Ditech Holding Corporation

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York·Decided August 5, 2021·No. 19-10412·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT NOT FOR PUBLICATION SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK -------------------------------------------------------- x In re: : Case No. 19-10412 (JLG) : Chapter 11 Ditech Holding Corporation, et al., :

: (Jointly Administered) Debtors.1 : -------------------------------------------------------- x

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER SUSTAINING THE FORTY-SIXTH OMNIBUS OBJECTION (NO BASIS CONSUMER CREDITOR CLAIMS) WITH RESPECT TO CLAIMS OF ALETHIA HANKINS

A P P E A R A N C E S :

WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES LLP Attorneys for the Plan Administrator 767 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10153 By: Ray C. Schrock, P.C. Richard W. Slack, Esq. Sunny Singh, Esq.

JENNER & BLOCK LLP Attorneys for the Consumer Claims Representative 919 Third Avenue New York, NY 10022 By: Richard Levin, Esq.

Ms. Alethia Hankins Appearing Pro Se 670 Smith Road NE Supply, NC 28462

1 The confirmation of the Debtors’ Third Amended Plan (as defined below) created the Wind Down Estates. The Wind Down Estates, along with the last four digits of their federal tax identification number, as applicable, are Ditech Holding Corporation (0486); DF Insurance Agency LLC (6918); Ditech Financial LLC (5868); Green Tree Credit LLC (5864); Green Tree Credit Solutions LLC (1565); Green Tree Insurance Agency of Nevada, Inc. (7331); Green Tree Investment Holdings III LLC (1008); Green Tree Servicing Corp. (3552); Marix Servicing LLC (6101); Walter Management Holding Company LLC (9818); and Walter Reverse Acquisition LLC (8837). The Wind Down Estates’ principal offices are located at 2600 South Shore Blvd., Suite 300, League City, TX 77573. HON. JAMES L. GARRITY, JR. U.S. BANKRUPTCY JUDGE Introduction2 Alethia Hankins (the “Claimant”) filed Proofs of Claim Nos. 2740 and 21464 (collectively the “Claims”) in these Chapter 11 Cases. They purport to assert unsecured claims against Ditech Financial LLC f/k/a Green Tree Servicing LLC (“Ditech”) in the sums of $5 million and $24,000, respectively. In their Forty-Sixth Omnibus Claims Objection (the “Objection”),3 the Plan Administrator and the Consumer Claims Representative (collectively, the “Estate Representatives”) seek to disallow and expunge the Claims on the grounds that they fail to state claims for relief against Ditech. The Claimant, appearing pro se, responded to the

Objection (the “Response”).4 The Estate Representatives submitted a joint reply to the Response (the Reply”).5 Pursuant to the Claims Procedures Order,6 the Court conducted a Sufficiency Hearing on the Claims, at which time counsel for the Estate Representatives and Claimant, acting pro se, were heard by the Court. The legal standard of review at a Sufficiency Hearing is equivalent to the standard applied to a motion to dismiss a complaint for failure to state a claim upon which

2 Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Forty- Sixth Omnibus Claims Objection and the Third Amended Plan. References to “ECF No. __” herein are to documents filed in the electronic docket in these jointly administered cases under Case No. 19-10412 (the “Chapter 11 Cases”).

3 See Forty-Sixth Omnibus Objection to Proofs of Claim (No Basis Consumer Creditor Claims) [ECF No. 2145].

4 See Response of Alethia Hankins [ECF No. 2441].

5 See Joint Reply of The Consumer Representative and Plan Administrator in Support of the Forty-Sixth Objection with Respect to Claim of Alethia Hankins (2740, 21464) [ECF No. 3539].

6 See Order Approving (I) Claim Objection Procedures and (II) Claim Hearing Procedures [ECF No. 1632]. relief may be granted under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Rule 12(b)(6)”).7 See Claims Procedures Order ¶ 3(iv)(a). As explained below, accepting all factual allegations asserted by the pro se Claimant in support of the Claims as true, drawing all reasonable inferences in the Claimant’s favor, and interpreting the Claims and the Claimant’s Response to raise the strongest arguments that they

suggest, the Claims fail to state plausible claims for relief against Ditech. Accordingly, the Court sustains the Objection and disallows and expunges the Claims. Jurisdiction The Court has jurisdiction to consider this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1334 and the Amended Standing Order of Referral of Cases to Bankruptcy Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, dated January 31, 2012 (Preska, C.J.). This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b). Background In 1997, Claimant executed a Manufactured Home Retail Installment Contract and

Security Agreement (the “Loan”) for the purchase of a manufactured home, i.e., a mobile home (the “Manufactured Home”). Reply ¶ 3. Green Tree Financing Corporation, now known as Ditech originated the Loan in the original principal balance of $28,034. The Loan is secured by the Manufactured Home. Id. The Chapter 11 Cases On February 11, 2019 (the “Petition Date”), Ditech Holding Corporation (f/k/a Walter Investment Management Corp.) and certain of its affiliates (“Debtors”) filed petitions for relief under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”) in this Court.

7 Rule 12(b)(6) is incorporated herein by Rule 7012 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the “Bankruptcy Rules”). The Debtors remained in possession of their business and assets as debtors and debtors in possession pursuant to sections 1107(a) and 1108 of the Bankruptcy Code. On February 22, 2019, the Court entered an order fixing April 1, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (prevailing Eastern Time) as the deadline for each person or entity, not including governmental units (as defined in section 101(27) of the Bankruptcy Code) to file a proof of claim in the Debtors’ Chapter 11 Cases (the

“General Bar Date”).8 Thereafter, the Court extended the General Bar Date for consumer borrowers, twice, and ultimately to June 3, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (prevailing Eastern Time) (the “Consumer Borrower Bar Date”).9 On September 26, 2019, the Debtors confirmed their Third Amended Plan,10 and on September 30, 2019, that plan became effective.11 The Plan Administrator is a fiduciary appointed under the Third Amended Plan who is charged with the duty of winding down, dissolving and liquidating the Wind Down Estates. See Third Amended Plan, Art. I, ¶¶ 1.130, 1.184, 1.186. The Consumer Claims Representative is a fiduciary appointed under the Third Amended Plan who is responsible for the reconciliation and resolution of Consumer Creditor

Claims and distribution of funds to holders of Allowed Consumer Creditor Claims in accordance with the Third Amended Plan. Id., Art. I, ¶ 1.41. Under the plan, the Plan Administrator, on behalf of each of the Wind Down Estates, is authorized to object to all Administrative Expense

8 See Order Establishing Deadline for Filing Proofs of Claim and Approving the Form and Manner of Notice Thereof [ECF No. 90].

9 See Order Further Extending General Bar Date for Filing Proofs of Claim for Consumer Borrowers Nunc Pro Tunc [ECF No. 496].

10 See Third Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Ditech Holding Corporation and its Affiliated Debtors [ECF No.

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