In Re McGoy

86 B.R. 174, 4 Bankr. Rep (St. Louis B.A.) 4177, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 746, 1988 WL 53238
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedMay 25, 1988
Docket16-42248
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 86 B.R. 174 (In Re McGoy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re McGoy, 86 B.R. 174, 4 Bankr. Rep (St. Louis B.A.) 4177, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 746, 1988 WL 53238 (Mo. 1988).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

JAMES J. BARTA, Chief Judge.

The Trustee’s Objection to the Debtor’s Claim of Exemptions came before this Court for hearing, and after a trial, the matter was taken under submission. The primary issue is a construction of Section 513.430(10)(e), Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo), which provides an exemption for certain property from the Bankruptcy estate. 1

This matter is a core proceeding over which this Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(B) and 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and Rule 29 of the Rules of Court for the District Court for the United States *175 District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Janet McGoy filed her voluntary petition for relief on February 19,1987. The Debt- or’s Statement of Financial Affairs reflects the Debtor received certain payments from various stock ownership plans and dividends in the several months prior to filing. The statement does not set forth ownership of any shares of stock as of the date of the filing of the petition. The Debtor’s Schedule of Personal Property (B-2) is blank where information regarding stocks and bonds was to be provided. The two columns where information on the value of the Debtor’s interest in those items were also blank. Every other question appearing on the same page as those inquiries is answered by stating “none” as the description and “0.00” as the value. The Trustee, and any other parties reviewing the schedules would assume that no stocks or bonds are owned by the Debtor. The original Schedule of Exempt Property (B-4) filed in this case did not reflect any ownership of stock or claim any exempt interest in stock. After the meeting of creditors an amended B-4 Schedule was filed, in which the Debt- or listed shares of stock “obtained as a result of discharge by Illinois Bell”, as exempt property.

The Trustee has objected to the Debtor’s amended claim of exemptions. It is argued that these shares of stock actually held by the Debtor do not fall within the allowed exemption. In the amended Schedule B-4, the Debtor has listed the value of the stock as $8,980.09. The Trustee would allow the Debtor the full amount of the cash exemptions she would be entitled to under Missouri law (here $1,500.00) and has requested that the balance be not allowed as not being within the type of exemption allowed by Section 513.430(10)(e).

The Debtor argues she is entitled to the exemption, pursuant to statute, as the stock was paid to her under two separate employee plans each of which fall within the Missouri exemption statute.

The Trustee argues that even if each plan is considered as a type of plan which is covered under Section 513.430 RSMo, the Debtor cannot exempt these assets from the estate. She has already received her distribution under the plan and, thus, it is argued, she has no “right to receive” under any plan. The Trustee argues the “right to receive the property” is the essential missing factor here.

Janet McGoy was formerly an employee of Illinois Bell Telephone. During her years as an employee in a non-salaried position, she participated in an employee stock ownership program. After becoming a salaried employee, the Debtor participated in a special savings plan exclusively for salaried employees. Her employment was terminated December 31,1985, about fourteen months before the commencement of this case.

According to the testimony of the Debtor at the hearing on this matter, the shares of stock she held in her possession were sent to her by mail every once in a while with no apparent pattern. She would receive these shares shortly after the date printed on the stock certificate.

The following is a list of the stock certificates held by the Debtor and the date of issue (as reflected on the certificates).

STOCK CORPORATION NO. OF SHARES DATE
Pacific Telesis Group 3 2/15/84
Pacific Telesis Group 2 3/16/84
Pacific Telesis Group 2 3/01/85
Pacific Telesis Group 7 6/09/86
Southwestern Bell Corporation 3 2/15/84
Southwestern Bell Corporation 2 3/16/84
Southwestern Bell Corporation 2 3/01/85
U S West, Inc. 3 2/15/84
U S West, Inc. 2 3/16/84
U S West, Inc. 2 3/01/85
U S West, Inc. 7 5/28/86
American Telephone and Telegraph Company 12 2/24/82
American Telephone and Telegraph Company 25 2/23/83
American Telephone and Telegraph Company 27 2/22/84
American Telephone and Telegraph Company 30 3/01/85
Bell Atlantic 7 4/17/86
Bell Atlantic 2 3/01/85
Bell Atlantic 2 3/16/84
Bell Atlantic 3 2/15/84
American Information Technologies Corporation 3 2/15/84
*176 STOCK CORPORATION NO. OF SHARES DATE
American Information Technologies Corporation 2 3/16/84
American Information Technologies Corporation 4 3/01/85
American Information Technologies Corporation 5 3/05/85
American Information Technologies Corporation 19 2/20/86
Bell South Corporation 3 2/15/84
Bell South Corporation 2 3/16/84
Bell South Corporation 10 5/15/84
Bell South Corporation 8 3/01/85
Nynex Corporation 3 2/15/84
Nynex Corporation 2 3/16/84
Nynex Corporation 2 3/01/85
Nynex Corporation 7 5/01/86

In each instance, the stock certificates have remained in the Debtor’s possession since shortly after issuance. Some of the certificates have been available to the Debtor for three or more years. The Debt- or has had all the indicia of ownership and control over these stocks during this period. Dividend checks were paid directly to her. There have been no restrictions on the transferability of the shares. The fact that the Debtor has not sold the stock is not relevant to the issue of her ability to claim the property as exempt.

The Debtor’s possessory ownership interest in the certificates at bankruptcy cannot be categorized as a right to receive a payment under a qualified stock bonus plan.

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

Related

Stephanie Dittmaier v. David Sosne
806 F.3d 987 (Eighth Circuit, 2015)
In Re McCollum
287 B.R. 750 (E.D. Missouri, 2002)
In Re Caslavka
179 B.R. 141 (N.D. Iowa, 1995)
In re Chapman
177 B.R. 161 (D. Connecticut, 1994)
In Re Cesare
170 B.R. 37 (D. Connecticut, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 B.R. 174, 4 Bankr. Rep (St. Louis B.A.) 4177, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 746, 1988 WL 53238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-mcgoy-moeb-1988.