Failure to Timely Object Can Lead to an Enormous Exemption Loophole: A Cautionary Tale

In a recently published decision, In re Masingale, 644 B.R. 530 (9th Cir. BAP 2022), the U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the U.S. Court of Appe...

March 30, 2023
6:08 AM

In a recently published decision, In re Masingale, 644 B.R. 530 (9th Cir. BAP 2022), the U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (the BAP) held that in the absence of a timely objection, debtors who claimed a homestead exemption of '100% of FMV' in their residence had a valid exemption claim for the full fair market value of the property, including post-petition appreciation. The fact that the claimed exemption far exceeded the applicable statutory limit, or that the Chapter 7 trustee never had an opportunity to object, did not change the outcome as the BAP found that the lack of a timely objection barred any challenge to the exemption.

Lawrence J. Kotler