In re Kizer

539 B.R. 316, 74 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1059, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 3621, 2015 WL 6437435
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedOctober 2, 2015
DocketCase No. 13-58567
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 539 B.R. 316 (In re Kizer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Kizer, 539 B.R. 316, 74 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1059, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 3621, 2015 WL 6437435 (Mich. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION REGARDING THE PENDING OBJECTIONS TO THE DEBTOR’S AMENDED CLAIM OF EXEMPTIONS

Thomas J. Tucker, United States Bankruptcy Judge

In Clark v. Rameker, — U.S.-, 134 S.Ct. 2242, 189 L.Ed.2d 157 (2014), the United States Supreme Court held that a bankruptcy debtor’s interest in an inherited individual retirement account (“IRA”) does not qualify as “retirement funds,” under the exemption provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(C). In this case, the Court must decide whether a bankruptcy debtor’s interest in accounts he received as an “alternate payee,” as a result of the division of his ex-wife’s retirement accounts in his divorce, can be claimed exempt as “retirement funds” under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(12). The Court concludes that the answer is “no.” This situation is enough like that in Clark v. Rameker to compel the same result.

This case is before the Court on the objections to the Debtor’s amended claim of certain exemptions, filed by the creditor Hubbard Snitchler & Parzianello PLC (“Creditor”) and by the Chapter 7 Trustee (Docket # # 28, 37, the “Exemption Objections”). The Court held two hearings on the Exemption Objections, and previously entered two orders that partially resolved those objections. (See Order filed at Docket # 58 at ¶¶ 6, 7; and Order filed at Docket # 77 at ¶¶ 1, 2). This opinion addresses the unresolved issues.

I. Jurisdiction

This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this bankruptcy case and this contested matter under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(b), 157(a) and 157(b)(1), and Local Rule 83.50(a) (E.D.Mich.). This contested matter is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(A), 157(b)(2)(B), and 157(b)(2)(0). This matter also is “core” because this matter is “created or determined by a statutory provision of title 11,” namely, 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(12). See generally Allard v. Coenen (In re Trans-Industries, Inc.), 419 B.R. 21, 27 (Bankr. E.D.Mich.2009).

II. Background

The key unresolved issue before the Court is whether the Debtor’s interests in two specific accounts qualify for exemption as “retirement funds” under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(12). In a previous order, the Court listed the accounts at issue, and one other account that is no longer at issue, in framing the dispute as follows:

The Debtor’s property listed in the Debtor’s most recent amended Schedules B and C (Docket # 25) as:
U of M retirement account — 57,457.00
TIAA-CREFF retirement account— 40,000.00
U of M 403(b) — 9,300.00
including Debtor’s right to receive the $40,000.00 sum listed above by a transfer into a TIAA-CREFF retirement account in Debtor’s name (to the extent such transfer had not yet occurred as of the petition date), all is property of the bankruptcy estate, notwithstanding 11 U.S.C. § 541(c)(2) and Patterson v. Shumate, 504 U.S. 753, 112 S.Ct. 2242, 119 L.Ed.2d 519 (1992) and its progeny. The issue in dispute among the parties therefore is limited to whether and to what extent this property is exempt under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d).

[319]*319(Order filed June 19, 2014 (Docket # 58) at ¶ 7 (footnote omitted)).1

Of the three accounts listed in the above quotation, only the first two remain at issue. In a later order, the Court allowed the Debtor’s claimed exemption, under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(5), in the full $9,300.00 amount of the account described as “U of M 403(b)—9,300.00.” (Order filed September 3, 2014 (Docket # 77) at ¶ 1.)

The remaining dispute concerns the two accounts described in Debtor’s latest amended schedules B and C as:

. U of M retirement account—57,457.00 TIAA-CREFF retirement account— 40,000.00

Debtor’s latest amended Schedule C claims an exemption for the full amounts listed for these accounts, under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(12). The Trustee and the Creditor object to .this, and argue that the § 522(d)(12) exemption does not apply to either account. They rely primarily on the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Clark v. Rameker, — U.S.-, 134 S.Ct. 2242, 189 L.Ed.2d 157 (2014), discussed below.

III. Discussion

A. Some general principles about exemptions

The Trastee and the Creditor bear the burden of proving that the Debt- or’s claimed exemptions under § 522(d)(12) “are not properly claimed.” See Fed. R.Bankr.P. 4003(c); see also In re Demeter, 478 B.R. 281, 286 (Bankr.E.D.Mich. 2012); In re John, 459 B.R. 684, 689 (Bankr.E.D.Mich.2011). And the Court must construe exemptions liberally, in favor of the Debtor. See Demeter, 478 B.R. at 286; In re Hanh Hieu Dang, No. 11-10091, 473 B.R. 218, 220-21 (Bankr. W.D.Mich.2012) (“Exemptions are to be liberally construed in favor of a debtor.”) (citing Menninger v. Schramm (In re Schramm), 431 B.R. 397, 400 (6th Cir. BAP 2010) and Fed.R.Bankr.P. 4003(c)).

The Court must determine- Debt- or’s claimed exemptions as of the date he filed his bankruptcy petition. See Lawless v. Newton (In re Lawless), 591 Fed.Appx. 415, 417 (6th Cir.2014); Demeter, 478 B.R. at 286; Hanh Hieu Dang, 473 B.R. at 220-21 (“Exemptions are determined as of the filing, date.”); In re Bwick, 237 B.R. 607, 609 (Bankr.W.D.Pa.1999) and cases cited therein (holding that a debtor’s entitlement to an exemption under § 522(d)(1) is “determined as of the filing date of ... [a bankruptcy] petition”).

B. The “retirement funds” issue under § 522(d)(12)

Section 522(d)(12) is the exemption for “retirement funds” that is available to debtors electing the federal exemptions, and.

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

Related

Sharon S. Brainard
D. Connecticut, 2023
In re Sharkey
563 B.R. 655 (E.D. Michigan, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
539 B.R. 316, 74 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 1059, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 3621, 2015 WL 6437435, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-kizer-mieb-2015.