Singer Asset Finance Co. v. Gallagher (In re Gallagher)

331 B.R. 895, 57 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 762, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 1944
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 30, 2005
DocketBAP No. WW-04-1374-STP; Bankruptcy No. 03-16606; Adversary No. 04-01164
StatusPublished

This text of 331 B.R. 895 (Singer Asset Finance Co. v. Gallagher (In re Gallagher)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Singer Asset Finance Co. v. Gallagher (In re Gallagher), 331 B.R. 895, 57 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 762, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 1944 (bap9 2005).

Opinion

OPINION

SMITH, Bankruptcy Judge.

This appeal is from a final order denying Appellant Singer Asset Finance Co.’s (“Singer”) motion for summary judgment and granting summary judgment in favor of the debtor, Tina Nichole Gallagher (“Debtor” or “Gallagher”). We AFFIRM.

FACTS

The relevant facts are not in dispute. On May 20, 1988, a California court entered an Order Approving Compromise of Minor’s Claim on behalf of Tina Christian-son, now Tina Gallagher. The order incorporated a settlement agreement reached between Allstate Insurance Company (“Allstate”) and Bonnie Christianson, as guardian ad litem for Gallagher following an accident that caused the death of her father. The agreement was a structured settlement providing monthly payments to Gallagher of $923.53 from June 9, 1995 through May 9, 2025, as well as three lump sum payments of $10,000 on June 9, 1995, $15,000 on June 9, 1998, and $25,000 on June 9, 2005. Allstate funded its periodic payment obligation by purchasing an annuity contract from Allstate Life Insurance Company (“Allstate Life”) which provided for the monthly annuity payments to be sent directly to Gallagher. The settlement agreement includes a non-assignment clause which states

[A]ll settlement funds shall be free from anticipation, assignment, pledge or [898]*898obligations of the claimant, his heirs, executors, administrators, successors or assignees, and shall not be subject to attachment, exclusion or other legal process.

Despite the non-assignment clause, in June 2000, Gallagher entered into a loan agreement with Merrick Bank Corporation (“Merrick”), in which she borrowed $64,969 and assigned her right to receive the monthly payments under the settlement agreement for a period of 120 months plus one lump sum payment of $25,000 payable June 9, 2005, totaling $135,823.2 This equates to an effective interest rate of 15% per annum. Merrick subsequently assigned its interest in the loan agreement to Singer, who promptly filed a financing statement pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code.

Gallagher performed under the loan agreement for almost two and a half years before defaulting. On May 20, 2003, she filed a chapter 13 3 bankruptcy petition. Singer timely filed a proof of claim in the amount of $98,495.33, asserting a security interest in the annuity payments. Allstate Life and Allstate Settlement Corporation thereafter filed an interpleader action and began depositing the monthly annuity payments with the clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

On March 30, 2004, Gallagher commenced an adversary proceeding to avoid Singer’s security interest. Singer moved for summary judgment on the ground that under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, it held a perfected security interest in and to Gallagher’s periodic payments under the settlement agreement which could not be defeated by the non-assignment clause. In opposition, Gallagher contended that Article 9 does not apply to the transfer of an interest in a policy of insurance or arising out of a tort. Furthermore, Gallagher argued, Article 9 does not apply to structured settlements which contain a non-assignment clause.

The court granted summary judgment in favor of Gallagher, holding that the transaction was not governed by Article 9 because, pursuant to UCC § 9-104(k), the claim arose out of a tort.4

[899]*899JURISDICTION

The bankruptcy court had jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and § 157(b)(1) and (b)(2). This Panel has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 158(b)(1).5

ISSUE

Whether Singer’s claim is one arising in tort, rendering it exempt from coverage under Article 9.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The Panel reviews summary judgment orders de novo. In re Paine, 283 B.R. 33, 36 (9th Cir. BAP 2002).

DISCUSSION

A. Applicability of Article 9 to Assignment of Rights Under Structured Settlements.

Preliminarily, we hold that, contrary to the bankruptcy court’s determination, Revised Article 9 of the UCC, rather than the former Article 9, is applicable here. See In re Wiersma, 283 B.R. 294, 299 (Bankr.D.Idaho 2002)(and cases cited therein). Washington state’s version of Revised Article 9, codified in RCWA § 62A.9A, became effective July 1, 2001,6 prior to the commencement of Gallagher’s bankruptcy case. Under these circumstances, many courts have applied the revised version, even though events relevant to the dispute may have occurred prior to the effective date. See Wiersma, 283 B.R. at 299.

The relevant section under the former Article 9, UCC § 9-104(k)(1998), was re-codified in Revised Article 9 as UCC § 9-109(d)(12) and adopted and codified in Washington as RCWA § 62A.9A-109(d)(12). Revised Article 9 will hereafter be referred to as “Article 9”. Our determination that the bankruptcy court incorrectly applied the former version of Article 9 does not, however, affect the soundness of the court’s ruling because the provisions relevant to its analysis remain substantially unchanged.

Article 9 governs secured transactions, including a secured creditor’s right to payment. However, the applicability of Article 9 to the assignment of payment rights under a structured settlement agreement is not entirely clear. Courts are split on the effectiveness of such assignments where an explicit non-assignment clause is present in the underlying agreement. To be sure, the issue has been litigated in a number of jurisdictions, both state and federal, with varying results.7

[900]*900Rather than relying on Article 9, many courts have focused on balancing competing contract principles, such as freedom of contract and restraint on alienability concerns, as well as on the importance of giving effect to the terms agreed to by the parties. Taking this approach, some have looked to §§ 817 and 322 of the Restatement (Second) of Contracts8 in analyzing the effectiveness of non-assignment clauses under general contract principles. See e.g., In re Terry, 245 B.R. at 426-427; In re Cooper, 242 B.R. at 771; In re Berghman, 235 B.R. 683, 690-691 (Bankr.M.D.Fla.1999); In re Freeman, 232 B.R. at 503; Stone, 93 F.Supp.2d at 637; Wonsey, 32 F.Supp.2d at 944; Grieve v. General American Life Ins. Co., 58 F.Supp.2d 319, 322-324 (D.Vt.1999). Courts have also considered the potential adverse impact of assignments on favorable tax treatment afforded parties to structured settle[901]*901ment agreements. See e.g., Liberty Life, 93 F.Supp.2d at 634; CGU Life Ins. Co., 275 Ga. at 330, 567 S.E.2d 9; Grieve, 58 F.Supp.2d at 323; Piasecki, 245 Ill.Dec. 340, 728 N.E.2d at 73; Henderson v. Roadway Express, 242 Ill.Dec. 153, 720 N.E.2d at 1112-1113.

The application of Article 9 to the as-signability of payments under structured tort settlement agreements is not always evident.

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331 B.R. 895, 57 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 762, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 1944, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/singer-asset-finance-co-v-gallagher-in-re-gallagher-bap9-2005.