Cross v. City of Chi. (In re Cross)

584 B.R. 833
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedMay 25, 2018
DocketBankruptcy No. 18 BK 00986; Adversary No. 18 AP 00154
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 584 B.R. 833 (Cross v. City of Chi. (In re Cross)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cross v. City of Chi. (In re Cross), 584 B.R. 833 (Ill. 2018).

Opinion

Jack B. Schmetterer, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Defendant the City of Chicago ("the City") has moved to dismiss the adversary complaint brought against it by Debtor Monica Cross ("Debtor") pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) (made applicable here by Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7012 ). The City challenges the legal sufficiency of Plaintiffs' allegations, arguing that because it has a valid possessory lien pursuant to Illinois law, its actions are excepted from the automatic stay pursuant to 11 U.S.C.§ 362(b)(3) and (b)(4). Debtor disputes the validity of the City's possessory lien and asserts that it is not properly exercising its police powers by retaining possession of the vehicle.

In addition, Debtor has filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction, seeking to mandatorily enjoin the City into turning over the vehicle because she faces irreparable harm by not being able to work if she is not allowed to use the car. The City contends that Debtor has not met any of the standards set forth by the Seventh Circuit for the imposition of a preliminary injunction.

These matters, based upon the same set of facts and similar legal arguments, will *837be considered together. For the reasons discussed below, the City's Motion to Dismiss is denied by separate order entered this date. Additionally, Debtor's Motion for Preliminary Injunction is granted by separate order entered this date.

INTRODUCTION

The Seventh Circuit opinion in Thompson v. Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp., LLC , 566 F.3d 699 (7th Cir. 2009) placed the burden squarely upon creditors to initiate a showing as to why they should be allowed to retain vehicles of bankruptcy debtors that were seized prepetition. Unless such showing is initiated, creditors must surrender the vehicle because of the automatic stay.

The City of Chicago has completely disregarded this obligation, choosing instead to continue holding vehicles of debtors postpetition and waiting many months until proceedings are brought by debtors against them in bankruptcy and then asserting a response that its purported possessory lien grants it an exception to the automatic stay. The City has taken this tactical delay position to coerce debtors to pay traffic fines quickly and fully in their bankruptcy plan and also to avoid paying filing fees required for the filing of motions for relief from the automatic stay. In this way, the City is circumventing entirely the procedural burden imposed on it by Thompson and the protections provided to debtors by the automatic stay. The City must comply with the requirements of Thompson so that debtors may, unless some cause is shown, recover their vehicles in bankruptcy, allowing them to continue working and making payments under their Chapter 13 plans.

BACKGROUND FACTS ALLEGED

The Debtor filed her underlying petition for Chapter 13 bankruptcy relief on January 12, 2018. Debtor's vehicle, a 2009 Cadillac SRX, was purchased from CarMax, and CarMax has a purchase money secured interest in the vehicle for $27,340.88. CarMax has valued the vehicle at $9,425.00. Debtor asserts that the vehicle is worth only $6,000.00 and that she has claimed a $2,400.00 exemption in the vehicle. Prior to the Debtor's filing of this bankruptcy case on January 12, 2018, the City seized the Debtor's vehicle in December 2017 or January 2018. The Debtor has incurred 38 total tickets, 7 of which she has paid, and one of which was dismissed. The 30 other tickets remain outstanding. The City initially filed a secured claim, Claim No. 3, in the amount of $5,099.90, but that claim has since been amended to $4,459.90. Debtor has requested that the City turnover her vehicle, but on April 17, 2018, the City informed Debtor that it would not do so unless the Debtor paid the entire secured claim in full, in regular monthly payments over the course of her Chapter 13 plan. The City would only agree to those terms and stated that upon confirmation of such a plan, the vehicle would be released to Debtor.

Debtor filed her instant adversary complaint against the City and CarMax on May 1, 2018. Debtor pleads two Counts against the City. In Count I, Debtor alleges that the City's lien is inferior to CarMax's purchase money interest, and thus, the City has no secured interest in the vehicle. Under Count I, Debtor seeks relief in the form of an order finding that CarMax is the superior lienholder, requiring the City to turnover the vehicle pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 542, and finding that the City has violated its duty to turn over property of the estate pursuant to that same statute. In Count II, Debtor alleges that the City has violated the automatic stay by continuing to hold her vehicle, and that her plan provides for monthly payments *838based on the value of the vehicle to the superior lienholder, CarMax. Under Count II, Debtor seeks relief in form of damages from the City for any duration of time during which it has impermissibly held her vehicle, as well as attorney's fees and costs.

The City filed its Motion to Dismiss on May 4, 2018. City argues that pursuant to Illinois law, it has a statutory, superpriority possessory lien for towing and storage fees that supersedes CarMax's purchase money interest in the vehicle. As a matter of law, the City argues, that possessory lien entitles it to retain Debtor's vehicle. The City also asserts that Debtor cannot seek turnover pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 542 because it cannot be used to alter or avoid substantive lien rights and it is merely an enabling statute. Moreover, the City argues that turnover pursuant to § 542 requires that the Debtor have a substantive right to possession on the petition date, which the City argues Debtor did not have as the car was seized pursuant to an exercise of the City's police powers. Additionally, the City argues that 11 U.S.C. § 362(a) does not require turnover because the City's actions are excepted from the automatic stay pursuant to 11 U.S.C. 362(b)(3) and 362(b)(4).

Debtor filed her Response on May 15, 2018. She argues that she has adequately plead facts to sustain her complaint and that each of the facts plead by her supports her allegations against the City.

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Related

In re Shannon
590 B.R. 467 (N.D. Illinois, 2018)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
584 B.R. 833, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cross-v-city-of-chi-in-re-cross-ilnb-2018.