A bankruptcy trustee may avoid prospective liability for premises liability on property of the bankrupt estate by abandoning the property to the debtor. However, the abandonment will not operate retrospectively to absolve the trustee of liability for injuries a visitor to the property suffered before the trustee abandoned the property. Also, the Barton doctrine (Barton v. Barbour (1881) 104 U.S. 126) did not require the plaintiff to seek permission from the bankruptcy court to sue the trustee because 28 USC 959 provides that trustees, receivers and the like may be sued without leave of the court appointing them, with respect to any of their acts or transactions in carrying on business connected with the property they hold. The Barton doctrine applies when the suit challenges conduct by the trustee acting in a manner consistent with liquidating the assets of the bankruptcy estate and doing nothing more, but not when the trustee is conducting a business, as was true in this instance–the trustee rented out dwelling units on the property where the injury occurred.