In re Rice

462 B.R. 651, 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 4615, 2011 WL 6016229
CourtBankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit
DecidedDecember 5, 2011
DocketBAP No. 11-8032
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 462 B.R. 651 (In re Rice) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Rice, 462 B.R. 651, 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 4615, 2011 WL 6016229 (bap6 2011).

Opinion

OPINION

G. HARVEY BOSWELL, Bankruptcy Judge.

In this appeal, Wells Fargo Bank appeals an order of the bankruptcy court which concluded Wells Fargo Bank lacked standing to seek relief from the automatic stay in the debtors’ chapter 7 bankruptcy case. For the reasons that follow, the Panel reverses the bankruptcy court’s decision and remands the case for a hearing on Wells Fargo Bank’s motion for relief from the stay.

ISSUE ON APPEAL

The issues raised by this appeal are whether the bankruptcy court erred: (1) in concluding that Wells Fargo had an obligation to change the lienholder of record on the Certificate of Title to be entitled to relief from stay and abandonment; and (2) in concluding that there must be “Unity of Entity” or “Entity Unity” before Wells Fargo is entitled to seek relief from stay?

[653]*653JURISDICTION AND STANDARD OF REVIEW

The Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit has jurisdiction to decide this appeal. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has authorized appeals to the Panel, and no party has timely elected to have this appeal heard by the district court. 28 U.S.C. § 158(b)(6), (c)(1). A final order of the bankruptcy court may be appealed as of right pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1). For purposes of appeal, a final order “ends the litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for the court to do but execute the judgment.” Midland Asphalt Corp. v. United States, 489 U.S. 794, 798, 109 S.Ct. 1494, 1497, 103 L.Ed.2d 879 (1989) (citations omitted). An order denying a motion for relief from the automatic stay is final. In re Schaffrath, 214 B.R. 153, 154 (6th Cir. BAP 1997).

Orders denying motions for relief •from stay are reviewed for an abuse of discretion. Spierer v. Federated Dep’t Stores, Inc. (In re Federated Dep’t Stores, Inc.), 328 F.3d 829, 836 (6th Cir.2003). “An abuse of discretion occurs only when the [trial] court relies upon clearly erroneous findings of fact or when it improperly applies the law or uses an erroneous legal standard.” Kaye v. Agripool, SRL (In re Murray, Inc.), 392 B.R. 288 (6th Cir. BAP 2008); See also Mayor and City Council of Balt., Md. v. West Virginia (In re Eagle-Picher Indus., Inc.) 285 F.3d 522, 529 (6th Cir.2002) (“An abuse of discretion is defined as a ‘definite and firm conviction that the [court below] committed a clear error of judgment.’ ” (citation omitted)). “The question is not how the reviewing court would have ruled, but rather whether a reasonable person could agree with the bankruptcy court’s decision; if reasonable persons could differ as to the issue, then there is no abuse of discretion.” Barlow v. M.J. Waterman & Assocs. Inc. (In re M.J. Waterman & Assocs., Inc.), 227 F.3d 604, 608 (6th Cir.2000).

FACTS

The debtor, Megan Lynn Rice (“Debt- or”), purchased a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer (“Trailblazer”) from Classic Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep (“dealership”) on July 10, 2008, for $14,556.36. Debtor financed the purchase of this vehicle with the dealership and granted the dealership a security interest therein. On that same day, the dealership transferred the note and security interest to Wells Fargo Auto Finance, Inc. (“WFAFI”). WFAFI’s lien was noted on the Trailblazer’s certificate of title.

On July 11, 2008, WFAFI transferred its security interest in the Trailblazer to Wells Fargo Bank (“WFB”) pursuant to a June 26, 2006, Receivables Transfer Agreement. This agreement provided for the assignment of all right, title and interest of WFAFI in retail installment sales contracts and installment loans secured by new and or/used vehicles and the security interests associated therewith to WFB “on a daily basis at the close of business on each business day....” Pursuant to this agreement, WFB has possession of and services the promissory notes. WFB did not record the assignment of Debtor’s note and security interest nor did it note the assignment on the Trailblazer’s certificate of title.

Debtor defaulted on the Trailblazer in September 2010 and WFB repossessed the vehicle on January 4, 2011. Debtor filed her chapter 7 petition for bankruptcy relief on January 28, 2011. On February 9, 2011, WFB filed a motion for relief from stay and an amended motion for relief from stay1 in which it alleged that the [654]*654Debtor did not have equity in the vehicle and it was entitled to relief from the automatic stay and abandonment of the property pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 361, 362, 363 and 554. As exhibits to its motion, WFB attached a copy of the original retail installment sales contract between Debtor and the dealership, a copy of the Trailblazer’s certifícate of title, a copy of the June 26, 2006, Receivables Transfer Agreement between WFAFI and WFB, and a copy of a notarized affidavit which stated that WFAFI assigned the contract at issue in this case to WFB and WFB, therefore, was entitled to bring the motion for relief from the automatic stay.

At the initial hearing on the amended motion for relief, the attorney for WFB appeared in the bankruptcy court to seek “guidance as to what will satisfy the court as to providing a clear chain of title.” (Transcript of hearing, March 17, 2011, p. 2.) The bankruptcy court stated that it did not believe WFB was the proper party to seek relief from the stay because it did not note the assignment on the Trailblazer’s certifícate of title and, therefore, did not have a valid assignment of the security interest in the vehicle. WFB’s attorney disagreed with the court and alleged that Ohio law did not require the lienholder on a certificate of title to be changed in order to validly assign a security interest in the vehicle. The bankruptcy court disagreed with counsel for WFB and stated that the case WFB had cited in support of its argument, Rhiel v. Wells Fargo Fin. Acceptance (In re Fields), 351 B.R. 887 (Bankr. S.D.Ohio 2006), was not on point because that case dealt with the issue of whether an original vehicle title was perfected in the context of an avoidance action. The bankruptcy court stated that it was not questioning whether WFAFI has a perfected title to the Trailblazer. Instead, the bankruptcy court was concerned with whether WFB has a security interest in the vehicle sufficient to give it standing to bring a motion for relief from the automatic stay. Counsel for WFB asked for the opportunity to brief the issue. The court granted WFB’s request and adjourned the matter for 30 days.

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

Related

Tann v. Pees (In re Boddie)
576 B.R. 580 (S.D. Ohio, 2017)
Innerwood & Co. v. Privett (In re Privett)
557 B.R. 580 (S.D. Ohio, 2016)
Junk v. CitiMortgage, Inc. (In re Junk)
512 B.R. 584 (S.D. Ohio, 2014)
In re Sweports, Ltd.
476 B.R. 540 (N.D. Illinois, 2012)
In re: Martha Lee v.
Sixth Circuit, 2012
In Re Lee
467 B.R. 906 (Sixth Circuit, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
462 B.R. 651, 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 4615, 2011 WL 6016229, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-rice-bap6-2011.