In re Boddy

593 B.R. 643
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado
DecidedNovember 2, 2018
DocketBankruptcy Case No. 18-10250 TBM
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 593 B.R. 643 (In re Boddy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Boddy, 593 B.R. 643 (Colo. 2018).

Opinion

Thomas B. McNamara, United States Bankruptcy Judge

This is another case involving the uncertain intersection between bankruptcy law and probate law, this time involving an effort to avoid judgment liens which impair the deceased debtor's homestead exemption. The homestead exemption is one of the most fundamental protections from creditors afforded to debtors. It has its roots in England at common law and it, along with other exemptions, serves both "beneficent sociological and economic purposes." In the Matter of Dodge , 685 P.2d 260, 263 (Colo. App. 1984) (citing Bauldry v. Hall , 174 F.2d 379 (8th Cir. 1949) ).

The primary purpose of such an exemption is to secure to the householder a home for himself and his family, regardless of the solvency or insolvency of the family; to protect the citizen householder and his family from the dangers and miseries of destitution consequent on business reverses or upon calamities from other causes; to secure the permanent habitation of the family; to cultivate the interest, pride, and affection of the individual, so essential to the stability of government. It has long been the policy of this state (Colorado) to preserve the home to the family, even at the sacrifice of just demands, for the reason that the preservation of the home is deemed of paramount importance.

Id. (Internal citations omitted).

The Bankruptcy Code1 also recognizes and preserves for the debtor and the debtor's "dependents" the sociologic and economic benefits served by exemptions. 11 U.S.C. § 522. Property exempted under Section 522"is not liable during or after the case for any debt of the debtor that arose ... before the commencement of the case ... except a debt secured by a lien that is not avoided under"

*646Section 522(f) or the other avoidance sections of the Code. 11 U.S.C. § 522(c)(2). For debtors in states which have not opted out of the Federal exemption scheme, Congress permits debtors to exempt real property that "the debtor or a dependent of the debtor uses as a residence." 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(1). Moreover, if a debtor fails to timely claim an exemption, "a dependent of the debtor" may do so within 30 days after the deadline expires for the debtor to do so. 11 U.S.C. § 522(l) ; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 4003(a). Section 522(a)(1) does not define "dependent" except to say " 'dependent' includes spouse whether or not actually dependent."

In the event of the death of the "householder," to whom does that protection extend? The Colorado legislature has limited the exemption's reach to "a widow, or husband, or minor children. In case there is neither widow, husband, nor minor children, the homestead shall be liable for the debts of the deceased." C.R.S. § 38-41-204.

The Bankruptcy Code does not address what effect the debtor's death has on any aspect of a bankruptcy case. In re Waring , 555 B.R. 754, 759 (Bankr. D. Colo. 2016). This Court observed in Waring that:

[t]he Bankruptcy Code contains 264 Sections and literally thousands of subsections, some well-known and many obscure, that form the backbone of modern bankruptcy law. It is a long read. But one would read for many hours in vain if trying to locate the provision expressly governing the death of a debtor after commencement of a bankruptcy case. The reason is that the Bankruptcy Code actually contains no specific statute on the topic of a debtor's death.

Id.

In the case before this Court, the Debtor properly claimed a homestead exemption. However, she passed away before her Chapter 7 case, a "no asset" case, was closed. Thus, if Ms. Irwin had not filed her motions to avoid the judicial liens, the case would have been closed and the real property would have been abandoned to the Debtor pursuant to Section 554(c).2 Instead, Ms. Irwin as the Debtor's "next-of-kin," moved to compel the Trustee to abandon the real property so she could sell it.

At the same time, Ms. Irwin filed her motions seeking to avoid the judicial liens of two judgment creditors against the real property to be sold. She as "next-of-kin" and Personal Representative of the Debtor's Probate Estate (the "PR"), not the Debtor, hopes to avail herself of the protections Congress granted to debtors in Section 522(f) of the Bankruptcy Code.3 She seeks to stand in the shoes of the Debtor, effectively to be substituted for the Debtor, in a contested matter which the Debtor had not commenced before she passed away. She endeavors to maximize the Debtor's homestead exemption for her benefit when she would not be afforded that right under Colorado Probate Law. As a policy matter, if this Court were to grant the request of the Debtor's "next-of-kin," her entitlement to a homestead exemption, if any, would be elevated over the Debtor's creditors which hold liens on that residential real property. This Court cannot *647interpret the Bankruptcy Code to effect such a result. The Court afforded Ms. Irwin the opportunity to submit legal authority which analyzes and construes the language of Section 522(f), particularly whether someone other than the "debtor" is permitted to bring a motion under that section. Despite that opportunity, Ms. Irwin has failed to provide persuasive legal authority to justify the Court interpreting the statute to have a meaning other than its plain language.

I. Procedural Posture and Matters Pending Before the Court .

A. The Documents Filed and the Court's Order .

The issue presented comes to the Court in the context of two motions to avoid judicial liens against the residential real property of the Debtor filed by the "Estate of Noreen A.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Welcome to Realty v. Wilson
2024 COA 122 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2024)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
593 B.R. 643, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-boddy-cob-2018.