In Re Moffett

263 B.R. 805, 46 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 771, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 743, 2001 WL 690372
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Kentucky
DecidedMay 11, 2001
Docket19-30134
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 263 B.R. 805 (In Re Moffett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Moffett, 263 B.R. 805, 46 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 771, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 743, 2001 WL 690372 (Ky. 2001).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-OPINION AND ORDER

J. WENDELL ROBERTS, Bankruptcy Judge.

These three consolidated Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases are before the Court sua sponte to determine whether Renee Yar-rington, a paralegal who assisted in the preparation and filing of these cases, has engaged in the unauthorized practice of law or has violated any of the requirements for non-attorney petition preparers pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 110. For the reasons set forth below, this Court finds that Ms. Yarrington has violated subsection § 110(f)(1) by including the term “legal” in her advertising, and has violated subsection § 110(g)(1) by collecting Court fees on behalf of one debtor. She has also engaged in the unauthorized practice of law (and thereby also violated subsection § 110(i)) by providing legal advice to these debtors on exemptions and other matters, and by exceeding her role as a “typist” by preparing portions of the petitions herself, especially Schedule C. This Court enjoins Ms. Yarrington from further engaging in conduct prohibited by 11 U.S.C. § 110 and assesses a $100 fine against her for violating § 110(f)(1). In addition, this Court enjoins Ms. Yarrington from charging more than $20 per hour or a maximum fee of $100 for typing a bankruptcy petition. She is further ordered to turn over all fees paid to her in these cases to the bankruptcy trustee pursuant to § 110(h)(2). Debtors shall be permitted to exempt these funds. Finally, this Court will certify violations of 11 U.S.C. § 110 to the District Court pursuant to subsection 110(i)(l).

FACTS

Evelyn L. Moffett

Evelyn L. Moffett filed her Chapter 7 bankruptcy on February 2, 2001. Renee Yarrington signed the petition as a non-attorney petition preparer and provided her address and social security number. She also filed a declaration that Ms. Mof-fett had agreed to pay $150 for her services, but this fee was unpaid as of the filing date.

At a hearing before Judge Cooper, Ms. Yarrington testified that Ms. Moffett’s case was the first petition she had prepared as a non-attorney petition preparer (Transcript of hearing in the Evelyn Mof-fett case before Judge Cooper on March 6, 2001, hereinafter referred to as Transcript 1, at p. 9). She provided Ms. Moffett with a worksheet to get most of the necessary information for the petition, so she didn’t have to ask Ms. Moffett too many questions (Transcript 1 at p. 13-14). Ms. Mof-fett signed a contract with Ms. Yarrington which states, “I am not an attorney and can not give you legal advice.” Ms. Yar-rington had Ms. Moffett sign the form entitled “Notice to Individual Consumer Debtor” but did not explain the different bankruptcy chapters as “that would be giving legal advice.” (Transcript 1 at p. 14). She testified that she provided a copy of the petition to Ms. Moffett (Transcript 1 at p. 9).

Ms. Yarrington stated that she received a money order made out to the United States Bankruptcy Court from Ms. Moffett for the filing fees and that she (Ms. Yar-rington) filed the petition with the Court (Transcript 1 at p. 11-12). This is the only bankruptcy that Ms. Yarrington has filed *810 with tbe Court for a client. She did so in this case only because Ms. Moffett was old and did not understand how to do it herself (Transcript of hearing in the Crawford and Turner cases before Judge Roberts on March 15, 2001, hereinafter referred to as Transcript 2, at p. 56). Ms. Yarrington testified that with other clients, she will only take the filing fee money if it is a money order made out to the Court (Transcript 1 at p. 12). She testified that she had been contacted by one of Ms. Moffett’s creditors concerning reaffirmation, but she advised the creditor that she was not an attorney and they would have to contact Ms. Moffett directly (Transcript 1 at p. 13). Ms. Yarrington testified that Ms. Moffett provided a list of property and values, but that she used her own expertise and knowledge to fill out the exemptions on Schedule C (Transcript 1 at p. 16). Ms. Moffett told her which debts were secured and unsecured (Transcript 1 at p. 17-18). Ms. Yarrington determined from reviewing the debtor’s paperwork that Mildred Moffett should be listed as a co-debtor. This was not discussed with the Debtor (Transcript 1 at p. 18-19) Ms. Yar-rington testified that it took her two to three hours to prepare Ms. Moffett’s petition, and that she met with Ms. Moffett for twenty minutes initially and spent another half-hour in phone calls to the Debtor to get more information (Transcript 1 at p. 20-22).

Ms. Yarrington also testified that she obtained an associate degree as a paralegal from Pikes Peak Community College in May 2000 and that she has taken additional courses on bankruptcy law in Colorado. She has worked at two attorneys’ law offices where she has prepared bankruptcy petitions (Transcript 1 at p. 6-8). She presents herself on her business card as “Renee Yarrington, Paralegal”. She advertises her services in The Thrifty Nickel newspaper as follows:

Bankruptcies / can’t afford an attorney? Will prepare and file a chapter 7 for small fee plus filing cost.

She will answer specific questions about what information goes into the petition but will not give “legal advice” (Transcript 1 at p. 15). She further testified that “... I know what goes on each of these schedules because not only did I take classes for this stuff, but I’ve also worked where I know what goes where. I mean, that’s why they’re hiring me, because I know what goes on this.” (Transcript 1 at p. 18-19).

Kristina Crawford

On February 22, 2001, Kristina Crawford also filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy with the assistance of Renee Yarrington. Ms. Yarrington properly identified herself as a non-attorney petition preparer and declared that Ms. Crawford paid $150 for her services. These fees were also listed in the Debtor’s Statement of Financial Affairs as payments related to the bankruptcy. Ms. Crawford testified at a hearing before this Court that she contacted Ms. Yarrington after seeing an ad in The Thrifty Nickel. She had already seen a lawyer and had completed a form given to her by the lawyer’s paralegal on which she had listed her secured and unsecured creditors. (Transcript 2 at p. 7-8,14-15). The lawyer’s office had also given her a printed list of exemptions and Ms. Crawford picked out the exemptions she thought applied to her property. This fist had been completed before she met with Ms. Yar-rington (Transcript 2 at p. 9-11). The Notice to Individual Consumer Debtors that was attached to the petition is not signed by the Debtor.

Ms. Crawford testified that she met for thirty minutes with Ms. Yarrington initially, spoke to her on the phone many times and met with her briefly to sign the petition (Transcript 2 at p. 11-12). Ms. Yar- *811 rington called her to get more information on her creditors, such as the date an account was incurred or a more complete address (Transcript 2 at p. 15-16). It took Ms. Yarrington about six hours to complete Ms. Crawford’s petition (Transcript 2 at p. 63-64). Ms.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
263 B.R. 805, 46 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 771, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 743, 2001 WL 690372, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-moffett-kywb-2001.