he General Assembly recently amended MCC § 9-92-80 to provide that 'any vehicle impounded by the City or its designee shall be subject to a possessory lien in favor of the City in the amount required to obtain release of the vehicle.' " See Baines v. City of Chicago ,
The Illinois Constitution provides that home rule units, those with a population in excess of 25,000:
"Except as limited by this Section... may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs including, but not limited to, the power to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety, morals and welfare; to license to tax; and to incur debt. Illinois Constitution 1970, Art. VII, § 6 (a).
The power granted to home rule units need not be exclusive. Rather, home rule *256units may exercise power concurrently with the state.
Home rule units may exercise and perform concurrently with the State any power or function of a home rule unit to the extent that the General Assembly by law does not specifically limit the concurrent exercise or specifically declare the State's exercise to be exclusive. Illinois Constitution of 1970, Article VII, § 6 (i).
Municipalities have authority to govern as they deem proper, unless limited by the Illinois Constitution or the General Assembly. City of Wheaton v. Loerop ,
In City of Oakbrook Terrace v. Suburban Bank and Trust Co. ,
The City of East St. Louis enacted an ordinance that prohibited non-wage garnishment of City funds on deposit at institutions within the City. The City contended that the ordinance did not conflict with Article XII of the Constitution and that it enjoyed sovereign immunity because the Constitution stated that except as the General Assembly provided by law, sovereign immunity was abolished. McLorn v. City of E. St. Louis ,
The Illinois Supreme Court has found that certain local governments' legislative enactments did not pertain to their government and affairs and for that reason were not appropriate subjects for municipal legislation or that home rule units have to enact ordinances that are consistent with state law, McLorn, 148 at 153, (citing County of Cook v. John Sexton Contractors Co. ,
*257In Town & Country' Utilities, Inc. v. Illinois Pollution Control Board ,
The City of Chicago's ordinance, MCC 9-92-80(f), does not incorporate the General Assembly's standards, the first of which is that the creditor holding a possessory lien be owed a debt for services or materials furnished in the ordinary course of his or her business. 810 ILCS 5/9-333. The vehicle owners do not owe the City for goods or services as required by that statute. The ordinance simply declares that the City of Chicago has a possessory hen in certain impounded vehicles. Neither the City's legislative enactment nor its pleadings herein address the three statutory elements needed to support its position that it has a possessory lien in impounded vehicles.
In People ex rel. Lignoul v. City of Chicago ,
Another issue of statewide uniformity was addressed in Ampersand, Inc. v. Finley,
City of Quincy v. Daniels,
If the state legislates but does not express exclusivity, home-rule units retain the power to act concurrently, subject to limitations provided by law. (This last *258phrase referring to statutory limitations is intended to cover the case where the legislature intends to permit concurrent local legislation, but only with limits that are consistent with the state statutory scheme. Surely if the state is permitted to exclude local governments from areas where the state has acted, it also should be able to restrict the nature and extent of concurrent local activity.)" Id. at 796,186 Ill.Dec. 35 ,615 N.E.2d 839 (quoting 7 Record of Proceedings, Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention 1643-44).
The City's Ordinance is not consistent with Illinois law on possessory liens.
Perfection of Liens Under
The City contends that it can maintain possession of impounded vehicles to perfect their liens as an exception to the automatic stay under
The City of Chicago overstepped its authority when it gave itself a possessory lien without reference to how state law defines possessory liens.
A recent Illinois Appellate Court opinion recognized a possessory lien on behalf of a shop keeper who worked on a vehicle. "Our supreme court has observed that Illinois recognizes the validity of the common-law possessory lien, known in certain instances as the 'artisan's possessory lien.' " Ally Financial Inc. v. Pira ,
The Baines court noted that under basic preemption principles any attempt to alter the balance struck by Congress between the relative rights of debtors and creditors in bankruptcy would interfere with the nation's bankruptcy laws, frustrating their effectiveness. Baines, * 2. In Butner v. U.S. ,
Conclusion
The Motion to Modify Plan will be denied. The Debtor does not have to provide the City of Chicago 100% of its claim. The City of Chicago should have objected to its treatment in the Debtor's plan before it got confirmed.
The City of Chicago does not have a possessory lien.
The City of Chicago has failed to return the vehicle as required by the Thompson ruling since this case was filed on August 22, 2017. It is fined $50.00 a day for this wilful violation of the automatic stay.
This Amended Opinion reflects the court's findings of fact and conclusions of law. Separate amended orders will be entered *259on the Motion to Modify Plan and the Rule to Show Cause.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- IN RE Jason Scott HOWARD, Debtor.
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published