In Re Juhasz

208 B.R. 32, 34 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 212, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 2126, 1995 WL 917480
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedNovember 14, 1995
Docket19-30433
StatusPublished

This text of 208 B.R. 32 (In Re Juhasz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Juhasz, 208 B.R. 32, 34 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 212, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 2126, 1995 WL 917480 (Tex. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

LETITIA Z. CLARK, Chief Judge.

The court has considered the Motion of Beneficial Texas, Inc.’s For Relief From the Stay (Docket No. 19), together with the Motion to Avoid Non-Purchase Money Security Interest (Docket No. 26) filed by Debtors. The following are the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law of the court. A separate conforming Judgment will be entered. To the extent any of the Findings of Fact may be considered Conclusions of Law, they are adopted as such. To the extent any of the Conclusions of Law may be considered Findings of Fact, they are adopted as such.

Background

Debtors filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code on June 9, 1995. Beneficial Texas, Inc. (“Beneficial”) seeks relief from the automatic stay to foreclose a security interest it asserts in a 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo, VIN No. WPOAA0958GN154937 (the “Vehicle”). (Docket No. 19, at p. 2).

Debtors contend that Beneficial’s claimed security interest is unperfected, or alternatively, that the lien is avoidable because it is a non-possessory, non-purchase money security interest which impairs the Debtors’ exemption as a “tool of the trade” pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(l)(B)(ii).

Secured Status of Beneficial

Debtors entered into a loan agreement (“First Loan Document”) on March 14, 1994 in the original principal amount of $7,637.04. (Beneficial Exhibit 4). The document contains a notation that the loan is secured, along with several “boxes” which were checked to indicate the type of security. (Beneficial Exhibit 4, at p. 1). The boxes marked “Motor Vehicle” and “Certain Household Items” were checked.

The First Loan Document also contains a provision for the granting of a security interest in personal property. The provision reads: “To secure this loan, you give us a security interest in your personal property described below.” The form contains two boxes, of which one box was checked. That box reads: “The motor vehicle(s) and attached equipment described in the Identification of Security form.”

Attached to the First Loan Document is a form titled “Identification of Security” (Beneficial Exhibit 5). The form contains the VIN number and description of the Vehicle.

A Texas Certificate of Title issued on May 10, 1994 (Beneficial Exhibit 3) lists Judit Juhasz as owner of the Vehicle, and lists Beneficial Texas Inc. as first lienholder pursuant to a lien dated March 16,1994.

Debtors entered into a second loan agreement (“Second Loan Document”) on February 6,1995 in the original principal amount of $7,637.04. (Beneficial Exhibit 1). The form of the Second Loan Document appears identical to that of the First Loan Document. The Second Loan Document reflects that a balance of $5,582.45 was paid on the prior account, and that a new loan of $2,054.59 was made.

The document contains a notation that the loan is secured, along with several boxes checked to indicate the type of security. (Beneficial Exhibit 1, at p. 1). Only the box *35 marked “Certain Household Items” was cheeked. The box marked “Motor Vehicle” was not checked.

The Second Loan Document contains the same provision for the granting of a security interest. The box marked “Other personal property described in the Identification of Security form” was checked. The box marked “The motor vehicle(s) and attached equipment described in the Identification of Security form” is not checked.

The Identification of Security form attached to the Second Loan Document (Beneficial Exhibit 2) contains the VIN number and description of the vehicle.

The Identification of Security form contains the following language: “You have signed a Loan Agreement on the date shown above and given a security interest in personal property. This form is incorporated by reference into the Loan Agreement. You are listing below an individual itemization and your estimate of the market value of the personal property (‘property’) that secures your loan.”

The issue of whether a security interest attaches to the Vehicle is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code-Secured Transactions chapter, Tex.Bus. & Com.Code Art. 9.

A security interest attaches to collateral in the possession of a debtor if the debtor has signed a security agreement which contains a description of the collateral, value has been given, and the debtor has rights in the collateral. Tex.Bus. & Com.Code § 9.203(a).

A description of personal property is sufficient for the purpose of Article 9 if it reasonably identifies what is described. Tex.Bus. & Com.Code § 9.110; Crow-Southland, Joint Venture No. 1 v. North Fort Worth Bank, 838 S.W.2d 720 (Tex.App.—Dallas, err. den.).

The indication of the Vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number on both “Identification of Security” forms uniquely describes the Vehicle. The court concludes that the collateral was sufficiently described for the lien of Beneficial to attach.

Lien Avoidance

The Bankruptcy Code provides for the avoidance of a judicial lien to the extent the lien impairs an exemption of the debtor if such lien is a nonpossessory nonpurchase money security interest in any implements, professional books, or tools of the trade of the debtor or the trade of a dependent of the debtor. 11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(l)(B)(ii).

Debtors’ Schedule C (Docket No. 9) indicates that the Debtors have elected the state scheme of exemptions. Debtors listed the Vehicle as exempt pursuant to Tex.Prop. Code § 42.001. No party in interest filed a timely objection to the Debtors’ claim of exemptions.

Section 42.001 of the Texas Property Code allows a family to exempt personal property of an aggregate fair market value of no more than $60,000, and of the types listed in Section 42.002. Section 42.002 contains among the types listed, vehicles and tools of the trade.

Under the Texas exemption for tools of the trade, the exemption must be of items fairly belonging to the trade. Those items which have merely general value and use in business are not included within the scope of the exemption. In re Neal, 140 B.R. 634 (Bankr.W.D.Tex.1992).

A debtor may not avoid a lien in a motor vehicle as a tool of the trade where the vehicle is not peculiarly adapted to the debt- or’s trade. In re Hrncirik, 138 B.R. 835 (Bankr.N.D.Tex.1992); In re Weiss, 92 B.R. 677 (Bankr.N.D.Tex.1988).

In the instant case, the Vehicle is not particularly adapted to Debtor’s trade. Debtor testified that he is in the business of buying and selling jewelry and collectibles. He drives the Vehicle to call on customers and to conduct appraisals of the items he buys and sells, as well as to deliver goods. The vehicle is an ordinary 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo.

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208 B.R. 32, 34 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 212, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 2126, 1995 WL 917480, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-juhasz-txsb-1995.