Title 11BankruptcyRelease 119-73

§557 Expedited determination of interests in, and abandonment or other disposition of grain assets

Title 11 › Chapter CHAPTER 5— - CREDITORS, THE DEBTOR, AND THE ESTATE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - THE ESTATE › § 557

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Courts must speed up how they decide who owns grain and how to sell, give away, or use grain when the bankrupt person owns or runs a grain storage facility. The court can act on its own, and must act if the trustee or someone claiming an interest asks. The court will cut short normal deadlines and set a timetable that usually must end within 120 days, unless extra time is needed for fairness and not hurting claimants. When deciding how fast to move, the court looks at things like the need for a quick answer or sale, the grain market, storage conditions, storage costs, fair chance for people to claim an interest, and the orderly handling of the estate. Grain means wheat, corn, flaxseed, grain sorghum, barley, oats, rye, soybeans, other dry edible beans, or rice. A grain storage facility is a place where grain is regularly kept for farmers or for resale. A producer is someone who grows grain. The fast process covers claims of ownership, proofs of claim, turnover or use requests, lifting stays, deciding secured status, appointing trustees or examiners, and selling, abandoning, or distributing grain. Regulators with jurisdiction must get notice and can be heard, and trustees must consult them before disposing of grain. Trustees may recover reasonable preservation or sale costs from the grain, and trustee fee limits count the value of grain given out instead of cash. If a debtor holds more than 10,000 bushels of one type of grain, the trustee must sell it and distribute the proceeds under these rules. If an order is not put on hold during appeal, actions taken under it stay valid and the case may continue.

Full Legal Text

Title 11, §557

Bankruptcy — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)This section applies only in a case concerning a debtor that owns or operates a grain storage facility and only with respect to grain and the proceeds of grain. This section does not affect the application of any other section of this title to property other than grain and proceeds of grain.
(b)In this section—
(1)“grain” means wheat, corn, flaxseed, grain sorghum, barley, oats, rye, soybeans, other dry edible beans, or rice;
(2)“grain storage facility” means a site or physical structure regularly used to store grain for producers, or to store grain acquired from producers for resale; and
(3)“producer” means an entity which engages in the growing of grain.
(c)(1)Notwithstanding section 362, 363, 365, and 554 of this title, on the court’s own motion the court may, and on the request of the trustee or an entity that claims an interest in grain or the proceeds of grain the court shall, expedite the procedures for the determination of interests in and the disposition of grain and the proceeds of grain, by shortening to the greatest extent feasible such time periods as are otherwise applicable for such procedures and by establishing, by order, a timetable having a duration of not to exceed 120 days for the completion of the applicable procedure specified in subsection (d) of this section. Such time periods and such timetable may be modified by the court, for cause, in accordance with subsection (f) of this section.
(2)The court shall determine the extent to which such time periods shall be shortened, based upon—
(A)any need of an entity claiming an interest in such grain or the proceeds of grain for a prompt determination of such interest;
(B)any need of such entity for a prompt disposition of such grain;
(C)the market for such grain;
(D)the conditions under which such grain is stored;
(E)the costs of continued storage or disposition of such grain;
(F)the orderly administration of the estate;
(G)the appropriate opportunity for an entity to assert an interest in such grain; and
(H)such other considerations as are relevant to the need to expedite such procedures in the case.
(d)The procedures that may be expedited under subsection (c) of this section include—
(1)the filing of and response to—
(A)a claim of ownership;
(B)a proof of claim;
(C)a request for abandonment;
(D)a request for relief from the stay of action against property under section 362(a) of this title;
(E)a request for determination of secured status;
(F)a request for determination of whether such grain or the proceeds of grain—
(i)is property of the estate;
(ii)must be turned over to the estate; or
(iii)may be used, sold, or leased; and
(G)any other request for determination of an interest in such grain or the proceeds of grain;
(2)the disposition of such grain or the proceeds of grain, before or after determination of interests in such grain or the proceeds of grain, by way of—
(A)sale of such grain;
(B)abandonment;
(C)distribution; or
(D)such other method as is equitable in the case;
(3)subject to section 701, 702, 703, 1104, 1183, 1202, and 1302 of this title, the appointment of a trustee or examiner and the retention and compensation of any professional person required to assist with respect to matters relevant to the determination of interests in or disposition of such grain or the proceeds of grain; and
(4)the determination of any dispute concerning a matter specified in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection.
(e)(1)Any governmental unit that has regulatory jurisdiction over the operation or liquidation of the debtor or the debtor’s business shall be given notice of any request made or order entered under subsection (c) of this section.
(2)Any such governmental unit may raise, and may appear and be heard on, any issue relating to grain or the proceeds of grain in a case in which a request is made, or an order is entered, under subsection (c) of this section.
(3)The trustee shall consult with such governmental unit before taking any action relating to the disposition of grain in the possession, custody, or control of the debtor or the estate.
(f)The court may extend the period for final disposition of grain or the proceeds of grain under this section beyond 120 days if the court finds that—
(1)the interests of justice so require in light of the complexity of the case; and
(2)the interests of those claimants entitled to distribution of grain or the proceeds of grain will not be materially injured by such additional delay.
(g)Unless an order establishing an expedited procedure under subsection (c) of this section, or determining any interest in or approving any disposition of grain or the proceeds of grain, is stayed pending appeal—
(1)the reversal or modification of such order on appeal does not affect the validity of any procedure, determination, or disposition that occurs before such reversal or modification, whether or not any entity knew of the pendency of the appeal; and
(2)neither the court nor the trustee may delay, due to the appeal of such order, any proceeding in the case in which such order is issued.
(h)(1)The trustee may recover from grain and the proceeds of grain the reasonable and necessary costs and expenses allowable under section 503(b) of this title attributable to preserving or disposing of grain or the proceeds of grain, but may not recover from such grain or the proceeds of grain any other costs or expenses.
(2)Notwithstanding section 326(a) of this title, the dollar amounts of money specified in such section include the value, as of the date of disposition, of any grain that the trustee distributes in kind.
(i)In all cases where the quantity of a specific type of grain held by a debtor operating a grain storage facility exceeds ten thousand bushels, such grain shall be sold by the trustee and the assets thereof distributed in accordance with the provisions of this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 116–54 inserted “1183,” after “1104,”. 1986—Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 99–554 inserted reference to section 1202 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2019 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 116–54 effective 180 days after Aug. 23, 2019, see section 5 of Pub. L. 116–54, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1986 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–554 effective 30 days after Oct. 27, 1986, but not applicable to cases commenced under this title before that date, see section 302(a), (c)(1) of Pub. L. 99–554, set out as a note under section 581 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Effective Date

Section effective with respect to cases filed 90 days after July 10, 1984, see section 552(a) of Pub. L. 98–353, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1984 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

11 U.S.C. § 557

Title 11Bankruptcy

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73