Iberiabank v. Yocum (In re Yocum)

488 B.R. 748
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedMarch 20, 2013
DocketBankruptcy No. 12-00008-BGC-7; Adversary No. 12-00082
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 488 B.R. 748 (Iberiabank v. Yocum (In re Yocum)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Iberiabank v. Yocum (In re Yocum), 488 B.R. 748 (Ala. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

BENJAMIN COHEN, Bankruptcy Judge.

The matters before the Court are:

1. The Complaint Objecting to Discharge and to Dischargeability of Debt filed on May 29, 2012, by the plaintiff. (Docket No. 1);1
[750]*7502.The Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss filed on November 26, 2012. (Docket No. 19); and
8. Iberiabank’s Motion for Summary Judgment filed on October 10, 2012. Docket No. 12.

After notice, a hearing was held on November 28, 2012. Appearing were the defendant-debtor, and Brad Hightower for Daniel Sparks, the attorney for Iberia-bank. The matters were submitted based on the arguments of counsel and the pleadings.

I. Background

The debtor has filed four cases. Those are:

1. Bankruptcy Case No. 09-06595-BGC-13

The debtor filed Case No. 09-06595-BGC-13 on November 9, 2009. He filed the petition pro se. The case was dismissed on January 13, 2010, on the Trustee’s motion for failure to make plan payments.

2. Bankruptcy Case No. 10-04282-BGC-13

The debtor filed Case No. 10-04282-BGC-13 on July 15, 2010. He filed the petition pro se. The case was dismissed on September 1, 2010, for the debtor’s failure to file proper schedules.

3. Bankruptcy Case No. 11-01997-BGC-13

The debtor filed Case No. 11-01997-BGC-13 on April 8, 2011. He filed the petition pro se. The case was dismissed on May 4, 2011, for the debtor’s failure to file proper schedules.

4.Bankruptcy Case No. 12-00008-BGC-7

(The Current Case)

The debtor filed the current case as a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case on January 3, 2012. Docket No. 1. He filed the petition pro se. On March 29, 2012, the debtor filed a Motion to Convert Chapter IS to Chapter 7. Docket No. 51. The case was converted to one under Chapter 7 on March 29, 2012. Docket No. 52. On May 1, 2012, Thomas Reynolds, the Trustee, filed his Chapter 7 Trustee’s Report of No Distribution.

On May 29, 2012, Iberiabank filed the pending complaint against the debtor, and on October 10, 2012, filed the pending motion for summary judgment.

II. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

A. The Debtor’s Motion to Dismiss

Whether the debtor’s voluntary motion to dismiss should be granted is governed by section 707 of the Bankruptcy Code. That section includes:

(a) The court may dismiss a case under this chapter only after notice and a hearing and only for cause, including—
(1) unreasonable delay by the debtor that is prejudicial to creditors;
(2) nonpayment of any fees or charges required under chapter 123 of title 28; and
(3) failure of the debtor in a voluntary case to file, within fifteen days or such additional time as the court may allow after the filing of the petition commencing such case, the information required by paragraph (1) of section 521(a), but only on a motion by the United States trustee.

11 U.S.C. § 707.

The court in In re Mercer, Case No. 09-71621, 2010 WL 5209254 (Bankr. [751]*751M.D.Ga. Dec. 16, 2010) explains how this subsection should be applied. It wrote:

The Debtors seek to dismiss their case under 11 U.S.C. § 707(a). Although § 707(a) does not explicitly refer to voluntary dismissals, bankruptcy courts routinely apply § 707(a) to a debtor’s motion to voluntarily dismiss. E.g., In re Turpén, 244 B.R. 431, 434 (B.A.P. 8th Cir. [BAP] 2000) (citing In re Williams, 15 B.R. 655, 658 (E.D.Mo.1981); In re Watkins, 229 B.R. 907, 909 (Bankr. N.D.I11.1999); In re Eichelberger, 225 B.R. 437, 439 (Bankr.E.D.Mo.1998)). A debtor has no absolute right to a voluntary dismissal of a Chapter 7 case. Id. “Rather, a debtor seeking dismissal must show ‘cause.’ ” In re Smith, 507 F.3d 64, 72 (2d Cir.2007) (quoting 11 U.S.C. § 707(a)). The Bankruptcy code does not define “cause,” and the three examples listed in § 707(a) are not exclusive but rather illustrative. Id. (citing In re Padilla, 222 F.3d 1184, 1191 (9th Cir.2000); In re Simmons, 200 F.3d 738, 743 (11th Cir.2000)). Consequently, courts must view the facts case-by-case to determine whether sufficient cause exists for dismissal. In re Dinova, 212 B.R. 437, 442 (B.A.P. 2d Cir. [BAP] 1997) (citing In re MacFarlane Webster Associates, 121 B.R. 694, 697 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y.1990)). The burden for demonstrating cause is on the debtor, In re Simmons, 200 F.3d 738, 743 (11th Cir. 2000), and determination of cause is within the sound discretion of the bankruptcy court, e.g., In re Jabarin, 395 B.R. 330, 337 (Bankr.E.D.Pa.2008). If the debtor shows cause, the court nevertheless “should deny the motion if there is any showing of prejudice to creditors.” In re Turpén, 244 B.R. at 434 (citing In re Haney, 241 B.R. 430, 432, (Bankr.E.D.Ark.1999); In re Watkins, 229 B.R. at 909; In re Eichelberger, 225 B.R. at 439; In re Harker, 181 B.R. 326, 328 (Bankr.E.D.Tenn.1995)).
The court in In re Turpén outlined the factors courts generally consider when ruling on a voluntary motion to dismiss and whether prejudice exists:
(1) whether all of the creditors have consented; (2) whether the debtor is acting in good faith; (3) whether dismissal would result in a prejudicial delay in payment; (4) whether dismissal would result in a reordering of priorities; (5) whether there is another proceeding through which the payment of claims can be handled; and (6) whether an objection to discharge, an objection to exemptions, or a preference claim is pending.
244 B.R. at 434 (citing Watkins, 229 B.R. at 909; In re Eichelberger, 225 B.R. at 439; In re Harker, 181 B.R. at 328; In re Klein, 39 B.R. 530, 532 (Bankr.E.D.N.Y.1984); In re Pagnotta, 22 B.R. 521, 522 (Bankr.D.Md.1982)). The test is essentially two-pronged: the Debtor must show cause, and if the Debtor shows cause, the Court can nevertheless deny the motion for dismissal if the above factors demonstrate prejudice to creditors. In the present case, the Debtors have failed to show sufficient cause, and even if they had, the factors in the second prong weigh heavily against the Debtors.

Id. at *2-*3.

This Court agrees with the above tests and has applied them here. And based on the facts, finds that the Debtor has not shown “cause” why this case should be dismissed.

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Bluebook (online)
488 B.R. 748, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/iberiabank-v-yocum-in-re-yocum-alnb-2013.