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Chapter 11 is the chapter of the Bankruptcy Code that permits a person or business to reorganize while obtaining protection from its creditors. Other Chapters include Chapter 7 (liquidation), Chapter 9 (municipal reorganization), and Chapter 13 (individual reorganization).

A voluntary Chapter 11 case is a Chapter 11 case filed by the debtor. An involuntary Chapter 11 case is a Chapter 11 case filed against the debtor by its creditors.

The bankruptcy court is required to charge a $1,167 case filing fee and a $550 miscellaneous administrative fee. The filing fee must be paid to the clerk of the bankruptcy court when the case is filed. In addition, there is a quarterly fee payable to the U.S. Trustee or bankruptcy administrator based on the amount disbursed during the quarter by the debtor for so long as the Chapter 11 case is pending until a plan is confirmed. The amount of the quarterly fee varies greatly, depending on the amount of money or property that is disbursed under the plan.

All voting on the acceptance or rejection of a plan is by class. The creditors in each class of impaired claims vote on whether the plan will be accepted by that class of claims. To be accepted by a class of claims, a plan must be accepted by creditors holding at least two-thirds (2/3) in dollar amount and one-half (1/2) in the number of the claims in the class that actually vote on the acceptance or rejection of the plan. The claims of those creditors in a class that chooses not to vote are not counted toward either the total dollar amount of the voting class creditors or the total number of class creditors voting. At least one class of impaired claims must vote to accept a plan before the plan can be confirmed by the court.

If the court decides not to confirm a Chapter 11 plan, it will usually permit the party proposing the plan to modify the plan so that it can be confirmed. If a Chapter 11 plan is modified, it is usually necessary to hold another confirmation hearing on the modified plan. If the court refuses to confirm any plan, the Chapter 11 case must either be dismissed or converted to Chapter 7.