Upon the filing of the petition, funds on deposit at a bank become property of the estate held by a third party and are subject to the turnover provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 542. In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28 (Bkrtcy.N.D.Tex., Lubbock D. 1983); 4 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶¶ 541.11 and 542.11 (15th Ed. 1984). However, this section excludes from a turnover the amount of any setoff. 11 U.S.C. § 542(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) or (d) of this section, an entity that owes a debt that is property of the estate and that is matured, payable on demand, or payable on order, shall pay such debt to, or on the order of, the trustee, except to the extent that such debt may be offset under section 553 of this title against a claim against the debtor.
11 U.S.C. § 506(a). In In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28 (Bankr.N.D.Texas 1983), the debtor owed the bank $420,000.00. On the same day that she filed her chapter 11 bankruptcy petition, she requested the bank to cash a certificate of deposit for $8,000.00.
If a creditor does not obtain relief from the automatic stay prior to exercising its right of set-off, a creditor violates the automatic stay provisions. In re Hoffman, 51 B.R. at 45; In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28, 30 (Bankr.N.D.Tex. 1983). Therefore, when a bankruptcy is filed, a bank claiming a right of set-off in a debtor's account may be faced with a dilemma — whether it should turn over proceeds of debtor's account or whether it should exercise its set-off rights in violation of the automatic stay.
The Debtor's use of this cash collateral is absolutely prohibited by the terms of Section 363 unless the creditor affirmatively consents to use of the cash collateral; or the Court, after notice and a hearing, authorizes such use in accordance with Section 363(c). In Re Archer, 34 B.R. 28, 30 (Bankr.N.D.Tex. 1983). Because of this Court's determination that the Bank has a valid right of offset, William's cause of action for a turnover must be denied in its entirety.
See Citizens Bank of Md. v. Strumpf, 516 U.S. 16, 20, 116 S.Ct. 286, 133 L.Ed.2d 258 (1995) (noting that requiring a creditor immediately to turnover funds on account "would divest the creditor of the very thing that supports the right of setoff"); In re Mauch Chunk Brewing Co., 131 F.2d 48, 49 (3d Cir. 1942) (finding that when trustee withdrew funds from account with bank's knowledge of bankruptcy filing, bank's acquiescence was "tantamount to renunciation of its privilege of setoff"). If BOTW loses this preference action, it might be able revive its right of setoff given "court[s] may remedy the effect of an inadvertent, involuntary or improper dissipation of the creditor's interest." Collier ¶ 553.07; see also In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28, 31 (Bankr. N.D. Tex. 1983) (finding where bank had mistakenly turned over property it did not intentionally waive its right of setoff). Still, even allowing for that possibility, it would not be reasonable to assume the trustee had an incentive to challenge the deposit from the outset of this proceeding.
See Tex. Commerce Bank-Hurst, N.A. v. United States, 703 F.Supp. 592, 594-95 (N.D.Texas, 1988), aff'd. sub nom., Texas Commerce Bank-Fort Worth, N.A. v. United States, 896 F.2d 152 (5th Cir. 1990); In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28, 30 (Bankr.N.D.Tex. 1983); Shearson Lehman Bros., Inc. v. Resolution Trust Corp., No. 05-93-00527-CV, 1994 WL 60907, *3 (Tex.App.-Dallas, Feb.23, 1994, no pet.) (not designated for publication). The Tax Court held that the debt was cancelled in 1987, the year the maturity date of the latest AGI note passed with no payment on the loan.
A primary purpose of the automatic stay provision is to afford debtors in Chapter 11 reorganizations an opportunity to continue their businesses with their available assets. H.R. Rep. No. 595, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. 183 (1977), reprinted in 1978 U.S. Code Cong. Admin. News at 6144; In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28, 29-30 (Bankr.N.D.Tex. 1983). Small Business Admin. v. Rinehart, 887 F.2d 165, 166 (8th Cir. 1989) (Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding).
In re Chick Smith Ford, 46 B.R. at 518; see, e.g., In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28 (Bankr.N.D.Tex. 1983) (fully liquidated and undisputed bank deposits to be offset against outstanding loan); see also In re Welch, 29 B.R. 819 (Bankr.M.D.Tenn. 1982).
A primary purpose of the automatic stay provision is to afford debtors in Chapter 11 reorganizations an opportunity to continue their businesses with their available assets. H.R. Rep. No. 595, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. 183 (1977), reprinted in 1978 U.S. code Cong. Admin. news at 6144; In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28, 29-30 (Bankr.N.D.Tex. 1983). The farm program payments held by the SBA in this case represented deficiency corn crop payments for the 1986 crop year.
For this reason, we rule that NHEC, under the circumstances and notwithstanding the enforced payment of its prepetition debt to PubServ, retained standing to press its alleged offsetting claim. Cf. In re Archer, 34 B.R. 28, 30-31 (Bankr.N.D.Tex. 1983). Setoffs — Generally