Rahien NaySaun Little

CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. South Carolina
DecidedDecember 19, 2024
Docket24-04146
StatusUnknown

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Bluebook
Rahien NaySaun Little, (S.C. 2024).

Opinion

U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT District of South Carolina Case Number: 24-04146-jd

ORDER DENYING TURNOVER OF VEHICLE, GRANTING RETURN OF PERSONAL ITEMS, AND SETTING HEARING

The relief set forth on the following pages, for a total of 13 pages including this page, is hereby ORDERED.

FILED BY THE COURT 12/19/2024 te BA JO ee, IO, - Dy i NG C) ) Vv lw “| US Bankruptcy Judge i te ¥ = District of South Carolina □□ 4 2 os te ~~ SOUT Entered: 12/19/2024

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA

IN RE: C/A No. 24-04146-JD

Chapter 7 Rahien NaySaun Little, a/k/a Rahien Little, ORDER DENYING TURNOVER OF Debtor(s). VEHICLE, GRANTING RETURN OF PERSONAL ITEMS, AND SETTING HEARING

THIS MATTER is before the Court on the Emergency Motion1 for Contempt and Sanctions (“Emergency Motion”), filed by Rahien NaySaun Little, a/k/a Rahien Little, (“Debtor”), on November 25, 2024. SUMMARY OF FACTS Prior to the filing of the bankruptcy petition, R&R Tires repossessed the tires affixed to Debtor’s vehicle, a 2021 Honda Accord 2.0T Sport (“Vehicle”), leaving the now inoperable Vehicle on concrete blocks.2 Debtor filed, pro se, a bankruptcy petition under Chapter 7 on November 18, 2024. Debtor testified that the Vehicle was titled in his name but neither listed any property, including the Vehicle, in his schedules, nor exempted the Vehicle in Schedule C to his petition. In Schedule D, Debtor indicates the value of the Vehicle is $25,000 with a lien of $33,000 owed to CarMax. Debtor’s Vehicle had been left on Atlantic’s property without tires from November 15, 2024, until November 21, 2024. On November 21, 2024, Debtor’s Vehicle was towed by In-N- Out Towing, LLC, (“In-N-Out”), at the alleged direction of Debtor’s landlord, Atlantic on the

1 ECF No. 13. 2 Debtor testified under oath that R&R Tires was responsible for the November 15, 2024, repossession of his Vehicle’s tires at the Emergency Hearing. Boulevard (“Atlantic”).3 Debtor alleges that certain essential medications were stored in the Vehicle at the time of its towing. Debtor thereafter filed the Emergency Motion and a Motion to Expedite4 Hearing of the Emergency Motion (“Motion to Expedite”) seeking, inter alia, an order mandating the turnover of Debtor’s Vehicle from In-N-Out. The Court entered an order5 granting the Motion to Expedite on

November 25, 2024, and scheduled an emergency hearing for December 4, 2024. After the Court set a date for a hearing (“Emergency Hearing”) on the Emergency Motion, Debtor filed an Amended Motion for Turnover and Sanctions and to Extend Time6 (“Amended Emergency Motion”). In-N-Out filed a Response to the Emergency Motion and the Amended Emergency Motion7 (“Response”) on December 3, 2024. The Emergency Motion sought an order mandating the turnover of Defendant’s Vehicle, as well as a ruling of contempt and an order of sanctions against In-N-Out for its violation of the automatic stay. The Court determined that an emergency hearing was warranted as to Debtor’s motion for turnover, but not as to In-N-Out’s alleged violation of the automatic stay or Debtor’s alleged damages. As such, the Court is only

addressing Debtor’s emergency motion for turnover of his Vehicle in this Order. Debtor’s arguments concerning In-N-Out’s and Atlantic’s alleged violation of the automatic stay will be heard and adjudicated at a later date, to the extent it remains contested.

3 Though not in evidence, filings by the parties indicate that Atlantic prevailed upon In-N-Out to tow Debtor’s Vehicle on November 21, 2024, in compliance with City of North Charleston ordinances concerning a property owner’s liability for permitting a public nuisance, such as a dismantled or inoperable car, to remain on the owner’s property. See N. CHARLESTON, S.C., CODE OF ORDNANCES, Sec. 9-67(4)(a) and 9-68 (2024). https://library.municode.com/sc/north_charleston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH9HESA_ARTIVN U_DIV1GE_S9-67NUDE. 4 ECF No. 14. 5 ECF No. 15. 6 ECF No. 26. The Court notes that while Debtor only named In-N-Out as a respondent in the Emergency Motion, Debtor also named Atlantic as a respondent in the Amended Emergency Motion. Atlantic did not receive notice of the order granting the Motion to Expedite and was not a party to the hearing on December 4, 2024. 7 ECF No. 35. A deficiency was issued for the response filed by In-N-Out. In-N-Out is a corporation and, as such, must be represented by counsel pursuant to SCLBR 9011-2(c). APPLICABLE LAW The Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334. This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(E). The Court has authority to enter a final order and judgment in this matter. This Court has broad power under 11 U.S.C. § 105(a)8 to issue orders consistent with the

Bankruptcy Code to help a debtor effectuate a fresh start. The equitable powers granted to a bankruptcy court under Section 105(a) are designed to protect the public interest in equitable administration of the Bankruptcy Code and the viable reorganization of debtors. In re Chicora Life Ctr., LC, 553 B.R. 61, 67 (Bankr. D.S.C. 2016) (citing Fisher v. Apostolou, 155 F.3d 876, 882 (7th Cir.1998); Continental Secs. Corp. v. Shenandoah Nursing Home P'ship, 188 B.R. 205, 220 (W.D.Va.1995); and A.H. Robins Co. v. Piccinin, 788 F.2d 994, 1008 (4th Cir. 1986)). However, a bankruptcy court may not exercise its equitable powers under 105(a) in a manner that contravenes the Bankruptcy Code. Law v. Siegel, 571 U.S. 415, 421 (2014). “The ‘equitable origins of the bankruptcy power suggest substantial leeway to tailor solutions to meet the diverse problems

facing bankruptcy courts. Section 105 gives the bankruptcy court the power to fill in gaps and further the statutory mandates of Congress in an efficient manner.’” In re Vujovic, 388 B.R. 684, 693–94 (Bankr. E.D.N.C. 2008) (quoting 2 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶ 105.01 p. 105–8.1 (Alan N. Resnick & Henry J. Sommer eds., 15th ed. rev.2008)). The standing of the parties is a threshold matter in all court proceedings and may be raised by the Court sua sponte. In re Boyd, 618 B.R. 133, 145 (Bankr. D.S.C. 2020) (citing Benham v.

8 11 U.S.C. § 105(a) provides that the Court may: “issue any order, process, or judgment that is necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this title. No provision of this title providing for the raising of an issue by a party in interest shall be construed to preclude the court from, sua sponte, taking any action or making any determination necessary or appropriate to enforce or implement court orders or rules, or to prevent an abuse of process.” City of Charlotte, N.C., 635 F.3d 129, 134 (4th Cir. 2011)). The Constitution of the United States requires the presence of the following three elements, at minimum, to determine standing: First, the plaintiff must have suffered an “injury in fact”—an invasion of a legally protected interest which is (a) concrete and particularized and (b) “actual or imminent, not ‘conjectural’ or ‘hypothetical.’” Second, there must be a causal connection between the injury and the conduct complained of—the injury has to be “fairly ... trace[able] to the challenged action of the defendant, and not ... th[e] result [of] the independent action of some third party not before the court.” Third, it must be “likely,” as opposed to merely “speculative,” that the injury will be “redressed by a favorable decision.”

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