Trimble v. Trimble

511 S.W.3d 392, 2016 Ky. App. LEXIS 197, 2016 WL 7030413
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedDecember 2, 2016
DocketNO. 2015-CA-001021-MR
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 511 S.W.3d 392 (Trimble v. Trimble) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trimble v. Trimble, 511 S.W.3d 392, 2016 Ky. App. LEXIS 197, 2016 WL 7030413 (Ky. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION

CLAYTON, JUDGE:

James Thomas Trimble (James) appeals from an order by the Floyd Family Court requiring him to pay his ex-wife Allison Trimble (Allison) for a credit card debt that she assumed for him during their marriage. He argues that the trial court erred because his debt to Allison was dis-chargeable in bankruptcy. Because we hold that the “fair contemplation” test applied to James’ debt, such that James’ debt was not dischargeable, we affirm.

Facts

James and Allison married in 2006.1 James and Allison had accumulated some pre-marital credit card debt. At some point during the marriage, Allison paid James’ credit card debt.2 The Floyd Family court entered an order dissolving the marriage on February 25, 2009. The order reserved “[a]ll issues arising out of this dissolution proceeding.. .for disposition at a future date.”

In November, 2010, James filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and his debts were discharged in early 2011. On August 15, 2013, [394]*394the trial court entered an order concluding that it did not have authority to impose marital debt upon James. Allison filed a motion to alter, amend or vacate that judgment, arguing that the credit card debt Allison assumed was not dischargeable in bankruptcy under either 11 U.S.C.A. § 523(a)(5) or (15). The Floyd Family Court granted Allison’s motion to alter, amend or vacate. James filed a motion to alter, amend or vacate that order, which was denied. This appeal followed.

Analysis

The Court notes preliminarily that an argument might be made concerning res judicata or waiver, because Allison did not contest this issue to the bankruptcy court. However, this Court has concurrent jurisdiction to determine the issues in this case. “While it is true that state courts lack jurisdiction to modify or to grant relief from a bankruptcy court’s discharge injunction, they retain, with a few exceptions not pertinent here, concurrent jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.A. § 1334(b) ‘to construe the discharge and determine whether a particular debt is or is not within the discharge.’ ” Sunbeam Corp. v. Dortch, 313 S.W.3d 114, 115-16 (Ky. 2010) (quoting In re Pavelich, 229 B.R. 777, 783 (9th Cir. BAP 1999)). We therefore reach the merits of this case.

I. The “Fair Contemplation” Test Applied to James’ Discharge

Debts are discharged in bankruptcy. 11 U.S.C.A. § 523(a)(1). “The term ‘debt’ means liability on a claim.” 11 U.S.C.A. § 101(12). A “claim” is a

(A) right to payment, whether or not such right is reduced to judgment, liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed, legal, equitable, secured, or unsecured; or
(B) right to an equitable remedy for breach of performance if such breach gives rise to a right to payment, whether or not such right to an equitable remedy is reduced to judgment, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed, secured, or unsecured.

11 U.S.C.A. § 101(5).

The parties were divorced prior to James’ discharge, and it was not until after the discharge that the trial court amended its August 15, 2013 order holding James liable. Because James sought to amend the family court’s judgement to include marital debt subsequent to his discharge in bankruptcy, we must now consider whether the debt he accrued during his marriage constituted a postpetition debt not subject to discharge.

No case in Kentucky law has considered when obligations arising out of the division of marital assets and liabilities between former spouses become a “debt” for the purposes of discharge in bankruptcy. Neither Kentucky federal district court, has examined the issue, nor has the Sixth Circuit.

Prior to deciding the issue before the Court, some discussion is necessary concerning the different tests recognized by the federal court of appeals as to when a claim arises. “Courts have generally utilized three approaches when making this determination: (1) the accrued state law claim approach; (2) the conduct approach; and (3) pre-petition relationship approach.” In re Cleveland, 349 B.R. 522, 529 (Bankr. E.D. Tenn. 2006).

“Generally, the accrued state law claim test focuses upon the notion that while federal law controls which claims are cognizable under the Code, the threshold question of when a right to payment arises, absent overriding federal law, is to be determined by reference to state law.” Id. (quoting Avellino v. M. Frenville Co., [395]*395Inc. (In re M. Frenville Co., Inc.), 744 F.2d 382, 337 (3d Cir. 1984)) (internal quotation marks omitted). This approach has been widely rejected. See In re Emelity, 251 B.R. 151, 156 (Bankr. S.D. Cal. 2000) (“Moreover, to the extent these decisions are based solely on In re Matter of Frenville Co., Inc., 744 F.2d 332 (3d Cir.1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1160, 105 S.Ct. 911, 83 L.Ed.2d 925 (1985), that case has been universally criticized and is not followed outside the Third Circuit.”).

“The conduct approach focuses upon when the underlying acts or conduct forming the basis of the right to payment occurred.” In re Cleveland, 349 B.R. at 529. Therefore:

[A]s long as “[the] debtor’s conduct forming the basis of liability occurred pre-petition, a ‘claim’ arises under the Code when that conduct occurs, even though the injury resulting from this conduct is not manifest at the commencement of the bankruptcy proceedings.” Lemelle [v. Universal Mfg. Corp., 18 F.3d 1268, 1275 (5th Cir. 1994); see also [In re Edge, 60 B.R. 690, 705 (Bankr. M.D. Tenn. 1986) ] (holding that “a right to payment and thus a claim [arises] at the time of the debtors’ pre-petition misconduct.”). This approach has been criticized as being too liberal and “patently unfair to creditors because it would allow a [debtor] ... [to] receive a discharge from any liabilities before the ... creditor [ ] ever has a reason to know about the debtor’s involvementf.]” Signature Combs, Inc. v. United States, 253 F.Supp.2d 1028, 1035 (W.D.Tenn. 2003).

Id.

Finally, the “prepetition relationship” or “fair contemplation” test provides that “where the parties could have fairly contemplated a claim prior to bankruptcy, the claim will be held to have arisen pre-petition, even when the actual right to payment matures postpetition.” In re Emelity, 251 B.R. at 156. This is “[t]he most widely adopted test[.]” In re City of Detroit, Michigan, 548 B.R. 748, 763 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2016).

Of the courts that have considered the issue before us, many have come to the conclusion that a debt arises when the trial court has entered its final and appealable order, because that date provides a “brightline” standard. See, e.g., In re Miller, 268 B.R. 826, 830-31 (Bankr. N.D. Ind. 2001). Therefore, “[a] petition is just a petition[,]” and the “right to payment of alimony and child support accrue[s] at the time of the decree dissolution ordering alimony and child support[.]” In re Arleaux, 229 B.R. 182, 186 (8th Cir. BAP 1999).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
511 S.W.3d 392, 2016 Ky. App. LEXIS 197, 2016 WL 7030413, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trimble-v-trimble-kyctapp-2016.