As the old saying goes—interesting facts make interesting law. In this post-great recession era where mortgage lenders are carefully scrutinizing borrowers for credit worthiness and have tightened underwriting criteria, the assumption is that they know the identity of their borrowers, and if the mortgaged property is transferred, the lender can demand payment of its loan.

Today we review a situation where a 50% interest in mortgaged commercial real estate was transferred without the consent of the lender, and the new tenant-in-common owner subsequently filed a Chapter 11 case and attempted to modify the payment terms of the mortgage loan to which he is not a party. Can this be done in bankruptcy? And what happens to the nondebtor 50% tenant-in-common borrower under the loan?