United States v. Olayer (In re Olayer)

577 B.R. 464
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 22, 2017
DocketCase No. 17-23386-GL
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 577 B.R. 464 (United States v. Olayer (In re Olayer)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Olayer (In re Olayer), 577 B.R. 464 (Pa. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

GREGORY L. TADDONIO, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

This matter came before the Court upon the Motion for Relief from Automatic Stay filed by the United States through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (“FSA”).1 FSA seeks in rem relief under 11 U.S.C. § 362(d)(4)(B) to pursue a foreclosure sale of real property located at 2799 Wampum Mt. Air Rd., New Galilee, Pa. (“Property”), arguing that the Debtor, James S. Olayer, engaged in a scheme to delay, hinder, or defraud it by filing five bankruptcy petitions affecting the Property over the .past twenty-one years.2 Alternatively, the FSA argues that the totality of the circumstances establish cause to lift the stay under 11 U.S.C. § 362(d)(1).3 The Court concludes that in rem relief is not warranted and “cause” for relief exists under section 362(d)(1) only to the extent that Olayer failed to maintain adequate insurance coverage on the Property.

I.

The Property consists of a 110-acre farm with a brick home and is valued at $246,573.4 FSA is Olayer’s primary secured creditor, holding a judgment in the amount of $65,712.54.5 The Property is also encumbered by a first mortgage lien held by Mahoning Consumer Discount Co. (“MCDC”) in an unknown amount6 and a tax lien of $28,627.57 held by the Lawrence County Tax Claim Bureau (“Tax Bureau”).7

To understand PSA’s motivations, a brief review of the agency’s past interactions with Olayer is necessary. Olayer first petitioned for bankruptcy relief under chapter 12 of title 11 of the U.S. Code on March 5,1996, but the case was dismissed just four months later.8 At the time, FSA claimed it was owed $170,350.86.9 A second bankruptcy petition was filed in November 1996.10 After Olayer failed to file his chapter 12 plan, the Court granted his request for a voluntary dismissal of the case in May 1997.11

In February 2000, FSA initiated a mortgage foreclosure action against Olayer in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (“District Court”).12 This action prompted Olayer to commence his third bankruptcy casé on April 24, 2000, staying the foreclosure proceeding.13 When a payment under Olayer’s Amended Reorganization Plan dated August 29, 2001 became ten months overdue, FSA obtained an order dismissing the bankruptcy case.14

FSA initiated a second mortgage foreclosure action against Olayer in the District Court on September 19, 2007 and was awarded summary judgment in the amount of $210,276.24 plus continuing interest.15 Olayer appealed the ruling, but the Third Circuit Court of Appeals (“Third Circuit”) affirmed the decision.16 Olayer’s petition for a rehearing en banc was also denied.17

FSA scheduled a U.S. Marshal’s sale of the Property for March 17, 2010.18 Olayer filed a motion with the Third’ Circuit to stay the sale, but this was denied as well.19 Olayer then filed his fourth bankruptcy petition on March 16, 2010, thereby staying the sale.20

After nearly seven years, Olayer received a discharge in the fourth bankruptcy case.21 Although the reorganization plan paid out $89,184.96 to FSA,22 its confirmation23 depended upon an agreement with FSA to accept payments outside the plan, including three annual installments of $21,795 each beginning on March 1, 2016, and a payment of $75,000 from the Estate of Sandra Rae Olayer Dodds, Olayer’s deceased ex-wife.24 Olayer failed to pay any of the annual installments, though it appears FSA received the required payment from Ms. Dodds’s estate.25 In light of the missed payments, FSA recommenced foreclosure proceedings and scheduled a U.S. Marshal’s sale for August 24, 2017.26 Olayer then filed his fifth bankruptcy petition in the present case on August 22, 2017, thereby staying the scheduled sale.27

Olayer admits he has failed to pay taxes on the Property since 2010 and that his fifth bankruptcy petition additionally canceled a tax sale previously scheduled for September 2017 by the Tax Bureau.28 As of August 8, 2017, Olayer owed the Tax Bureau $28,627.57 in back taxes.29 FSA also avers it has no proof that the Debtor has insured the Property.30 Olayer did not respond to this averment or provide record proof of insurance.31

After a hearing on the motion, the Court took the matter under advisement to review the relevant authorities. The Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(G) and § 1334. Venue is proper in this district pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1408(1).

II,A.

FSA bears the burden of proof to show it is entitled to in rem relief from the stay.32 Section 362(d)(4)(B) mandates relief “if the court finds that the fifing of the petition was part of a scheme to delay, hinder, or defraud creditors that involved ... multiple bankruptcy filings affecting such real property.”33 The mere existence of “[mjultiple bankruptcy filings do[es] not alone justify relief’ unless they are part of such a scheme.34 Strategically timing a bankruptcy to stay or cancel foreclosure proceedings, can be a legitimate tactic within a debtor’s arsenal, but it evokes bad faith where a debtor commences a bankruptcy case “without the ability or the intention to reorganize.”35 In the past, this Court has suggested that serial filings compounded by a lack of payments, “highly-questionable plan,” and “tag team” approach to individual filings by a husband and wife may warrant in rem relief.36

FSA relies on In re Mazza, 2015 WL 5729262 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 30, 2015), to argue that Olayer engaged in a scheme to delay or hinder its efforts because he timed his filings to thwart foreclosure, had three failed cases and did not make payments under the stipulation in the fourth, and requested an extension to complete his plan and schedules in the present case.37 In Mazza, the debtor and her husband separately filed four bankruptcy petitions within fourteen months, each staying foreclosure proceedings on their real property.38

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
577 B.R. 464, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-olayer-in-re-olayer-pawb-2017.