Source: https://www.losangelesbankruptcylawyerblawg.com/category/chapter-11/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 22:56:30+00:00

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Chapter 7 bankruptcy enables qualifying debtors to pay down their debts by liquidating their non-exempt assets, followed by a discharge of many remaining debts. In order to qualify for a Chapter 7 discharge, debtors must demonstrate that they meet the criteria set out in the “means test,” 11 U.S.C. § 707(b). A trustee or creditor may ask the court to convert a Chapter 7 “liquidation” case to a Chapter 11 “reorganization” case for good cause, such as if they believe that the debtor does not qualify under the means test. Individual debtors rarely use Chapter 11, but a court cannot convert a Chapter 7 case to Chapter 13 without the debtor’s agreement. 11 U.S.C. § 706(c). A bankruptcy court recently ruled that a married couple could not file under Chapter 7 and essentially encouraged them to use Chapter 13 instead. In re Decker, No. A14-00065, memorandum (D. Alaska, Mar. 31, 2015).
The debtors in Decker have a complicated history of financial problems, as described by the bankruptcy court. Their adult daughter has required their ongoing support for medical problems and addiction recovery since 2009. The debtors began having serious issues with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2007, when it assessed deficiencies for the previous two tax years. Those debts have reportedly continued to accrue.
When the debtors filed their Chapter 7 petition in March 2014, they identified almost $426,000 in debts. Debts owed to the IRS included over $102,000 in priority debt and $81,000 in non-priority debt. The IRS filed a proof of claim for more than $204,000 in taxes, interest, and penalties. They also identified tax debts owed to the states of California and Alaska. The $35,000 in personal property identified in their schedules is all exempt or subject to liens.
The Bankruptcy Code provides individuals and families with several options when they need to file a bankruptcy petition, and it allows them to convert a case from one chapter to another in certain circumstances. A federal appellate panel in California recently considered an interesting question: if a debtor converts a case from Chapter 11 or 13 to Chapter 7, what happens to income earned after the petition but before conversion? It would belong to the bankruptcy estate under Chapters 11 or 13, but to the debtor under Chapter 7. The court ruled that it reverts to the debtor once the case is converted from Chapter 11 back to Chapter 7. In re Markosian, 506 B.R. 273 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 2014) (PDF file).
By filing a bankruptcy petition, a debtor creates a legally distinct “bankruptcy estate.” A court-appointed trustee has the right to make certain decisions about estate property and the duty to manage the estate responsibly. In general, any property that a debtor owns when he or she files a bankruptcy petition becomes part of the estate. 11 U.S.C. § 541. In Chapter 11 or 13 cases, property acquired and earnings received for services rendered by the debtor, including salary or wages, also become part of the bankruptcy estate until the case is dismissed, converted, or closed. 11 U.S.C. §§ 1115, 1306.
A bankruptcy judge recently denied a debtor’s request to convert his case from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7, finding that he had not acted in accordance with his fiduciary duties throughout the case. Most individual debtors do not find Chapter 11 to be helpful. It is much more common for business bankruptcies and individuals with very large estates. In this case, the debtor is a professional hockey player. In re Johnson, No. 2:14-bk-57104, petition (S.D. Oh., Oct. 7, 2014). When he moved for conversion to Chapter 7, the court reviewed the course of the case and issued a 150-page order denying the motion and criticizing the debtor’s conduct. Johnson, op. and order (Feb. 26, 2016). The judge’s reasoning offers an idea of the concerns that courts address in Chapter 7 cases.
A key difference between the Johnson case and a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case is that the bankruptcy estate had no independent trustee. The debtor was acting as trustee when he moved for conversion to Chapter 7. In Chapter 11 cases, a trustee is only appointed if requested by a party in interest or the U.S. Trustee’s Office. 11 U.S.C. § 1104. If no trustee is appointed, the debtor serves in the capacity of trustee, with all the same fiduciary duties towards creditors and others. Under Chapters 7 and 13, the Bankruptcy Code states unconditionally that a trustee “shall” be appointed. 11 U.S.C. §§ 701, 1302.
Debtors are typically allowed to convert their case from one chapter to another if they meet various criteria established in the Bankruptcy Code. A Chapter 11 debtor can convert their case to Chapter 7, with several exceptions. A bankruptcy court may not convert a case to Chapter 7 if it finds that appointment of a Chapter 11 trustee would be in the estate’s and the creditors’ best interest, or if it “identifies unusual circumstances” indicating that conversion would not be in their best interest. 11 U.S.C. § 1112(b). A Chapter 7 debtor can convert their case to Chapter 11 or Chapter 13 with the court’s permission, after establishing cause. 11 U.S.C. § 707. A Chapter 13 debtor is far less constrained in converting a case to Chapter 7. 11 U.S.C. § 1307.
Desert Hot Springs, a small resort town of about 26,000 people in Riverside County, California, is reportedly considering filing for bankruptcy protection. Two other California cities, Stockton and San Bernardino, have filed for bankruptcy since 2012. The most well-known current municipal bankruptcy is that of Detroit, Michigan, the largest American city to seek protection under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. A municipal bankruptcy shares some similarities with Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy cases, but it is more like a corporate bankruptcy filed under Chapter 11. Both types involve a reorganization of debt payments, but some debts that are nondischargeable for an individual might be more flexible for a city government. A key issue emerging in many current municipal bankruptcies involves payments owed to pension funds, which could affect thousands of individuals and play a role in personal bankruptcy filings.
The state of California is reportedly doing well, with an estimated $2.4 billion budget surplus for the upcoming fiscal year. Some California cities are not doing as well. A new finance director in Desert Hot Springs found that the city’s $13.5 million budget is short by $3 million. She placed the blame on “higher-than-expected pension and salary costs.” The city is also still paying bond debt incurred to get out of a 2001 Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing. Nearly seventy percent of the city’s budget, Reuters reported, went toward salaries and payments to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (Calpers). Pension payments to Calpers have been a prominent issue in California’s other two recent municipal bankruptcies.
The trustee has filed a proposed Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan in the case of Lou Pearlman, a music mogul currently serving a prison sentence for various fraud offenses. In re Pearlman, No. 6:07-bk-00761, Chapter 11 trustee’s plan (Bankr. M.D. Fla., Jun. 12, 2013). Investors and creditors, whose allowed claims exceed a quarter of a billion dollars, have already voiced objections to the plan. One of the musical groups Pearlman created, the Backstreet Boys, says that the plan does not adequately compensate them for losses they suffered due to alleged criminal activities by Pearlman. The trustee has stated that Pearlman often mixed his fraudulent activities with his other business affairs, making the bankruptcy estate particularly difficult to manage.
In certain circumstances, creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against a debtor, essentially forcing the debtor into a repayment plan. This process, known as involuntary bankruptcy, is mostly used against businesses with substantial debts and sufficient assets to pay those debts. Involuntary bankruptcy proceedings against individuals are very rare. For most consumers, an involuntary bankruptcy would put creditors in a worse position, because they would be unable to attempt direct collection from the debtor. A recent Ninth Circuit case reviewed an involuntary bankruptcy claim brought by several individuals against another individual, addressing the question of what sort of claims meet the statutory requirements for an involuntary case. In re Marciano, No. 11-60070, slip op. (9th Cir., Feb. 27, 2013).
In a bankruptcy proceeding, a trustee may avoid transfers made, or obligations incurred, by the debtor during the two years prior to the filing date, if the transfer or obligation was actually or constructively fraudulent. 11 U.S.C. § 548(a). The Ninth Circuit recently considered whether a transfer made to pay a purported debt was constructively fraudulent, finding that the Bankruptcy Code requires courts to apply state law. In re Fitness Holdings International, Inc., No. 11-56677, slip op. (9th Cir., Apr. 30, 2013). The court articulated a procedure for evaluating a purported debt, and it held that courts have the authority to recharacterize a debt under certain circumstances.
Among famous and wealthy businesspeople in the United States, Donald Trump stands out for having had particularly great influence on American culture. With a series of real estate ventures, several television series, numerous books, and no small amount of public controversy, Trump is often considered a major success story. He has also sought bankruptcy protection for his businesses four times. While his experience with bankruptcy is far from typical for most Americans, it offers some examples of how others may be able to protect their interests through a bankruptcy filing.

References: § 707
 § 706
 § 541
 § 1104
 § 1112
 § 707
 § 1307
 § 548