In re Law

497 B.R. 843, 2013 WL 4602858, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3627
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedAugust 29, 2013
DocketNo. 13-30388-SGJ-7
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 497 B.R. 843 (In re Law) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.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 Law, 497 B.R. 843, 2013 WL 4602858, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3627 (Tex. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER SUPPLEMENTING AND CLARIFYING THE JULY 2, 2013 ORDER GRANTING MOTION OF DEBTOR FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST ALLY FINANCIAL, INC. FOR VIOLATION OF THE AUTOMATIC STAY (CLARIFYING IN-JUNCTIVE PROVISIONS OF SUCH ORDER)

STACEY G. JERNIGAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

I. Introduction

Before this court was a contested matter concerning a motion for sanctions [DE # 20] filed by an individual Chapter 7 [845]*845debtor, Tequilla Marie Lomax Law (the “Debtor”), pursuant to Section 362(k) of the Bankruptcy Code, against a vehicle lender, Ally Financial, Inc. (“Ally”), for an alleged violation of the Debtor’s automatic stay in her bankruptcy case. Ally’s alleged stay violation was the act of sending a postpetition, pre-discharge letter directly to the Debtor (and not also to Debtor’s counsel), approximately two-and-a-half months after her bankruptcy case was filed, and after Ally received several notices of the bankruptcy case, which letter notified the Debtor in repeated fashion of the “AMOUNT NOW DUE” and “LAST DAY FOR PAYMENT” on the Debtor’s account, and indicated where the Debtor should send payments to cure her defaults. As it so happened, the Debtor had filed a Statement of Intention, pursuant to section 521(a)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code, on the first day of her bankruptcy case, indicating her intention to surrender the vehicle to Ally, and also disclosed conspicuously in her Bankruptcy Schedules B and D that the vehicle in question was in the possession of her estranged husband — who was a co-debtor on the indebtedness to Ally, but was not a joint debtor in the Chapter 7 case. The Debtor and her counsel believed that, under the circumstances, the letter from Ally was an improper attempt to collect on a prepetition claim against the Debtor, since the automatic stay had terminated as to the vehicle (but not to the Debtor), pursuant to section 521(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code (ie., the dangling paragraph thereunder), and there was nothing preventing Ally from repossessing the vehicle.1 The court has ultimately concluded that, while Ally belatedly offered some plausible explanations for its letter, Ally’s letter did, indeed, “cross the line” into violating section 362(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code,2 and warranted sanctions pursuant to Section 362(k).3 Just as harassment can be subtle in other areas of the law, so, too, can it be in the universe of automatic stay violations. What follows are the court’s findings and conclusions in support of the court’s ruling. Hopefully, this will serve as a cautionary tale. The court also issues this written Memorandum Opinion and Order to clarify and supplement its earlier Order on July 2, 2013 that, among other things, enjoined Ally from sending in the future any letter to any debtor in this District similar to what was sent to the Debtor in the case at bar.

II. Jurisdiction

Bankruptcy subject matter jurisdiction existed in this contested matter pursuant [846]*846to 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b). This bankruptcy-court had authority to exercise the bankruptcy subject matter jurisdiction in the contested matter, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(a) and the Standing Order of Reference of Bankruptcy Cases and Proceedings (Misc. Rule No. 33), for the Northern District of Texas, dated August 3, 1984. Additionally, statutory “core” matters were involved in this contested matter, as contemplated by 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(A), (G) and (0). Sections 105, 362, and 521 of the Bankruptcy Code were the substantive statutory authority most germane to this matter. This Memorandum Opinion encompasses the court’s findings of facts and conclusions of law pursuant to Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure 7052 and 9014. Where appropriate, a finding of fact shall be construed as a conclusion of law and vice versa.

III. Facts

The Debtor filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case on January 29, 2013 (the “Petition Date”). The Debtor ultimately received a discharge on April 29, 2013.

The Debtor’s case was a fairly ordinary Chapter 7 case. The Debtor listed among her obligations a home mortgage, some car debt, and various unsecured debt including medical debt and student loans. The Debtor was unemployed during her bankruptcy case and receiving government assistance (including social security disability payments and food stamps). The Debtor is undergoing a divorce. The Debtor has two children in her household. The Debt- or was represented in her bankruptcy case pro bono by an attorney with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas. The Debtor testified that her highest level of education has been one semester of community college.

One of the debts the Debtor hoped to have discharged in her bankruptcy case (and ultimately did have discharged) was a debt associated with a 2008 Chevrolet Sil-verado 1500 extended cab work truck (the “Truck”). The Debtor was a co-obligor on the indebtedness associated with the Truck (it was purchased in year 2008), but the Truck was used by and was in the possession of her estranged husband (a co-debt- or, not a joint debtor). When the Debtor filed bankruptcy, she listed the Truck on her Schedule B listing of personal property as follows:

“2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab Work Truck; Truck is not in debtor’s possession. Truck is in possession of debtor’s estranged husband, Dextes Law. [Value listed: $12,-384]”

The Debtor did not claim the Truck on her Schedule C as exempt. In fact, as mentioned earlier, the Debtor filed a Statement of Intention, on the first day of her case, indicating her intention to surrender the Truck. 11 U.S.C. § 521(a)(2). The Debtor also listed the Truck on her Schedule D listing of secured debt, showing Ally with a loan to the Debtor and her estranged husband secured by the Truck, with a claim owing of $12,516. The Debtor listed Ally at five different addresses on her Schedule D (and also on her Creditor Mailing Matrix), and also listed a law firm that had represented Ally prepetition in a lawsuit filed against the Debtor and her estranged husband. There is no dispute that Ally received prompt and fullsome notice of the Debtor’s bankruptcy filiny.

The Debtor filed amended Schedules and Statement of Financial Affairs on April 17, 2013, that made minor changes, including listing the divorce action that was filed against her by her estranged husband.

Ally never filed a Motion to Lift Stay or asked for a Reaffirmation Agreement in the case. 11 U.S.C. §§ 362(d); 524. However, Ally internally (ie., in-house; not through an outside lawyer) sent to the [847]*847Debtor directly (and not to her lawyer) a letter on April 15, 2013. The April 15, 2013 Letter (herein so called) starts out:

“Dear Tequilla M. Lomax:

April 28, 2013 is the LAST DAY FOR PAYMENT.
$6,157.23 is the AMOUNT NOW DUE.

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Bluebook (online)
497 B.R. 843, 2013 WL 4602858, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 3627, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-law-txnb-2013.