In Re Neto

215 B.R. 939, 1997 Bankr. LEXIS 1964, 31 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 1043, 1997 WL 757569
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedNovember 24, 1997
Docket16-12118
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 215 B.R. 939 (In Re Neto) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Neto, 215 B.R. 939, 1997 Bankr. LEXIS 1964, 31 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 1043, 1997 WL 757569 (N.J. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION

WILLIAM H. GINDIN, Chief Judge.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

This matter comes before the court by way of a motion by a creditor, Paul Wisniewski, objecting to debtor’s exemption of lottery proceeds from property of the estate and seeking a determination that the lottery proceeds are property of the estate and not exempt.

On May 29,1997, the debtor, Camille Neto, filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq. On June 16, 1997, Mr. Wis-niewski filed a notice of motion objecting to the debtor’s exemption of the lottery proceeds pursuant to 11 U.S.C: § 522(d)(10)(E). This court heard the matter on July 21, 1997 and reserved decision. At the hearing the trustee appeared and supported the creditor’s motion. The court permitted the parties to file supplemental briefs. Both debtor and Mr. Wisniewski filed post-trial briefs.

This court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b) and the Standing Order of Reference by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, dated July 23,1984. This matter is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(A), (B) and (0).

FACTS

In March of 1996 the debtor won the New Jersey “Win for Life Instant Lottery Game.” The debtor was thereby entitled to a prize of $1,000 a week- for life with a guaranteed minimum payment of $1,000,000. In order to fund the prize money, the State of New Jersey purchased an annuity from Keyport Insurance Company. While the State of New Jersey is the owner of the annuity, the debtor is named as the beneficiary.

The debtor was part-owner and manager of 337-339 Cookman Avenue, Inc., a New Jersey corporation (the “corporation”). The corporation owned a liquor license and operated a bar and packaged goods business. Unable to meet its debts, the corporation filed for relief under chapter 11 in February of 1996. In December of 1996, the corporate case was converted to one under chapter 7, and the assets are in the process of being liquidated.

In order to purchase the bar and packaged goods business, the individual debtor, along with two others, signed a personal guarantee, guaranteeing to Paul Wisniewski, the seller and mortgagee, payment of the debt of the corporation. After the corporation defaulted on payment of the debt, Mr. Wisniewski (henceforth the “creditor”), commenced an action to recover under the - guarantee. In response to the creditor’s action, the debtor herein filed for- chapter 7 relief. Mr. Wis-niewski filed a proof of claim in this case on June 16, 1997 asserting a balance due on his claim of $455,808.68.

DISCUSSION

The issue before the court is whether or not the debtor’s right to receive future lottery payments constitutes property of the estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 541, or whether, as the debtor claims, it may be claimed as exempt pursuant to the federal exemptions provided under 11 U.S.C. § 522. The debt- or’s argument is twofold. First, she asserts that her interest in the future lottery proceeds is not property of the estate, and that the proceeds are excludable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 543(C)(2) as they derive from a trust -with sufficient restrictions on transfer under New Jersey state law. Debtor also contends that she has no ownership interest in the annuity contract and, therefore, the contract is not property of the estate. Debt- or argues in the alternative that if the winnings are estate property, they are exempt from the estate pursuant to § 522(d)(10)(E) because they are an annuity. The trustee and Mr. Wisniewski counter that debtor’s right to future lottery payments is not excluded from estate property. They assert *941 that it is not from a qualifying trust under state law because the trust lacks the requisite restriction on transfer and is not qualified under the Internal Revenue Code. Second, the proceeds are not exempt under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(10)(E) because they- do not originate from an annuity which is on account of illness, disability, death, age, or length of service.

Property of the Estate

In addressing the issue of lottery proceeds, the courts have consistently held that the future right to receive lottery payments constitutes property of the estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 541. See In re Miller, 16 B.R. 790, 791 (Bankr.D.Md.1982) (“[debtor’s interest, albeit in some respects a future interest, in the lottery winnings became property of the estate upon the filing of his petition for relief’); In re Meyers, 139 B.R. 858, 860 (Bankr.N.D.Ohio 1992) (“future lottery proceeds are property of the estate as the debt- or had a right to receive proceeds as of the commencement of that case.”); Matter of Brown, 82 B.R. 967, 968 (Bankr.N.D.Ind.1988) (“lottery winnings are unlike future wages ... because the debtor has a present contractual right to receive future lottery payments, whereas he must earn future wages”); In re Dalton, 146 B.R. 460, 462 (Bankr.D.Ariz.1992) (“all the debtors’ interests in the winning ticket are estate property”).

11 U.S.C. § 541 reads in pertinent part:
(a) The commencement of a ease under section 301, 302, or 303 of this title creates an estate. Such an estate is comprised of all the following property, wherever located and by whomever held:
(1) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c)(2) of this section, all legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case.
11 U.S.C. § 541(a)(1).

It is clear from a reading of the statute that Congress intended § 541 to be all encompassing. See United States v. Whiting Pools, Inc., 462 U.S. 198, 203-04, 103 S.Ct. 2309, 2312-13, 76 L.Ed.2d 515 (1983). In Whiting Pools, the Supreme Court made clear that “[a]lthough [the relevant] statutes could be read to limit the estate to those ‘interests of the debtor in property’ at the time of the filing of the petition, we view them as a definition of what is included in the estate, rather than as a limitation ... Congress intended a broad range of property to be included in the estate.” Id. See also In re Miller, 16 B.R.

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Bluebook (online)
215 B.R. 939, 1997 Bankr. LEXIS 1964, 31 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 1043, 1997 WL 757569, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-neto-njb-1997.