Case Name: In re Debra Leigh JACOBS, Debtor. Debra Leigh Jacobs, Appellant/Cross-Appellee, v. Brain Power America Inc.; John W. Muije, Appellees/Cross-Appellants
Court: United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2015-03-30
Citations: 528 B.R. 435
Docket Number: BAP Nos. NV-15-1048, NV-15-1064; Bankruptcy No. 2:04-bk-19619-GS
Parties: In re Debra Leigh JACOBS, Debtor. Debra Leigh Jacobs, Appellant/Cross-Appellee, v. Brain Power America Inc.; John W. Muije, Appellees/Cross-Appellants.
Judges: Before: KIRSCHER, PAPPAS and DUNN, Bankruptcy Judges.
Reporter: West's Bankruptcy Reporter
Volume: 528
Pages: 435–436

Head Matter:
In re Debra Leigh JACOBS, Debtor. Debra Leigh Jacobs, Appellant/Cross-Appellee, v. Brain Power America Inc.; John W. Muije, Appellees/Cross-Appellants.
BAP Nos. NV-15-1048, NV-15-1064.
Bankruptcy No. 2:04-bk-19619-GS.
United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit.
March 30, 2015.
Christopher Patrick Burke, Manuel O. Montelongo, Las Vegas, NV, for Debtor.
Before: KIRSCHER, PAPPAS and DUNN, Bankruptcy Judges.

Opinion:
ORDER OVERRULING UNTIMELY ELECTION
The Panel has received and considered the election filed by Brain Power America, Inc., and John W. Muije to have BAP appeal NV-15-1048 heard by the United States district court. Pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr.P. 8005, the Panel has examined the election for timeliness.
The deadline for a party to an appeal to file an election to the U.S. district court is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 158(c).
[E]ach appeal . shall be heard by a 3-judge panel of the bankruptcy appellate panel service . unless — (A) the appellant elects at the time of filing the appeal; or (B) any other party elects, not later than 30 days after service of notice of the appeal; to have such appeal heard by the district court.
28 U.S.C. § 158(c)(1).
The debtor filed her notice of appeal on February 10, 2015, and the appeal was referred to the BAP (appeal no. NV-15-1048). On February 24, 2015, Brain Power America, Inc., and John W. Muije filed their "notice of cross-appeal," which was referred to the BAP (appeal no. NV-15-1064). A cross-appeal briefing order was issued in both appeals on February 25, 2015, superseding the initial briefing order issued in NV-15-1048.
On March 5, 2015, in appeal no. NV-15-1048, Brain Power America, Inc., and John W. Muije filed an election to have the appeal heard at the U.S. district court. The election identifies the electing parties as "Appellees/Cross-Appellants."
Appellants and cross-appellants must file their election to have an appeal heard at the U.S. district court at the time of filing the notice of appeal or cross-appeal. 28 U.S.C. § 158(c)(1)(a). Appellants and cross-appellants are not "other parties" to an appeal or cross-appeal. See In re Snell, 237 B.R. 636, 638 (6th Cir. BAP 1999) (a cross-appellant must file its election when filing its cross-appeal, it cannot wait until the appellee election period expires in the main appeal).
We conclude appellees/cross-appellants' election is untimely and therefore it is OVERRULED.