In re Zair

535 B.R. 15, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 2699, 2015 WL 4776250
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedAugust 13, 2015
DocketCase No.: 14-74456-ast
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 535 B.R. 15 (In re Zair) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Zair, 535 B.R. 15, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 2699, 2015 WL 4776250 (N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER CONFIRMING DEBTORS’ CHAPTER 13 PLAN

Alan S. Trust, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Pending before the Court is confirmation of the second amended chapter 13 plan (the “Second Amended Plan”) of the above-captioned debtors, Raymond E. Zair and Christine Zair, (“Debtors”). The primary issue before the Court is whether Debtors may confirm a chapter 13 plan which provides, inter alia, that certain residential real property at which Debtors do not reside may be surrendered and vested in a secured creditor pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(9)1 over that secured creditor’s objection. For the reasons set forth herein, this Court has determined that a plan may so provide and Debtors’ Second Amended Plan is confirmed.

JURISDICTION

This Court has jurisdiction over this core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(A), (G), (L) and (O), and 1334(b), and the Standing Orders of Refer[17]*17ence in effect in the Eastern District of New York dated August 28, 1986, and as amended on December 5, 2012, but made effective nunc pro tunc as of June 23, 2011.

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

This decision constitutes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of. law in accordance with Rule 7052 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the “Bankruptcy Rules”).

BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Factual Background2

Debtors are victims of Superstorm Sandy. Their former principal residence, 88 Nebraska Street, Long Beach, New York 11561 (the “Property”), is located on a barrier island which was pummeled by the hurricane in October 2013. Due to the damage, Debtors purchased and moved to a new home at 2466 New York Ave., Melville, New York 11747 (the “Residence”), where they lived when they filed for chapter 13 bankruptcy protection on September 30, 2014 (the “Petition Date”) and continue to live, [dkt item 1]

According to Debtors’ amended Schedule A, the Property was worth $255,000.00 at the Petition Date, and was encumbered by two mortgages: a first mortgage held by HSBC Bank USA, N.A. (“HSBC”) with an outstanding balance of $387,185.41, and a second mortgage held by Bank of America, N.A. (“BofA”) with an outstanding balance of $30,437.51.3 [dkt items 13, 16] HSBC filed a proof of claim on November 26, 2014, identified as Claim 4-1, asserting a secured claim in the amount of $440,380.68, including interest, fees and pre-petition arrearages.

On April 20, 2015, HSBC filed a motion for relief from the automatic stay to resume its foreclosure of the Property, alleging cause pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(d)(1) (the “Lift Stay Motion”), [dkt item 25]

On April 23, 2015, the Court issued a briefing and hearing schedule in connection with confirmation, [dkt-item 27]

On April 27, 2015, Debtors filed and served their Second Amended Plan which provides, inter alia: that Debtors will retain their Residence; that Debtors are surrendering the Property to HSBC and Green Tree / BofA “in full satisfaction of the secured portion of the first mortgage owed pursuant to 11 U.S.C. Section 1325 and 506”; that title to the Property will be vested in HSBC, its successors, transferees or assigns; that “[t]his vesting shall not merge or otherwise affect the extent, validity, or priority of any liens on the property”; and “the confirmation order shall constitute a deed of conveyance of the property when recorded with the county clerk’s land records.” Debtors’ Second Amended Plan, ¶ 2. [dkt item 28] The Second Amended Plan goes on to provide that all secured claims secured by Debtors’ interest in the Property will be paid through “surrender of the Property and foreclosure of the security interests,” but that HSBC and Green Tree / BofA will have thirty days from service of a confirmation order to file an unsecured deficiency claim. Id., at ¶ 7.

[18]*18 Arguments of the Parties

The chapter 13 trustee (the “Trustee”) supports confirmation of Debtors’ Second Amended Plan, while HSBC objects.

On April 27, 2015, HSBC filed its objection asserting the following: (1) that Debtors’ attempt to vest title to the Property in HSBC is analogous to an impermissible abandonment pursuant to § 554 of the Bankruptcy Code; and (2) because New York is a lien theory state, under which a mortgage creates a lien against the property but does not transfer title of the property to the mortgagee, HSBC does not have a possessory interest in the Property and therefore, Debtors cannot vest title in HSBC (the “HSBC Objection”). See HSBC Objection, pp. 2-3. [dkt item 29] However, HSBC does not oppose the surrender of the Property to it pursuant to § 1325(a)(5)(C). Id., p. 2, fn. 1.

On April 29, 2015, the Trustee filed her brief in support of confirmation (“Trustee’s Brief’), arguing that vesting title in a secured creditor is permitted pursuant to § 1322(b)(9). In support of her position, she argues, inter alia, that Debtors’ “fresh start” will be impeded because absent vesting, Debtors will remain responsible for expenses and property taxes incurred in connection with the Property even after they have surrendered the Property. See Trustee’s Brief, pp. 6-7. [dkt item 30]

On May 14, 2015, Debtors filed their brief in support of confirmation (“Debtors’ Brief’), largely parroting the Trustee’s Brief, [dkt item 33]

On May 19, 2015, HSBC filed a reply brief (the “HSBC Reply”), [dkt item 34] HSBC adds the following additional arguments: (1) while § 1322(b)(9) provides for vesting of the property “in the debtor or in any other entity,” HSBC is not an “entity” as defined under the Bankruptcy Code; (2) permitting Debtors and the Trustee to vest title in lienholders and encumber them with a “dilapidated property ... would open a pandora’s box of unintended, injurious consequences”; (3) Debtors have not selected any of the options available under § 1325(a)(5); and (4) policy considerations should prohibit Debtors and the Trustee from forcing a vesting of title that violates state laws governing transfers of property and New York contract law. HSBC. Reply, pp. 3-5. Finally, HSBC suggests that Debtors and the Trustee conduct a sale of the Property pursuant to § 363 of the Bankruptcy Code over the objections (if any) of the junior secured creditors.

LEGAL ANALYSIS

Statutory Overview and Statutory Construction

This Court is conducting a statutory, not a policy, analysis to determine if Debtors may vest title over a secured creditor’s objection.

A debtor bears the burden of establishing by a preponderance of the evidence that his or her plan satisfies the requirements of the Bankruptcy Code and is appropriate for confirmation. See In re Merhi 518 B.R. 705, 709 (Bankr.E.D.N.Y.2014).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
535 B.R. 15, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 2699, 2015 WL 4776250, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-zair-nyeb-2015.