FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT A ugus t 22, 2006 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 05- 17173 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 4 - 2 2 0 7 6 - C V- MGC N I C O L A S L A U R E N T , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s N A N C Y N . H E R K E R T , U n ite d S ta te s T ru s te e , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lle e .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( A u gu s t 22, 2006) B efo re D U B IN A , H U L L an d M A R C U S , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: N i c h o la s S . L a u r e n t, aC h ap te r1 3 d e b to rp r o c e e d in g p r o s e , a g a in ap p e a ls the district co u rt ’ s orderre l at i ng t o h i s m ot i on t o p roce ed w i th an i nt er l ocut ory2

ap p ea l fro m th e b an k ru p tcy c o u rt’s O rd erG ra n ti n g th e C h a p ter 1 3 T ru stee ’s M ot i on t o R edi re ctP ay m ent . W e pre vi ou sly vaca t ed the di stri ctcourt ’ s di sm i ss al order, w hi ch w as base d o n the di stri ctcourt ’ s u n ders t andi ng thati tl ac ked j ur i s di ct i o n . S e e I n r e L a ur e nt , 149 F . A pp’ x 833 ( 11th C i r . A ug. 22, 2005) ( not publ i s he d) . W e he l d tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tha d j ur i s di c t i on t o r e nde ra de c i s i on on L a ur e nt ’ s m ot i on. I d. A c c or di ngl y , w e di r e c t e d the di s tri c tc our tt o de c i de , on rem an d , w h ether or nott o g ra ntthe debt or l ea ve t o p roce ed w i th an i nt er l ocut ory ap p e a l f r o m th e b a n k ru p tc y c o u r t. O n r e m a n d , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t d e n ie d le a v e to p r o c e e d . La u r e n tn o w ap p e a l s th a td e c i s i o n . W e a f f i r m. T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t in a b a n k ru p tc y ap p e a l f u n c tio n s a s a n ap p e lla te c o u r t in r e vi e w i ng the ba nkrupt c y c our t ’ s de c i s i on. E qui t abl e L i f e A s s u ran ce S oc ’ y v. S ubl e tt , 895 F . 2d 1381, 1383- 84 ( 11th C i r . 1990) . D i s tr i c tc our t s m a y gr a ntl e a ve t o h ear ap p e a l s of

i nt e r l oc ut ory or de r s e nt e r e d by a ba nkrupt c y j udge . S e e 28 U . S . C . § 1 58 (a ). “ B ec ause [28 U . S . C . § 1 58 (a )] do es no tprov i d e th e d i stri ctcourt a n y c r ite r ia f

o rd e te r m in in g w h e th e rto e x e r c is e th e ird is c r e tio n a ry a u th o r ity to gr a ntl e a ve t o appe a l , the c our t [ s ] l o o k [] t o 28 U . S . C . § 1292( b) w hi c h gove rns di sc re t io n ary i nt er l ocut ory app ea l s f rom di stri ctcourt s t o the courtof appeal s. ” I n r e C h a r te rC o ., 7 7 8 F .2 d 6 1 7 , 6 2 0 n .5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 8 5 ) . I n o r d e rto o b t a i n l e a v e to proceed und er28 U . S . C . § 1 29 2(b), a party m ustdem o n stra te that : (1) the order3

pr e s e nt s a c ontr ol l i ng que s t i on of l a w ; ( 2) ove rw h i ch t h ere i s a s ubs t a nt i a l gr ound f or di f f e r e n c e o f

o p i n i o n a mo n g c o u r t s ; a n d ( 3 ) th e i mme d i a t e r e s o l u t i o n o f t he i s s ue w oul d m a t e r i a l l y a dva nc e the ul t i m a t e t e r m i na t i on of the l i t i ga t i on. S e e 28 U . S . C . § 1 29 2(b). H er e, the bank rupt cyco urt ’ s ordergrant i ng the T rust ee ’ s m ot i on t o redi re ct pa y m e nt a nd or de r i ng tha t a ny r e m a i ni ng f unds , i nc l udi ng thos e r e tu rn ed fr om B a n k A tla n tic , b e r e f

u n d e d to L a u r e n t, d id n o t m e e t th e c r ite r i a w a rr a n tin g le a v e to fi l e a n i nt er l ocut ory app ea l . T he order d id n o t p re se ntany i ss ue of control l i ng l aw ov erw hi ch there i s di sa gree m entam on g cou rt s, bu tra ther, i tre sol ved the pract i ca l i s s ue c o n c e rn i n g t o w h o m th e Tru s t e e s h o u l d p a y th e f u n d s s h e s t i l l h e l d. Mo r e o v e r , th e o r d e rd o e s n o tm a t e r i a l l y a d v a n c e th e o u t c o me o f th e l i t i g a t i o n . At the t i m e of

the or de r , the ba nkrupt c y c our tha d c l os e d the c a s e a nd di s c ha r g ed the T rus t e e , a nd B a nk A t l a nt i c , f orw hom the c ont e s t e d f unds ha d b een e a r - m a r ke d, ha d r e j e c t e d the f

unds . F i na l l y , a s not e d by the di s tr i c tc ourt , reso l ut i on on the m er i t s of a n app ea l of the order t o redi re ctfu n d s w ou l d n otgrantL aure ntthe re l i ef h e so u g h t : t i t l e t o the gua r di a ns hi p pr ope r tyha d a l r e a dy pa s s e d t o the gua r di a n, m a ki ng the gua r di a n th e l eg al o w ne r . T he r e f or e , the di s tr i c tc ourtdi d note rrby d e n y in g le a v e to p r o c e e d w ith a n in te r lo c u to ry ap p e a l. A F F I R M E D .