A state statute protecting a trust from judgment creditors is not an exemption statute for bankruptcy purposes where it was not designated as such and it did not provide unequivocal protection against all forms of collection. In re Morris, No. 21-30468 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. Jan. 13, 2023). Read More
Tag Archive: Exemptions
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State Law Does Not Create Exemption in Trust
Posted by NCBRC - January 18th, 2023
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Post-Petition Fee Agreement a No-Go
Posted by NCBRC - December 7th, 2022
A fee agreement that purports to attach an attorney’s lien on the debtor’s exempt personal property is unenforceable under section 526(a) where state law allows such liens only on non-exempt property or on exempt personal property for specified exceptions not including attorney’s fees. In re Turner, No. 22-41570 (Bankr. D. Minn. Dec. 2, 2022). Read More
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Exemption Amount in Lien Avoidance Action
Posted by NCBRC - November 30th, 2022
For purposes of lien avoidance under section 522(f), the debtor was able to claim a homestead exemption in the amount of the California exemption in effect at the time of his bankruptcy petition, despite California law that fixed the exemption amount at the time of lien creation. Barclay v. Boskoski (In re Boskoski), No. 22-55098 (9th Cir. Nov. 14, 2022). Read More
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Absent Objection 100% FMV Exemption May Exceed Statutory Cap
Posted by NCBRC - November 8th, 2022
A claimed exemption for 100% of FMV is allowed when no party in interest objects despite the fact that once the property appreciated post-petition, the exemption was greater than the statutory limit. Masingale v. Munding (In re Masingale), No. 22-1016 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. Nov. 2, 2022). Read More
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Hockey Player Shoots but Doesn’t Score
Posted by NCBRC - October 12th, 2022
The district court found that the “mansion loophole” cap on exemptions provided for in section 522(p) applies even in opt-out states where the debtor does not have the option to choose between state and federal exemptions. It also held that rule 4003(b)(4) does not impose a deadline on notice to the debtor of filing an objection to exemptions. In re Kane, No. 21-8209 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 2022). Read More
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Exemptions for Joint Tenancy and Separate Living
Posted by NCBRC - October 5th, 2022
The debtors were entitled to exempt only their one-half interest in one of the two residences where they owned both properties jointly but the husband lived in one residence and the wife lived in the other. They could avoid the creditor’s judgment lien to the extent the lien impaired those exemptions. In re Snyder, No. 21-31521 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio Sept. 23, 2022). Read More
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Tenancy by Entirety Not Exempt from IRS Debt
Posted by NCBRC - August 17th, 2022
The debtor could not exempt property of the estate which he owned as a tenant in the entirety with his non-filing spouse with respect to a debt he owed to the IRS where section 522(b)(3)(B) exempts such property only to the extent it would be exempt under nonbankruptcy law and the Tax Code permits the IRS to collect against the property. Morgan v. Bruton (In re Morgan), No. 21-891 (N.D. N.C. Aug. 12, 2022). Read More
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Carve-Out Agreement Creates Exemptible Equity
Posted by NCBRC - June 30th, 2022
The debtor was entitled to obtain the benefit of her homestead exemption even though, at the time she filed her petition, she had no equity in the property, where “the secured creditor’s agreement to accept less money upon a sale creates equity in the home where none existed before.” Stark v. Pryor (In re Stark), No. 20-4766 (E.D.N.Y. June 28, 2022). Read More
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Language in Divorce Order Did Not Deprive Debtor of Right to Exemption
Posted by NCBRC - June 28th, 2022
The debtor’s interest in her ex-husband’s retirement account was exemptible in her bankruptcy even though the funds had not yet transferred and the Judgment of Dissolution order stated that the funds were to be used to pay off the debtor’s credit card debt. In re Steinke, No. 21-90618 (Bankr. C.D. Ill. June 15, 2022). Read More
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No Exemption for IRA Created with Excessive Contribution
Posted by NCBRC - May 23rd, 2022
A retirement annuity account funded by a rolled-over IRA in the debtor’s name which was in turn funded by a contribution in excess of that allowed for tax exempt status, may not be exempted from the debtor’s bankruptcy estate. In re Farber, No. 21-12147 (Bankr. E.D. Pa. April 26, 2022).
The chapter 7 debtor sought to exempt her Allianz retirement annuity account in the amount of $27,102.57 from her bankruptcy estate. The trustee objected on the basis that the IRA was not subject to exemption under section 522(d)(12), because the debtor inherited the account from her father. Read More
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HAVEN Act Guide
The Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need Act of 2019 (“HAVEN Act”) excludes certain benefits paid to veterans or their family members from the definition of current monthly income (“CMI”) found in the Bankruptcy Code. The HAVEN Act amends § 101(10A) of the Bankruptcy Code and supplements the 2005 amendments to the Code that excluded other government benefits, such as social security income.
This Guide provides an overview of the HAVEN Act identifies benefits that are excluded, and answers frequently asked questions.
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The only national organization dedicated to serving the needs of consumer bankruptcy attorneys and protecting the rights of consumer debtors in bankruptcy. Formed in 1992, NACBA has more than 3,000 members located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.O. Max Gardner Foundation, Inc.
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