In re Fox

521 B.R. 520, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 4695, 2014 WL 6066120
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Maryland
DecidedNovember 12, 2014
DocketNo. 13-12566-RAG
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 521 B.R. 520 (In re Fox) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Fox, 521 B.R. 520, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 4695, 2014 WL 6066120 (Md. 2014).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW UPON THE UNITED STATES TRUSTEE’S MOTION TO DISMISS FOR ABUSE

ROBERT A. GORDON, Bankruptcy Judge.

Upon consideration of the evidence and arguments presented in support of and in opposition to the United States Trustee’s Motion to Dismiss for Abuse, the Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

1. The debtors, Edward and Jacqueline Fox, filed a voluntary petition under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code on February 15, 2013.

2. In their Petition, the Foxes indicated that their debts were “primarily consumer debts.”

3. On March 26, 2013, the United States Trustee (UST) filed a Motion to Dismiss for Abuse (Motion to Dismiss) pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 707(b)(3). Specifically, the UST contended that the Foxes’ filing of the case constitutes an abuse under both the “bad faith” test of 11 U.S.C. § 707(b)(3)(A) and the “totality of the circumstances ... of the debtor’s financial situation” test of 11 U.S.C. § 707(b)(3)(B).

4. In response, the Foxes filed an amended petition in which they changed their designation of “primarily consumer debts” to “primarily business debts.”

5. Because 11 U.S.C. § 707(b) only provides for the dismissal of cases in which the debtors’ debts are “primarily consumer debts,” on July 26, 2013, the UST filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Summary Judgment Motion) (Dkt. No. 45) on that issue.

6. The Foxes did not respond to the Summary Judgment Motion.

7. The UST was entitled to judgment as a matter of law on that issue based upon the undisputed facts set forth in the Summary Judgment Motion (supported primarily by the deposition testimony of the Foxes themselves) and therefore, the Summary Judgment Motion was granted on October 28, 2013 (Dkt. No. 71) and the [523]*523Court held that the Foxes’ debts are “primarily consumer debts” as defined by the Bankruptcy Code.1

8. The Court held a trial on the Motion to Dismiss on October 29, 2013 and, on January 10, 2014, following the submission of post-trial memoranda, and after hearing argument from both sides, the Court placed a preliminary ruling granting the Motion to Dismiss on the record. The reasoning expressed on the records is incorporated herein. The UST was given the opportunity to submit proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law and the Foxes were given the opportunity to object both informally and formally. The Foxes did not file an objection to the proposed •findings of fact and conclusions of law.

FINDINGS OF FACT

9. The Foxes earn gross annual wages of somewhere between $220,000 and $255,000. Their bankruptcy schedules reflect gross annual wages of $253,640.40 but tax returns from two prior years and testimony at trial indicate that, due to the nature of their employment, the precise amount fluctuates and in 2013, may have been slightly lower than reflected on the Foxes’ schedules.

10. The Foxes also receive approximately $30,000 a year in rental income. That income, however, is not disclosed on their schedules.

11. Although the Foxes testified that some of their children and grandchildren are now residing in their house, the Foxes do not have any financial responsibility for those children or grandchildren.

12. As of the petition date, the Foxes owed $105,898 of unsecured debt. Of that, $93,211 is credit card debt. $2,600 is debt owed to various homeowners associations. The remaining $10,087 is student loan debt.2

13. The Foxes’ schedules reflect a “net” monthly income of $13,515.35. This number consists of the Foxes’ gross wages reduced by withholding for taxes, insurance, charitable donations and a voluntary contribution of $150 a month to Mrs. Fox’s 401 (k) retirement plan. As noted previously, that number fails to account for the Foxes’ rental income.

14. The Foxes’ schedules reflect monthly expenses of $18,103.77, leaving a purported deficiency of $4,588.42 a month.

15. The majority of the Foxes’ monthly expenses are related to real property they own.

16. The Foxes own four pieces of real property: their primary residence and three rental properties.3

17. The rental properties consist of two beach properties in Delaware and a home in Florida.

18. The Foxes purchased the first beach property, a condominium, for use as a family vacation property in 2001.

19. They purchased the Florida property as a retirement home in 2004. The Foxes intended to use that property as a rental until they retired.

[524]*52420. As their family size increased, the Foxes wanted a larger vacation property in Delaware. Therefore, in 2006 the Foxes purchased the second Delaware property.

21. At the time they purchased the second Delaware property, the Foxes intended to sell both the original Delaware property and the Florida property. However, the Foxes have not been able to sell those two properties at an acceptable price.

22. Thus, the Foxes continued to rent out the Florida property and, since 2008 or 2009, have been renting out the two Delaware properties as well.

23. According to their schedules, the Foxes’ primary residence has a value of $434,800.00 with secured debt of $606,101.00.

24. According to their schedules, the Foxes’ rental properties are worth a combined $782,534 and are encumbered by liens of $1,070,971.82.

25. The Foxes have a total of $18,103.77 in monthly expenses, $14,646.85 of which consists of expenses relating to the real properties. These expenses break down as follows:

a. $4,176.99 a month is expenses arising from the Foxes’ primary residence. Included in that amount is $486 a month toward the payment of what appears to be a wholly unsecured second mortgage. Also included are homeowner association dues, sewer assessments and maintenance.
b. $6,963.68 a month in mortgage payments for the three rental properties.
c. $3,506.18 of miscellaneous non-mortgage expenses for the maintenance of the rental properties such as taxes, insurance, association fees, and required golf club memberships.

26. Combined, the three rental properties cost the Foxes approximately $8,000 a month more than they generate in income.

27. The Foxes intend to keep all four properties and to continue to incur the expenses associated with all four properties. The Foxes hope is that one day they will be able to sell such of the properties as they choose to sell for a price, or prices, that reflect their perceived value.

28. Using the figures set forth in the Foxes’ schedules, if the Foxes surrendered the three rental properties instead of continuing to sustain the losses created by them, the Foxes would have $5,881.44 a month of surplus disposable income.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
521 B.R. 520, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 4695, 2014 WL 6066120, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-fox-mdb-2014.