In re: Tracy Lee Hurst-Castl

United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit·Decided November 19, 2025·No. 25-1045·Unpublished

Opinion

FILED

NOV 19 2025

NOT FOR PUBLICATION SUSAN M. SPRAUL, CLERK U.S. BKCY. APP. PANEL

OF THE NINTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY APPELLATE PANEL OF THE NINTH CIRCUIT

In re: BAP No. NV-25-1045-CNB TRACY LEE HURST-CASTL, Debtor. Bk. No. 24-14610-gs TRACY LEE HURST-CASTL, Appellant,

v. MEMORANDUM* LONG TERM CAPITAL PARTNERSHIP VI, LLC; FCI LENDER SERVICES, INC. DBA FCI AS SERVICER FOR LONG TERM CAPITAL PARTNERSHIP VI, LLC, Appellees.

Appeal from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada Gary A. Spraker, Bankruptcy Judge, Presiding

Before: CORBIT, NIEMANN, and BRAND, Bankruptcy Judges.

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 11 1 debtor Tracy Lee Hurst-Castl (“Ms. Hurst-Castl”)

*

This disposition is not appropriate for publication. Although it may be cited for whatever persuasive value it may have, see Fed. R. App. P. 32.1, it has no precedential value, see 9th Cir. BAP Rule 8024-1.

1 Unless specified otherwise, all chapter and section references are to the

appeals the bankruptcy court’s order granting creditor Long Term Capital Partnership VI, LLC’s (“Long Term”) in rem relief from the automatic stay pursuant to § 362(d)(4) as to Ms. Hurst-Castl’s rental property. Ms. Hurst- Castl also appeals the orders denying her subsequent motions to reconsider and vacate the stay relief order. Because the bankruptcy court did not abuse its discretion in granting Long Term in rem relief from the automatic stay or in denying Ms. Hurst-Castl’s motions to vacate, we AFFIRM.

FACTS 2

On November 15, 2024, Long Term sought in rem relief from the automatic stay pursuant to § 362(d)(4) as to Ms. Hurst-Castl’s rental property on White Fir Way in Mount Charleston, Nevada (“Property”). 3 Long Term asserted that Ms. Hurst-Castl had made no payments on the loan secured by the Property since 2008. Long Term further argued that in addition to the significant default under the loan, Ms. Hurst-Castl had initiated litigation and filed several bankruptcies to avoid repaying the

Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. §§ 101-1532, all “Rule” references are to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and all “Civil Rule” references are to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

2 We exercise our discretion, when appropriate, to take judicial notice of documents electronically filed in the underlying bankruptcy case and related proceedings. See Bias v. Moynihan, 508 F.3d 1212, 1225 (9th Cir. 2007) (Courts “may take notice of proceedings in other courts, both within and without the federal judicial system, if those proceedings have a direct relation to matters at issue.”) (citation omitted); Atwood v. Chase Manhattan Mortg. Co. (In re Atwood), 293 B.R. 227, 233 n.9 (9th Cir. BAP 2003).

3 Formerly known as Rainbow Canyon Boulevard, Mount Charleston, Nevada.

loan and to interfere with pending foreclosures of the Property. Long Term described the many unsuccessful causes of action initiated by Ms. Hurst- Castl in various courts throughout the years. Long Term also described Ms. Hurst-Castl’s four previous bankruptcies and argued that each was filed in close temporal proximity to a pending foreclosure, none was filed for a valid bankruptcy purpose, and each was dismissed before discharge. Long Term argued that it was entitled to in rem stay relief because the current bankruptcy (Ms. Hurst-Castl’s fifth) was filed as part of Ms. Hurst- Castl’s continuing scheme to delay, hinder, and defraud creditors. The court granted Long Term’s request to take judicial notice of the original loan documents and all subsequent assignments.4 Ms. Hurst-Castl opposed Long Term’s motion for relief from stay.

Ms. Hurst-Castl did not specifically dispute that she sought and received a $2,250,000 loan from Washington Mutual Bank in 2007, that the loan was secured by a deed of trust on the Property, that she had not made any payments on the loan since 2008, and that the loan had been assigned several times since its origination. Rather, Ms. Hurst-Castl alleged that Washington Mutual (the initial secured creditor) failed to properly assign the original note. Thus, according to Ms. Hurst-Castl, all holders of the note after Washington Mutual, including Long Term, had no legal authority to enforce the note or foreclose on her rental Property which secured the note.

4 The bankruptcy court also took judicial notice of matters filed in Ms. Hurst-

Castl’s previous bankruptcy cases.

Therefore, Ms. Hurst-Castl argued, because Long Term had no legal authority, the bankruptcy court could not grant Long Term the requested relief.

Long Term replied that Ms. Hurst-Castl’s opposition lacked merit.

Long Term explained that the validity of the original loan documents and the propriety of the subsequent assignments had been the subject of a final decision in state court litigation and could not be collaterally attacked.

The bankruptcy court heard oral argument on the motion on December 16, 2024, and took the matter under submission. A. Bankruptcy court’s oral ruling On January 10, 2025, the bankruptcy court made an oral ruling granting Long Term’s requested relief. The bankruptcy court’s oral ruling included inter alia the following findings of facts and conclusions of law.

1. History

a. The loan and immediate default The bankruptcy court found that on June 1, 2007, Ms. Hurst-Castl obtained a $2,250,000 loan from Washington Mutual Bank. The obligation was evidenced by a promissory note and was secured by a deed of trust against the Property (together, the note and deed of trust, the “Loan”). The Loan documents were properly recorded and “Washington Mutual ultimately endorsed the promissory note in blank, thereby making it payable to any party holding the promissory note.” The bankruptcy court further found that Ms. Hurst-Castl did not make any payment on the note

after 2008 and thus “defaulted on the loan in 2008.”

On March 20, 2009, the holder and servicer of the Loan at the time (“Loan Creditor”) recorded the first notice of default and trustee’s sale as to the Property.

b. Ms. Hurst-Castl’s first three bankruptcy cases.

On June 8, 2010, Ms. Hurst-Castl filed her first bankruptcy case. The case was dismissed just two months later because Ms. Hurst-Castl failed to file any schedules or statements. Based on the timing, the bankruptcy court determined there was a “reasonable inference” that Ms. Hurst-Castl filed the first bankruptcy case to interfere with the Loan Creditor’s efforts to collect on the defaulted Loan through foreclosure.

Less than two months after the dismissal of her first bankruptcy case and three days before a scheduled nonjudicial foreclosure of the Property, Ms. Hurst-Castl filed her second bankruptcy case. During the pendency of the second bankruptcy case, the Loan Creditor sought and was granted relief from the automatic stay to conduct a nonjudicial foreclosure. The bankruptcy court noted that Ms. Hurst-Castl’s unsuccessful opposition to the Loan Creditor’s motion did not dispute the validity of the Loan or the Loan Creditor’s right to enforce the terms of the Loan. Rather, Ms. Hurst- Castl opposed the motion on the basis that the Loan Creditor allegedly failed to establish a lack of equity in the Property. Ms. Hurst-Castl’s second bankruptcy case was dismissed in 2012 based on her failure to file required reports or confirm a chapter 11 plan.

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