Petition for Writ of Certiorari — Payne v. Wood, 106 S. Ct. 1466 (1986) (No. 85-1298)
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85-1298 i
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No.
IN THE
Supreme Court of the United States
OcTOBER TERM, 1985
JERRY PAYNE AND DEBORAH PAYNE,
Petitioners,
TO.
CHARLES R. Woop,
Respondent.
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI
TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT
GEORGE R. RIPLINGER, JR
RIPLINGER, DIXON, HOFFMAN &
VER STEEGH
2215 West Main Street
Belleville, Illinois 62223
(618) 234-2440
Counsel for Petitioners
St. Louis Law Printing Co.,Inc., 411 No. Tenth Street 63101 314-231-4477
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
1. Should a bankrupt’s children’s toys and furniture be in-
cluded as an asset of the bankrupt’s estate?
2. Should casualty insurance policies be included as an asset
of the bankrupt’s estate?
3. Is there authority in the bankruptcy code or elsewhere for
a bankruptcy court to assess a monetary penalty against a
bankrupt for omission of items of personal property from his
bankruptcy schedule without a finding of fraud, concealment or
contempt?
il
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Ee I
ot Sg a l
kav diveaves 2
measons For Granting The Writ..................... 8
1. The Decision Below Including Children’s
Property and Casualty Insurance Policies As
Assets Of A Bankrupt’s Estate Are Matters
Of First Impression In The United States;
Will Affect A Majority Of All Individual
Bankruptcies Filed; And Are Contrary To
Cg 8
to
The Decision Below Allows Bankruptcy
Courts To Assess Monetary Penalties Against
Bankrupts Who Omit Items From Their
Schedule Of Assets, Without The Necessity
For A Concomitant Finding Of Fraud, Con-
cealment Or Contempt Of Court And Does
Not Set Standards For Inclusion Of Assets,
Thus Placing All Bankrupts In A Position Of
Uncertainty As To The Specificity Required
On Such Schedules And Will Lead To Incon-
sistent Rulings Among The District Courts... 10
ES A 14
Appendix:
A - Order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for
the Southern District of Illinois, dated January 4,
iv
B- Order of the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Illinois, dated August 14, 1984
C - Opinion of the United States Court of Appeals for
the Seventh Circuit, dated October 18, 1985 ......
D - Order of the United States Court of Appeals for
the Seventh Circuit Denying Petitioners’ Petition
for Rehearing, dated November 14, 1985.........
= ea es GE Gn ek cco lel ceece cece
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Cases:
Burke v. Guarantee Title and Trust Company, 134 F.
tk ba OO a rye a rere eer
In Re Barker, 768 F.2d 191 (7th Cir., 1985) ...........
In Re Dorricutt, 5 B. R. 192 (N.D. Ohio, 1980) ........
In Re Elliott, 31 B.R. 33 (Bank. S.D. Ohio, 1983)......
In Re Friedrich, 100 F. 284 (7th Cir., 1900) ...........
In Re Howard, 6 B. R. 200 (Bank. S.D. Ohio, 1980). ...
In Re Rogers, 45 F. Supp. 297 (E.D. N.Y., 1942) ......
in Re Settle, 14. B.R. 31 (D.N.4., 1961)... 2 nan
In Re Snow, 21 B.R. S96 (E.D. Cal., 1962)... .. 60.45%.
Patton v. Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company, 246
we Me ee a.) ee re eee
Stewart v. Ganey, 116 F.2d 1010 (Sth Cir., 1940).......
A-6
A-9
13
12
Statutes:
11 USC §105
11 USC §350
11 USC §541
11 USC §727
11 USC Chapter 7
28 USC §1254(1)
Chapter 52, §13, Illinois Revised Statutes
No.
IN THE
Supreme Court of the United States
OCTOBER TERM, 1985
JERRY PAYNE AND DEBORAH PAyNi
Petitioners,
7 o
CHARLES R. Woop,
Respondent.
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI
TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT
This is a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States
Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to review the final
judgment entered in this proceeding on October 18, 1985. A
Petition for Rehearing in this proceeding was denied on
November 14, 1985,
OPINION BELOW
The opinion of the United States Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit is reported at 775 F.2d 202 and appears in the
Appendix hereto.
—
JURISDICTION
The judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit was entered on October 18, 1985. A Petition
for Rehearing was filed on November 1, 1985 and denied on
November 14, 1985. This petition was filed within ninety (90)
days of the denial of the Petition for Rehearing. The court’s
jurisdiction is invoked under 28 USC §1254(1).
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
1. Should a bankrupt’s children’s toys and furniture be in-
cluded as an asset of the bankrupt’s estate?
2. Should casualty insurance policies be included as an asset
of the bankrupt’s estate?
3. Is there authority in the bankruptcy code or elsewhere for a
bankruptcy court to asses a monetary penalty against a
bankrupt for omission of items of personal property from his
bankruptcy schedule without a finding of fraud, concealment or
contempt?
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
On August 12, 1981, Jerry and Deborah Payne [filed their
Petition for Relief under 11 USC, Chapter 7, in the Bankruptcy
Court for the Southern District of Illinois. They were
represented by attorney, Lawrence L. Ruemmler, of the Mt.
Vernon office of the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Founda-
uion, Inc.
On Schedule B-2 (c) the Paynes listed: ‘ta Zenith Stereo,
$50.00; a G.E. Refrigerator, $25.00; a G.E. Washer, $15.00;
G.E. Dryer, $25.00; furniture, $615.00; household dishes and
small appliances, $100.00; and an RCA Color Television,
$250.00”. (App. 9)
Schedule B-2(e) was not itemized beyond the printed descrip-
tion of ‘‘wearing apparel, jewelry, firearms, sports equipment
ae
ind other personal possessions’? and a value of $125.00 was
nlaced on this category by the Pavnes. (App. ¥)
On Schedule B-4, the Paynes listed their clothing valued at
,< ’ ‘y lls ] Tr Tf > ." rs
$125.00 and thei Household Goods, Furniture and Ay
_ . . : : -~
mili . " wt ; ) c " sryi rst " 1% ry Ar eor \
inces’*, valued at $1,080.00, as exe under Chapte d
e.9 1 t eet )
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\ HINO Revises statutes (Apy] 1'
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1 Ne ivi were discharges saNKTUpTES ctober <6
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hibit “‘B’’) and 1 1 4) ns le} iated
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abandon tf Paynes personal property aiueless c
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On February 25, 1982, the trustee filed a Complaint claiming
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ate NSUPANG TO eeds Ol tt v esta \ [ 1 TV \
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surance company had already paid $5,000.00 to the Paynes and
\ ry red tO +) tot 1) ca) 7 i7 f } ry 7 }
Wa } epa CU ) pa\ al} additional S1Z,.389 ; Or the pK SOTla
property loss. (R. 19)
msrelimyr 1) bys baat . . " ’ > . —
prelimimary injunction proniowineg Ac Insurance company Irol
paying further sums to the Paynes under their insurance policy
ee)
The Pavnes filed their answer on March 1982, and alleged
in an Affirmative Defense that $3,664.00 of said amount was
AE Re
for property acquired after the bankruptcy; that the funds
should all be paid to them since the insurance was for replace-
ment value rather than fair market value; and that, by virtue of
Chapter 52, $13, Illinois Revised Statutes, all wearing apparel
plus $1,300.00 of additional personal property was exempt in
bankruptcy.
On April 2, 1982, the Ina State Bank filed a Petition to In-
tervene in the cause claiming an interest in the insurance pro-
ceeds on the house due to a second mortgage. This claim was
settled by the par*ies prior to trial by payment of the entire claim
from the insurance proceeds on the residence.
The Paynes also filed a Motion to File a Counterclaim against
Country Mutual Insurance Company on November 11, 1982,
regarding the loss of their residence. They filed a Motion to File
an Amended Counterclaim against the insurance company ad-
ding additional claims under the personal property provision on
December 9, 1982. The Bankruptcy Court has not ruled on
these motions to date.
[he claim of the trustee as to the personal property insurance
proceeds was tried in a bench trial before the Honorable J.D.
Trabue on November 17, 1982.
At trial, the insurance adjuster for Country Companies
testified that, under the Paynes’ policy of insurance, the in-
surance adjuster, Bruce Solesby, took the list submitted by the
Paynes (Exhibit ‘‘B’’) and figured it at ‘‘actual cost value’’
which he defined as ‘‘new cost less depreciation for age, wear
and tear, or general condition’’ (R. 13-15). He did not actually
look at all the items (R. 14-17) and only viewed the items to
verify the Paynes’ list. (R. 25)
The company has a general list of items indicating how much
to deduct from the cost of each item as supplied by the insured
per year for its life expectancy shown on the list. (R. 14, 27-30)
He used this book for all items that were destroyed and a repair
a, pon
book for repairable items. For items that were not listed in the
book he found a similar item of similar cost and extrapolated
from that. (R. 20-25) All of his appraisals had been made using
the book and the only adjustments were made in negotiations
with an insured. (R. 22)
The Paynes’ attorney objected to the testimony of the ad-
juster on the basis that his evaluation testimony was irrelevant
and immaterial in that it did not pertain to what the ‘‘tair
market value’’ of the items were, but only to what amount the
insurance company would pay based upon a depreciation book
designed by some unknown employee of the insurance company
(R. 36-37), and that the adjuster had not been shown to be
qualified to testify to the only material fact: ‘‘fair market
value’’. (R. 15-16)
Jerry Payne testified that he listed the items on his Schedule
in the groupings that he used on the advice of his attorney (R.
39-40) and that he locked through the local newspaper to at-
tempt to determine values. (R. 40)
The Paynes then called Norman Gillette to testify as to the
fair market value of their personal property. Gillette has been a
professional auctioneer for 25 years and testified that he ap-
praised personal property 80 to 90 times per year for auctions
and for inheritance taxes for banks and attorneys. (R. 49-50)
He then testified that he examined all of the property of the
Paynes and made an appraisal of its fair market value; meaning
ihe price that a willing buyer would pay to a willing seller under
no duress. (R. 50-51) His appraisal totaled $1,935.00. (R. 52)
The basis of Gillette’s valuation was his knowledge over the
years of the prices similar items brought in the used personal
property market. (R. 53)
The valuation can be further broken down as follows:
Children’s toys and furniture contained in their rooms:
Gillette appraisal, $242.50; insurance proceeds, $3,706.13.
Par
— eo
Furniture: Gillette appraisal, $492.00; insurance pro-
ceeds, $3,682.40.
Household goods: Gillette appraisal, $533.00; insurance
proceeds, $5,339.45.
Minor appliances: Gillette appraisal, $52.50; insurance
proceeds, $319.00.
Major appliances: Gillette appraisal, $452.00; insurance
proceeds, $3,249.24.
(full itemization appears in the Appendix)
The balance of the appraisal and insurance proceeds are at-
tributable to property acquired after the Paynes’ discharge in
bankruptcy and to their clothing which has previously been
awarded to them and is not a subject of appeal at this time.
Paynes’ counsel renewed his Motion to Strike the Testimony
of Bruce Solesby at the end of the trial. The Judge said he
would take it under advisement. (R. 61)
On January 4, 1983, the Bankruptcy Judge ruled that the deb-
tors were entitled to receive a total of $6,114.29 of the insurance
proceeds payable due to their personal property loss.
This figure was arrived at by awarding the Paynes t.1e in-
Surance value of their property acquired post-bankruptcy of
$3,664.00; $1,610.29, the insurance value of the personal pro-
perty specifically itemized in their bankruptcy schedule; and
$840.00, the fair market value listed by the Paynes in their
bankruptcy schedule rather than the insurance value of the non-
specific categories of ‘‘furniture’’, ‘‘househoid dishes and small
appliances’’ and ‘‘other personal property’’.
The balance of the insurance proceeds, $11,275.18, was to be
paid to the trustee in bankruptcy for distribution to the
creditors of the debtors.
The Paynes appealed the decision of the Bankruptcy Court to
the District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, which,
on August 14, 1984, affirmed the decision of the Bankruptcy
Court.
Che decision of the District Court was appealed to the United
States Court of Appeals for the Seventh C ircuit which reversed
the District Court in so far as the District Court had ruled that
the insurance proceeds attributable to the Paynes’ clothing
should not be awarded to them and affirmed the remainder of
the District Court’s decision. The Paynes’ Petition for Rehear-
ing was denied on November 14, 1985.
a ew
REASONS FOR GRANTING THE WRIT
1. The Decision Below Including Children’s Property And
Casualty Insurance Policies As Assets Of A Bankrupt’s Estate
Are Matters Of First Impression In The United States; Will Af-
fect A Majority Of All Individual Bankruptcies Filed; And Are
Contrary To The Public Interest.
A. Children’s Property
Many, if not most individual bankrupts have minor children
who reside in their homes. These children have possessions
ranging from the beds they sleep in to their toys and radios. The
Paynes’ children were no different. The contents of their rooms
are listed in the Appendix. The fair market value of these items
was $242.50. The insurance proceeds attributable to those items
is $3,706.13.
The children are not bankrupt, their parents are. As a prac-
tical matter, would any trustee seize these items? The answer
must be no. Children may own property and that property right
should be respected and the children should not be forced to
further suffer their parents’ misfortune.
This issue was raised but not specifically ruled upon by the
Court of Appeals. The result, however, of the court’s failure to
rule and the refusal to rehear this case upon this issue results in
the insurance proceeds attributable to the children’s property
being turned over to the trustee for the benefit of the parents’
creditors.
Petitioners could find no other case reported dealing with this
question. Logic and public policy would, however, seem to
militate in favor of restoring the children to the pre-bankruptcy
Status quo.
B. Casualty Insurance
The Court of Appeals’ decision has held as a matter of first
impression that the Paynes’ homeowners’ insurance policy was
=
an asset of the bankruptcy estate to the extent of its “‘cash sur-
render value’’.
This casualty policy, like all other casualty insurance policies,
for example, automobile, boat, homeowners or umbrella
policies, does not have a ‘‘cash surrender value’”’ as that term is
commonly defined in the insurance industry. If a policy 1s
cancelled, there may be a return of unearned premium which
could then become an asset of the bankrupt’s estate.
The Court of Appeals cited several cases in support of its
holding. Patton v. Fidelity-Philidelphia Trust Company, 246 F.
Supp. 1015, 1016 (E.D. Pa., 1965); In Re Rogers, 45 F.Supp.
297, 298 (E.D. N.Y., 1942); In Re Elliott, 31 B.R. 33 (Bank.
S.D. Ohio, 1983); and /n Re Howard, 6 B.R. 200, 221 (Bank.
S.D. Ohio, 1980). None of these cases so hold, nor do any
others that petitioners could find.
Each of the cited cases dealt with life, endowment or
retirement policies, which do have a cash surrender value. It is
submitted to this court that there are significant public policy
considerations for differentiating between life, endowment and
retirement policies and casualty policies.
Life, endowment and retirement insurance policies are similar
to savings accounts. They are optional purchases made by in-
dividuals. As time progresses and more premiums are paid they
become increasingly more valuable. They are also solely for the
benefit of the policy holder or his family. They may be cashed
in, borrowed upon, or, finally, drawn upon at maturity for the
benefit of the bankrupt or his family’s benefit.
Casualty policies, on the other hand, are as much for the
benefit of the public as for the policy holder. Homeowners’
policies protect those going upon the bankrupt’s property as
well as the bankrupt himself. Similiar protection is afforded to
the public by automobile, boat and umbrella policies. Many
states require auto insurance as a condition of driving, which
aa eae
often times is a necessity for continued employment. Also,
most lenders, for their own protection, require coverage as a
condition of financing an automobile, home, boat, or other
property, and will hold the debtor in default if the policy is for
any reason cancelled.
The premiums do not build up equity, but are consumed dur-
ing the policy period in return for the protection afforded the
bankrupt and the public or creditors. They protect the status
quo rather than altering it as do the former type of insurance
policies.
Casualty type policies of insurance should be excluded from
the bankrupt’s estate so that the bankrupt does not have to
make an election to use a part of his exemption to maintain
them, or cancel them to the detriment of the public and
creditors.
2. The Decision Below Allows Bankruptcy Courts To Assess
Monetary Penalties Against Bankrupts Who Omit Items From
Their Schedule Of Assets, Without The Necessity For A Con-
comitant Finding Of Fraud, Concealment Or Contempt Of
Court And Does Not Set Standards For Inclusion Of Assets,
Thus Placing All Bankrupts In A Position Of Unceriainty As
To The Specificity Required On Such Schedules And Will Lead
To Inconsistent Rulings Among The District Courts.
The bankruptcy court found that the Paynes omitted from
their list of assets, several major appliances in their house.
Neither the bankruptcy judge nor the district court judge made
a finding that the Paynes were guilty of fraud, concealment of
assets Cr contempt of court.
Based upon that finding alone the Court of Appeals has
upheld the bankruptcy judge’s ruling which allowed the Paynes
to receive the insurance proceeds for the few specifically listed
items and then only allowed them to keep the market value,
rather than the insurance proceeds, for their admittedly proper-
a | oo
ly, generically listed items on their exemption schedule: viz. fur-
niture, household goods and appliances. The Court of Appeals
called that ‘‘rough justice’? (Payne, at 208). It is submitted
that allowing the Paynes $715.00 from insurance proceeds total-
ing $7,833.15 for their generic, unsaleable items is a miscarriage
of justice and without statutory or other authority and amounts
to a penalty where there has been no finding of wrongdoing.
Under the law, the bankruptcy judge may reopen the
bankrupt estate if it is found that there have been omissions
from the list of assets. 11 USC §350.
Under the law, the bankruptcy judge may deny discharge if
he finds that the bankrupt has been guilty of fraud or conceal-
ment of assets. 11 USC §727. Concealment and omission are
quite different; omission may be innocent.
Under the law, it is also clear that the bankruptcy judge may
order omitted items included in the estate upon discovery, since
all property owned by the bankrupt at the time of filing the peti-
tion is property of the estate. 11 USC §541.
The Paynes have been unable to find any authority for the
bankruptcy court to otherwise penalize a bankrupt unless there
is a finding of contempt of court under the court’s general
powers. 11 USC §105.
The Court of Appeals has previously held in /n Re Barker,
768 F.2d 191, 196 (7th Cir., 1985) that ‘*...personal property ex-
emption statutes should be liberally construed in order to carry
out the legislative purpose in enacting them - to protect debtors.
(Citations omitted) This clear legislative intent to grant protec-
tions to debtors and the court’s liberal construction of exemp-
tion statutes convince us that in a case such as this one, where an
exemption statute might be interpreted either favorably or un-
favorably vis-a-vis a debtor, we should interpret the statute in a
manner that favors the debtor.’’ This decision is in conflict with
that principal.
Rae |. gone
Here the debtor had a fire at their home, after discharge,
which virtually destroyed all of their possessions. The estate
was reopened by the trustee when the insurance company told
him of insurance proceeds of $17,389.47. It was then found
that several major appliances had been omitted from the
Paynes’ list of assets. The Paynes had replacement value
homeowner’s insurance.
The Court of Appeals’ opinion did agree with the great
weight of authority that ‘‘[i]t would be silly to require a debtor
to itemize every dish and fork...’’ Payne, at 205, and that
[T]he aggregation of ‘furniture’ and ‘dishes’ and small ap-
pliances’ therefore ordinarily would be enough to exempt all
items in these categories. Payne, at 206.
Here the Paynes listed in their exemption: household goods,
furniture and appliances, $1,080.00. These items had the
following fair market values according to the Paynes’ appraiser:
household goods, $533.00; minor appliances, $52.50; furniture
$492.00; total $1,077.50. (Defendant’s Exhibit ‘‘2’’, see ‘‘Ap-
pendix’ hereto for itemization). The insurance proceeds ap-
plicavle to these items is as follows: household goods,
$5,339.45; minor appliances, $319.00; furniture, $3,682.40:
total $9,340.85. There is not a single item in this entire list
valued by the Paynes’ appraiser at more than $75.00 and most
are valued at less than $20.00 per item. The debtors should be
given the benefit of the doubt considering the nature of these
items, their lack of saleability and the inexact nature of an ap-
praisal. It surely cannot be seriously contended that these items
would have been seized prior to discharge and before the fire.
The trustee simply would not have done so. It is respectfully
submitted that the courts and the trustee have been blinded in
their reasonable analysis of this situation by the cash from the
insurance proceeds. The Paynes properly listed these items
under generic title and are entitled to the fire insurance pro-
ceeds. In Re Snow, 21 B.R. 598, 601 (E.D. Cal., 1982). In
Snow, the court allowed the debtors to retain full insurance
—,
replacement value of $19,834.00 on items originally listed on
their bankruptcy schedule at $1,500.00 after a fire destroyed
their house.
The cases cited by the Court of Appeals in support of its posi-
tion are, in fact, either supportive of the Paynes’ position, or,
are not supportive of the Court of Appeal’s position. In Re
Friedrich, 100 F. 284, 285 (7th Cir., 1900) deals with an involun-
tary business petition which was subject to considerably dit-
ferent rules at the time of its decision and, as it refers to volun-
tary petitions in dicta, does not require the specificity required
by the Court of Appeals nor provide any authority for the
penalty exacted. Neither do Stewart v. Ganey, 116 F. 2d 1010
(Sth Cir., 1940); In Re Sertie, 14 B.R. 31 (D.N.H., 1981); In Re
Elliott, 31 B.R. 33 (S.D. Ohio, 1983) nor In Re Dorricutt, 5
B.R. 192 (N.D. Ohio, 1980) provide any such support for
penalties as assessed by the bankruptcy court. They are, at best,
authority for including omitted assets in the estate. As they ap-
ply to fraud or concealment, they are inapplicable as there were
no such findings here.
The Court of Appeals has correctly recognized the long-
standing position of the courts that ‘‘[T]hese forms were not
designed to effect any change under the law. They are ‘forms’,
and nothing more...’’ and that the law does not require minute
itemization. Burke v. Guarantee Title and Trust Company, 134
F. $62, 563-564 (3d Cir., 1905). Finally, after recognizing
previous authority, the Court of Appeals chose to ignore it, and
since a few items were omitted by the debtors, decided thai they
should not receive the insurance proceeds for any of the items
beyond those which were specifically itemized. This is contrary
to the holding in Stewart v. Ganey, 116 F. 2d 1010, 101 1-1012
(Sth Cir., 1940} where the court, after a finding of concealment,
still allowed the debtor to select his exemptions from the con-
cealed property, holding that if there is no fraud, no restriction
may be imposed upon the debtor’s right to select his exemp-
tions.
a
To allow such an opinion to stand will leave future bankrupts
without guidance as to the degree of specificity required in their
schedules of assets. They must list every single item they possess
or risk that the bankruptcy judge before whom they appear
might order all other assets or the proceeds therefrom seized for
the benefit of creditors.
It will further lead to conflicting decisions from district to
district and even within districts, since the Court of Appeals
provided no standards or other guidance to the lower courts for
the application of this rule.
Finally, listing every possession is burdensome upon the
bankrupt and the courts with no concomitant benefit to the
bankruptcy system.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, this Petition for Writ of Certiorari
should be granted.
Respectfully submitted,
George R. Ripplinger, Jr.
Ripplinger, Dixon, Hoffman &
Ver Steegh
2215 West Main Street
Belleville, Illinois 62223
Phone: (618) 234-2440
Counsel for Petitioners
APPENDIX
APPENDIX A
IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
In Bankruptcy No. BK 81-40190
| Adversary No. 82-0086
| In Re:
Jerry Payne and Deborah Payne,
Debtors.
Charles R. Wood, Jr., Trustee,
Plaintiff,
VS.
Jerry Payne, Deborah Payne and Country Mutual
Insurance Company,
Defendants.
ORDER
(Filed January 4, 1983)
At East St. Louis, in said District, this matter having come
before the Court pursuant to notice on a complaint filed by
Charles R. Wood, Jr., Trustee of the estate of the above named
debtors by Joel Kunin, his attorney, an answer and affirmative
defense having been filed by the above named debtors by
George Riplinger, their attorney, a motion to intervene having
been filed by the Ina State Bank by Terry Sharp, its attorney,
the matter having come on for trial and the Trustee having ap-
peared by his attorney and the debtors having appeared in per-
son and by their attorney, and the Court, having heard the
testimony of the witnesses and having reviewed the exhibits
and having researched the law and otherwise being fully advised
in the matter, finds as follows:
1. On August 12, 1981, the above named debtors filed a
voluntary petition in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy;
ne Me aes
2. On Schedule B-2 of the debtors’ bankruptcy schedules, the
debtors listed the following personal property:
Zenith Stereo 8 years old $ 50.00
G. E. Refrigerator 9 years old 25.00
G. E. Washer 8 years old 15.00
G. E. Dryer 8 years old 25.00
Furniture 615.00
Household Dishes and Small Appliances 100.00
RCA Color Television 250.00
Other Personal Property 125.00
Ford 12 Horsepower Riding Mower 1,000.00
3. On Schedule B-4, the debtors claimed as exempt their
clothing, household goods and furnishings and appliances in the
total amount of $1,205.00.
4. On or about December 15, 1981, there was a fire at the
debtors’ home which destroyed all or virtually all of the debtors’
personal property;
5. The debtors had homeowners insurance with the Country
Mutual Insurance Company;
6. The insurance policy called for payment of replacement
cost of the destroyed goods;
7. The debtors then filed a claim with the insurance company
listing a very extensive and detailed list of personal property
which was destroyed or damaged in the fire.
8. Pursuant to the insurance policy and the debtors’ claim the
Country Mutual Insurance Company paid the debtors
$5,000.00, and stands ready to pay an additional $12,389.47 for
damage done by the fire to the debtors’ personal property;
9. Some of the property destroyed in the fire was obtained by
the debtors after the filing of the petition in bankruptcy;
me a on
10. The amount of the property destroyed in the fire that was
acquired post-bankruptcy as alleged in the debtors’ answer, was
$3,664.00.
The principal question facing the Court in this case is whether
the debtors or the Trustee in Bankruptcy is entitled to certain in-
surance proceeds payable as a result of a fire at the debtors
residence. The facts and law applicable to this case make it clear
that the debtor should retain $6,114.29 of the insurance pro-
ceeds, with the balance of the funds to be turned over to the
Trustee in Bankruptcy for distribution to the estate of the deb-
tors.
The first consideration facing the Court in this matter is that
some of the property destroyed in the fire was acquired by the
debtors after the filing of the petition in bankruptcy. The deb-
tors’ answer claims that the property acquired post-bankruptcy
that was destroyed in the fire had a value of $3,664.00. This
evidence of value of after-acquired property was not con-
tradicted at trial. It is clear that this after-acquired property is
not property of the estate, and as such the Trustee does not have
any claim to the insurance proceeds in this amount;
The balance of the insurance proceeds post more significant
problems. The Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of
Pennsylvania was faced with almost identical facts in the case of
In Re Lewis, 6 CBC2d 1142 (B.C., M.D. Pa. 1982). In the
Lewis case, the Court held that the debtors were only entitled to
insurance proceeds in the amount of the property disclosed to
the Court on their schedules and properly claimed as exempt.
This Court feels that the logic and holding of Lewis is proper
and should be applied to this case.
The Court in Lewis held that if the debtors do not fully
disclose the nature and extent of their personal property on their
schedules in bankruptcy, the Court may, by exercise of its
equitable powers, limit the share of proceeds to be paid to the
=.
debtors to an amount actually disclosed to the Court on the
schedules. This is an appropriate and equitable approach to
take. Otherwise, a debtor may be able to profit by his failure to
specifically list his assets on the schedules in bankruptcy.
The only difference between this case and Lewis is that in this
case the debtors had a replacement value policy, while in Lewis
that did not appear. As such, an adjustment should be made to
reflect the value received by the debtor for the property actually
listed. The amounts the debtors received for the items
specifically listed is as follows:
Zenith Stereo $ 206.10
Washer 224.37
Dryer 155.62
Refrigerator 665.00
Color T.V. 359.20
$1,610.29
The debtors should be allowed the insurance proceeds actually
received for the items specifically listed. In addition, the deb-
tors should be allowed the value claimed on their bankruptcy
schedules for the items not specifically listed. These items are as
follows:
Furniture $615.00
Household Dishes and smail
appliances 100.00
Other personal property 125.00
$840.00
This means the debtors are entitled to insurance proceeds in
the amount of $6,114.29. This amount is the value of the pro-
perty acquired after the filing of the petition in bankruptcy, plus
the amount of insurance proceeds for items specifically listed on
the schedules in bankruptcy, plus the amount of the general
——
property claimed on the debtors’ schedules. The balance of any
funds should be turned over to the Trustee in Bankruptcy.
The debtors have already received $5,000.00 in this case. As
such, they are entitled to $1,114.29 of the funds held by the in-
surance company, and the rest of the funds should be paid to
the Trustee in Bankruptcy.
WHEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND
DECREED that the debtors are entitled to insurance proceeds
in the amount of $6,114.29 for the loss of their personal proper-
ty, with the balance of the funds payable because of loss of per-
sonal property to be turned over to the Trustee in Bankruptcy;
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that since the debtors have
already received $5,000.00 in settlement of the loss of their per-
sonal property, the Country Mutual Insurance Company should
pay them $1,114.29, with the balance of the funds for the settle-
ment of personal property to be turned over to the Trustee in
Bankruptcy.
U.S. BANKRUPTCY JUDGE
ENTERED: January 4, 1983
ee
The second ground for error claimed was the finding of the
Bankruptcy Court that the debtors failed to fully itemize their
personal property. There was evidence on the record from
which Judge Trabue could conclude that the debtors failed to
disclose certain assets on their bankruptcy schedule. The Court
does not consider Judge Trabue’s finding in this regard to be
clearly erroneous. The Bankruptcy Court’s decision to limit the
insurance proceeds paid to the debtors based on what they
disclosed on their schedules and what the Court found to be
property acquired after the filing of bankruptcy was within the
bankruptcy judge’s equitable discretion. This Court does not
find any reason to second guess Judge Trabue’s determination
which undoubtedly took into consideration, among other
things, the credibility of those who testified at trial.
Accordingly, the decision of the Bankruptcy Court is hereby
AFFIRMED.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
DATED: August 14, 1984
/s/ James L. Foreman
Chief Judge
Se
APPENDIX C
IN THE
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT
No. 84-2565
Jerry Payne and Deborah Payne,
Debtors-A ppellants,
v.
Charles R. Wood, Jr.,
Plaintiff-A ppellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Illinois, Benton Division.
No. 83-C-4042—James L. Foreman, Chief Judge.
Argued October 1, 1985—Decided October 18, 1985
Before Cudahy and Easterbrook, Circuit Judges, and Pell,
Senior Circuit Judge.
Easterbrook, Circuit Judge. In 1981 Jerry and Deborah
Payne made two lists of their household possessions. The first
list recited that they owned a 9-year-old refrigerator worth $25,
and 8-year-old stereo worth $50, furniture worth $615,
household dishes and small appliances worth $100, clothing
worth $125, a color television set worth $250, no books, no
firearms or sports equipment, and no insurance. The aggregate
value of personal property on this list was $1,205, including the
clothing. The second list recited that they had two year-old
— A-10 —
stereo systems and some additional speakers, a 3-year-old
refrigerator, three TV sets, a 2-year-old air conditioner, a
3-year-old encyclopedia, a pistol, a bow, and quite a bit more.
The Paynes filed the first list with a bankruptcy court in August
1981. They presented the second list to the Country Mutual In-
surance Co. in December 1981, after their house burned down.
Country Mutual sent an investigator and decided that the pro-
perty was worth $17,389.47. The Paynes want the money. So
does the bankruptcy trustee.
The bankruptcy court first apportioned to the Paynes the
$3,664 in proceeds attributable to property they acquired atter
their discharge in bankruptcy. Further steps were complicated
by the nature of the insurance policy, which compensated the
Paynes for the original cost of the property less depreciation,
rather than for the price for which the used property could have
been sold. The Paynes’ policy also allowed them to replace
destroyed items within six months, in which case Country
Mutual would pay the full replacement cost.
The bankruptcy judge divided the Paynes’ property into three
classes. Proceeds from items that had been listed (for example,
one color TV set) would go to the Paynes. Proceeds from
durable goods that had not been listed (for example, the air con-
ditioner) would go to the trustee. Proceeds from goods that had
been listed by category (the furniture, dishes, and clothing)
would go to the Paynes in the amount they had listed as the
value of these goods, then to the trustee to the extent Country
Mutual paid more. The Paynes thus received $665 for the
refrigerator, $359.20 for one color TV, $125 for clothing, $615
for furniture, andso on. The total was $6,114.29 to the Paynes,
the balance to the trustee. The district court affirmed. Only the
Paynes appeal.
Under the Bankruptcy Act all property of the debtor becomes
part of the estate available to satisfy the creditors’ claims. 11
U.S.C. §541(a). The debtor then may remove some of the pro-
on And) =
perty by claiming exemptions under 11 U.S.C. §522(b).
Anything properly exempted passes through bankruptcy; the
rest goes to the creditors. The debtor must file ‘‘a list of proper-
ty that the debtor claims as exempt’’, and ‘‘[uJnless a party in
interest objects, the property claimed as exempt on such list is
exempt.’’ 11 U.S.C. §522(1). If the debtor does not claim an ex-
emption with respect to particular property, the rule of inclu-
sion stated in §541 controls, and the property goes to the
creditors. /n re Friedrich, 100 F. 284 (7th Cir. 1900); Gardner vy.
Johnson, 195 F.2d 717 (9th Cir. 1952); In re Guerrero, 30 B.R.
463 (N.D. Ind. 1983); /n re Elliott, 31 B.R. 33 (Bankr. S.D.
Ohio 1983).' Once property enters the estate, it does not matter
whether the property changes form. 11 U.S.C. §541({a)(6); H.R.
Rep. No. 95-595, 95th Cong., Ist Sess. 368 (1977). If the debtor
sells a piece of the creditors’ property, he must turn over the
proceeds; here, to the extent the contents of the house belonged
to the creditors, they get the proceeds.
Our initial inquiry therefore is: What did the Paynes’ list
remove from the estate? Illinois has exercised its right under
§522(b)(1) to establish the nature and maximum amount of ex-
emptions. The rule in force today permits a debtor to keep
“necessary wearing apparel, bible, school books, and family
pictures’’ without regard to value, plus the ‘‘debtor’s equity in-
terest, not to exceed $2,000 in value, in any other property.”’ Ill.
Rev. Stat. ch. 110 §§12-1001(a) and (b). Illinois law also allows
exemptions concerning vehicles and homes, see Jn re Barker,
768 F.2d 191, 194-95 (7th Cir. 1985), that are not pertinent here.
The Paynes claimed their exemption for clothing and $1,080
worth of other property, most lumped under the headings ‘‘fur-
niture’’ ($615) and ‘thousehold dishes and small appliances”’
' Friedrich and Gardner interpret the 1898 act rather than the cur-
rent version, but the mechanics of exemption, as opposed to the
substance of what may be exempted, were not changed in the 1978
revisions.
— A-1l2 —
($100). A close reading shows that they were not claiming
anything else except a new color TV and four appliances 8-9
years old: a washer, a dryer, a refrigerator, and a stereo system.”
Because the list did not include any other appliances, books,
sports equipment, and the like, all this became part of the
estate.
With respect to the property in the estate, the difference bet-
ween market value insurance and replacement value insurance is
a distraction. The fire turned physical assets of the estate into
insurance proceeds; the trustee gets whatever these proceeds
happen to be. Similarly, the Paynes get whatever the proceeds
happen to be for the property that was exempted. The Paynes
argue that they should be entitled to the proceeds on all proper-
ty that could have been put within the limit in Illinois, but this is
not so.’ The partition between debtors and estate depends on
> Bankruptcy schedule B-2 requires debtors to list all their personal
property. The Paynes itemized five large appliances and $100 for
‘‘dishes and small appliances;”’ the residual claim is for ‘‘furniture,”’
so the list claims no other large appliance. One line item on schedule
B-2 calls for the value of ‘‘wearing apparel, jewelry, firearms, sports
equipment, and other personal possessions.’’ The Paynes wrote
‘$125.00"’ on this line. On another schedule they claimed that their
clothing was exempt and worth $125. This means that they were
claiming that they owned no ‘‘jewelry, firearms, sports equipment,
and other personal possessions’’. Another line item calls for ‘‘in-
terests in insurance policies (itemize surrender or refund values of
each)’; the Paynes wrote ‘‘0.00’’ here. Still another item requires the
value of ‘books, pictures, and other art objects, stamp, coin, and
other collections.’’ The Paynes wrote ‘‘0.00’’ on this line too.
Because the Paynes denied that they had any books, we need not con-
sider whether the encyclopedia could have been exempted as ‘‘school
books’’ under the Illinois statute.
‘ The parties assume that the limit in Illinois is $2,000. Bui until the
end of 1981 the limit was only $1,000. See Ill. REv. Stat. ch. 52
§13-1(b) (1981). This may explain why the Paynes filed a list claiming
only $1,080 in exempt property even though, they now tell us, they
could have put more within the $2,000 allotment. We need not pursue
the point.
— A-13 —
what was actually exempted, not what could have been exemp-
ted.*
The Paynes have not tried to amend their list of exemptions,
and alihough amendments before discharge are liberally allow-
ed it is most unlikely that the Paynes would be permitted to
amend. The Paynes’ omissions from the initial list suggest that
they meant to hide assets if they could get away with it; Jerry
Payne testified that he omitted the encyclopedia, for example,
because ‘‘[i]f they come in on it later you have to release it.’’ The
operation of the bankruptcy system depends on honest repor-
ting. If debtors could omit assets at will, with the only penalty
that they had to file an amended claim once caught, cheating
would be altogether too attractive. The omission of assets may
be a good reason to deny or revoke a discharge. 11 U.S.C. §727:
Thomas H. Jackson, The Fresh-Start Policy in Bankruptcy
Law, 98 Harv. L. Rev. 1393, 1440-46 (1985). When it is hard to
detect an effort to evade the law, the penalty must exceed the
protits of the evasion. So, here, it is too late for the Paynes to
Start over and ask the court to apportion the proceeds as if they
* This makes it unnecessary for us to decide whether there is a dif-
ference between ‘‘market value,’’ to which the Paynes’ expert
testified, and ‘‘original price less depreciation,’’ to which the trustee’s
expert testified. The Paynes argue that market value is the price that
could have been realized at a distress sale, and that this is the Illinois
measure of value. This dispute would be pertinent only if the
bankruptcy court needed to determine just how much property could
have been squeezed into the limit, but it did not need to do this even
on the parties’ assumption (see note 3, supra) that the limit was
$2,000. Cf. Alan Schwartz, The Enforceability of Security Interests in
Consumer Goods, 26 J.L. & Econ. 117, 124-39 (1983) (discussing
whether creditors maximize the price of assets on which they realize).
- A-14 —
had filed a complete schedule in the first instance.* See Sfewart
v. Ganey, 116 F.2d 1010 (Sth Cir. 1940); /n re Elliott, supra; In
re Settle, 14 B.R. 31 (Bankr. D.N.H. 1981); /” re Dorricott, 5
B.R. 192 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 1980)
Although the trustee receives the full proceeds for property
that was not claimed as exempt—and which therefore never left
the estate—the question remains just what was claimed as ex
empt. The claim of ‘‘clothing’’ worth $125 exempts all of the
Paynes’ clothing. Illinois law allows the exemption ol
‘necessary wearing apparel’? without regard to value. The
trustee does not say that any of the Paynes’ clothing is not
‘necessary,’ cf. Jn re Deacon, 27 F. Supp. 296 (S.D. Ill. 1934),
so no clothing is left in the estate. The bankruptcy court
nonetheless gave the Paynes only $125 in proceeds for clothing,
leaving the rest for the estate. It should have given the Paynes
the full proceeds for their clothing, for the same reason it gave
the trustee the full proceeds for the air conditioner. The pro
ceeds go to the owner of the property.
ee
The treatment of ‘‘furniture’’ and ‘‘dishes and small ap-
pliances’’ is more difficult. A debtor may not exempt all pro-
perty in these categories; these count against the limit, so a
general listing of ‘‘furniture’’ does not necessarily keep all fur
niture out of the estate. The treatment of these claims depends
in part on how specific a claim of exemption must be.
It would be silly to require a debtor to itemize every dish and
fork, even to list the electric knife separately from the crock
‘ Lewis v. Thompson, 28 B.R. 351, modified, 30 B.R. 741 (Bankr.
M.D. Pa. 1983), on which both parties and the bankruptcy court
relied, involved an initial list of exemptions hastily filed and quickly
amended; the court accepted the amendments. This did not happer
here. Cf. In re Snow, 21 B.R. 598, 601 (Bankr. E.D. Cal. 1982) (if
property is listed on the claim of exemption, the debtor gets its full in-
sured value even if that value exceeds the market price on the
schedule).
— A-1$ —
pot. The necessary degree of specificity varies with the vaiue of
separate listings. The lower the value of the items, the less
reason to identify each. But it does not follow that a generic
listing always encompasses the low-value items within a
category. The requirement that the debtor list the property
serves at least two functions. One is to settle claims of title, so
that on the day of discharge everyone knows who owns what.
The other is to allow the trustee to decide which claims to
chailenge. Debtors are not perfectly trustworthy, and unless the
claim of exemption contains sufficient detail to put the trustee
on notice of questionable assertions, it will not be possible to
administer the statutory scheme. Cf. Jn re Friedrich, supra, 100
F. at 286 (‘much abuse of the beneficent law allowing exemp-
tions might arise if, with respect to a general stock of goods, the
debtor should be permitted to place upon selected articles his
own estimate of value’’).
A court may not let the debtor be the sole estimator of market
value, which would be the outcome of unrestrained categorical
asseruons of exemption. At the same time, a court may not an-
nounce a specific rule such as: ‘*List separately each item that a
trustee might think could be sold for $25 or more.’’ When
writing the bankruptcy code Congress had to choose between a
specific set of rules, such as a $25 line of demarcation, and a
more general standard. The code selects a standard rather than a
rule, and a court may 10ot reverse this choice just because the
rule seems more easily administrable. The degree of specificity
must be left in the charge of those who draft the bankruptcy
schedules, and so far they have allowed many items to be
lumped together for a single valuation. Cf. Burke v. Guarantee
Title & Trust Co., 134 F. 562 (3d Cir. 1905) (it is not necessary
to itemize exempted property separately from the bankruptcy
schedule).
’
The aggregation of ‘‘furniture’’ and ‘“‘dishes and small ap-
pliances’’ therefore ordinarily would be enough to exempt all
items in these categories. Yet ordinarily is not always. The deb-
— A-16 —
tor must furnish enough information to put the trustee on notice
of the wisdom of further inquiry. The trustee, who protects the
interests of the creditors, then may make a calculation of the
benefits of more detailed listing in each case, and he may ask the
bankruptcy court to require the debtor to do more. If a
bankruptcy schedule should list $10,000 in new appliances and
only $615 in furniture, the trustee might be startled by the im-
| balance and make further inquiry. When the schedule shows on-
| ly eldeily appliances of minimal value, a small claim for fur-
niture, dishes, and small appliances does not invite inquiry.
When the debtor’s listing withholds information that the trustee
—-
may find helpful in deciding to make such a request, a
categorical claim of exemption should not be honored beyond
the value the debtor attached to the category. After all, proper-
ty passes to the estate automatically, and it is the debtor’s
burden to make out the claim of exemption with adequate
: specificity.
|
The Paynes’ list did not put the trustee on notice. The
schedule contained only old appliances and one new TV;
nothing would have caught the trustee’s eye. A more accurate
listing might have provoked investigation. The Paynes concede
| that even by their methods of valuation an accurate schedule
would have revealed more than $2,000 of assets and that the
trustee might well have found it worthwhile to take and sell
= ee ee ee,
several items (see also note 3, supra). By filing an incomplete
. form, the Paynes forestalled an inquiry they knew lay in store.
The legal result is a limitation on the value they may receive for
assets in these categories.
Rough justice, no doubt. Even if all of the Paynes’ furniture,
. dishes, and small appliances were worth no more than $715 in
August 1981, their insurance policy would have paid more. But
} any other principle would encourage the making of excessively
general claims in the hope that if omissions should be
discovered, the debtors could argue that the omitted property
BAT
was “‘really’’ in some broadly worded category. The roughness
of this justice does not always hurt debtors, either. The omis-
sions from their schedule of assets might have been grounds to
set aside the discharge; the trustee settled for a lesser remedy.
The bankruptcy court might have concluded that the large ap-
pliances had been misdescribed (all were newer than the
schedule asserted) and reduced the payments on that account.
And the bankruptcy court might have decided that the policy
itself is an asset of the estate, which would have directed all of
the proceeds to the trustee. The policy was property of the deb-
tors, but they did not list it among the items for which they
claimed exemption. If the property was insured in December
1981 because of a premium paid before August 1981, the trustee
might have claimed the policy.° Other cases have held that the
failure to list a policy of insurance means that the trustee gets
the proceeds. Pation v. Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Co., 246 F.
Supp. 1015S, 1018-20 (E.D. Pa. 1965); In re Rogers 45 F. Supp.
297 (E.D.N.Y. 1942); In re Elliott, supra; In re Howard, 6 B.R.
220 (Bankr. S.D. Ohio 1980).
No bankrupt will itemize every possession; none should.
Every bankrupt must do enough itemizing to enable the trustee
to determine whether to investigate further; the Paynes did not.
It was not possible in this case—it will not be possible in any
other—to determine with assurance which items passed through
bankruptcy as exempt. Because there must be imprecision in
any case of this sort, we do not disturb the bankruptcy judge’s
decision to limit the recovery to $715 for furniture, dishes, and
small appliances. We remand this case with instructions to
determine how much of the insurance proceeds is attributable to
clothing and to award that to the Paynes. The judgment is af-
firmed in all other respects. Costs to appellee.
* The cash surrender value of the policy was an asset of the estate. In
order to keep the policy, the Paynes should have charged the sur-
render value against their maximum exclusion.
— A-18 —
Cudahy, Circuit Judge, dissenting in part. I agree that honest
reporting is very important for the successful operation of the
bankruptcy system. But the majority seems to have lost sight of
the fact that the purpose of insurance is to permit replacement
of the articles destroyed. Had there been no fire, the bankrupts
would in all probability have been able to continue housekeep-
ing with their existing furniture, dishes and small appliances.
Now they must somehow replace these items for $715 or eat
with their fingers off the floor.
I cannot accept the speculation of the majority that a more
accurate listing of major appliances would have led the trustee
to doubt the value placed on furniture, dishes and small ap-
pliances. It is not fair to engage in guesswork which simply
results in a windfall to the creditors because the small household
goods burned up in a fire. The bankrupts, not the creditors,
had the foresight to get the insurance and to pay the premiums.
Since there is no plausible theory under which the debtors are
not entitled to the furniture, dishes and small appliances, they
are entitled to the funds to replace those essential household
items.' They are certainly entitled to this much of a ‘‘fresh
start.’’ | therefore respectfully dissent as to the matters discuss-
ed.’
‘In fact, the majority concedes that, ‘‘the Paynes get whatever the
proceeds happen to be for the property that was exempted.’’ Slip op.
at 4.
> In addition, under Rule 1009 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy
Procedure a debtor may amend any schedule ‘‘as a matter of course at
any time before the case is closed,’’ including lists of exempt property.
Lucius v. McLemore, 741 F.2d 125, 127 (6th Cir. 1984) (per curiam).
Of course, the debtor must make a request to invoke Rule 1009. Such
an amendment would, in my view, meet the majority’s concern as to
what items are attributable to the categorical listing of furniture,
dishes and small appliances, as well as its query about those other
items that property could be claimed as exempt (e.g., the en-
cyclopedia). The debtors may well be entitled to additional proceeds
under this approach.
— |
A true Copy:
Teste:
Clerk of the United States Court of
Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
— A-20 —
APPENDIX D
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT
Chicago, Illinois 60604
November 14, 1985
Before
Hon. Richard D. Cudahy, Circuit Judge
Hon. Frank H. Easterbrook, Circuit Judge
Hon. Wilbur F. Peil, Jr., Senior Circuit Judge
Jerry Payne and Deborah Payne,
Debtors-Appellants,
VS;
No. 84-2565
Charles R. Wood, Jr.,
Plaintiff-Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Iilinois,
Benton Division.
No. 83-C-4042
James L. Foreman, Chief Judge
ORDER
Debiors-appellants filed a petition for rehearing and sugges-
tior, of rehearing en banc on November 1, 1985. No judge in
regular active service has requested a vote on the suggestion of
rehearing en banc, and a majority of the judges on the panel
have voted to deny rehearing.* The petition for rehearing is
therefore DENIED.
* Circuit Judge Cudahy voted to grant the petition for rehearing.
— A-2] —
APPENDIX E
List of Debtors’ Assets
CHILDREN’S POSSESSIONS
Bunk Beds (2)
Mattress (2) Posturepedic
Springs
Twin Size Sheet Set
Blankets
Books
Bedspread
Pillows
Stuffed Animals
Sheets
Floor Pillow
Bookcase (Sears)
Children’s Bible Story
Book Set
2 pe. Children’s Dictionary
& Encyclopedia
Bookcase nic-nacs
Desk Accessories
Frog Door Stopper
Wood Stereo Stand
8 track AM-FM radio
Records
Wall Placques
Roller Skates
Alarm Clock (Big Ben)
Sleeping Bags
Toys
Waste can
Encyclopedia Americana
Little Professor and Little
Genius Calculator
Plastic Models
Guitar
Record Case
8 Track Case
Flashlight
Baseball Bat
Baseball Glove
Nylon Pup Tent
Story Teller Set
Chair
Bookend Sets (Ships)
Rolltop Desk
Desk Light
Wicker Clothes Hamper
Stereo & 2 Speakers (Zenith)
Turn Table
Wooden Toy Chest
Metal Shelf Unit
Strobe Light
Ceramic Horse and Eagle
Tumbling Exercise Mat
Games, Checkers, Dominos
etc.
Boys Jewelry Box
ee
FURNITURE
Lighted Table Typewriter Table
Encyclopedia Stand Metal Shelf Unit
Book Case Slotted (K-Mart Book Case (Broyhill)
Brand)
Fiberglass Electric Fireplace Chair to Typewriter Desk
Coffee Table End Table
Couch Chair (Swivel)
China Cabinet Curio Stand
Dining Room Chairs Wood Curio Cabinet
Rattan Swinging Chair Brass Bed (Queen Size)
(hanging)
Mattress and Springs Chair
Dresser (Triple Drawers) Wooden Lamp
Dresser Marble Bedside Tables (2)
Chest (Cedar Lined) Wooden Storage Cabinet
APPLIANCES
Electric Griddle Corn Popper
Blender Hair Dryer
Blow Dryer Electric Curlers (G.E.)
Electric Curling Iron Electric Curling Brush
Electric Heater Lather Machine
Facial Sauna Radio
Decor Telephone (Sears) Toaster
Gas Grill Iron
MAJOR APPLIANCES
Penny’s Color TV AM-FM Radio Cassette
(Zenith)
GE Washer (heavy duty) GE Dryer (3 cycle)
AC-DC Black & White TV Floor Model Stereo
Refrigerator Air Conditioner
Amber Wood Burning Stove Speakers
Movie Projector & Camera Pistol H & R Standard
Cassette Player Stalker Bow
—
HOUSEHOLD GOODS
Drapes
Gun Case
Drapes (Sliding Door)
Swag Lamps
Bowie Knife
Cook Books
Roll-A-Matic Sponge Mop
Cleaning Materials
Ironing Board
Garbage Can
Clothes Pin Bag & Pins
Kirby Accessory Parts
Key Rack
Wood Magazine Rack
Scenery Pictures
Lighted Sunset Picture
Sheers
Small Wood Lamps
Crystal Candy Dish
Wood Stove Accessories
Coal Bucket
Ceramic Nic Nacs
Ornaments, Garland, “ights
Basket & Dried Flowers
Smoke Detector
Mugs
Duhasa Dinnerware
(Service of 4)
Silverware (Service of 4)
Wood Salt & Pepper Shakers
Wine Table & Wine Rack
4 Bottles of Wine
Crystal Bell
Ceramic Vase
Smoke Detector
Small Decorator Mirror
Drapes (Back Door)
Bookends
Lantern
Dust Mop & Broom & Dust
Pan
Laundry Materials
Clothes Baskets
Curtains
Canned Goods
Plastic Clothes Hamper
Leather Lead Halter
Wood Plant Stand
Plaques Spaniards
Wood Shelf Mantel
Drapes
Curtain to Door
Digital Clock
Throw Rug
Bellow
Afghan
Mountain Christmas Tree
Tree Stand
Wooden Vase
Barometer, Temperature
Humidity Set
Duhasa Glasses
Red Glass
Crystal Glasses
Silk Flower Arrangement
Wine Decanter & 4 Glasses
Kerosene Oil Lamp
Crystal Bowl
Princess House Bowl
~ At
Sea Shell Wind Chimes
3 Pairs Priscilla Curtains
Black Glass Honey Dish
Napkin Holders (Wood)
Elephant Decanter
Soup Bow! with Ladel
Coach Lamps
Wall Plaques
Placement Setting
Tray
Basket Weave Plate Holder
Towel Set
Wicker Wall Shelf
Flower Arrangements
Bath Shag Rugs
First Aid Items
Bath Towels
Wash Cloths
Sheets (Twin)
Blankets
Macrame Holder
Pillows
Full Length Mirror
Cleaning Material
Wicker Toothbrush Holder
Clean Machine
Window
Vanity Bench
Bedspread (Master BR)
Drapes (Master BR)
Quilt (Master BR)
Sewing Basket
Wall Arrangement
Picture
Clock
Eye Glasses
Red Hanging Lamp
Black Glass Urn
Tablecloth
Throw Rug
Marble Candle Holders
Candy Dish
Pictures
Steak Knives
Cloth Napkins
Nut Cracker Set
Pecan Butcher Block
Kleenex Holder
Ceramic Dish
Shower Curtain
Toiletries
Scale
Hand Towels
Metal Shelf Unit
Sheets (Queen)
Hair Curlers
Pictures and Plaques
Pea Shell Ornament
Toilet Plunger
Marble Soap Dish
Tank Covers
House Window
Rattan Cosmetic Tray
Pillows (Master BR)
Blanket (Master BR)
Sheets (Master BR)
Sheets-Queen Size
Silk Flower Arrangement
Nic-Nacs
Wash Basin S
Pitcher & Bow! Basin
Pyrex Bowl Set
on ee
Salad Bowl
Spices
Tupperware Serving Bowls
Glassware
Custard Bowls
Food
Hot Plate pad
Tupperware Mixing Bowls
Tupperware Meat Marinator
Tupperware Storage
Container
Tupperware Vegetable
Crisper
Tupperware Parfait Cups
Tupperware Large Storage
Container
Metal Coaster
Vegetable Slicer
Cooking Utensils
Knives
Steak Knives
Cake Cooling Racks
Iron Skillets lg & sm
Grater
13 X 9 Cake Pan
Loaf Pan
Wilton Square Cake Pan
Cookware
Crock Pot
Curtains
Salt & Pe ers
spoon Arrangement
Bread Box (Wood)
Grape Arrangement
Candy Dish
Papertowel Holder
Tupperware Cereal
Keeper
Dinnerware for 4
Pitchers
Soup Bow!s w/ Handies
Pot Holders
Silverware Tray
Tupperware Egg Tray
Tupperware Bun Storer
Tupperware Lunchmeat
Keeper
Tupperware Ice Cream
Keeper
Tupperware Cracker Keeper
Tupperware Medium Storage
Container
Baking Dish Corningware
Baking Cups & Spoons
Cutlery Set
Foil, Saran Wrap etc.
Glass Serving Tray
Flour Sifter
Strainer
Pie Pan
Wilton Doll Pan
Oblong Cake Pan
Corningware Cooking Pans
Throw Rug
Wood Napkin Holder
Mushroom Spoon & Fork
Telephone Stand
Bird House, (Wall Plaque)
Fondue
Cookie Canister
Bin on Wheels
— A-26 —
Dish Rack & Drainboard Kitchen Table Unit
Porch Swing (Oak) Hanging Pots & Macrame
Wooden Planter Box
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This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.