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N.C. Gen. Stat. § 39-23.8

Defenses, liability, and protection of transferee or obligee

Redline — April 1, 2022 → current.View current text →
Current — June 1, 2022
As of April 1, 2022
(1) A transfer or obligation is not voidable under G.S. 39-23.4(a)(1) against a person that took in good faith and for a reasonably equivalent value given the debtor or against any subsequent transferee or obligee.
(1) A transfer or obligation is not voidable under G.S. 39-23.4(a)(1) against a person that took in good faith and for a reasonably equivalent value given the debtor or against any subsequent transferee or obligee.
(2) To the extent a transfer is avoidable in an action by a creditor under G.S. 39-23.7(a)(1), the following rules apply: Except as otherwise provided in this section, the creditor may recover judgment for the value of the asset transferred, as adjusted under subsection (c) of this section, or the amount necessary to satisfy the creditor’s claim, whichever is less. The judgment may be entered against any of the following: The first transferee of the asset or the person for whose benefit the transfer was made.
(2) To the extent a transfer is avoidable in an action by a creditor under G.S. 39-23.7(a)(1), the following rules apply: Except as otherwise provided in this section, the creditor may recover judgment for the value of the asset transferred, as adjusted under subsection (c) of this section, or the amount necessary to satisfy the creditor’s claim, whichever is less. The judgment may be entered against any of the following: The first transferee of the asset or the person for whose benefit the transfer was made.
(3) An immediate or mediate transferee of the first transferee, other than any of the following: A good-faith transferee that took for value.
(3) An immediate or mediate transferee of the first transferee, other than any of the following: A good-faith transferee that took for value.
(4) An immediate or mediate good-faith transferee of a person described in sub-sub-subdivision 1. of this sub-subdivision.
(4) An immediate or mediate good-faith transferee of a person described in sub-sub-subdivision 1. of this sub-subdivision.
(5) Subsection (c) has no analogue in Bankruptcy Code § 550(a), (b) (1984). The measure of the recovery of a creditor against a transferee is usually limited to the value of the asset transferred at the time of the transfer. See, e.g., United States v. Fernon, 640 F.2d 609, 611 (5th Cir. 1981); Hamilton Nat’l Bank of Boston v. Halstead, 134 N.Y. 520, 31 N.E. 900 (1892); cf. Buffum v. Peter Barceloux Co., 289 U.S. 227 (1932) (transferee’s objection to trial court’s award of highest value of asset between the date of the transfer and the date of the decree of avoidance rejected because an award measured by value as of time of the transfer plus interest from that date would have been larger). The premise of § 8(c) is that changes in value of the asset transferred that occur after the transfer should ordinarily not affect the amount of the creditor’s recovery. Circumstances may require a departure from that measure of the recovery, however, as the cases decided under the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act and other laws derived from the Statute of 13 Elizabeth illustrate. Thus, if the value of the asset at the time of levy and sale to enforce the judgment of the creditor has been enhanced by improvements of the asset transferred or discharge of liens on the property, a good-faith transferee should be reimbursed for the outlay for such a purpose to the extent the sale proceeds were increased thereby. See Bankruptcy Code § 550(d) (1984); Janson v. Schier, 375 A.2d 1159, 1160 (N.H. 1977); Anno., 8 A.L.R. 527 (1920). If the value of the asset at the time of the transfer has been diminished by severance and disposition of timber or minerals or fixtures, the transferee should be liable for the amount of the resulting reduction. See Damazo v. Wahby, 269 Md. 252, 257, 305 A.2d 138, 142 (1973). If the transferee has collected rents, harvested crops, or derived other income from the use or occupancy of the asset after the transfer, the liability of the transferee should be limited in any event to the net income after deduction of the expense incurred in earning the income. Anno., 60 A.L.R.2d 593 (1958). On the other hand, adjustment for the equities does not warrant an award to the creditor of consequential damages alleged to accrue from mismanagement of the asset after the transfer.
(6) Subsection (d) is an adaptation of Bankruptcy Code § 548(c) (1984). An insider that receives property or an obligation from an insolvent debtor as security for or in satisfaction of an antecedent debt of the transferor or obligor is not a good-faith transferee or obligee if the insider has reasonable cause to believe that the debtor was insolvent at the time the transfer was made or the obligation was incurred. If a foreclosure sale is voidable and does not qualify for the benefit of § 3(b) or § 8(e)(2) because it was not conducted in accordance with the requirements of applicable law, the buyer, if in good faith, will still be entitled to the benefit of subsection (d) to the extent of the price paid by the buyer.
(7) Subsection (e)(1) rejects the rule adopted in Darby v. Atkinson (In re Farris), 415 F. Supp. 33, 39-41 (W.D.Okla. 1976), that termination of a lease on default in accordance with its terms and applicable law may constitute a voidable transfer.
(8) Subsection (f) provides additional defenses against the avoidance of a preferential transfer to an insider under § 5(b).
(9) Subsections (g) and (h) were added in 2014. Sections 2(b), 4(c), 5(c), 8(g), and 8(h) together provide uniform rules on burdens and standards of proof relating to the operation of this Act. The principles stated in Comment 11 to § 4 apply to subsections (g) and (h).
(10) The provisions of § 8 are integral elements of the rights created by this Act. Accordingly, they should apply if this Act is invoked in a bankruptcy proceeding pursuant to Bankruptcy Code § 544(b) (2014). That follows from the fundamental principle that property rights in bankruptcy should be the same as outside bankruptcy, unless a federal interest compels a different result. See Butner v. United States, 440 U.S. 48, 55 (1979). Section 8(b) limits damages under this Act to the amount of the plaintiff creditor’s claim, and that limitation is overridden in bankruptcy by the rule of Moore v. Bay, 284 U.S. 4 (1931), which Congress unmistakably maintained when it enacted the Bankruptcy Code. In the absence of a clear override by the Bankruptcy Code or other federal law, however, other aspects of § 8 should apply if this Act is invoked in bankruptcy. See, e.g., Decker v. Tramiel (In re JTS Corp.), 617 F.3d 1102, 1110-16 (9th Cir. 2010) (holding that § 8(d) applies to a claim for relief brought under this Act in a bankruptcy proceeding pursuant to Bankruptcy Code § 544(b)).
(11) Recovery pursuant to G.S. 39-23.7(a)(1) or G.S. 39-23.7(b) of or from the asset transferred or its proceeds, by levy or otherwise, is available only against a person described in sub-subdivision a. or b. of subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(5) Recovery pursuant to G.S. 39-23.7(a)(1) or G.S. 39-23.7(b) of or from the asset transferred or its proceeds, by levy or otherwise, is available only against a person described in sub-subdivision a. or b. of subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(12) If the judgment under subsection (b) of this section is based upon the value of the asset transferred, the judgment shall be for an amount equal to the value of the asset at the time of the transfer, subject to adjustment as the equities may require.
(6) If the judgment under subsection (b) of this section is based upon the value of the asset transferred, the judgment shall be for an amount equal to the value of the asset at the time of the transfer, subject to adjustment as the equities may require.
(13) Notwithstanding voidability of a transfer or an obligation under this Article, a good-faith transferee or obligee is entitled, to the extent of the value given the debtor for the transfer or obligation, to any of the following: A lien on or a right to retain an interest in the asset transferred.
(7) Notwithstanding voidability of a transfer or an obligation under this Article, a good-faith transferee or obligee is entitled, to the extent of the value given the debtor for the transfer or obligation, to any of the following: A lien on or a right to retain an interest in the asset transferred.
(14) Enforcement of an obligation incurred.
(8) Enforcement of an obligation incurred.
(15) A reduction in the amount of the liability on the judgment.
(9) A reduction in the amount of the liability on the judgment.
(16) A transfer is not voidable under G.S. 39-23.4(a)(2) or G.S. 39-23.5 if the transfer results from one or more of the following: Termination of a lease upon default by the debtor when the termination is pursuant to the lease and applicable law.
(10) A transfer is not voidable under G.S. 39-23.4(a)(2) or G.S. 39-23.5 if the transfer results from one or more of the following: Termination of a lease upon default by the debtor when the termination is pursuant to the lease and applicable law.
(17) Enforcement of a security interest in compliance with Article 9 of Chapter 25 of the General Statutes, the Uniform Commercial Code, other than acceptance of collateral in full or partial satisfaction of the obligation it secures.
(11) Enforcement of a security interest in compliance with Article 9 of Chapter 25 of the General Statutes, the Uniform Commercial Code, other than acceptance of collateral in full or partial satisfaction of the obligation it secures.
(18) The payment of taxes, debts, fines, penalties, or other obligations or amounts to the State or to any political subdivision of the State.
(12) The payment of taxes, debts, fines, penalties, or other obligations or amounts to the State or to any political subdivision of the State.
(19) A transfer is not voidable under G.S. 39-23.5(b): To the extent the insider gave new value to or for the benefit of the debtor after the transfer was made, except to the extent the new value was secured by a valid lien;
(13) A transfer is not voidable under G.S. 39-23.5(b): To the extent the insider gave new value to or for the benefit of the debtor after the transfer was made, except to the extent the new value was secured by a valid lien;
(20) If made in the ordinary course of business or financial affairs of the debtor and the insider; or
(14) If made in the ordinary course of business or financial affairs of the debtor and the insider; or
(21) If made pursuant to a good-faith effort to rehabilitate the debtor, and the transfer secured present value given for that purpose as well as an antecedent debt of the debtor.
(15) If made pursuant to a good-faith effort to rehabilitate the debtor, and the transfer secured present value given for that purpose as well as an antecedent debt of the debtor.
(22) The following rules determine the burden of proving matters referred to in this section: A party that seeks to invoke subsection (a), (d), (e), or (f) of this section has the burden of proving the applicability of that subsection.
(16) The following rules determine the burden of proving matters referred to in this section: A party that seeks to invoke subsection (a), (d), (e), or (f) of this section has the burden of proving the applicability of that subsection.
(23) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (3) and (4) of this subsection, the creditor has the burden of proving each applicable element of subsection (b) or (c) of this section.
(17) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (3) and (4) of this subsection, the creditor has the burden of proving each applicable element of subsection (b) or (c) of this section.
(24) The transferee has the burden of proving the applicability to the transferee of sub-sub-subdivision (b)(1)b.1. or 2. of this section.
(18) The transferee has the burden of proving the applicability to the transferee of sub-sub-subdivision (b)(1)b.1. or 2. of this section.
(25) A party that seeks adjustment under subsection (c) of this section has the burden of proving the adjustment.
(19) A party that seeks adjustment under subsection (c) of this section has the burden of proving the adjustment.
(26) The standard of proof required to establish matters referred to in this section is preponderance of the evidence.
(20) The standard of proof required to establish matters referred to in this section is preponderance of the evidence.

Official source: North Carolina General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain North Carolina statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.