NY Bankruptcy Court Bounces Bank For Lack Of Standing, Insufficient Documentary Proof Substantiating Debt; Chase Gets 21 Days To File Proper Paperwork

A ruling this week by a New York Federal bankruptcy court bounced, without prejudice,(1) a creditor's claim filed by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank in a Chapter 13 proceeding filed by a homeowner. According to the ruling, Chase both:

• failed to present evidence necessary to demonstrate that it is either the servicer, note and mortgage holder, or assignee such that it has standing to bring the claim, and

• failed in meeting its evidentiary burden under the Bankruptcy Code and Rules to substantiate its proof of claim ("Unless a proof of claim is properly executed and filed in accordance with the rules, the proof of claim does not constitute prima facie evidence of the validity and amount of the claim." See FED. RULES. BANKR. PROCEDURE 3001(f)).

The court provides a somewhat lengthy analysis of recent bankruptcy court cases that it considered in reaching its ruling, and discusses the level of documentation required to support the prima facie validity of a mortgagee's claim. The reading is pretty technical, and recommended only for Federal bankruptcy geeks and others who are into this kind of stuff.

For the entire text of the case, see In re: Kerman J. Minbatiwalla, Case No. 09-15693 (USBC S.D. N.Y., March 1, 2010).

(1) The court ruled that the proper creditor may file an amended proof of claim within 21 days of the entry of the court's order. It said that if Chase holds the note and mortgage, it must affix documents to the proof of claim establishing that relationship. Alternatively, if Chase is not the holder, it must give the holder notice of this 21-day deadline and file a declaration with the Court that such notice has been given. The Debtor has 14 days after any amended proof of claim is filed to object.