In Re Schultz

436 B.R. 170, 22 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 547, 64 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 567, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 2475, 2010 WL 3290492
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedJuly 22, 2010
Docket3:09-bk-7020-PMG
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 436 B.R. 170 (In Re Schultz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Schultz, 436 B.R. 170, 22 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 547, 64 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 567, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 2475, 2010 WL 3290492 (Fla. 2010).

Opinion

ORDER ON (1) MOTION TO DISMISS CASE AND (2) MOTION TO CONVERT CASE TO CHAPTER 13

PAUL M. GLENN, Chief Judge.

THIS CASE came before the Court for a final evidentiary hearing to consider (1) the Motion to Dismiss Case filed by Dr. Cynthia Justice (Justice), and (2) the Motion to Convert Case to Chapter 13 filed by the Debtor, Stephen L. Schultz.

Justice asserts that this Chapter 11 case should be dismissed for “cause” pursuant to § 1112(b)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code.

The Debtor asserts that conversion of this case to a case under Chapter 13, pursuant to § 1112(d) of the Bankruptcy Code, is in the best interest of his creditors and the estate.

I. Background

The Debtor is the former husband of Justice. On May 24, 2007, the parties signed a Separation Agreement in connection with their divorce. As part of the stipulated settlement in the divorce, the Debtor signed a Promissory Note in the amount of $250,000.00 payable to Justice. (Tr. p. 14). The Debtor never made any payments on the Note. (Tr. p. 15).

The Debtor relocated from Colorado to Florida in or around March of 2008. (Doc. 1, Statement of Financial Affairs, Question 15).

In February of 2009, Justice obtained a judgment in Colorado for the amount of the Note, and subsequently domesticated the judgment in Florida. (Tr. p. 15). In June, 2009, Justice took action in Florida to execute on the judgment. (Tr. p. 15). The Debtor’s vehicle was seized, and his bank account was garnished. (Tr. p. 15).

On August 21, 2009, the Debtor filed a Petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.

The Debtor did not list any real property on his schedule of assets filed with the Petition.

According to the schedule of assets, the Debtor’s personal property includes a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe ($23,825.00), household *172 furnishings ($6,670.00), an account receivable for the sale of an automobile ($3,700.00), a security deposit with his landlord ($3,050.00), office equipment ($2,790.00), and miscellaneous personal effects and sports equipment ($2,550.00). The scheduled value of his personal property totals $42,936.02.

On his Schedule C, the Debtor claimed that personal property valued at $23,135.00 is exempt pursuant to § 522(d)(2), § 522(d)(3), and § 522(d)(5) of the Bankruptcy Code. No objection has been raised to the Debtor’s claims of exemptions.

On his schedule of liabilities, the Debtor listed Justice as a creditor holding a secured claim on his personal property. The total amount of Justice’s claim is scheduled as $250,000.00, and the “total value of the lien” is scheduled as undetermined.

The Debtor also listed his landlord as a creditor holding a security interest in his lease deposit, and the Schultz Irrevocable Trust as a creditor holding a secured claim in the amount of $22,800.00. According to the Debtor, the Schultz Irrevocable Trust’s secured claim is based on a loan that he obtained from the Trust to pay the legal fees incurred in connection with his bankruptcy case. (Transcript, p. 17).

Finally, on his schedule of liabilities, the Debtor listed unsecured claims in the total amount of $36,231.43. The unsecured claims are generally described as arising from either credit card purchases or “various collections.” According to the Debtor, the liabilities scheduled as unsecured claims were incurred in 2000 or 2001, approximately eight years prior to the filing of the bankruptcy petition. (Transcript, pp. 19-21). None of the entities listed as unsecured creditors were suing the Debtor or attempting to seize any of his assets at the time that the bankruptcy petition was filed. (Transcript, pp. 15-16).

The Debtor was not employed or engaged in any business at the time that he filed his Chapter 11 Petition, and he testified that he has not earned any “regular income” since 2008. (Transcript, p. 32). His Statement of Financial Affairs shows that he received no income from employment or from operation of his business in 2007, 2008, or from the beginning of 2009 until the case was filed. The Statement of Financial Affairs also shows that he received other income of only $4,841.00 and $8,458.00 during the two years immediately preceding the commencement of this case.

Although he is the sole shareholder of an entity known as Integrated Global Solutions, Inc., the company has no assets and no employees, and has not earned any revenue for approximately two years. (Transcript, pp. 33-34). He listed his interest in the company on his bankruptcy schedules as having a value of $0.00.

The Debtor’s livelihood is derived from his beneficial interest in two Trusts, which he describes as follows:

Debtor is beneficiary of the Frank L. Schultz Irrevocable Trust established February 3, 1993. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement establishing this trust, debtor may not anticipate, encumber or transfer his interest, which interest may not be charged, garnished or attached by creditors. Debtor’s interest in the trust is not property of the bankruptcy estate. Its value is unknown.
Debtor is beneficiary of a testamentary trust established by the Last Will and Testament of Frank L. Schultz dated April 5, 2005. Pursuant to the terms of the will establishing this trust, debtor may not anticipate, encumber or transfer his interest, which interest may not be charged, garnished or attached by creditors. Debtor’s interest in the trust *173 is not property of the bankruptcy estate. Its value is unknown.

(Doc. 1, Schedule B). The Trust documents contain spendthrift provisions which prohibit the Debtor from anticipating, transferring, or encumbering his interest in the Trusts, as indicated in his Schedules. (Justice’s Exhibit 10, Article XI; Justice’s Exhibit 11, Paragraph 1.10).

The Irrevocable Trust had a total account value of $147,232.55 as of September 30, 2009, and the Testamentary Trust had a total account value of $819,567.26 as of September 30, 2009. (Justice’s Exhibits 2, 3).

According to the Debtor’s schedules, his “sole source of funds consists of distributions from the Frank L. Schultz Irrevocable Trust established February 3, 1993.” (Doc. 1, Addendum to Schedule I). On his schedule of monthly income, the Debtor stated that his distributions from the Frank L. Schultz Irrevocable Trust were $4,500.00 per month. The Debtor testified at trial, however, that the distributions from the Irrevocable Trust cease in May of 2010, and he will receive distributions of $4,000.00 per month from the Testamentary Trust at that time. (Transcript, pp. 42-43). No other income is listed on his schedules.

On his schedule of expenses filed with the Petition, the Debtor stated that his current expenditures totaled $6,617.00 per month. The expenditures included $1,000.00 per month for food, $200.00 per month for clothing, $500.00 per month for medical and dental expenses and a separate $450.00 per month for health insurance, $340.00 per month for recreation, $525.00 per month for personal care and grooming, and $100.00 per month for “vet bills,” even though no animals are listed on his schedules.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
436 B.R. 170, 22 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 547, 64 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 567, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 2475, 2010 WL 3290492, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-schultz-flmb-2010.