Personal liability of the borrower on an otherwise nonrecourse debt, triggered by the occurrence of a stated contingency such as a bankruptcy filing by the borrower. Section 365(e)(1) invalidates ipso facto clauses in executory contracts and unexpired leases, but a debt instrument qualifies as neither. Nevertheless, in some instances bankruptcy courts have refused to enforce ipso facto clauses beyond the context of executory contracts and unexpired leases. Whether a court would enforce a springing recourse provision triggered by the borrower’s bankruptcy filing is not a settled question of law. Springing recourse is unlike a Springing Guaranty where the borrower’s filing creates recourse for a third party guarantor and not the borrower/debtor itself. Note also that such a “springing recourse” provision is sometimes unnecessary in Chapter 11 because, under certain circumstances, Section 1111(b)(1)(A) converts nonrecourse debt to recourse for purposes of a Chapter 11 case. But Section 1111 does not confer that benefit in a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case.
See also Exploding Guaranty, Ipso Facto Clause/Provision, Special (or Single) Purpose Bankruptcy Remote Entity, Springing Guaranty.