Justia U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Opinion Summaries

Qi obtained a $2,500,000 state court judgment against the Zengas and filed involuntary chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions against them. They moved to dismiss, asserting that because they had 12 or more creditors, the involuntary petitions required at least three petitioning creditors (11 U.S.C. 303(b)(1)), and that the cases were not in the best interest of creditors. Qi argued that the Zengas were estopped from presenting evidence that they had more than 11 creditors due to their responses to post-judgment sworn interrogatories in the state court proceedings. The bankruptcy court denied the motions to dismiss and entered orders for relief against the Zengas. The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel vacated, holding that the threshold number of petitioning creditors is not jurisdictional. The Supreme Court’s 2014 holding in Law v. Siegel cannot be extended to prevent use of equitable doctrines when the statutory provision is not jurisdictional. Given the bankruptcy court’s failure to find actual and substantial detriment to Qi and Qi’s inability to point to any detriment other than loss of time, the court held that the bankruptcy court erred in applying equitable estoppel to bar the Zengas from introducing evidence of the existence of more than 11 creditors. View "In re: Zenga" on Justia Law

Debtor’s bankruptcy schedules indicated she had $1,500 in a checking account and no cash on hand. The Kentucky Medicare Fraud Unit subsequently searched her home and seized $270,000 in cash. Debtor was indicted for fraudulently claiming Social Security benefits, bankruptcy fraud, and money laundering. Debtor’s mother, Newton, who allegedly lived with Debtor, deposited $51,000 in cash into their joint bank account, then transferred $50,000 to retain a law firm as Debtor’s criminal counsel. Debtor was convicted. The chapter 7 trustee initiated an adversary proceeding to pursue the attorney fee. The bankruptcy court held that the fee was not subject to turnover, acknowledging: "Trustee offered substantial evidence that the Debtor was the source of the $50,000,” which may have been estate property before its transfer, but that the trustee’s “claim to estate property is no greater than the debtor’s claim.” The court held that because the trustee never sought to avoid that transfer under 11 U.S.C. 549, it was not estate property. The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed. The Trustee did not meet her burden of establishing that the attorney fee is property of the estate; fraudulently transferred property only becomes estate property upon avoidance of the transfer. The trustee did not establish that the fee was property of the estate under the Rules of Professional Responsibility. View "In re: Bruner" on Justia Law

Debtor was unable to pay $70,000 attorney fees accrued over several years. The attorney continued to provide legal services. In May 2008, Debtor gave the attorney possession of the titles to a 1954 MG and a 1977 Ferrari as security. There was no written security agreement. When a bank began putting pressure on Debtor, she turned over possession of the vehicles in 2012. Debtor did not sign over the titles or complete assignment of ownership forms until six days before Debtor’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. The vehicles were not in working order. The attorney had some repairs done and sold the vehicles to a third party for $40,000 in November 2013. Eight months later, the Chapter 7 trustee filed an adversary complaint, 11 U.S.C. 547(b). The bankruptcy court concluded that the attorney did not have a valid or perfected attorney lien under Ohio law and that the transfer occurred within the look-back period for avoidance. The bankruptcy court granted the trustee judgment for $32,000, plus prejudgment interest. The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed, upholding the determination of value. The transfer was preferential; the bankruptcy court found unsecured creditors would receive no distribution, so the attorney received more than he would have in the Chapter 7. View "In re: Hadley" on Justia Law

The debtor filed a voluntary chapter 7 petition, listing pre-petition judgment liens incorrectly on Schedule E. His residence was a listed asset. He did not claim an exemption in the property, nor did he seek to avoid the judicial liens; he intended to sell the home. The creditors received notice of the bankruptcy filing and of the discharge. The case was closed in March 2012. In December 2015, the debtor moved to reopen his case in order to avoid the judgment liens so that he could refinance rather than sell. Notice was provided to all interested parties; none objected. Debtor’s counsel admitted that “it was an oversight ... that I didn’t go through with the actual terminations of the liens.” The bankruptcy court denied the motion, noting that the liens were known when the case was open. The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel reversed. Neither 11 U.S.C. 350(b) nor FRBP 5010 impose a time limit on motions to reopen. The “[p]assage of time alone . . . does not necessarily constitute prejudice to a creditor sufficient to bar the reopening.” The bankruptcy court did not find that any prejudice would result or the existence of other factors which would bar reopening. The debtor established that avoidance of the liens would provide him relief. View "In re: McCoy" on Justia Law

In 2013, the City of Detroit filed for chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, facing problems “run[ning] wide and deep”—including the affordable provision of basic utilities. In 2014, plaintiffs, customers, and the purported representatives of customers, of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), filed an adversary proceeding, based on DWSD’s termination of water service to thousands of residential customers. Citing 42 U.S.C. 1983 and the Supreme Court holding in Monell v. Department of Social Services, plaintiffs sought injunctive relief. The Sixth Circuit affirmed dismissal. Section 904 of the Bankruptcy Code explicitly prohibits this relief. Whether grounded in state law or federal constitutional law, a bankruptcy court order requiring DWSD to provide water service at a specific price, or refrain from terminating service would interfere with the City’s “political [and] governmental powers,” its “property [and] revenues,” and its “use [and] enjoyment of . . . income-producing property,” 11 U.S.C. 904. Plaintiffs’ due process and equal protection claims were inadequately pled. View "Lyda v. City of Detroit" on Justia Law

Debtors filed a voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in 2008, signed by Fullen as the attorney of record. The original petition, schedules, and statement of financial affairs (SoFA), did not disclose Debtors’ interests in several trusts and corporations, annuities, property held for others, bank accounts, and an assignment to Grusin. The Trustee required both Debtors to submit an affidavit, affirming that they had read and signed their documents; that they were personally familiar with the information contained in the documents; and that, to the best of their knowledge, that information was true and correct. During the section 341 Meeting, Debtors testified under oath that they had helped prepare, had read, and had signed their bankruptcy petition; that it listed all of their assets and liabilities; that the information contained in their schedules and SoFA was true; and that the statements in their Affidavits were true. The SoFA and schedules were amended multiple times. The Trustee and creditors conducted extensive discovery and filed an adversary proceeding, seeking denial of discharges. The bankruptcy court removed Fullen and Grusin as counsel for Debtors, imposed sanctions on the attorneys, and, after a trial with new counsel, denied discharges pursuant to Bankruptcy Code sections 727(a)(2)(A) and (B) and 727(a)(4). The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed the denial of discharges under section 727(a)(4) for making false oaths. Separately, the Panel vacated sanctions against Grusin. View "In re: Blasingame" on Justia Law

The bankruptcy court imposed Rule 9011 sanctions against attorneys stemming from their representation of debtors in an adversary proceeding in which a creditor and the trustee sought denial of discharge. The attorney filed notice of appeal regarding the sanctions order. The bankruptcy court subsequently set the amount of sanctions and, days later, amended that order and imposed additional sanctions under 28 U.S.C. 1927. The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel first denied motions to dismiss an appeal, holding that it had jurisdiction because the amount of sanctions was set forth in a final order. Notice of appeal was timely filed. Resolution of the sanctions issue will have no discernable impact on the pending discharge issue. The Panel subsequently vacated the sanctions order. In seeking the sanctions, the creditor did not comply with Rule 9011’s “safe harbor” notice requirement and the exception to that requirement did not apply. The bankruptcy court also erred as a matter of law in concluding that the attorney’s “shadow representation” of the debtors vexatiously and unreasonably multiplied the proceedings. In a separate opinion, the Panel upheld the bankruptcy court's ultimate denial of discharges.. View "In re: Blasingame" on Justia Law

In 2013, Detroit filed for municipal bankruptcy, 11 U.S.C. 109(c). The city had $18 billion in debt, 100,000 creditors, negative cash flow, crumbling infrastructure, and could not provide basic police, fire, and emergency services. Based on settlements with almost all creditors and stakeholders, the bankruptcy court confirmed the city’s plan, which included the reduction of municipal-employee pension benefits. The city’s General Retirement System has a traditional defined-benefit pension plan and a 401(k)-style employee-contribution annuity savings program (ASF). The city is responsible for funding the defined-benefits plan. Detroit is not responsible for funding the ASF, but $387 million of city money had been wrongly directed into and distributed from it, to ensure participants a promised 7.9% annual return regardless of investment returns. The defined-benefit plan was underfunded by $1.879 billion. The city obtained outside funding ($816 million) from the state and philanthropic foundations in order to reduce defined-benefit pensions by only 4.5%, while eliminating cost-of-living increases, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits; reducing healthcare coverage; and establishing a mechanism for the partial recoupment of excess ASF distributions. Defined-benefit pension claimants voted 73% in favor of accepting the plan, which eliminated $7 billion in debt and freed $1.7 billion in revenue for city services and infrastructure. Many aspects of the plan have been implemented or completed. The Sixth Circuit affirmed dismissal of challenges to the reduction in benefits as equitably moot. View "Ochadleus v. City of Detroit" on Justia Law

Ramey filed a pro se Chapter 7 petition and sought permanent waiver of the pre-petition credit counseling requirement of 11 U.S.C. 109(h), arguing incapacity and exigent circumstances. The bankruptcy court found that the motion failed to comply with local notice rules. The case was then dismissed because Ramey failed to file schedules and other initial documents. Weeks later, Ramey filed a credit counseling certificate that was completed post-petition and other documents. Ramey sought to vacate the dismissal, but her filing did not address credit counseling. The court denied Ramey’s motion, citing the lack of pre-petition counseling. Weeks later, Ramey again moved to waive the requirement and vacate the dismissal, citing medical issues. The court denied the motion, stating that Ramey did not meet the definition of incapacity or disability, having successfully completed counseling, post-petition. The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed, stating that the court must apply the statute as written. Exceptions to the pre-petition counseling requirement apply only if the court determines, after a hearing, that debtor is unable to complete those requirements because of incapacity, disability, or active duty in a military combat zone. Incapacity “means that the debtor is . . . incapable of realizing and making rational decisions.” Disability means that “the debtor is so physically impaired as to be unable, after reasonable effort, to participate in an in person, telephone, or Internet briefing.” View "In re: Ramey" on Justia Law

For six decades, the Fair family operated Fair Finance Company in Ohio. In 2002, Durham and Cochran purchased the Company in a leveraged buyout and transformed its factoring operation into a front for a Ponzi scheme, to fund their extravagant lifestyles and struggling business ventures. Textron allegedly assisted in the concealment and perpetuation of the Ponzi scheme. In 2009, the scheme collapsed. Durham, Cochran, and the Company’s CFO, were indicted for wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy. The Company entered involuntary bankruptcy. The Chapter 7 Trustee brought adversary proceedings on behalf of the estate for the Ponzi scheme’s unwitting investors. The district court granted Textron’s motion to dismiss. The Sixth Circuit reversed with respect to a claimed actual fraudulent transfer, holding that the Trustee sufficiently alleged facts to demonstrate an ambiguity in a 2004 financing and funding contract between the Company and Textron. The court held that the Trustee was not required to plead facts in anticipation of Textron’s potential in pari delicto affirmative defense to survive a motion to dismiss a civil conspiracy claim. In light of the reinstatement of those claims, the court reversed the dismissal of equitable subordination and disallowance claims. The court affirmed the dismissal of the Trustee’s constructive fraudulent transfer claim as time barred. View "Bash v. Textron Fin. Corp." on Justia Law