IN RE MURDOCK (Bankr.E.D.N.C. 7-23-2010)

CASE NO. 09-03734-8-JRL.United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. North Carolina, Raleigh Division.
July 23, 2010

ORDER
J. LEONARD, Bankruptcy Judge

This case is before the court on the debtor’s motion for determination regarding unclaimed funds subject to writ of execution. A hearing took place in Raleigh, North Carolina on July 13, 2010.

The debtor filed a petition for relief under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code on May 6, 2009. On September 17, 2009, the court ordered HFC/Beneficial to pay sanctions for willful violations of the automatic stay of $5,000, with additional sanctions accruing at $100 per day for failure to pay within 20 days. Despite receiving notice of the order at multiple addresses provided by the lender, HFC/Beneficial failed to comply with the order. A writ of execution was issued on May 13, 2010. The Clerk of United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District

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of North Carolina holds unclaimed funds under various names associated with HFC/Beneficial.[1] To demonstrate that the names associated with the unclaimed funds are aliases of the named respondent, the debtor presented the official Form 10-K for 2008 of HSBC Finance Corporation and the official form 6-K for March 2009 of HSBC Holdings PLC. The corporate history in the 10-K states that HSBC operated as HFC for most of its history, was acquired by HSBC Holdings plc, and eventually changed its name to HSBC Finance Corporation.[2] The 6-K announces that HSBC will discontinue operating its consumer lending branches, officially branded as HFC and Beneficial, and provides that HSBC’s remaining US subsidiaries — HSBC Finance, HSBC Bank, and HSBC Finance Corporation — will continue operating. A variety of newspaper and online articles link HSBC to Beneficial Finance/Beneficial Finance Corporation; HSBC announced in June of 2009 that it would shut down its British sub-prime division, HFC, including its subsidiary Beneficial Finance. The public record confirms that Beneficial Finance ceased to operate in July 2009, and Beneficial Finance’s corporate website directs inquiries to HFC Bank.

Based on the record, the debtor’s motion to determine which unclaimed funds are subject to execution is GRANTED as to funds held in the name of HFC, HFC/Beneficial, Beneficial, Beneficial Inc., Beneficial Finance, and Beneficial Finance Co.. The attached Exhibit A identifies by case number the unclaimed funds subject to the writ of execution.

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EXHIBIT A

0-15 MELVIN, Anthony Melvin $ 345.20 Beneficial
Latonia Johnson

P O Box 9055
0-1632 MATTHEW VANBUREN $ 93.44 Beneficial Brandon, FL 33509-
BASSETT 0955

0-6151 Cotton, Donnie Ray and $ 34.71 Beneficial
Majorie Johnson

1-71 Hood, Burnette Hedgepeth $ 43.21 Beneficial

2-5349 RAYMOND LEE OWENS $ 68.74 Beneficial

3-8939 Boseman, Anthony Wade and $ 40.02 Beneficial
Denise Lavina

4-893 Boyd, Cathy C. $ 46.37 Beneficial

4-3619 Jackson, Willie Elgin $ 191.95 Beneficial

961 WEIGEL AVE
4-6503 STEVEN LEWIS COOMBS $ 188.73 BENEFICIAL ELMHURST, IL
60126

1301 E. Tower Rd.
6-105 RUBY E COLVILLE $ 130.51 Beneficial Schaumburg, IL
60173

1301 E Tower Rd
6-105 RUBY E COLVILLE $ 248.84 Beneficial Schaumburg, IL
60173

95-2306 QUIN P. NANCY SMITH $ 43.07 Beneficial
O’QUIN

96-1669 PAUL MARY DIAVOLIKIS $ 30.92 Beneficial

1401 SE Maynard
RD STE H
97-2142 JAMES H MILLS $ 53.55 Beneficial Cary, NC 27511-
6924

1401 SE Maynard
Rd STE H
97-2142 JAMES H MILLS $ 54.00 Beneficial Cary, NC 27511-
6924

97-4552 Huffman, Garry and Teresa $ 39.63 Beneficial
Sawyer

97-4611 PAQUETTE, Bradley John $ 31.49 Beneficial
Novemberann M.

98-5085 Britt, Dwight Keith and Lisa $ 82.03 Beneficial
C.

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98-1226 BEAMON, Sidney Bruce $ 45.50 Beneficial Fin.
Cammie Atkinson

84-1321 TERRY RETHA MAE LITTLE $ 48.00 Beneficial Finance
BLOUNT

215 BERKELEY
88-441 DON A. GLADYS A. $ 131.00 BENEFICIAL BLVD
TADLOCK FINANCE GOLDSBORO, NC
27530

95-3044 BOBBY GENE TONYA $ 34.43 Beneficial Finance
DENISE HOLTS

96-1966 THOMAS LOOMIS LISA $ 72.66 Beneficial Finance
MARIE PUGH

96-2645 JASON O’DAY KELLY ANN $ 36.00 Beneficial Finance
BAKER

96-4409 ROGER C. CLYDER S. $ 45.84 Beneficial Finance
WELLS

96-6479 JOHN ABRAHAM, III GAY Y. $ 46.85 Beneficial Finance
TUCKER

97-3743 MOSBY, Karen Rene’ $ 91.66 Beneficial Finance

97-5495 JEFFREYS, Michelle J. $ 58.00 Beneficial Finance

98-46 DANIELS, Karen $ 46.26 Beneficial Finance

98-1217 REGINALD ANGELA WYCHE $ 30.88 Beneficial Finance

98-4381 COLEY, James Roy $ 38.81 Beneficial Finance

98-5279 JONES, David A. and Sally M. $ 74.56 Beneficial Finance

90-2780 JAMES LINDA McFADDEN $ 149.06 BENEFICIAL
FINANCE CO.

95-957 SANDRA OWEN $ 33.03 Beneficial Finance
Co.

95-1398 BETTY WATSON $ 34.90 Beneficial Finance
Co.

95-1398 BETTY WATSON $ 79.47 Beneficial Finance
Co.

96-597 KENNETH DESADRA $ 133.41 Beneficial Finance
LEONARD Co.

96-716 RANDY GRIFFIN $ 53.51 Beneficial Finance
Co.

96-1201 DONALD CARRINGTON $ 39.81 Beneficial Finance
Co.

97-342 JASON AMY NAPIER $ 41.87 Beneficial Finance
Co.

97-498 RANDY KIMBERLY OAKLEY $ 59.64 Beneficial Finance
Co.

97-1843 ROY CYNTHIA CAMPBELL $ 26.80 Beneficial Finance

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Co.

97-2188 DEVI WILSON $ 76.83 Beneficial Finance
Co.

96-4927 RAY M. LETHA M. LEWIS $ 28.21 Beneficial
Financial

97-1682 MCLAURIN, Annie Neal $ 90.45 Beneficial
Financial

96-597 KENNETH DESADRA $ 28.89 Beneficial Inc.
LEONARD

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4-3087 DIANA SENNET-FENN $ 99.84 HFC 1301 E. Tower Rd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173

1301 E Tower Rd
3-8300 JOYCE JONES $ 43.36 HFC/BENEFICIAL Payment Processing
Schaumburg, IL 60173

1301 E Tower Rd
3-9619 COREY JAMES ATKINSON $ 49.49 HFC/BENEFICIAL Payment Processing
Schaumburg, IL 60173

SO ORDERED.