Wanda Collier-Abbott

United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. California·Decided May 27, 2020·No. 19-21310·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA In re ) Case No. 19-21310-E-13 ) Docket Control No. RJ-6 WANDA COLLIER-ABBOTT, ) ) Debtor. ) ) Wanda Collier-Abbott, the Debtor, has filed a Motion to Value the secured claim of RRA CP Opportunity Trust 2 (“Creditor”).1 Debtor provides her declaration and the Declaration and Broker’s Price Opinion of Osceola Winnumucca Stephenson as evidence of value of the Debtor’s primary residence, the real property commonly known as 3101 Spinning Rod Way, Sacramento, California (“Property”) that is the only collateral for Creditor’s claim in this case. Dckts. 154, 209, 210. Debtor asserts that exception provided in 11 U.S.C. § 1322(c)(2) to the anti-modification provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) allow for the valuation and bifurcation of Creditor’s allowed claim pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 506(a). Creditor has filed an Opposition, which is supported by the Declaration and Appraisal Report of Lynn Johnson. Dckt. 198. Creditor’s claim is secured by the second deed of trust against the Property and it is not disputed that some value exists in the Property to secure this claim secured by the second deed of trust. The claim secured by the first deed of trust is identified as that of Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee. Bank of New York Mellon, Trustee, has filed Proof of Claim No. 1 The Motion to Value Secured Claim has been set for hearing on the notice required by Local Bankruptcy Rule 9014-1(f)(1) with written opposition filed by Creditor. This is a core matter proceeding arising under the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 506(a), and for which the bankruptcy judge issues the final orders and judgment. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157(a), and the referral of bankruptcy cases and all related matters to the bankruptcy judges in this District. ED Cal. Gen Order 182, 223. 6-1, in which the amount of the secured claim is stated to be ($312,589.38).2 Creditor asserts that this is not a "short-term loan” to which the exception provided in 11 U.S.C. § 1322(c)(2) would apply, and therefore 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) prohibits modification (including a valuation pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 506(a)) of Creditor’s secured only by the Debtor’s primary residence. Upon consideration of the evidence presented, the application of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(c)(2), the last payment on the debt owed to Creditor having come due on April 1, 2020, this bankruptcy case having been filed on March 1, 2019, and that the five years of Chapter 13 plan payments are continuing well after the April 1, 2020 due date; the Motion to Value the secured claim of Creditor is granted, and Creditor's secured claim is determined to have a value of ($157,410.62). The valuation of property that secures a claim is the first step, not the end result of this Motion brought pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 506(a). The ultimate relief is the valuation of a specific creditor’s secured claim. 11 U.S.C. § 506(a) instructs the court and parties in the methodology for determining the value of a secured claim. (a)(1) An allowed claim of a creditor secured by a lien on property in which the estate has an interest, or that is subject to setoff under section 553 of this title, is a secured claim to the extent of the value of such creditor’s interest in the estate’s interest in such property, or to the extent of the amount subject to setoff, as the case may be, and is an unsecured claim to the extent that the value of such creditor’s interest or the amount so subject to set off is less than the amount of such allowed claim. Such value shall be determined in light of the purpose of the valuation and of the proposed disposition or use of such property, and in conjunction with any hearing on such disposition or use or on a plan affecting such creditor’s interest. 11 U.S.C. § 506(a) (emphasis added). At dispute in this Contested Matter is whether Creditor’s claim, secured only by Debtor’s primary residence may be valued in this case pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 506(a), thereby bifurcating the claim into a secured claim for the value in the Property which exists to secure Creditor’s second 2 In this Memorandum Opinion and Decision the court identifies the claims, debt, or expenses that would decrease the value of the property by (negative numbers), and the value of collateral or property with positive numbers. deed of trust lien position, and the balance as a general unsecured claim. As addressed below, Creditor’s claim may properly be valued pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 506(a), notwithstanding that Creditor’s only collateral is Debtor’s primary residence. Determination of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(c)(2) Exception to the Application of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) In a matter that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet addressed,3 Debtor asserts that even though Creditor’s claim is secured only by Debtor’s primary residence for which there is undisputedly at least some value for Creditor’s claim, that claim may be valued as provided in 11 U.S.C. § 506(a). This assertion is based on the 11 U.S.C. § 1322(c)(2) “notwithstanding clause,” which makes the prohibition established in 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(5) on modifying such claims secured only by the debtor’s primary residence not applicable under specified circumstance. Review of Claim Proof of Claim No. 4-1 was filed on May 6, 2019, for Creditor. The attachments to Proof of Claim No. 4-1 include a Note which is titled “NOTE With Balloon Payment.” Proof of Claim 4-1, p. 14. The date of the NOTE is March 24, 2005, and Paragraph 3 of the Note states that all amounts then owing on April 1, 2020, will be due in full on that date. The bankruptcy case was filed on March 1, 2019, approximately one year before the NOTE With Balloon Payment obligation being due in full on April 1, 2020, which is before the final payment will be due during the 60-month term of the plan in this case. Review of Statutory Provisions In considering this issue, the court begins with the well-established doctrine for statutory construction. The Supreme Court has been very clear in reading and app

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Wanda Collier-Abbott, (Cal. 2020).

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