In re Greenly

481 B.R. 299, 2012 Bankr. LEXIS 4802, 2012 WL 4867510
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 12, 2012
DocketNo. 11-15397-MDC
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 481 B.R. 299 (In re Greenly) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Greenly, 481 B.R. 299, 2012 Bankr. LEXIS 4802, 2012 WL 4867510 (Pa. 2012).

Opinion

Memorandum

MAGDELINE D. COLEMAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

Introduction

Before this Court for consideration is the Chapter 7 Trustee, Christine C. Shu-bert’s (“Trustee”) objection (the “Objection”) to Jennifer A. Greenly (“Mrs. Greenly”) and Dean M. Greenly’s (“Mr. Greenly,” collectively the “Debtors”) claim of exemptions to Annuity Policy 011800CS01z (the “Annuity”), and payments received by Mrs. Greenly from the Annuity. The Debtors originally only scheduled monthly payments received from the Annuity (the “Monthly Payments”) and claimed them as exempt pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 522(d)(10)(C), 522(d)(10)(E), and 522(d)(ll)(E) (the “Claimed Exemptions”). The Debtors subsequently amended their schedules to add previously undisclosed scheduled lump-sum distributions to be paid to Mrs. Greenly from the Annuity (the “Distribution Payments” and together with the Monthly Payments, “Payments”). The Debtors now claim that the Payments are either (1) exempt under the Claimed Exemptions, or (2) not property of Mrs. Greenly’s estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 541(c)(2) because they are derived from a spendthrift trust.

After an evidentiary hearing on the Objections and consideration of the parties’ post-hearing filings, this Court finds that: (i) although the Annuity is not property of the Debtors’ estate, Mrs. Greenly’s interest in the Payments is property of the Debtors’ estate, (ii) Mrs. Greenly’s interest in the Monthly Payments may be claimed as exempt pursuant to the Claimed Exemptions, (iii) Mrs. Greenly’s interest in the Distributions Payments are not exempt under any of the Claimed Exemptions, and (iv) the Trustee’s Objections will be sustained in part, and denied in part.

[303]*303 Procedural History

The Debtors initiated this bankruptcy case by filing on July 8, 2011 (the “Petition Date”) a petition for chapter 7 relief. On the Petition Date, the Debtors also filed their bankruptcy schedules. In the Debtors’ original Schedule B, the Debtors provided the following information regarding the Payments received.

Description of Applicable Value of Claimed Current Market Property_Exemption_Exemption_Value of Property
Annuities 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(5) $1,250.00 $1,250.00
$1.250.00 Monthly

The original schedule B contains no disclosure of the Distribution Payments.

The initial meeting of creditors was held on August 8, 2011. Prior to the meeting of creditors, the Debtors had not disclosed the Distribution Payments. At this meeting, the Trustee became aware of Mrs. Greenly’s interest in the Annuity and requested the Debtors provide to the Trustee documents relating to Mrs. Greenly’s interest in the Annuity. To allow the production of such documents and the Trustee’s review of the same, the meeting of creditors was continued.

The next day on August 9, 2011, the Debtors filed amended Schedules B and C. In the amended Schedule B, the Debtors identified the Annuity as property owned solely by Mrs. Greenly. For whatever reason, the Debtors’ amended Schedule B again did not disclose Mrs. Greenly’s interest in the Distribution Payments. Debtors’ counsel claims that he was not aware of the Distribution Payments and, as a result, failed to include Mrs. Greenly’s interest in the Distribution Payments in either the Debtors’ original or amended schedules. In the Debtors’ amended Schedule C, the Debtors provided the following information regarding the Payments.

Description Applicable Value of Claimed Current Market of Property_Exemption_Exemptions_Value of Property
Annuities 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(5) $1,250.00 per month $1,250.00
$1,250.00 Monthly 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(10)(E) $1,250.00 per month
11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(ll)(E) $1,250.00 per month

Once again, the Debtors’ Schedule C contained no reference to the Distribution Payments.

The Debtors did not immediately produce copies of the Annuity or any related documents as requested by the Trustee. Instead, the Trustee was forced to file a motion dated September 2, 2011 to compel the Debtors to turn over documents pertaining to Mrs. Greenly’s settlement of her personal injury claim, the source of the Annuity, including but not limited to the Annuity, the Settlement Agreement, and associated documents. By an Order dated September 28, 2011, this Court granted the Trustee’s motion and required the Debtors to produce the requested documents within three days of the entry of the Order.

Despite this Court’s Order, the Debtors did not produce to the Trustee the requested documents. Instead, the Trustee filed a motion dated October 12, 2011 to hold the Debtors in contempt of this Court’s September 28, 2011 Order. Thereafter, the Debtors finally produced [304]*304to the Trustee the requested documents and the Trustee withdrew the contempt motion by a praecipe dated October 27, 2011. The Trustee alleges that it was not until its receipt of these documents that the Debtors finally disclosed Mrs. Greenly’s interest in the Distribution Payments.

On November 18, 2011, the Trustee filed the Objection to the Debtors’ Claimed Exemptions. A hearing on the Trustee’s original objection was scheduled to occur on December 27, 2011, and was later continued to February 21, 2012 (the “Hearing”). Prior to the Hearing, the parties submitted the Stipulation. Pursuant to the Stipulation, the parties consented to the admissibility of certain documents attached as exhibits. In addition, the parties stipulated to certain facts relating to the origination of the Annuity and Mrs. Greenly’s present circumstances.

At the Hearing, the Trustee outlined her arguments for why Mrs. Greenly was not entitled to the Claimed Exemptions. With regard to § 522(d)(ll)(C), the Trustee argued that Mrs. Greenly was not entitled to this exemption because she is presently not disabled, unemployed or ill as a result of the accident and is presently employed as a retail clerk working in excess of 30 hours per week. With regard to § 522(d)(10)(E), the Trustee argued that Mrs. Greenly was not entitled to this exemption because she is not disabled, unemployed or ill as a result of the accident and she has not proved that these monies are not necessary to support herself and her family. With regard to § 522(d)(ll)(E), the Trustee argued that Mrs. Greenly was not entitled to this exemption because she has provided no evidence that the Annuity represents compensation for lost future earnings and she has not proved that these monies are not necessary to support herself and her family.

In response, the Debtors did not address the substance of the Trustee’s arguments.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
481 B.R. 299, 2012 Bankr. LEXIS 4802, 2012 WL 4867510, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-greenly-paeb-2012.