Bankruptcy Code Section 548 - Section 554

§ 548.  Fraudulent Transfers and Obligations

(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--
      (A) made such transfer or incurred such obligation with actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud any entity to which the debtor was or became, on or after the date that such transfer was made or such obligation was incurred, indebted; or
      (B) (i) received less than a reasonably equivalent value in exchange for such transfer or obligation; and
         (ii) (I) was insolvent on the date that such transfer was made or such obligation was incurred, or became insolvent as a result of such transfer or obligation;
            (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; or
            (IV) made such transfer to or for the benefit of an insider, or incurred such obligation to or for the benefit of an insider, under an employment contract and not in the ordinary course of business.
   (2) A transfer of a charitable contribution to a qualified religious or charitable entity or organization shall not be con-sidered to be a transfer covered under paragraph (1)(B) in any case in which--
      (A) the amount of that contribution does not exceed 15 percent of the gross annual income of the debtor for the year in which the transfer of the contribution is made; or
      (B) the contribution made by a debtor exceeded the percentage amount of gross annual income specified in sub-paragraph (A), if the transfer was consistent with the practices of the debtor in making charitable contributions.
 
(b) The trustee of a partnership debtor may avoid any transfer of an interest of the debtor in property, or any obligation incurred by the debtor, that was made or incurred on or within 2 years before the date of the filing of the petition, to a general partner in the debtor, if the debtor was insolvent on the date such transfer was made or such obligation was incurred, or became insolvent as a result of such transfer or obligation.
 
(c) Except to the extent that a transfer or obligation voidable under this section is voidable under section 544, 545, or 547 of this title [11 USCS § 544, 545, or 547], a transferee or obligee of such a transfer or obligation that takes for value and in good faith has a lien on or may retain any interest transferred or may enforce any obligation incurred, as the case may be, to the extent that such transferee or obligee gave value to the debtor in exchange for such transfer or obligation.
 
(d) (1) For the purposes of this section, a transfer is made when such transfer is so perfected that a bona fide purchaser from the debtor against whom applicable law permits such transfer to be perfected cannot acquire an interest in the property transferred that is superior to the interest in such property of the transferee, but if such transfer is not so perfected before the commencement of the case, such transfer is made immediately before the date of the filing of the petition.
   (2) In this section--
      (A) "value" means property, or satisfaction or securing of a present or antecedent debt of the debtor, but does not include an unperformed promise to furnish support to the debtor or to a relative of the debtor;
      (B) a commodity broker, forward contract merchant, stockbroker, financial institution, financial participant, or securities clearing agency that receives a margin payment, as defined in section 101, 741, or 761 of this title [11 USCS § 101, 741, or 761], or settlement payment, as defined in section 101 or 741 of this title [11 USCS § 101 or 741], takes for value to the extent of such payment;
      (C) a repo participant or financial participant that receives a margin payment, as defined in section 741 or 761 of this title [11 USCS § 741 or 761], or settlement payment, as defined in section 741 of this title [11 USCS § 741], in connection with a repurchase agreement, takes for value to the extent of such payment;
      (D) a swap participant or financial participant that receives a transfer in connection with a swap agreement takes for value to the extent of such transfer; and
      (E) a master netting agreement participant that receives a transfer in connection with a master netting agreement or any individual contract covered thereby takes for value to the extent of such transfer, except that, with respect to a transfer under any individual contract covered thereby, to the extent that such master netting agreement participant otherwise did not take (or is otherwise not deemed to have taken) such transfer for value.
   (3) In this section, the term "charitable contribution" means a charitable contribution, as that term is defined in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 USCS § 170(c)], if that contribution--
      (A) is made by a natural person; and
      (B) consists of--
         (i) a financial instrument (as that term is defined in section 731(c)(2)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) [26 USCS § 731(c)(2)(C)]; or
         (ii) cash.
   (4) In this section, the term "qualified religious or charitable entity or organization" means--
      (A) an entity described in section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 USCS § 170(c)(1)]; or
      (B) an entity or organization described in section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 USCS § 170(c)(2)].
 
(e) (1) In addition to any transfer that the trustee may otherwise avoid, the trustee may avoid any transfer of an interest of the debtor in property that was made on or within 10 years before the date of the filing of the petition, if--
      (A) such transfer was made to a self-settled trust or similar device;
      (B) such transfer was by the debtor;
      (C) the debtor is a beneficiary of such trust or similar device; and
      (D) the debtor made such transfer with actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud any entity to which the debtor was or became, on or after the date that such transfer was made, indebted.
   (2) For the purposes of this subsection, a transfer includes a transfer made in anticipation of any money judgment, settlement, civil penalty, equitable order, or criminal fine incurred by, or which the debtor believed would be incurred by--
      (A) any violation of the securities laws (as defined in section 3(a)(47) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(47))), any State securities laws, or any regulation or order issued under Federal securities laws or State securities laws; or
      (B) fraud, deceit, or manipulation in a fiduciary capacity or in connection with the purchase or sale of any security registered under section 12 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78l and 78o(d)) or under section 6 of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77f).

§ 549.  Postpetition Transactions

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of this section, the trustee may avoid a transfer of property of the estate--
   (1) that occurs after the commencement of the case; and
   (2) (A) that is authorized only under section 303(f) or 542(c) of this title [11 USCS § 303(f) or 542(c)]; or
      (B) that is not authorized under this title or by the court.
 
(b) In an involuntary case, the trustee may not avoid under subsection (a) of this section a transfer made after the commencement of such case but before the order for relief to the extent any value, including services, but not including satisfaction or securing of a debt that arose before the commencement of the case, is given after the commencement of the case in exchange for such transfer, notwithstanding any notice or knowledge of the case that the transferee has.
 
(c) The trustee may not avoid under subsection (a) of this section a transfer of an interest in real property to a good faith purchaser without knowledge of the commencement of the case and for present fair equivalent value unless a copy or notice of the petition was filed, where a transfer of an interest in such real property may be recorded to perfect such transfer, before such transfer is so perfected that a bona fide purchaser of such real property, against whom applicable law permits such transfer to be perfected, could not acquire an interest that is superior to such interest of such good faith purchaser. A good faith purchaser without knowledge of the commencement of the case and for less than present fair equivalent value has a lien on the property transferred to the extent of any present value given, unless a copy or notice of the petition was so filed before such transfer was so perfected.
 
(d) An action or proceeding under this section may not be commenced after the earlier of--
   (1) two years after the date of the transfer sought to be avoided; or
   (2) the time the case is closed or dismissed.

§ 550.  Liability of Transferee of Avoided Transfer

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, to the extent that a transfer is avoided under section 544, 545, 547, 548, 549, 553(b), or 724(a) of this title [11 USCS § 544, 545, 547, 548, 549, 553(b), or 724(a)], the trustee may recover, for the benefit of the estate, the property transferred, or, if the court so orders, the value of such property, from--
   (1) the initial transferee of such transfer or the entity for whose benefit such transfer was made; or
   (2) any immediate or mediate transferee of such initial transferee.
 
(b) The trustee may not recover under section [subsection] (a)(2) of this section from--
   (1) a transferee that takes for value, including satisfaction or securing of a present or antecedent debt, in good faith, and without knowledge of the voidability of the transfer avoided; or
   (2) any immediate or mediate good faith transferee of such transferee.
 
(c) If a transfer made between 90 days and one year before the filing of the petition--
   (1) is avoided under section 547(b) of this title [11 USCS § 547(b)]; and
   (2) was made for the benefit of a creditor that at the time of such transfer was an insider;
 
the trustee may not recover under subsection (a) from a transferee that is not an insider.
 
(d) The trustee is entitled to only a single satisfaction under subsection (a) of this section.
 
(e) (1) A good faith transferee from whom the trustee may recover under subsection (a) of this section has a lien on the property recovered to secure the lesser of--
      (A) the cost, to such transferee, of any improvement made after the transfer, less the amount of any profit realized by or accruing to such transferee from such property; and
      (B) any increase in the value of such property as a result of such improvement, of the property transferred.
   (2) In this subsection, "improvement" includes--
      (A) physical additions or changes to the property transferred;
      (B) repairs to such property;
      (C) payment of any tax on such property;
      (D) payment of any debt secured by a lien on such property that is superior or equal to the rights of the trustee; and
      (E) preservation of such property.
 
(f) An action or proceeding under this section may not be commenced after the earlier of--
   (1) one year after the avoidance of the transfer on account of which recovery under this section is sought; or
   (2) the time the case is closed or dismissed.

§ 551.  Automatic Preservation of Avoided Transfer

Any transfer avoided under section 522, 544, 545, 547, 548, 549, or 724(a) of this title [11 USCS § 522, 544, 545, 547, 548, 549, or 724(a)], or any lien void under section 506(d) of this title [11 USCS § 506(d)], is preserved for the benefit of the estate but only with respect to property of the estate.

§ 552.  Postpetition Effect of Security Interest

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, property acquired by the estate or by the debtor after the com-mencement of the case is not subject to any lien resulting from any security agreement entered into by the debtor before the commencement of the case.
 
(b) (1) Except as provided in sections 363, 506(c), 522, 544, 545, 547, and 548 of this title [11 USCS §§ 363, 506(c), 522, 544, 545, 547, and 548], if the debtor and an entity entered into a security agreement before the commencement of the case and if the security interest created by such security agreement extends to property of the debtor acquired before the commencement of the case and to proceeds, products, offspring, or profits of such property, then such security interest extends to such proceeds, products, offspring, or profits acquired by the estate after the commencement of the case to the extent provided by such security agreement and by applicable nonbankruptcy law, except to any extent that the court, after notice and a hearing and based on the equities of the case, orders otherwise.
   (2) Except as provided in sections 363, 506(c), 522, 544, 545, 547, and 548 of this title [11 USCS §§ 363, 506(c), 522, 544, 545, 547, and 548], and notwithstanding section 546(b) of this title [11 USCS § 546(b)], if the debtor and an entity entered into a security agreement before the commencement of the case and if the security interest created by such security agreement extends to property of the debtor acquired before the commencement of the case and to amounts paid as rents of such property or the fees, charges, accounts, or other payments for the use or occupancy of rooms and other public facilities in hotels, motels, or other lodging properties, then such security interest extends to such rents and such fees, charges, accounts, or other payments acquired by the estate after the commencement of the case to the extent provided in such security agreement, except to any extent that the court, after notice and a hearing and based on the equities of the case, orders otherwise.

§ 553.  Setoff

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in sections 362 and 363 of this title [11 USCS §§ 362 and 363], this title does not affect any right of a creditor to offset a mutual debt owing by such creditor to the debtor that arose before the commencement of the case under this title [11 USCS §§ 101 et seq.] against a claim of such creditor against the debtor that arose before the commencement of the case, except to the extent that--
   (1) the claim of such creditor against the debtor is disallowed;
   (2) such claim was transferred, by an entity other than the debtor, to such creditor--
      (A) after the commencement of the case; or
      (B) (i) after 90 days before the date of the filing of the petition; and
         (ii) while the debtor was insolvent (except for a setoff of a kind described in section 362(b)(6), 362(b)(7), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), 555, 556, 559, 560, or 561 [11 USCS § 362(b)(6), 362(b)(7), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), 555, 556, 559, 560, or 561]); or
   (3) the debt owed to the debtor by such creditor was incurred by such creditor--
      (A) after 90 days before the date of the filing of the petition;
      (B) while the debtor was insolvent; and
      (C) for the purpose of obtaining a right of setoff against the debtor (except for a setoff of a kind described in section 362(b)(6), 362(b)(7), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), 555, 556, 559, 560, or 561 [11 USCS § 362(b)(6), 362(b)(7), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), 555, 556, 559, 560, or 561]).
 
(b) (1) Except with respect to a setoff of a kind described in section 362(b)(6), 362(b)(7), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), 555, 556, 559, 560, 561, 365(h), 546(h), or 365(i)(2) of this title [11 USCS § 362(b)(6), 362(b)(7), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), 555, 556, 559, 560, 561, 365(h), 546(h), or 365(i)(2)], if a creditor offsets a mutual debt owing to the debtor against a claim against the debtor on or within 90 days before the date of the filing of the petition, then the trustee may recover from such creditor the amount so offset to the extent that any insufficiency on the date of such setoff is less than the insufficiency on the later of--
      (A) 90 days before the date of the filing of the petition; and
      (B) the first date during the 90 days immediately preceding the date of the filing of the petition on which there is an insufficiency.
   (2) In this subsection, "insufficiency" means amount, if any, by which a claim against the debtor exceeds a mutual debt owing to the debtor by the holder of such claim.
 
(c) For the purposes of this section, the debtor is presumed to have been insolvent on and during the 90 days immediately preceding the date of the filing of the petition.

§ 554.  Abandonment of Property of the Estate

(a) After notice and a hearing, the trustee may abandon any property of the estate that is burdensome to the estate or that is of inconsequential value and benefit to the estate.
 
(b) On request of a party in interest and after notice and a hearing, the court may order the trustee to abandon any property of the estate that is burdensome to the estate or that is of inconsequential value and benefit to the estate.
 
(c) Unless the court orders otherwise, any property scheduled under section 521(1) of this title not otherwise administered at the time of the closing of a case is abandoned to the debtor and administered for purposes of section 350 of this title [11 USCS § 350].
 
(d) Unless the court orders otherwise, property of the estate that is not abandoned under this section and that is not ad-ministered in the case remains property of the estate.
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