Matter of Spohn

61 B.R. 264, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 5932
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJune 5, 1986
Docket3-18-14302
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 61 B.R. 264 (Matter of Spohn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Matter of Spohn, 61 B.R. 264, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 5932 (Wis. 1986).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

ROBERT D. MARTIN, Chief Judge.

On April 24, 1985, the debtor, Edward Spohn (“Spohn”), filed his chapter 13 petition and plan. Community First Bank (“the bank”), which holds a mortgage on certain of the debtor’s real estate, filed a secured claim for $86,899.55 on May 29, 1985. The debtor’s plan proposed to surrender the real estate to the bank in satisfaction of $83,464.25 of a claim of $84,-007.51. The balance was to be paid in thirty-six equal monthly installments at 13% interest. The proposed plan also permitted the bank to retain a lien on the debtor’s trucks and equipment as security for the monthly payments to be made under the plan. The bank objected to the plan on the grounds that the real estate to be surrendered under the plan was not worth the fair market value of $92,500.00 which the debtor attributed to it, and that the plan misstated the total amount of the bank’s claim.

On November 4, 1985, the debtor surrendered to the bank real property valued at $91,561.00 after a hearing before this court on October 4, 1985, and subject to unpaid real estate taxes. On November 13, 1985, the debtor filed an amended plan. His amended plan valued the bank’s claim at $84,356.39. After deducting estimated unpaid real estate taxes, and after allowing the bank a credit of $4,000.00 for survey, legal, and other expenses necessary in order to subdivide the property the debtor’s plan calculated the net partial satisfaction at $82,525.25. The amended plan provided for thirty-six equal monthly payments of $61.72 plus the trustee’s fee. On November 20, 1985, the debtor’s amended plan was conditionally confirmed. The bank asserts that its total claim as of November 4, 1985, the date the debtor surrendered the real estate, was $94,706.25, and that the plan must recognize that claim as secured and pay it in full.

I.

The bank’s claim filed May 29, 1985, consisted of:

principal balance 6/29/84 $77,470.98
interest at 24.92 per day to 4/10/85 7,077.28
disbursements 393.75
attorney’s fees 1,957.50
TOTAL 86,899.51

No objection to the claim was ever filed by the debtor. A proof of claim duly filed is accorded prima facie validity. See In Re Hotel Associates, Inc., 3 B.R. 340, 342 (Bankr.E.D.Pa.1980); In Re Record Club of America, Inc., 18 B.R. 456, 458 (Bankr.M.D.Pa.1982). See Fleeger v. Ames, 120 F.2d 803, 805 (10th Cir.1941). Unless the debtor objects and tenders sufficient evidence to overcome the prima facie validity accorded to the claim, the claim is allowed.

Although the unsecured creditors are bound by the terms of a confirmed plan, even if the plan erroneously treats their claim, the lien held by a secured creditor cannot be defeated by the terms of a confirmed plan. See In Re Simmons, 765 F.2d 547 (5th Cir.1985). Unless the debtor objects to the secured claim the claim is deemed allowed for purposes of the plan. See id. at 553, citing In Re Hartford, 7 B.R. 914 (Bankr.D.Me.1981). This principle appears to hold true even when the secured creditor has failed to file a proof of claim. See Simmons, supra, at 551. See also In Re Tarnow, 749 F.2d 464, 465 (7th Cir.1984). Thus, unless the underlying claim has been disallowed the lien securing the claim is not extinguished by bankruptcy. See id. at 466-67. See also Long v. Bullard, 117 U.S. 617, 620-21, 6 S.Ct. 917, 918, *266 29 L.Ed. 1004 (1886). It follows that the debtor’s chapter 13 plan must provide for the full amount of the bank’s lien or for surrender of all the collateral. See 11 U.S.C. § 1325(a)(5). The bank is entitled to a claim at least in the amount of $86,-899.51.

The bank now claims the following additional amounts:

interest 4/10/85 to 11/4/85 (215 days at $24.92 a day) $5,357.80
disbursements (including appraiser’s fee) 436.70
attorney’s fees 2,361.00 1
TOTAL $8,155.50

The debtor in whole or in part objects to all portions of this additional claim.

Clause four of the mortgage between the parties expressly grants the bank security for costs and expenses of collection or enforcement to the extent not prohibited by law. Clause 14 of the mortgage specifically allows recovery for “attorney’s fees and expenses of obtaining title evidence, incurred ... in foreclosing this [mjortgage.” There is no question that Wisconsin law permits contracting parties to provide for costs and attorney’s fees. See Fellenz v. Gonring, 113 Wis.2d 228, 335 N.W.2d 884 (App.1983).

The debtor does not contest the basis of the bank’s calculation of additional interest, costs and fees, but argues that the bank is not entitled to any amount for such charges accrued after the date the original plan was filed. The basis of the debtor’s contention is that the bank unreasonably objected to the debtor’s initial plan. However, the bank successfully objected both to the debtor’s misstatement of the bank’s claim and the debtor’s valuation of the property. Additionally, the bank objected that the debtor’s proposed payments were insufficient to cover depreciation of the collateral, the market interest rate, and the present value of the equipment to be paid over the term of the plan.

I cannot find that the bank’s objections were unreasonable in light of its success. The collateral was found to be worth approximately $1,000.00 less than the value proposed in the debtor’s original plan. Further, it is clear that the debtor’s plan did not properly provide for the full payment of the bank’s original claim of $86,-899.51. If the debtor had wanted to dispute that figure the proper procedure was to object to the claim and not to seek to reduce the claim by the provisions of a chapter 13 plan. See In Re Tarnow, supra. I must conclude that the bank’s objections were reasonable and brought in good faith.

Alternatively, the debtor argues that for purposes of determining the amount of the bank’s allowed secured claim the “effective date of the plan” (11 U.S.C. § 1325(a)) must be considered to be the date of the filing of the chapter 13 petition. The debtor cites In Re Adams, 2 B.R. 313 (Bankr.M.D.Fla.1980) in support of this proposition. However, Adams merely held that the relevant date for purposes of valuation of

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Bluebook (online)
61 B.R. 264, 1986 Bankr. LEXIS 5932, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matter-of-spohn-wiwb-1986.