In re Portell
In re Portell
Opinion of the Court
ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO SPEND INHERITANCE and DENYING THE TRUSTEE’S MOTION TO AMEND PLAN and ORDERING THAT THE DEBTORS OTHERWISE AMEND THEIR PLAN
Chapter 13 Debtors Keith and Michele Portell filed a Motion to spend an inheritance which Keith Portell received postpe-tition. The Debtors are proposing to use a portion of the inheritance pay off all the debts on which Keith Portell is obligated, including the Debtors’ residential mortgage, and keep the rest of the funds; they do not plan to use the funds to pay the debts on which Michele Portell is individually obligated. The Chapter 13 Trustee objects, asserting that all claims in the case should be paid from the inheritance. For the reasons that follow, the Trustee’s Objection will be OVERRULED, and the Debtors’ Motion to Spend Inheritance will be GRANTED. In addition, the Trustee’s Motion to Amend Plan will be DENIED; however, the Debtors will be ordered to amend their Plan to provide that after using the inheritance to pay Keith’s creditors, and the joint creditors, they will continue to make payments until Michele’s creditors receive the same dividend provided in the plan previously confirmed.
The Debtors filed this Chapter 13 bankruptcy case on September 27, 2012. They are below-median. Pursuant to their confirmed plan, allowed unsecured claims are being paid a liquidation analysis pot of $23,130.07, which results in a dividend of 40.334%. According to the Trustee, the Plan is running approximately 63 approximately months.
On July 23, 2015, which was in the thirty-fourth month of the plan, a relative of Keith Portell passed away, leaving Keith an inheritance which included funds in the amount of $221,510.53. The Trustee does not dispute that the Debtors promptly reported the inheritance to him upon receipt. In this motion, the Debtors are proposing to use the inheritance funds to pay all joint and sole debt owed by Keith, including the joint obligation secured by their homestead. They are proposing not to pay the debts for which only Michele is obligated. According to the parties, this will leave approximately $12,000 of Michele’s separate debts unpaid.
The Chapter 13 Trustee objects, asserting that the inheritance should go to pay all of the Debtors’ debts, including Michele’s separate debts. He asserts that the inheritance is: (i) property of the estate under § 1306(a)(1); (ii) income; and (iii) a postpetition change in circumstances under § 1329 of the Bankruptcy Code, requiring
Is the Inheritance Property of the Estate?
In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case such as the one here:
Property of the estate includes, in addition to the property specified in section 541 of this title ... (a) all property of the kind specified in such section that the debtor acquires after the commencement of the case but before the case is closed, dismissed, or converted to a case under chapter 7, 11, or 12 of this title, whichever occurs first.1
Section 541(a)(1) defines property of the estate exceptionally broadly, to include “all legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case.”
However, while the Bankruptcy Code determines what interests constitute property of a bankruptcy estate, state law governs what a debtor’s property interests
As relevant here, § 451.250.1 of the Missouri Statutes provides:
All real estate and any personal property, including rights in action, belonging to any man or woman at his or her marriage, or which may have come to him or her during coverture, by gift, bequest or inheritance, or by purchase with his or her separate money or means, or be due as the wages of his or her separate labor, or has grown out of any violation of his or her personal rights, shall, together with all income, increase and profits thereof, be and remain his or her separate property and under his or her sole control, and shall not be liable to be taken by any process of law for the debts of his wife or her husband.8
Under this statute, the inheritance received by Keith is his own separate property which, outside of bankruptcy, cannot involuntarily be taken to pay Michele’s separate debts. The question presented here is whether the filing of the joint bankruptcy case changes that premise.
Section 302 of the Bankruptcy Code authorizes the filing of a joint bankruptcy petition by an individual and the individual’s spouse.
Section 302(b) provides that after the commencement of a joint case, “the court shall determine the extent, if any, to which the debtors’ estates shall be consolidated.”
As stated, no one has expressly asked that the Debtors’ estates here be substantively consolidated under § 302(b), but, in asking that Keith’s separate property be used to pay Michele’s separate debts, that is, in- effect, what the Trustee is seeking here.
The Trustee asserts that § 451.250 “was not intended to protect [Keith] and is not a vehicle within which the debtors can exclude a portion of the inheritance proceeds as property of the estate for his benefit.” As stated above, the Trustee is correct that the inheritance is property of Keith’s bankruptcy estate. But that does not answer the question of who must be paid from it. On that question, contrary to the Trustee’s position, protecting Keith’s inheritance from Michele’s creditors is very clearly the intent of the statute.
In In re True,
The Trustee cites no case, and I found none, where a bankruptcy court held that one spouse’s separate property under state law is property of the other spouse’s bankruptcy estate under § 541 or, by extension, § 1306. I conclude, therefore, that pursuant to Missouri law, Keith’s inheritance is his separate property and is includable in only his bankruptcy estate for the payment of only the debts for which he is liable.
Is the Inheritance a Substantial Change in Circumstances Mandating an Amended Plan?
In conjunction with his objection to the Debtors’ motion to spend the inheri
I agree that the inheritance in this case is a substantial change in circumstances warranting an amended plan. The question is, however, what must an amended plan propose?
Is the Inheritance Disposable Income Under § 1325(b)(1)(B) or Additional Future Income Under § 1322(a)(1)?
Although not raised in his Motion to Amend the Plan, the Trustee asserted in his initial objection to the Debtor’s motion to spend the inheritance that the inheritance is “disposable income.” Section 1325(b)(1)(B) requires that, if the trustee or holder of an allowed unsecured claim objects to the confirmation of a plan, then the court may not approve the plan unless, as of the effective date of the plan, “the plan provides that all of the debtor’s projected disposable income to be received in the applicable commitment period beginning on the date that the first payment is due under the plan will be applied to make payments to unsecured creditors under the plan.”
Nevertheless, because the Trustee cited
In re Honey was a Chapter 12 case. The married debtors there had proposed a five-year plan, commencing on April 11, 1988. One of the debtor’s father passed away in June 1992, and the estate was admitted to probate in October 1992. However, that debtor did not actually receive the inheritance until shortly after the plan concluded in April 1993. The debtors there never disclosed the expected inheritance. However, an undersecured creditor who had not been paid on its unsecured claim apparently found out about it shortly after the discharge was entered, and filed an adversary proceeding seeking to revoke the discharge and require a plan modification to commit the inheritance to unsecured creditors, or to convert the case to Chapter 7 based on the debtors’ fraudulent failure to disclose the inheritance.
On the question of modification, the District Court concluded that it was without jurisdiction to require modification of a Chapter 12 plan which had already run the statutory maximum of five years.
Nevertheless, the District Court concluded that that the inheritance was disposable income under § 1225(b)(1)(B). “Disposable income” was (and still is) defined in § 1225(b)(2) as the income received by the debtor that is not reasonably necessary for the maintenance and support of the debtor’s family, and the preservation and operation of the debtor’s business.
At the outset, I would mention that the distinction between' “property of the estate” and “disposable income” in bankruptcy parlance is not always clear, and many courts and commentators blur the distinction. Outside of bankruptcy, an inheritance might seem like “income” because the Internal Revenue Code considers it “income,” albeit often non-taxable income. In the bankruptcy context, I am not convinced it fits neatly into the definition of “disposable income,” particularly in a Chapter 13 case, since “disposable income” is defined more narrowly for Chapter 13
That said, § 1322(a)(1), which does apply to plan modifications, provides that a plan “shall provide for the submission of all or such portion of future earnings or other future income of the debtor to the supervision and control of the trustee as is necessary for the execution of the plan.” The Trustee asserts that the inheritance is such “other future income” which must be committed to payment of creditors.
What constitutes “other future income” under § 1322(a)(1) is analyzed in the context of a proposed plan, and specifically, whether the debtors are committing enough future resources “necessary for the execution of the plan” being proposed.
As the Trustee asserts, some courts have held that postpetition inheritances are income pursuant to § 1322(a)(1) for purposes of plan modification.
I recognize that, because the Debtors are proposing to use some of the inheritance to pay off their residential mortgage, they will not have an ongoing mortgage payment, which is currently about $1000 per month. This is, indeed, a substantial change in circumstances directly affecting Michele’s finances, since it arguably frees up some of her income to pay her unsecured creditors.
However, the Debtors are below-median, meaning that they are only required to remain in their bankruptcy case for 36 months (or however much longer it takes to pay off the liquidation analysis pot). The Debtors are past month 36 in their plan. Although the Debtors must commit enough of their future income to fully pay the confirmed plan’s 40.334% dividend to Michele’s own unsecured creditors, her change in circumstances concerning her mortgage does not require more than that dividend after 36 months.
Good Faith Under § 1325(a)(3)
Finally, although § 1325(b)’s disposable income test does not apply to plan modifications, § 1325(a)(3)’s good faith requirement does.
In re Gengenbach,
I agree with the Gengenbach court’s conclusion that a plan modification must meet § 1325(a)(3)’s good faith requirement and, generally, that debtors who receive postpetition inheritances should not receive an unfair windfall at the expense of their creditors. However, the Gengenbach court was not dealing with a statute similar to § 451.250.1; rather, the court there appeared to presume that the inheritance belonged to both debtors. But, as courts have held in connection with exemption planning, simply doing what the law allows you to do is not, in and of itself, bad faith.
Conclusion
For the reasons stated, I conclude that Keith’s inheritance is property of Keith’s bankruptcy estate and, perhaps, disposable income attributable to Keith. Either way, however, absent bad faith, Missouri law prevents this Court from requiring Keith to use his inheritance to pay Michele’s separate creditors. I find that the Debtors’ proposal is made in good faith. As such, the Debtors must propose a plan which commits enough of the inheritance to pay Keith’s creditors in full, but need not pay Michele’s separate creditors more than the 40.334% provided in the previously confirmed plan.
ACCORDINGLY, the Debtors’ Motion to Spend Inheritance is GRANTED; the Trustee’s Objection to such Motion is OVERRULED. The Trustee’s Motion to Amend Plan is DENIED. However, the Debtors are ORDERED to file an amended plan which pays the claim secured by their residential mortgage in full, pays Keith Portell’s separate creditors in full, and pays a dividend of 40.334% to Michele Portell’s separate unsecured creditors.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
. 11 U.S.C. § 1306(a)(1). Note that, had the Debtors received this inheritance within the 180 days after they filed their petition, it would have been property of the estate pursuant to § 541(a)(5). Indeed, Keith actually received a different inheritance within the 180 days postpetition, and, because he did not turn it over at the time it was received, the value of that inheritance is included in the Plan’s liquidation analysis pot. The Debtors did not raise the state law issue discussed below with regard to that inheritance.
. 11 U.S.C. § 541(a)(1). See also In re True, 285 B.R. 405, 412 (Bankr.W.D.Mo. 2002) ("The Eighth Circuit has recognized that '[t]he legislative history of this section clearly establishes Congressional intent that the bankruptcy estate be as all-encompassing as the language indicates.”) (citation omitted).
. See, e.g., Carroll v. Logan, 735 F.3d 147 (4th Cir. 2013) (holding that "the overwhelming majority of courts to have addressed this issue agree that § 1306 modifies the § 541 time period in Chapter 13 cases”; therefore, an inheritance received more than 180 days post-petition in a Chapter 13 case is nevertheless property of the estate pursuant to § 1306) (citation omitted); In re Gilbert, 526 B.R. 414, 418 (Bankr.N.D.Ga. 2015) ("Moreover, Congress intended to expand property of the estate in chapter 13 cases, and this resolution of the two statutes does just that.”).
. See, e.g„ In re Key, 465 B.R. 709, 711 (Bankr.S.D.Ga. 2012) ("The Trustee’s interpretation overlooks the express time limitation set forth in § 541(a)(5)....”); In re Walsh, 2011 WL 2621018 at *3 (Bankr.S.D.Ga. June 15, 2011) ("Here, the more specified date restriction that helps define the land of property included in the estate pursuant to § 541(a)(5) controls and is not superseded by conflicting temporal elements of § 1306(a)(1).”).
. I note, however, that the Eighth Circuit has previously concluded that Chapter 13 debtors are obligated to amend their bankruptcy schedules to list a postpetition cause of action. See, e.g., Jones v. Bob Evans Farms, Inc., 811 F.3d 1030, 1033 (8th Cir. 2016).
. Debtors’ Additional Authorities in Support (Doc No. 175).
. See Butner v. United States, 440 U.S. 48, 55, 99 S.Ct. 914, 918, 59 L.Ed.2d 136 (1979).
. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 451.250.1 (emphasis added). The original version of this statute was known as the “Married Women’s Act,” but was made gender-neutral in 2001. See 2001 Mo. Legis. Serv. H.B. 537.
. 11 U.S.C. § 302(a).
. In re Pruitt, 2011 WL 2292205 at * 6 (Bankr.D.Or. June 8, 2011) (citation omitted).
. 2 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶ 302.01 (Alan N. Resnick and Henry J. Sommer eds., 16th ed.) (citations omitted).
.11 U.S.C. § 302(b).
. Boellner v. Dowden, 612 Fed.Appx. 399, 401 (8th Cir. 2015) (citation omitted). See also In re Pruitt, 2011 WL 2292205 at *6 (Bankr.D.Or. June 8, 2011) ("Substantive consolidation combines the assets and liabilities of the separate estates to create a single fund from which a common pool of claims is paid.”).
. Id. (citing In re Reider, 31 F.3d 1102, 1108 (11th Cir. 1994)).
. Id. (quoting In re Reider, 31 F.3d at 1109.
. 2 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶ 302.06 (discussing In re Reider, 31 F.3d 1102).
. In re Seligman, 417 B.R. 171, 174 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2009) ("[C]onsolidation should be invoked 'sparingly' when any creditor or debtor objects to its use”),
. See, e,g,, In re Estrada, 224 B.R. 132, 135 (Bankr,S.D.Cal. 1998) (citing In re Reider, 31 F.3d at 1105).
. 285 B.R. 405 (Bankr.W.D.Mo. 2002).
. When Judge Venters issued his opinion in In re True, § 451,250 was known as the "Married Women's Act,” but the statute was amended in 2001 to be gender-neutral.
. In re Johnson, 458 B.R. 745, 748 (8th Cir. BAP 2011) (citations omitted).
. See, e.g., Goodman v. Gorman, 534 B.R. 656 (E.D.Va. 2015); In re Bass, 267 B.R. 812, 814 (Bankr.S.D.Ohio 2001) ("A debtor might receive unanticipated income over the first thirty-six months of the plan that is not reasonably necessary for maintenance or support (e.g,, wage increases, tax refunds, inheritances, gifts, lottery proceeds, insurance proceeds, proceeds from causes of action, or proceeds from the sale of property).”); In re Jacobs, 263 B.R. 39, 46 (Bankr.N.D.N.Y. 2001) ("For purposes of plan modification, an increase in income or the receipt'of a large sum of money constitutes a substantial change_ [T]his is so where the debtor acquires property post-confirmation, the likes of which would result in a windfall to the debtor absent plan modification, such as lottery winnings or an unexpected inheritance,”); In re Studer, 237 B.R. 189, 192 n. 5 (Bankr.M.D.Fla. 1998) ("Courts easily have found a substantial or unanticipated change where the debtor's income drastically increases. Such windfalls include winning the lottery after confirmation of the Chapter 13 plan. Substantial and unanticipated circumstances also include the receipt of a large inheritance.” (citations omitted)).
. 11 U.S.C. § 13225(b)(1)(B).
. In re Gengenbach, 2008 WL 1767061 (Bankr.D.Neb. April 10, 2008) (holding that § 1329 "by its terms excludes § 1325(b) and the best efforts/disposable income test from consideration” of a plan modification) (citing Forbes v. Forbes (In re Forbes), 215 B.R. 183, 191 (8th Cir. BAP 1997) ("We agree that Congress omitted Code Section 1325(b) in the requirements for postconfirmation plan modification, and further, decline to take its prerogative as our own.”)).
. 167 B.R. 540 (W.D.Mo. 1994).
. See 11 U.S.C. §§ 1229(c) and 1222(c).
. Id. at 543.
. The inheritance in In re Honey was not considered to be taxable income under the Internal Revenue Code.
. Id. at 544.
.Section 1325(b)(2) defines "disposable income” for Chapter 13 plan confirmation purposes to mean "current monthly income” less reasonable expenses. "Current monthly income” is defined, as relevant here, as "the average monthly income from all sources that the debtor receives (or in a joint case the debtor and the debtor's spouse receives) without regard to whether such income is taxable income, derived during the 6-month period ending on ... the last day of the calendar month immediately preceding the date of the commencement of the case if the debtor files the schedule of income required by section 521(a)(l)(B)(ii)....”
. 8 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶ 1322.02[1] (Alan N. Resnick and Henry J. Sommer eds., 16th ed.) ("A chapter 13 plan must contain a provision calling for submission to the supervision and control of the chapter 13 trustee of whatever future income or earnings of the debtor are necessary for the execution of the plan. It does not require that a chapter 13 plan propose to submit any portion of the future income of the debtor to the control of the trustee, except to the extent that the plan is to be funded from future income.”).
. See, e.g., In re Flaming, 2003 WL 22848925 (Bankr.D.Idaho, Nov. 10, 2003).
. See In re Gengenbach, 2008 WL 1767061 (Bankr.D.Neb. April 10, 2008),
. 2008 WL 1767061 (Bankr.D.Neb. April 10, 2008)
. See, e,g., Norwest Bank of Nebraska, N.A. v. Tveten, 848 F.2d 871 (8th Cir. 1988) (‘‘[Ajbsent extrinsic evidence of fraud, mere conversion of non-exempt property to exempt property is not fraudulent as to creditors even if the motivation behind the conversion is to place those assets beyond the reach of creditors.”); Hanson v. First Nat’l Bank in Brookings, 848 F.2d 866, 868 (8th Cir. 1988) (same),
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- IN RE: Keith Allen PORTELL and Michele Lynn Portell, Debtors
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