Opinion ID: 766535
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The reasonable cause exception to S 110(c).

Text: 31 Ferm finally argues that he comes within the reasonable cause exception provided by S 110(c)(3). According to this provision, the court may fine a BPP for failing to disclose her SSN, unless the failure is due to reasonable cause.11 U.S.C. S 110(c)(3). 32 The district court below interpreted reasonable cause to reach only situations where the violation is unavoidable through no fault of the violator. In re Rausch, 213 B.R. at 369. Consequently, the district court found that Ferm, because he intentionally violated S 110(c), did not come within the bounds of the reasonable cause exception. See id. Whether or not reasonable cause should be understood to exclude all intentional violations of S 110(c), we find that Ferm does not qualify for the exception here. Before filing the two petitions at issue in the instant appeals, Ferm filed an ex parte motion with the bankruptcy court, asking if he might omit his SSN from future petitions. The bankruptcy court denied his motion and instructed him that the express language ofS 110(c) required him to include his SSN in connection with the petitions he prepared. After having been specifically notified by the court of the requirements of S 110(c), Ferm deliberately chose to omit his SSN from the petitions at issue. In light of these facts, the district court did not err in concluding that Ferm had failed to show reasonable cause excusing his violation of S 110(c).