Adkisson's
VOIDABLE TRANSACTIONS & FRAUDULENT TRANSFERS
SINKING INSOLVENCY TEST — § 4(a)(2)
UVTA § 4(a)(2)
(a) A transfer made or obligation incurred by a debtor is voidable as to a creditor, whether the creditor’s claim arose before or after the transfer was made or the obligation was incurred, if the debtor made the transfer or incurred the obligation:
(2) without receiving a reasonably equivalent value in exchange for the transfer or obligation, and the debtor:
(ii) intended to incur, or believed or reasonably should have believed that the debtor would incur, debts beyond the debtor’s ability to pay as they became due.
Reporter's Comment to § 4(a)(2) cmt. 3.
Reporter's Comment to § 4(a)(2) cmt. 4.
Cf. U.C.C. § 9-401(b) (2014) (providing that a debtor’s interest in collateral subject to a security interest is transferable notwithstanding an agreement with the secured party prohibiting transfer).
JayNote: The Equity-Sense Insolvency Test has two elements:
(1) The debtor did not receive reasonable equivalent value; and
(2) The debtor knew or should have known that it did or would not not have the financial strength to pay whatever debts the debtor was about to incur.
This test applies without regarding to whether the claim occurred before the transfer or vice versa, i.e., it applies to future creditors. The element of what the debtor knew or should have known creates a factual issue that makes this test difficult for a creditor to win on summary judgment. The debtor's subjective intent "intended to incur, or believed" and objective intent "reasonably should have believed" may be tested, and the creditor needs to prevail on either, but not both.
§ 4(c) A creditor making a claim for relief under subsection (a) has the burden of proving the elements of the claim for relief by a preponderance of the evidence.
Prefatory Note (UVTA 2014): Evidentiary Matters.
Reporter's Comment to § 4(c) cmt. 10 ¶ 1.
Reporter's Comment to § 4(c) cmt. 10 ¶ 2.
See Comment 8.
See Herman & MacLean v. Huddleston, 459 U.S. 375, 388-89 (1983) and sources cited therein.
Reporter's Comment to § 4(c) cmt. 10 ¶ 3.
See Janvey v. Alguire, 846 F.Supp.2d 662, 675-77 (N.D. Tex. 2011); Carter-Jones Lumber Co. v. Benune, 725 N.E.2d 330, 331-33 (Ohio App. 1999). Cf. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Appendix, Form 21 (2010) (illustrative form of complaint for a claim for relief under § 4(a)(1) or similar law, which Rule 84 declares sufficient to comply with federal pleading rules).
Reporter's Comment to § 4(c) cmt. 11.
See Fidelity Bond & Mtg. Co. v. Brand, 371 B.R. 708, 716-22 (E.D. Pa. 2007) (rejecting such a presumption previously applied in Pennsylvania).
Defenses Peculiar to §§ 4(a)(2) and 5
§ 8(e) A transfer is not voidable under Section 4(a)(2) or Section 5 if the transfer results from:
JayNote: A creditor cannot void all but an intent-based fraudulent transfer if it involves: (1) Termination of a lease; or (2) Enforcement of a UCC Article 9 security interest.
(1) termination of a lease upon default by the debtor when the termination is pursuant to the lease and applicable law; or
Reporter's Comment to § 8(e) cmt. 5.
(2) enforcement of a security interest in compliance with Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, other than acceptance of collateral in full or partial satisfaction of the obligation it secures.
Prefatory Note (UVTA 2014). Defenses.
Reporter's Comment to § 8(e)(2).
Cf. Calaiaro v. Pittsburgh Nat’l Bank (In re Ewing), 33 B.R. 288, 9 C.B.C.2d 526, CCH B.L.R. ¶ 69,460 (Bankr. W.D.Pa. 1983) (sale of pledged stock held subject to avoidance under § 548 of the Bankruptcy Code), rev’d, 36 B.R. 476 (W.D.Pa. 1984) (transfer held not voidable because deemed to have occurred more than one year before bankruptcy petition filed).
See U.C.C. §§ 1-304, 9-607(b), 9 610(b) (2014).
Bankruptcy Code § 548(a)(1)(B)(II) and (III)
(a)
(1) The trustee may avoid any transfer (including any transfer to or for the benefit of an insider under an employment contract) of an interest of the debtor in property, or any obligation (including any obligation to or for the benefit of an insider under an employment contract) incurred by the debtor, that was made or incurred on or within 2 years before the date of the filing of the petition, if the debtor voluntarily or involuntarily—
(B)
(i) received less than a reasonably equivalent value in exchange for such transfer or obligation; and
(ii)
(II) was engaged in business or a transaction, or was about to engage in business or a transaction, for which any property remaining with the debtor was an unreasonably small capital;
(III) intended to incur, or believed that the debtor would incur, debts that would be beyond the debtor’s ability to pay as such debts matured; . . .
COURT OPINIONS: SINKING INSOLVENCY TEST
Coming soon.
RECENT ARTICLES
2021.01.24 ... UVTA Held Not To Require A Third-Party Transferee In Nagel
2020.12.29 ... Debtor’s Transfers From Non-Debtor Limited Partnership Set Aside In Cole
2020.06.30 ... Attorney Fees Held Awardable Under Nevada Fraudulent Transfer Law In Morgan Stanley Opinion
2020.06.11 ... Bank That Was Financially Involved With Debtor Gets Caught Up In Fraudulent Transfer Case In Wilson
2020.05.21 ... Utah Supreme Court Rejects Mixed Motive Test For Intentional Fraudulent Transfers In Jones Case
2020.01.06 ... Twyne’s Case And The Most Infamous Flock Of Sheep In Anglo-American Law
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Many more articles on voidable transactions law found here
UVTA - LOGICAL ORGANIZATION
(Designed For Litigators)
Click here to go to the Voidable Transactions Decision Chart
Overview of UVTA -- The process and result
Learn The Vocabulary Of The Act (Main Page)
Has A Voidable Transaction Occurred? (Main Page)
Does The Transferee Have A Defense? (Main Page)
What Remedies Are Available? (Main Page)
Other Helpful Provisions (Main Page)
UVTA - NUMERICAL ORGANIZATION
(Confusing & Difficult To Use)
The Uniform Law Commission's complete copy of the UVTA with comments in PDF format is available here. The webpage for the UVTA, showing states that have enacted and much other information regarding the Act is found here.
1 - Definitions
(1) Affiliate -- (2) Asset -- (3) Claim -- (4) Creditor -- (5) Debt -- (6) Debtor -- (7) Electronic -- (8) Insider -- (9) Lien -- (10) Organization -- (11) Person -- (12) Property -- (13) Record -- (14) Relative -- (15) Sign -- (16) Transfer -- (17) Valid Lien
2 - Insolvency - How insolvency is calculated
3 - Value - Issues relating to calculating value
4 - Transfer Or Obligation Voidable As To Present Or Future Creditor
(a)(1) {Intent Test} - To hinder, delay or defraud any creditor
(a)(2)(i) {Overextending Insolvency Test} - The debtor engages in a transaction for which it does not have the financial strength
(a)(2)(ii) {Sinking Insolvency Test} - The debtor is not technically insolvent but headed for insolvency
(b) {Badges of Fraud} - Circumstances available to prove the debtor's intent
5 - Transfer or Obligation Voidable As To Present Creditor
(a) {Insolvency Test} - The test preferred by creditors
(b) {Insider Preference Test} - Not really a fraudulent transfer test at all
6 - When Transfer Is Made Or Obligation Is Incurred - Determines the time of the transfer
7 - Remedies Of Creditor
{Non-Money Judgment Remedies} - Avoidance, attachment, etc.
8 - Defenses, Liability, And Protection Of Transferee Or Obligee
{Main Provisions} -The transferee's good faith for-value defense
(b) and (c) {Money Judgment Remedy} - Alternative remedy for creditors when avoidance is not good enough
9 - Extinguishment Of Claim For Relief - Similar to Statutes of Limitation
10 - Governing Law - Conflicts of Laws provisions
11 - Application To Series Organization - Applies to intra-series transfers
12 - Supplementary Provisions - Allows application of other law to issues unresolved by the UVTA
13 - Uniformity Of Application And Construction - Court opinions from other states may be looked to for guidance
14 - Relation To Electronic Signatures In Global And National Commerce - Waste of statutory space
15 - Short Title - From fraudulent transfers to voidable transactions
16 - Repeals; Conforming Amendment - Information for enacting legislatures
OTHER SOURCES OF
FRAUDULENT TRANSFER LAW
Fraudulent Transfers In Bankruptcy - Main Page
28 U.S.C. § 3301, et seq. - Where United States is the creditor
Common Law Fraudulent Transfer - Still exists in most states
Criminal Statutes -- Jurisdictions that criminalize fraudulent transfers
Fraudulent Conveyances Act of 1571 a/k/a Statute of 13 Elizabeth - The medieval statute to which the modern American UVTA traces some of its roots.
Statutes Of The U.S. Jurisdictions -- State and Territorial Voidable Transaction and Fraudulent Transfer Laws
TOPICAL COURT OPINIONS
DEFINITIONS
Creditor Definition - Court opinions on the definition of creditor
Debtor Insider Affiliate Relative Organization Person Definitions - Court opinions on the definitions of debtor, insider, etc.
Claim And Debt Definitions - Court opinions on the definitions of claim and debt
Asset And Property Definitions - Court opinions on the definitions of assets and property
Lien And Valid Lien Definitions - Court opinions on the definitions of lien and valid lien
Transfer Definition - Court opinions on the definition of transfer
Value And Reasonably Equivalent Value (REV) Definition - Court opinions on the definitions of value and reasonably equivalent value
Insolvency Definition - Court opinions on the definition of insolvency
TESTS
Insolvency Test - Court opinions relating to the Insolvency Test
Insider Preference Test - Court opinions relating to the Insider Preference Test
Overextending Insolvency Test - Court opinions relating to the Overextending Insolvency Test
Sinking Insolvency Test - Court opinions relating to the Sinking Insolvency Test
Intent Test - Court opinions relating to the Intent Test
Badges Of Fraud - Court opinions relating to the Badges of Fraud
DEFENSES
Extinguishment Periods a/k/a (incorrectly) Statute Of Limitations - Court opinions relating to the extinguishment periods
Transferee Good Faith - Court opinions relating to the transferee good faith for-value defense
REMEDIES
Non-Money Remedies - Court opinions relating to avoidance and other non-money remedies
Money Judgment Remedies - Court opinions relating to money judgments
Attorney Fees -- Court opinions relating to awards of attorney fees
Punitive Damages - Court opinions relating to punitive and exemplary damages
OTHER
Burdens of Proof - Court opinions relating to the burdens of proof
Conflict Of Laws - Court opinions relating to conflict of laws
Uniformity - Court opinions relating to uniformity with the laws of other jurisdictions
Supplementary Law - Court opinions relating to the interplay of the UVTA with other law
Jurisdictional Issues - Court opinions relating to jurisdiction of UVTA actions.
BANKRUPTCY
Section 548 - Court opinions relating to 11 USC 548
OTHER RESOURCES
OTHER INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES
by Jay Adkisson
Voidable Transactions:
Fraudulent Transfers In American Law
by Jay D. Adkisson (Available 2021)
Contact Jay Adkisson:
Phone: 702-953-9617 Fax: 877-698-0678 jay [at] jayad.com
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© 2021 Jay D. Adkisson. All rights reserved. No claim to government works or the works of the Uniform Law Commission. The information contained in this website is for general educational purposes only, does not constitute any legal advice or opinion, and should not be relied upon in relation to particular cases. Use this information at your own peril; it is no substitute for the legal advice or opinion of an attorney licensed to practice law in the appropriate jurisdiction. This site https://voidabletransactions.com Contact: jay [at] jayad.com or by phone to 702-953-9617 or by fax to 877-698-0678.