SD Ga – Debtors Cannot Reopen Ch. 7 Case To Enter Into Reaffirmation...

In the case of In re Conner, Ch. 7 Case No. 09-42532, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 4481 (Bankr. S.D. Ga. October 25, 2013), the issue was whether the Debtors could reopen their Chapter 7 case about three years after it was closed in order to enter into a reaffirmation agreement with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.  Debtors argued that Wells Fargo had offered to enter into a reaffirmation agreement in order to assist Debtors with a modification of their home loan.  The Court declined to reopen the case, as any reaffirmation would be unenforceable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §524(c)(1).

Reaffirmation agreements are unenforceable unless the “agreement was made before the granting of the discharge . . . .”11 U.S.C. § 524(c)(1).. “[B]ecause reaffirmation agreements are not favored, strict compliance with § 524(c) is mandated.” … For the purposes of § 524(c)(1), “a reaffirmation agreement is ‘made’ no earlier than the time when the requisite writing which embodies it has been fully executed by the debtor…”

No evidence has been produced establishing that a reaffirmation agreement was made prior to discharge, and indeed, Debtors’ counsel expressly stated that no agreement was made either in principle or in writing before the discharge. Therefore, as the reaffirmation agreement was not made prior to discharge, it cannot be enforceable under § 524(c). Because the reaffirmation agreement is unenforceable, reopening Debtors’ case would be futile. Accordingly, the Court finds that Debtors’ case may not be reopened.