LARRY VICTOR ZIMONT and JESSICA BARRY ZIMONT

United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Arizona·Decided April 20, 2020·No. 2:19-bk-09079·Unknown

Opinion

Dated: April 20, 2020

Deut (OF Daniel P. Collins, Bankruptcy Judge Inre: ) Chapter 11 Proceedings LARRY VICTOR ZIMONT and ) ) Case No.: 2:19-bk-09079-DPC JESSICA BARRY ZIMONT, ) Debtors ) UNDER ADVISEMENT ORDER RE: ° ) POST-PETITION RETIREMENT ) LOAN PAYMENTS AND u ) CONTRIBUTIONS TO ) RETIREMENT PLAN ) B —e—(‘“‘“‘“‘(‘(‘(i iéiC;C*”*YS [NOT FOR PUBLICATION] Before this Court is the question of whether Debtors’ post-petition retirement loan repayments and contributions to their retirement account prevent confirmation of Debtors’ chapter 11 plan. Because the Debtors failed to adequately disclose such payments and contributions, the Court denies confirmation of Debtors’ plan. So long as any plan ] submitted by the Debtors (a) fails to return to the estate the amount of such payments and contributions or (b) calls for additional payments or contributions during the life of the plan, the Court cannot find Debtors’ plan to be proposed in good faith. On July 23, 2019, Debtors, Larry Victor Zimont and Jessica Barry Zimont (“Debtors”) filed this chapter 11 case.! Ms. Zimont is employed as Director of Transplant at Banner Health. Her monthly take home income is $8,850.7 This income is net of a payroll deduction of $506/month paid towards her retirement plan.*? No amount of her ' DE 1. “DE” references a docket entry in the case 2:19-bk-09079-DPC. 1a, at Schedule I, pages 45 — 46 of 71. 3 Id. at Schedule I, page 46 of 71, line Sb.

income was initially disclosed as being paid towards a retirement plan loan. Mr. Zimont recently became employed as a Client Business Partner. He now receives a salary of $4,230.77 every other week.4 Debtors’ Schedules and Statements disclose $28,900 in secured obligations5 and $488,900 in non-priority unsecured debt.6 On December 2, 2019, Debtors filed their Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization7 (“Plan”) and Disclosure Statement in Support of Debtors’ Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization8 (“Disclosure Statement”). At the Court’s hearing on Debtors’ Disclosure Statement, the Court raised concerns about Debtors’ Plan.9 Among other things, Debtors’ counsel advised the Court that Debtors were using estate property (post-petition wages) to repay a pre-petition loan (“Retirement Plan Loan”) against Ms. Zimont’s 403(b) retirement plan. Debtors then filed their First Amended Plan10 (“Amended Plan”) and First Amended Disclosure Statement11 (“Amended Disclosure Statement”). Debtors also filed the Report of Ballots12 and Declaration of Debtors in Support of Confirmation13 (“Declaration”). Debtors’ Declaration states: [Debtors] believe and declare that our Amended Plan was filed in good faith and not by any means forbidden by law. [Debtors] believe the Amended Plan is in the best interest of our creditors and the Bankruptcy Estate and provides for the maximum reasonable recovery to creditors. The affirmative vote of 100% of the creditors voting confirms the creditors’ confidence in the Amended Plan.14 Debtors’ Amended Plan proposes to pay unsecured creditors between $140,690 and $162,690, depending on total administrative expenses and Ms. Zimont’s net bonus

4 DE 51 at page 6 of 10. Debtors Schedule I was not amended to reflect this income or whether his income is a gross or net amount. 5 DE 1 at page 27 of 71. 6 Id. at page 41 of 71. 7 DE 35. 8 DE 36. 9 DE 47. 10 DE 50. 11 DE 51. 12 DE 62. 13 DE 63. 14 DE 63 at page 4 of 7. income.15 Debtors’ Amended Plan proposes to pay into the Amended Plan most (but not all) of their projected disposable income. Exhibit 3 attached to Debtors’ Amended Disclosure Statement reflects that Mr. Zimont’s income is accounted for in calculating Debtors’ disposable income. Debtors filed additional documents in response to the Court’s questions related to their retirement assets.16 Debtors’ Retirement Memorandum disclosed that the balance due on the Retirement Plan Loan as of March 13, 2020 was $7,700. The Retirement Plan Loan had been getting repaid post-petition from Ms. Zimont’s gross wages at the rate of approximately $420 per month.17 After conferring with Ms. Zimont’s retirement plan administrator, the Court was advised by Debtors’ counsel that the Retirement Plan Loan was secured by the assets in Ms. Zimont’s retirement account and payments could not be deferred or reduced.18 If Ms. Zimont defaulted on the Retirement Plan Loan, that plan’s administrator would offset her retirement assets to satisfy the balances owed on the Retirement Plan Loan.19 That setoff would, in turn, cause a taxable event to occur in the amount of the offset plus a 10% early distribution20 penalty which would be assessed in the year of such offset. For the sake of discussion, the Court will assume the tax bill to the Zimonts would total about 34% of the amount offset.21 At the hearing on confirmation of Debtors’ Amended Plan, the Court was advised of Ms. Zimont’s voluntary post-petition contributions to her current employer’s retirement plan. Subsequent to that hearing, Debtors filed their Information Regarding Post-Petition 15 DE 50 at page 10 of 16. 16 Debtors filed Declaration Regarding Childcare Expenses at DE 64 and Memorandum Regarding Debtors’ Pre- Petition 403(b) Retirement Loan (“Retirement Memorandum”) at DE 66. 17 DE 66. 18 Id. 19 Under § 362(b)(19), there is no bankruptcy stay preventing a retirement plan administrator from withholding an employee’s wages to repay such loan. However, Ms. Zimont no longer works for the employer/sponsor of that retirement plan. The Court is unaware of any exception to the bankruptcy automatic stay permitting the retirement plan administrator to repay the Retirement Plan Loan by offset without first gaining stay relief in this case. 20 Ms. Zimont is under the age of 59 ½. 26 U.S.C. § 72(t)(1) provides for a 10% additional tax on early distributions from qualified retirement plans. 21 The 10% penalty plus the Debtors’ highest marginal tax rate of 24%. The Court estimated Debtors’ combined annual income based on the latest MOR filed at DE 72. Debtors listed $15,224 in combined monthly income and the Court multiplied this by 12 to get an annual income of $182,688. That annual income fell in the 24% tax bracket for married individuals filing jointly. See 26 U.S.C. § 1(j)(2). 401(k) Contributions and 403(b) Loan Payments (“Retirement Plans Information”), disclosing that a total of $4,207 had been contributed post-petition to Ms. Zimont’s current 401(k) ($525/month)22 and $3,403 had been paid post-petition towards repayment of the Retirement Plan Loan.23 Without disclosing the matter, the Debtors’ Plan presumably contemplates that, post-confirmation, the Debtors would continue to repay the Retirement Plan Loan at the rate of approximately $420/month and continue making contributions of $525/month towards Ms. Zimont’s current employer’s sponsored retirement plan. Although Debtors’ monthly operating reports (“MORs”)24 disclosed that post- petition payments had been made on prepetition liabilities, Debtors had not disclosed that those payments were made towards the Retirement Plan Loan or that these payments served to increase the net value of Debtors’ exempt retirement assets. This Court has jurisdiction over this matter under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(A), (E), (M), (L) and (O). Whether Debtors’ post-petition repayment of their Retirement Plan Loan or Debtors’ post-petition contributions to their retirement plans prevent confirmation of Debtors’ Plan. A. Debtors’ Fiduciary Duty A debtor-in-possession is a fiduciary for their bankruptcy estate and assumes 22 The $525/month estimate is slightly higher than what Debtors’ disclosed in their Schedules and Statements. The $525/month figure was reached based on the

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LARRY VICTOR ZIMONT and JESSICA BARRY ZIMONT, (Ark. 2020).

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