Reuland v. Internal Revenue Serv. (In re Reuland)
Reuland v. Internal Revenue Serv. (In re Reuland)
Opinion of the Court
This matter is before the Court on the motion of the Internal Revenue Service *344(the "IRS") to dismiss the adversary complaint filed by Richard and Elizabeth Reuland. The Reulands' complaint seeks: (1) a determination that certain taxes owed to the IRS were discharged through their chapter 13 bankruptcy case; (2) a permanent injunction against the IRS from collecting such taxes; and (3) attorney's fees and costs. The IRS's motion requests that the complaint be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because the tax debt at issue is not dischargeable pursuant to
JURISDICTION
The Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to
BACKGROUND
Richard and Elizabeth Reuland did not file returns for tax years 2002 through 2011 until early April 2012. (Adversary No.
Early in the case, the IRS filed a proof of claim which it amended several times to reflect the recently filed returns as they were processed. (Adv. Dkt. 11 at 2-3.) The IRS's proof of claim, as finally amended, asserted that the Reulands owed tax debt totaling $128,885.44 as of the date of the bankruptcy petition, $73,290.44 in priority debt for 2009 through 2012 and $55,595 in general unsecured debt for 2002 through 2008. (Claim No. 1-4 at 3.) The Reulands did not object to the IRS's proof of claim. Instead, they amended their plan to pay 100% of the IRS's priority claim and approximately 13% of the total general unsecured claims. (Bankr. Dkt. 30 at 3, ¶¶ 6 & 8.) The Court confirmed the amended plan on November 2, 2012, and the IRS did not object to or appeal its confirmation. (Bankr. Dkt. 35.)
The plan provided for the treatment of all general unsecured claims, in relevant part, as follows:
General unsecured claims (GUCs). All allowed nonpriority unsecured claims, not specially classified, including unsecured deficiency claims under11 U.S.C. § 506 (a), shall be paid, pro rata, ... to the extent possible from the payments set out in Section D, but not less than 13% of their allowed amount.
(Bankr. Dkt. 30 at 3, ¶ 8.)
Over the next five years, the Reulands made monthly payments under the confirmed plan. After they had finished making all of the required payments, the Court entered a discharge order which explained the breadth of a chapter 13 discharge. (See Bankr. Dkt. 68 at 1.) The order informed the Reulands, in pertinent part, that *345"[s]ome debts are not discharged[.] Examples of debts that are not discharged are ... debts for certain types of taxes specified in
Upon completion of the plan, the IRS had received $73,290.44 in payment of its priority claim and $3,424.50 in payment of its general unsecured claim, leaving a substantial portion of the general unsecured claim unpaid. (Adv. Dkt. 1 at 3.) Within two months after the Court entered the discharge order and the Clerk of Court closed the case, the Reulands began to receive collection notices from the IRS for the unpaid balance. (Id. ) As of April 12, 2018, the IRS asserts that the Reulands still owe principal and interest totaling $68,574.07 for 2002 through 2008, and interest totaling $1,533.43 for 2009 and 2010.
On January 8, 2018, the Reulands filed an adversary complaint seeking a determination that the unpaid tax debt had been discharged through their chapter 13 bankruptcy case. (Adv. Dkt. 1.) In response, the IRS filed a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (made applicable to adversary proceedings by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7012(b) ), alleging that the Reulands' complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted both because the unpaid tax debt is not dischargeable pursuant to §§ 1328(a)(2) and 523(a)(1)(B)(ii) and because the plan did not provide for its discharge. (See Adv. Dkt. 10 & 11.) The Court has reviewed the relevant statutory provisions, applicable case law, and arguments of the parties and is now ready to rule.
STATUTORY PROVISIONS
The provisions of the Bankruptcy Code relevant to the Court's decision are §§ 1328(a)(2) and 523(a). Together, those sections establish several types of debt that are excepted from a chapter 13 discharge. Section 1328(a)(2) provides, in relevant part, as follows:
(a) [A]s soon as practicable after completion by the debtor of all payments under the plan, ... the court shall grant the debtor a discharge of all debts provided for by the plan or disallowed under section 502 of this title, except any debt-
* * *
(2) of the kind specified in section 507(a)(8)(C) or in paragraph (1)(B), (1)(C), (2), (3), (4), (5), (8), or (9) of section 523(a) [.]
(a) A discharge ... does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt-
(1) for a tax or a customs duty-
* * *
(B) with respect to which a return, or equivalent report or notice, if required ...
* * *
(ii) was filed or given after the date on which such return, report, or notice was last due, under applicable *346law or under any extension, and after two years before the date of the filing of the petition[.]
The exception to discharge for debts resulting from tax returns filed both late and less than two years before bankruptcy is a product of the "delicate balance between [the] priority and discharge" provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. See In re Official Comm. of Unsecured Creditors of White Farm Equip. Co. ,
Tax debts that are less than three years old are given priority status and are nondischargeable. See
The exception for tax returns filed both late and less than two years before bankruptcy allows "the [IRS] a reasonable time to collect the tax" because "[u]ntil [a] return is filed, the [IRS] cannot be expected to take action to assess or collect the tax." Greenstein v. Ill. Dep't of Revenue (In re Greenstein) ,
DISCUSSION
To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a complaint must "state a claim upon which relief can be granted." Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). When evaluating a complaint, the Court must view it in the light most favorable to the plaintiff and accept all well-pled facts as true. See AnchorBank, FSB v. Hofer ,
A complaint states a claim upon which relief can be granted only if it clears two hurdles. EEOC v. Concentra Health Servs., Inc. ,
*347Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly ,
Although plausibility demands only "enough details about the subject-matter of the case to present a story that holds together[,]" Swanson v. Citibank, N.A. ,
The determination here turns on whether the tax debt at issue was discharged through the Reulands' chapter 13 bankruptcy case. Even viewing the complaint in the light most favorable to the Reulands and accepting all well-pled facts as true, if the debt was not discharged as a matter of law, then there is no legal basis for the relief requested and the complaint must be dismissed.
The Reulands concede that the tax debt at issue is not dischargeable pursuant to §§ 1328(a)(2) and 523(a)(1)(B)(ii).
Espinosa , the Tax Debt, and the Reulands' Plan
In Espinosa , the United States Supreme Court held that, under certain circumstances, a confirmed plan that provides for the discharge of otherwise nondischargeable debts is not void. See Espinosa ,
1. Statutory Provisions at Issue
The Supreme Court in Espinosa cautioned in Footnote 10 that its holding should not be blindly applied to other statutory exceptions to discharge. See
Sections 1328(a) and 523(a)(8) provide that student loan debt is dischargeable in a Chapter 13 proceeding if a court makes a finding of undue hardship. In contrast, other provisions in Chapter 13 provide that certain other debts are not dischargeable under any circumstances. See, e.g., §§ 523(a)(1)(B), (C) (specified tax debts); § 523(a)(5) (domestic support obligations); § 523(a)(9) (debts "caused by" the debtor's unlawful operation of a vehicle while intoxicated). We express no view on the conditions under which an order confirming the discharge of one of these types of debt could be set aside as void.
Thus, the Court expressly observed that § 523(a)(1)(B) tax debt is different from § 523(a)(8) student loan debt for purposes a chapter 13 discharge. Indeed, §§ 523(a)(1)(B) and 523(a)(8) differ significantly because the latter expands the authority of the bankruptcy court. See id. at 273,
2. Procedural Posture of the Reulands' Case
Footnote 10 in Espinosa also sheds light on an important procedural distinction from the Reulands' case. As alluded to in the final sentence of the footnote, Espinosa made its way to the Supreme Court on the creditor's Rule 60(b)(4) motion to void the plan confirmation order.
In contrast, the Reulands' case is before the Court on the IRS's Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss. Rather than applying the standards that guide a court's decision as to whether to void an order, the Court here must apply the rules that govern dismissal of a complaint. Specifically, the Court must determine whether the Reulands *349have a legal basis for their argument that the plan in their case provided for discharge of the tax debt at issue. If the answer is no, then the IRS's failure to object to or appeal plan confirmation was inconsequential and the complaint must be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
3. Lack of Specific Language in the Reulands' Plan
In support of their argument that the IRS's failure to object to or appeal confirmation of the plan resulted in discharge of the tax debt at issue, the Reulands cite only to Espinosa and Great Lakes Higher Educ. Corp. v. Pardee (In re Pardee) ,
Great Lakes Education shall be paid through the Plan and Great Lakes Higher Education shall receive the total amount of $26,235.00 for its claim and any remaining unpaid amounts, if any, including any claims for interest, shall be discharged by the Plan.
Pardee ,
When the Reulands were challenged to point out a similar provision in their own plan, they stated that "[t]he Chapter 13 plan ... clearly showed the treatment of the General Unsecured taxes." (Adv. Dkt. 13 at 7.) The Reulands did not cite to any specific plan language. After a thorough inspection of their plan, the Court concludes that the Reulands must be referring to Paragraph 8 of Section E, which provides for the treatment of all general unsecured claims. In relevant part, Paragraph 8 states, as follows:
General unsecured claims (GUCs). All allowed nonpriority unsecured claims, not specially classified, including unsecured deficiency claims under11 U.S.C. § 506 (a), shall be paid, pro rata, ... to the extent possible from the payments set out in Section D, but not less than 13% of their allowed amount.
(Bankr. Dkt. 30 at 3.)
The only provision in the Reulands' plan that affects the IRS's § 523(a)(1)(B)(ii) tax debt is the boilerplate paragraph set forth above. Nothing in that paragraph suggests that the § 523(a)(1)(B)(ii) tax debt remaining unpaid upon completion of the plan would be discharged. In stark contrast to the debtors' plans in Espinosa and Pardee , the Reulands' plan is silent as to the dischargeability of the debt at issue. Apparently predicting that the lack of specific language might defeat their argument, the Reulands filed a memorandum in opposition to the IRS's reply, which stated as follows:
The Supreme Court allowed Espinosa's non-dischargeable debt to be discharged not because [of] Espinosa's [specific] plan G language; the Espinosa Court granted a discharge because the creditor failed to exercise its rights by not filing an objection to the Chapter 13 plan.
* * *
Yes, the taxes in Reuland were non-dischargeable under § 523(a)(1)(B)(ii).
Yes, the taxes in Reuland were lacking specific plan language.
The remedy for these obvious defects is for the United States to have timely filed an objection to the plan, and this issue would have been resolved.
In keeping with the precedent established in Pardee and Espinosa , [the]
*350Reulands, through their attorney, encourage this Honorable Court to find in favor of the Reulands.
(Adv. Dkt. 16 at 4.)
The Reulands appear to be citing Espinosa and Pardee for the proposition that, even if a chapter 13 plan does not address the dischargeability of a nondischargeable debt, that debt will be discharged unless the creditor objects to confirmation. Neither case reached that conclusion. Rather, Espinosa and Pardee held that if a plan contains specific language discharging an otherwise nondischargeable student loan debt and the creditor fails to object to confirmation, then the confirmation order is not void. Fundamental to each case was the fact that the debtor's plan contained a specific provision regarding the discharge of the student loan debt and the creditor had received notice of the contents of the plan. See Espinosa ,
Other courts considering the effect of Espinosa on a plan that lacks specific language about the discharge of nondischargeable tax debt have concluded that a creditor's failure to object to or appeal confirmation does not cause the debt to be discharged. See In re Moore , No. 08-40118,
Ultimately, the Moore court held that the § 523(a)(1)(B)(ii) tax debt had not been discharged because, without a provision specifically addressing the dischargeability of the debt, the "plan could not possibly have given sufficient notice to the IRS[.]" Id. at *11. In reaching its decision, the court made several important observations about the Espinosa decision. First, as this Court has discussed above, the Moore court noted that, because the creditor in Espinosa "brought [its] action on a motion for relief from judgment under Rule 60(b)(4), [the Supreme Court's] holding is confined to that provision." Id. at *7 (quoting Espinosa ,
With this footnote, the Supreme Court eliminated Espinosa's precedential value for the discharge of nondischargeable debts that do not have statutory exceptions to discharge-including § 523(a)(1)(B) tax debts. The [tax debt] at issue here is nondischargeable under § 523(a)(1)(B)(ii). The debtor's reliance on Espinosa is misplaced because the Supreme Court did not intend for Espinosa to be precedent as to nondischargeable tax debts.
United States v. Monahan, the other published decision with facts analogous to this case, dealt with post-petition interest on § 507(a)(8)(C) trust-fund tax debt, which is given priority and is nondischargeable to the extent not paid through a plan. See Monahan ,
After the bankruptcy court granted Monahan's motion, the bankruptcy appellate panel reversed the decision, concluding that, "[i]n the absence of language clearly providing for a discharge of the priority tax claim for so-called trust fund taxes, the debtor failed to give the IRS the clear, open, and unambiguous notice of any intent to discharge such claim which the decision in Espinosa and due process require[ ]."
Espinosa's holding and the cases applying it only when a plan contains specific discharge language are directly applicable to the Reulands' case. As both Moore and Monahan rightly observed, Espinosa specifically held that a confirmed plan is not void if it purports to discharge an otherwise nondischargeable debt, but only insofar as the plan contains a specific provision to that effect. Without any specific language in the Reulands' plan impairing the rights of the IRS, it is unreasonable to expect that the IRS would object to the plan-especially in light of the fact that *352nearly all plans contain a similar provision about general unsecured claims. The boilerplate provision about the percentage at which general unsecured claims will be paid through the plan cannot be construed to discharge otherwise nondischargeable debt. Absent express, specific language that provides for the discharge of such debt, the Court will not interpret a plan to do so after the fact. The IRS is indisputably bound by the terms of the Reulands' plan, but it cannot be bound by a provision that does not exist. The unambiguous statutory provisions at issue and the applicable case law compel the Court to conclude that the Reulands' unpaid tax debt was not discharged through their chapter 13 bankruptcy case.
Although not outcome-determinative here, it is worth noting that the language of the discharge order (which is identical to the language in the national form discharge order) aligns with the Court's decision. The discharge order explained to the Reulands that some debts were not discharged-specifically, debts for certain types of taxes specified in
While the result reached here is undoubtedly frustrating for the Reulands, their case provides a prime example of how the Bankruptcy Code treats debts owed for late-filed tax returns. As discussed above, the priority and discharge provisions aim to balance the interests of the public in collecting taxes, general creditors from losing out to excessive tax debt, and debtors in achieving a fresh start. Savaria ,
In sum, the Court holds that the tax debt at issue was not discharged and that the Reulands' complaint therefore fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The Reulands' reliance on Espinosa and Pardee is misplaced because the plan in this case did not contain any provision addressing the dischargeability of the tax debt at issue.
Turning to the remainder of the complaint, the Court finds that the IRS did not violate the § 524(a)(2) discharge injunction because that injunction prohibits the collection of only those debts that were discharged. See, e.g., Diaz ,
*353CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court will grant the IRS's motion, and the complaint will be dismissed with prejudice. The complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because, even accepting all well-pled facts as true and viewing them in the light most favorable to the Reulands, there is no legal basis for any of the relief requested.
Unless otherwise noted, all statutory references are to the Bankruptcy Code,
All references to the adversary docket ("Adv. Dkt.") are to Adversary Case No.
For purposes of this Memorandum Opinion, the Court has used the figures set forth in the memorandum filed in support of IRS's motion to dismiss. (See Adv. Dkt. 11 at 3.) The Court notes, however, that these figures differ from those provided in the unsigned declaration of an IRS employee that is attached to the motion as Exhibit 7. Nevertheless, the exact figures are irrelevant here because the parties have asked the Court to address only whether the debt has been discharged, not the amount of the debt. Therefore, nothing in this Memorandum Opinion or the corresponding order granting the motion to dismiss should be construed to establish the amount of outstanding debt owed to the IRS by the Reulands.
Courts considering the dischargeability of § 523(a)(1)(B)(ii) tax debt in chapter 13 cases have consistently held that it is not dischargeable. See generally In re Regier , No. 09-60828,
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(4) provides, in pertinent part, as follows:
(b) Grounds for Relief from a Final Judgment, Order, or Proceeding. On motion and just terms, the court may relieve a party or its legal representative from a final judgment, order, or proceeding for the following reasons:
* * *
(4) the judgment is void[.]
Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(4).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- IN RE: Richard REULAND and Elizabeth Reuland, Debtors. Richard Reuland and Elizabeth Reuland v. Internal Revenue Service
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published