In re Traverse and the Chapter 7 Trustee’s Power to Sell Property

By Kenneth Siomos, Attorney Representing Chapter 13 Trustee John H. Germeraad, Petersburg, IL

On May 23, 2014, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Section 363 categorically forbids the sale of property when the value of that property does not exceed underlying liens and/or the debtor’s claimed exemption – even when one of the underlying liens is preserved as property of the estate. i Although this appears to be consistent with the general approach of courts, the facts of the First Circuit case show exactly why the rule should be general rather . . .

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