Reuland v. Internal Revenue Serv. (In re Reuland)

591 B.R. 342
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedOctober 26, 2018
DocketBankruptcy Case No. 12 B 17133; Adversary Case No. 18 A 00021
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 591 B.R. 342 (Reuland v. Internal Revenue Serv. (In re Reuland)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reuland v. Internal Revenue Serv. (In re Reuland), 591 B.R. 342 (Ill. 2018).

Opinion

Janet S. Baer, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

This matter is before the Court on the motion of the Internal Revenue Service *344(the "IRS") to dismiss the adversary complaint filed by Richard and Elizabeth Reuland. The Reulands' complaint seeks: (1) a determination that certain taxes owed to the IRS were discharged through their chapter 13 bankruptcy case; (2) a permanent injunction against the IRS from collecting such taxes; and (3) attorney's fees and costs. The IRS's motion requests that the complaint be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because the tax debt at issue is not dischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 1328(a)(2) and 523(a)(1)(B)(ii).1 For the reasons set forth below, the Court will dismiss the complaint with prejudice.

JURISDICTION

The Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and Internal Operating Procedure 15(a) of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(A), (I), and (L).

BACKGROUND

Richard and Elizabeth Reuland did not file returns for tax years 2002 through 2011 until early April 2012. (Adversary No. 18 A 00021, Docket No. 13 at 2.2 ) On April 26, 2012, about three weeks after filing those returns, the Reulands filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy petition, along with the required plan, statements, and schedules. (Bankr. Dkt. 1 & 2.) Their schedules listed $89,776 in tax debt owed to the IRS. (Bankr. Dkt. 1 at 17.) The plan proposed to pay that entire amount over five years. (Bankr. Dkt. 2 at 3.)

Early in the case, the IRS filed a proof of claim which it amended several times to reflect the recently filed returns as they were processed. (Adv. Dkt. 11 at 2-3.) The IRS's proof of claim, as finally amended, asserted that the Reulands owed tax debt totaling $128,885.44 as of the date of the bankruptcy petition, $73,290.44 in priority debt for 2009 through 2012 and $55,595 in general unsecured debt for 2002 through 2008. (Claim No. 1-4 at 3.) The Reulands did not object to the IRS's proof of claim. Instead, they amended their plan to pay 100% of the IRS's priority claim and approximately 13% of the total general unsecured claims. (Bankr. Dkt. 30 at 3, ¶¶ 6 & 8.) The Court confirmed the amended plan on November 2, 2012, and the IRS did not object to or appeal its confirmation. (Bankr. Dkt. 35.)

The plan provided for the treatment of all general unsecured claims, in relevant part, as follows:

General unsecured claims (GUCs). All allowed nonpriority unsecured claims, not specially classified, including unsecured deficiency claims under 11 U.S.C. § 506(a), shall be paid, pro rata, ... to the extent possible from the payments set out in Section D, but not less than 13% of their allowed amount.

(Bankr. Dkt. 30 at 3, ¶ 8.)

Over the next five years, the Reulands made monthly payments under the confirmed plan. After they had finished making all of the required payments, the Court entered a discharge order which explained the breadth of a chapter 13 discharge. (See Bankr. Dkt. 68 at 1.) The order informed the Reulands, in pertinent part, that *345"[s]ome debts are not discharged[.] Examples of debts that are not discharged are ... debts for certain types of taxes specified in 11 U.S.C. §§ 507(a)(8)(C), 523(a)(1)(B), [and] 523(a)(1)(C) to the extent not paid in full under the plan[.]" (Id. )

Upon completion of the plan, the IRS had received $73,290.44 in payment of its priority claim and $3,424.50 in payment of its general unsecured claim, leaving a substantial portion of the general unsecured claim unpaid. (Adv. Dkt. 1 at 3.) Within two months after the Court entered the discharge order and the Clerk of Court closed the case, the Reulands began to receive collection notices from the IRS for the unpaid balance. (Id. ) As of April 12, 2018, the IRS asserts that the Reulands still owe principal and interest totaling $68,574.07 for 2002 through 2008, and interest totaling $1,533.43 for 2009 and 2010.3 (Adv. Dkt. 11 at 3.)

On January 8, 2018, the Reulands filed an adversary complaint seeking a determination that the unpaid tax debt had been discharged through their chapter 13 bankruptcy case. (Adv. Dkt. 1.) In response, the IRS filed a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (made applicable to adversary proceedings by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7012(b) ), alleging that the Reulands' complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted both because the unpaid tax debt is not dischargeable pursuant to §§ 1328(a)(2) and 523(a)(1)(B)(ii) and because the plan did not provide for its discharge. (See Adv. Dkt. 10 & 11.) The Court has reviewed the relevant statutory provisions, applicable case law, and arguments of the parties and is now ready to rule.

STATUTORY PROVISIONS

The provisions of the Bankruptcy Code relevant to the Court's decision are §§ 1328(a)(2) and 523(a). Together, those sections establish several types of debt that are excepted from a chapter 13 discharge. Section 1328(a)(2) provides, in relevant part, as follows:

(a) [A]s soon as practicable after completion by the debtor of all payments under the plan, ... the court shall grant the debtor a discharge of all debts provided for by the plan or disallowed under section 502 of this title, except any debt-
* * *
(2) of the kind specified in section 507(a)(8)(C) or in paragraph (1)(B), (1)(C), (2), (3), (4), (5), (8), or (9) of section 523(a) [.]

11 U.S.C. § 1328(a)(2). Section 523(a)(1)(B)(ii), in turn, states as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
591 B.R. 342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reuland-v-internal-revenue-serv-in-re-reuland-ilnb-2018.