Davis v. Emprise Bank (In Re Jackson)

358 B.R. 412, 2007 WL 466603
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Kansas
DecidedFebruary 22, 2007
Docket19-10206
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 358 B.R. 412 (Davis v. Emprise Bank (In Re Jackson)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Emprise Bank (In Re Jackson), 358 B.R. 412, 2007 WL 466603 (Kan. 2007).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER DENYING COMPLAINT FOR AVOIDANCE OF NON-PERFECTED SECURITY INTEREST

DALE L. SOMERS, Bankruptcy Judge.

This is an action by the Chapter 7 Trustee to avoid a lien in a mobile home pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 544 1 because it allegedly was unperfected on the date of filing. The Plaintiff Trustee, Carl B. Davis (hereafter “Trustee”), appears by Carl B. Davis, Davis & Jack, L.L.C. Defendant, Emprise Bank (hereafter “Emprise”), appears by Karl R. Swartz, Morris, Laing, Evans, Brock & Kennedy, Chartered. Defendant Debtor, Carl Lee Jackson (hereafter “Debtor”), does not appear. The Court has jurisdiction. 2

The Trustee’s Complaint for Avoidance of Non-Perfected Security Interest concerns a lien claimed by Emprise in Debt- or’s 1995 Champion Mobile Home (hereafter the “Mobile Home”), which is located on Debtor’s exempt homestead property in LaHarpe, Kansas. The Trustee alleges the lien is unperfected because, due to transfers and refinancings of the initial purchase money loan, Emprise is not entitled to rely upon the Notice of Security Interest prepared and filed by the initial lender. Emprise asserts that its interest is perfected. The parties have submitted a Joint Stipulation of Facts, supported by attached copies of loan documents, and submitted briefs on lien perfection and related issues. The Court, having considered these matters, is now ready to rule and, for the reasons stated below, finds the lien perfected and unavoidable.

FINDINGS OF FACT.

As its findings of fact, the Court adopts the parties’ stipulation, that is summarized as follows. On December 29, 1994, Debtor and his wife obtained a purchase money loan in the amount of $30,468.00 from Humboldt National Bank (hereafter “Humboldt”) for the acquisition of the Mobile Home. The home was delivered to Debtor and is located on his homestead property. The note provided for 35 regular monthly payments and a final balloon payment of $27,721.43 due on January 4, 1998. The note was secured by a real estate mortgage 3 on the homestead property, including all “appurtenances and all the estate, title and interest” of the Debtor and his wife in the described premises. The mortgage was filed of record with the

*414 Registrar of Deeds of Allen County on January 12, 1995, and a Notice of Security Interest (NOSI), describing the Mobile Home and showing the name and address of Humboldt as the secured party and of the Debtor, was properly completed and mailed or delivered to the Kansas Division of Motor Vehicles on December 29, 1994.

On February 5, 1998, Debtor refinanced with Humboldt the balloon payment which became due for the 1994 loan. The new note was in the amount of $27,598 and provided for 60 monthly payments and a balloon of $16,581.45 due on February 4, 2003. It stated the purpose is a loan for “renewal of primary residence” and provided it is secured by the mortgage dated December 29, 1994. 4 On June 7, 1999, Debtor executed an extension agreement with First Commercial Bank, f/ls/a/ Humboldt National Bank that specified the next payment date and extended the maturity of the February 5, 1998 note from February 4, 2003 to March 30, 2003.

By succession or mergers and/or name changes, First Commercial Bank became Enterprise Bank. Effective April 4, 2003, Emprise acquired the February 5, 1998 note, as extended, from Enterprise Bank. The Assignment and Assumption of Loans agreement between Enterprise and Emprise provided, in part:

Seller [Enterprise] hereby grants, assigns, sells and conveys unto Buyer [Emprise] the Loans [including those described on exhibit A] together with all of Seller’s right, title, interest and estate in, to and under (i) the indebtedness represented or evidenced thereby and all monies now owing or accrued or that may hereafter become due or owing in respect thereof; (ii) all powers, covenants, liens, claims, or encumbrances held by or benefiting [sic] Seller in connection therewith; (iii) all notes, security agreements, control agreements, chattel paper, mortgages, hypothecation agreements, pledge agreements, assignments, pledged collateral, title insurance policies, financing statements and other collateral or loan documents that evidence, secure, insure, protect or otherwise relate in any way to the Loans (collectively the “Loan Documents”);

The February 5, 1998 note is described on Exhibit A.

On March 30, 2003, the balloon payment on the extended February 5, 1998 note became due. On May 19, 2003, Debtor executed and delivered to Emprise a promissory note for $15,968.65. The proceeds from the May 2003 note satisfied the balloon due on the extension of the 1998 note. The 2003 note states it is secured by the Real Estate Mortgage dated December 29, 1994 and a security agreement dated May 19, 2003. The security agreement describes the collateral as the Mobile Home. Emprise Bank filed a UCC-1 with the Register of Deeds of Allen County but did not file a NOSI with the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Kansas Department of Revenue or a real estate mortgage. The real estate mortgage recorded by Humboldt on January 12, 1995 has not been released or satisfied and continues to be of record in the Register of Deeds office as the first mortgage.

Debtor never filed an Application for Registration of the Mobile Home with the Division of Motor Vehicles, and the Division of Motor Vehicles has never issued a Certificate of Title for the Mobile Home. Neither the title nor the requirement to issue a title to the Mobile Home has been *415 eliminated under the procedure described in K.S.A. 58 — 4214(b).

Debtor filed for relief under Chapter 7 on August 20, 2005. He claimed the real property on which the Mobil Home is located as his homestead, stating a value of $15,000 and subject to a lien of $10,079 in favor of Emprise. No objections were filed. The Debtor’s homestead is exempt. The Allen County Appraiser has established the value of the land at $630.00 and the Mobile Home at $21,000 for ad valorem real property tax purposes. Emprise Bank filed a proof of claim for $9,637.57.

The Trustee filed this hen avoidance action on February 3, 2006. An agreed order was entered providing as follows: Debtor would continue to make payments directly to Emprise; Emprise would account to the Court for all post-petition payments; Emprise was permitted to apply all post-petition payments to the debt on a conditional basis, pending resolution of the adversary proceeding; and, in the event of a final decision avoiding Emprise’s lien on the Mobile Home, Emprise would promptly turn over to the Trustee the payments to which he is entitled under the Court’s order. Since the date of filing, Debtor has continued to make his monthly payments to Emprise.

ANALYSIS.

A. Nature of the Controversy.

Trustee seeks to avoid Emprise’s lien on the Mobile Home pursuant to § 544(a)(2), which provides:

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358 B.R. 412, 2007 WL 466603, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-emprise-bank-in-re-jackson-ksb-2007.