As with every other Bankruptcy Code chapter, except chapter 9, an estate comes into being once a debtor files a petition for relief under chapter 13. But in chapter 13, the estate operates quite differently from chapter 7. The relevant distinctions generally involve who is in charge of estate property and precisely what property belongs to the estate.

I. The Chapter 13 Standing Trustee

As you may recall from another lesson, in chapter 7, the appointed or elected bankruptcy trustee takes control...