In re Case No. 00-33150-7, Zimmermann

¶1 Pursuant to Rule 44, M.R.App.P., the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Montana certified seven questions to this Court concerning the ability of joint debtors in a bankruptcy proceeding to claim personal property exemptions. We accepted the certified questions by order dated May 22, 2001. Rule 44(d), M.R.App.P., authorizes us to reformulate certified questions.

¶2 This case arises from three bankruptcy proceedings. In each proceeding, a married couple filed a joint bankruptcy petition and each spouse claimed a separate set of personal property exemptions pursuant to §…