U.S. Code > Title 11 Bankruptcy > CHAPTER 7—LIQUIDATION (§§ 701—784) > SUBCHAPTER IV—COMMODITY BROKER LIQUIDATION (§§ 761—767) > § 766. Treatment of customer property

§ 766. Treatment of customer property

(a) The trustee shall answer all margin calls with respect to a specifically identifiable commodity contract of a customer until such time as the trustee returns or transfers such commodity contract, but the trustee may not make a margin payment that has the effect of a distribution to such customer of more than that to which such customer is entitled under subsection (h) or (i) of this section.
(b) The trustee shall prevent any open commodity contract from remaining open after the last day of trading in such commodity contract, or into the first day on which notice of intent to deliver on such commodity contract may be tendered, whichever occurs first. With respect to any commodity contract that has remained open after the last day of trading in such commodity contract or with respect to which delivery must be made or accepted under the rules of the contract market on which such commodity contract was made, the trustee may operate the business of the debtor for the purpose of—
(1) accepting or making tender of notice of intent to deliver the physical commodity underlying such commodity contract;
(2) facilitating delivery of such commodity; or
(3) disposing of such commodity if a party to such commodity contract defaults.
(c) The trustee shall return promptly to a customer any specifically identifiable security, property, or commodity contract to which such customer is entitled, or shall transfer, on such customer’s behalf, such security, property, or commodity contract to a commodity broker that is not a debtor under this title, subject to such rules or regulations as the Commission may prescribe, to the extent that the value of such security, property, or commodity contract does not exceed the amount to which such customer would be entitled under subsection (h) or (i) of this section if such security, property, or commodity contract were not returned or transferred under this subsection.
(d) If the value of a specifically identifiable security, property, or commodity contract exceeds the amount to which the customer of the debtor is entitled under subsection (h) or (i) of this section, then such customer to whom such security, property, or commodity contract is specifically identified may deposit cash with the trustee equal to the difference between the value of such security, property, or commodity contract and such amount, and the trustee then shall—
(1) return promptly such security, property, or commodity contract to such customer; or
(2) transfer, on such customer’s behalf, such security, property, or commodity contract to a commodity broker that is not a debtor under this title, subject to such rules or regulations as the Commission may prescribe.
(e) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the trustee shall liquidate any commodity contract that—
(1) is identified to a particular customer and with respect to which such customer has not timely instructed the trustee as to the desired disposition of such commodity contract;
(2) cannot be transferred under subsection (c) of this section; or
(3) cannot be identified to a particular customer.
(f) As soon as practicable after the commencement of the case, the trustee shall reduce to money, consistent with good market practice, all securities and other property, other than commodity contracts, held as property of the estate, except for specifically identifiable securities or property distributable under subsection (h) or (i) of this section.
(g) The trustee may not distribute a security or other property except under subsection (h) or (i) of this section.
(h) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the trustee shall distribute customer property ratably to customers on the basis and to the extent of such customers’ allowed net equity claims, and in priority to all other claims, except claims of a kind specified in section 507 (a)(2) of this title that are attributable to the administration of customer property. Such distribution shall be in the form of—
(1) cash;
(2) the return or transfer, under subsection (c) or (d) of this section, of specifically identifiable customer securities, property, or commodity contracts; or
(3) payment of margin calls under subsection (a) of this section.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, a customer net equity claim based on a proprietary account, as defined by Commission rule, regulation, or order, may not be paid either in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of customer property unless all other customer net equity claims have been paid in full.
(i) If the debtor is a clearing organization, the trustee shall distribute—
(1) customer property, other than member property, ratably to customers on the basis and to the extent of such customers’ allowed net equity claims based on such customers’ accounts other than proprietary accounts, and in priority to all other claims, except claims of a kind specified in section 507 (a)(2) of this title that are attributable to the administration of such customer property; and
(2) member property ratably to customers on the basis and to the extent of such customers’ allowed net equity claims based on such customers’ proprietary accounts, and in priority to all other claims, except claims of a kind specified in section 507 (a)(2) of this title that are attributable to the administration of member property or customer property.
(j)
(1) The trustee shall distribute customer property in excess of that distributed under subsection (h) or (i) of this section in accordance with section 726 of this title.
(2) Except as provided in section 510 of this title, if a customer is not paid the full amount of such customer’s allowed net equity claim from customer property, the unpaid portion of such claim is a claim entitled to distribution under section 726 of this title.