In re McPhilamy

566 B.R. 382, 91 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 913, 77 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 371, 2017 Bankr. LEXIS 263
United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas·Decided January 31, 2017·No. CASE NO: 16-10238·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

GRANTING CONFIRMATION OF DEBTORS’ CHAPTER 13 PLAN & DENYING CHAPTER 13 TRUSTEE’S MOTION TO DISMISS

[Resolving ECF No. 23, 21]

Eduardo V. Rodriguez, United States Bankruptcy Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

Congress’s enactment of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (“BAPCPA”) — specifically the hanging paragraph of 11 U.S.C. § 1325(a) (the “hanging paragraph”)— creates two exceptions that limit a debtor’s right to cramdown certain claims in a chapter 13 plan. Often, it falls to the courts to determine if a particular claim falls within either of the hanging paragraph’s two exceptions. This is one such case. It comes down to this: should the Court confirm a chapter 13 plan in which Sean & [385] Bertha McPhilamy (“Debtors”) propose to treat certain secured cross-collateralized claims of Rio Grande Valley Federal Credit Union (“RGVFCU”) in motor vehicles purchased for the personal use of the Debtors within 910 days, and in some cases, within one year of filing bankruptcy where the amount of the secured claim exceeds the value of the vehicles as wholly unsecured claims? Debtors have two personal vehicles that are cross-collateralized in five different loans. RGVFCU has not opposed confirmation, however, the chapter 13 trustee (“Trustee”) expressed concern as to whether the loans in question may be treated as wholly unsecured pursuant to the hanging paragraph. Seeking clarification of the application of § 1325(a), the parties look to this Court to determine whether the Debtors’ chapter 13 plan is confirmable. Specifically, the Court is presented with two issues: to wit, (1) whether the cross-collateralized loans are purchase-money security interests, and (2) whether personal motor vehicles can be considered “other thing[s] of value” under the hanging paragraph’s second exception. Accordingly, this Court .now considers the parameters of the Bankruptcy Code,1 specifically the hanging paragraph, relevant case law, and the arguments lodged by the Debtors to determine whether Debtors’ chapter 13 plan is confirmable.

II. FINDINGS OF FACT

This Court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7052, which incorporates Fed. R. Civ. P. 52, and 9014. To the extent that any Finding of Fact constitutes a Conclusion of Law, it is adopted as such. To the extent that any Conclusion of Law constitutes a Finding of Fact, it is adopted as such. If there is an inconsistency, this Memorandum Opinion controls.

Debtors filed for relief under chapter 13 of title 11 of the Code on July 29, 2016. [ECF No. 1]. Debtors filed a chapter 13 plan in conjunction with their petition. [ECF No. 2] (as amended by [ECF No. 23]) (the “Plan”). The Trustee filed a Motion to Dismiss or Convert on September 28, 2016, due to alleged deficiencies in the proposed Plan and Debtors’ alleged delays in filing amendments to the proposed Plan and Schedule I. [ECF No. 21]. RGVFCU filed the following seven Proofs of Claim:

i. Claim No. 7 in the amount of $1,704.50 secured by a 2015 Honda Civic (the “Civic”). The loan was executed on August 14, 2015, which was both within 910 days and one year of filing bankruptcy and was valued by RGVFCU in the amount of $15,950.00. In Part 2, Section No. 8 of the proof of claim, it states that the basis for the claim was “Money loaned/Cross Collateralized with 2015 Honda Civic;”
ii. Claim No. 8 in the amount of $14,618.80 secured by a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro (the “Camaro”). The loan was executed on April 7, 2016, which was both within 910 days and within one year of filing bankruptcy and was valued by RGVFCU in the amount of $18,600.00. In Part 2, Section No. 8 of the proof of claim, it states that the basis for the claim was “Money loaned/Cross Collater-alized with 2015 Chevrolet Camaro;”
iii. Claim No. 9 in the amount of $5,327.90 secured by the Camaro. The loan was executed on April 18, 2016, which was both within 910 [386] days and within one year of filing bankruptcy and was valued by RGVFCU in the amount of $18,600.00. In Part 2, Section No. 8 of the proof of claim, it states that the basis for the claim was “Money loaned/Cross Collateralized with 2015 Chevrolet Camaro;”
iv. Claim No. 10 in the amount of $18,001.05 secured by the Civic. The loan was executed on August 14, 2015, which was both within 910 days and one year of filing bankruptcy and was valued by RGVFCU in the amount of $15,950.00. In part 2, Section No. 8 of the proof of claim, it states that the basis of the claim was a “Vehicle loan.” Debtors admit that the loan was used to purchase the Civic. The attached Loan and Security Agreements list the Civic as the collateral. The Texas Certificate of Title and NADA Vehicle Information for the Civic are attached;
v. Claim No. 11 in the amount of . $3,024.64 secured by the Camaro. The loan was executed on May 17, 2016, which was -within 910 days, but not within one year of filing bankruptcy and was valued by RGVFCU in the amount of $18,600.00. In Part 2, Section No. 8 of the proof of claim, it states that the basis for the claim was “Money loaned/Cross Col-lateralized with 2015 Chevrolet Ca-maro;”
vi. Claim No. 12 in the amount of $24,109.02 secured by the Camaro. The loan was executed on July 30, 2015, which was both within 910 days and one year of filing bankruptcy and was valued by RGVFCU in the amount of $18,600.00. In Part 2, Section No. 8 of the proof of claim, it states that the basis for the claim was “Money Loaned/Cross Collateralized with 2015 Chevrolet Camaro.” The attached Loan and Security Agreement lists the Cama-ro as the collateral for the loan. The Texas Certificate of Title and NADA Vehicle Information for the Camaro are attached;
vii.Claim No. 13 in the amount of $3,826.96 secured by the Camaro. The loan was executed on July 20, 2015, which was within 910 days but not within one year of filing bankruptcy. RGVFCU valued the Camaro at $18,600.00. In Part 2, Section No. 8 of the proof of claim, it states that the basis for the claim was “Money Loaned/Cross Collat-eralized with 2015 Chevrolet Camaro.”

See [Claim Nos. 7-1, 8-1, 9-1, 10-1, 11-1, 12-1,13-1].

Each of RGVFCU’s loans contains a clause which discusses cross-collateral, which provides the following:

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In re McPhilamy, 566 B.R. 382, 91 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 913, 77 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 371, 2017 Bankr. LEXIS 263 (Tex. 2017).

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