Select Page

Massachusetts court holds trustee can challenge transfers up to ten years old

dollarsIn Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases, the trustee is empowered to take back money or property that was improperly removed by the debtor before filing. This power, known as the “clawback period” allows a trustee to recover assets that rightly belong to the debtor’s bankruptcy estate, but were hidden or moved out of the trustee’s reach through actions of the debtor. Recently, the bankruptcy case for the New England Confectionary Company (NECCO) presented Judge Hoffman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts with an issue of first impression in Massachusetts extending the clawback period up to ten years as provided by the Bankruptcy Code.

Bankruptcy Code § 544(b)(1) permits a bankruptcy trustee to avoid obligations incurred by a debtor or transfers of an interest in a debtor’s property that are voidable under applicable law. The applicable law referred to in the statute has generally been interpreted to mean state fraudulent transfer law, which in this case includes the Massachusetts Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (“MUFTA”), M.G.L. c,109A. State laws like MUFTA include only a four-year clawback period to challenge transfers within four years prior to the bankruptcy filing.

Here, the trustee sought to stand in the shoes of the IRS and assert its rights under § 544(b). In cases where the IRS is a creditor, the IRS may claim the benefit of statutes including 26 U.S.C. § 6502 and 28 U.S.C. § 3306(b) that allows the IRS to seek recovery of transfers made within ten and six years of the bankruptcy filing. These statutes only prescribe time limitations for IRS recovery actions, which means the IRS or the trustee, derivatively, must establish transferee liability through an independent cause of action under state or federal law. Judge Hoffman adopted the reasoning of In re Kaiser, Hillen v. City of Many Trees, LLC (In re CVAH, Inc.), 570 B.R. 816, 831 (Bankr. D. Idaho 2017) that held although 26 U.S.C. § 6502 and 28 U.S.C. § 3306(b) do not create causes of action, they constitute “applicable law” under Bankruptcy Code §544(b). Most importantly, Judge Hoffman ruled:

“Thus, to the extent the trustee is able to stand in the shoes of the IRS and assert fraudulent transfer claims, he may apply the ten and six year reach back periods under the respective statutes.”

The Court noted that the size of the IRS claim does not limit the amount recoverable by the trustee. The right to recover may even be available if the claim is nominal. In other words, this ruling establishes that in Massachusetts bankruptcy cases, the ten year clawback period may be available to a trustee where the IRS is a creditor, regardless of the size of the IRS’ claim. This ruling does not change the burden of proof on a trustee to establish the elements of a fraudulent transfer claim under state law, but does allow the trustee to reach transfers that would otherwise be beyond the range of the state law limitations period.

Decade Old Transactions Potentially Subject to Bankruptcy Clawback in Massachusetts​

Trustee can challenge decade-old transactions​

Thomas H. Curran Associates represents a broad range of businesses and corporate entities, private equity funds, as well as governmental agencies and other interested parties in all phases of the bankruptcy process and in bankruptcy related transactions and litigation. As advocates and trusted business advisors, our well-established foundation of knowledge and understanding of our clients’ business and professional interests, enables our attorneys to deliver unparalleled individualized attention to our clients of all sizes with their bankruptcy, litigation and corporate transactional needs.

Thomas H. Curran Associates Blog

Archives

Contact Us

Are You In Need of Legal Counsel for a Business Transaction, Commercial Litigation, Asset Recovery, or Bankruptcy Matter?

Contact our team today.

Call us at (617) 207-8670 or use the quick contact form below.

Austin Office

111 Congress Avenue
Suite 500
Austin, TX 78701

Boston Office

75 State Street
Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109

New York Office

17 State Street
40th Floor
New York, NY 10004

London Office

The Leadenhall Building
Level 30
122 Leadenhall Street
London EC3V 4AB

Pin It on Pinterest