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Case Citation
Legal Case Name

RBS Citizens, N.A. f/k/a Citizens Bank of Rhode Island v. Ouhrabka Case Brief

Supreme Court of Vermont2011Docket #32675
190 Vt. 251 2011 VT 86 30 A.3d 1266 2011 Vt. LEXIS 87

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed that property held by a married couple as tenants by the entirety cannot be attached by a creditor for the individual debt of only one spouse.

Legal Significance: This case reaffirms the continued validity and protective nature of tenancy by the entirety in Vermont, shielding marital property from the separate debts of one spouse, absent fraud.

RBS Citizens, N.A. f/k/a Citizens Bank of Rhode Island v. Ouhrabka Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Appellee Jan Ouhrabka executed a personal guaranty, making him personally liable for loans to his company, Providence Chain Co. The company subsequently went into receivership, owing appellant RBS Citizens, N.A. (RBS) over $15,000,000, with Ouhrabka’s unlimited guaranty potentially covering an estimated $10,000,000. Ouhrabka and his wife owned property in Vermont as tenants by the entirety. This property was listed on Ouhrabka’s personal financial statement. RBS sought a prejudgment writ of attachment against this Vermont property to satisfy Ouhrabka’s individual debt. Ouhrabka’s wife was not a party to the guaranty nor a debtor to RBS. The trial court denied the writ, holding that Vermont common law prevents a creditor of a single debtor from attaching property owned by the debtor and a non-debtor spouse as tenants by the entirety. RBS appealed, arguing tenancy by the entirety is an anachronism and Vermont law does not explicitly preclude such attachment.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does Vermont law permit a creditor of an individual debtor spouse to attach real property owned by the debtor and their non-debtor spouse as tenants by the entirety?

No. The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s denial of the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliqu

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Legal Issue

Does Vermont law permit a creditor of an individual debtor spouse to attach real property owned by the debtor and their non-debtor spouse as tenants by the entirety?

Conclusion

The case strongly reaffirms the enduring protection afforded by tenancy by the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad min

Legal Rule

Under Vermont common law, property held by spouses as tenants by the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse c

Legal Analysis

The Court rejected RBS's argument that tenancy by the entirety is an Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt

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