A debtor in possession or DIP in United States bankruptcy law is a person or corporation who has filed a

bankruptcy petition Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debto ...

, but remains in possession of property upon which a

creditor A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property ...

has a lien or similar security interest. A debtor becomes the debtor in possession after filing the bankruptcy petition.Friedland & Cahill, Jonathan P. & Christopher M. (2021). Commercial Bankruptcy Litigation. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Thomson Reuters. pp. §1:11. ISBN 978-1-539-23368-8. A corporation which continues to operate its business under Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings is a debtor in possession. Under certain circumstances, the debtor in possession may be able to keep the property by paying the creditor the fair market value, as opposed to the

contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tr ...

price. For example, where the property is a personal vehicle which has depreciated since the time of the purchase, and which the debtor needs to find or continue employment to pay off his debts, the debtor may pay the creditor for the fair market value of the car to keep it.

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