Leonard D. Bronk v. John M. Cirilli

SYKES, Circuit Judge.

This bankruptcy appeal raises two questions of first impression under a Wisconsin statute that permits resident debtors to shield certain property from execution by creditors. See generally 11 U.S.C. § 522(b); Wis. Stat. § 815.18. The first question concerns the scope of the statutory exemption for state-qualified college savings accounts. See Wis. Stat. § 815.18(3)(p) (exempting “[a]n interest in a college savings account under s. 16.641”). The bankruptcy judge read the statute narrowly to cover only the interest of account beneficiaries, not account oumers, and refused…