Happy Earth Day, Texans! Texas is a beautiful state that we are lucky to call ‘home’. In order to protect our wonderful home, we need to make sure it is clean & taken care of. Below are ways that Texans can do their part to help keep our home clean, both on Earth Day AND all year long. Earth Day Celebrations Earth Day Texas – Dallas When: April 22-24, 2022 Where: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Time: 10 am – 6 pm Description: “The mother of all eco expos is held on three days and attracts thousands of visitors to Fair Park. Hundreds of exhibitors will be on hand, including environmental non-profits, businesses, academic institutions and government agencies aiming to raise the environmental consciousness of North Texans. There is also a full schedule of speakers, demonstrations and films at this free fest founded by Dallas philanthropist Trammell S. Crow.” Website: https://earthx.org/activities/ Plant A Seed For Earth Day – Fort Worth When: April 22, 2022 Where: Fort Worth Public Library Time: 4 pm – 5 pm Description: “At your library, you have a fun space for creativity and development. Bring and friend and learn how to care for it and see how a plant grows. As a destination for discovery, your Fort Worth Public Library is a location for learners of any age. This is a free event!” (Perfect for families!) Website: https://newsroom.heb.com/event/plant-a-seed-for-earth-day-fort-worth-public-library/ Earth Day at Woodlawn Lake Park – San Antonio When: April 23, 2022 Where: 1103 Cincinnati Ave. (Woodlawn Lake Park) Time: 10 am – 2 pm Description: “Celebrate Earth Day 2022 with San Antonio Parks and Recreation! This fun-filled event will feature over 50 environmental organizations, hands on family activities, free tree adoptions, engaging dance and musical performances, and lots more! Connect with representatives from local organizations whose work focuses on conservation, take a free Fitness in the Park class, and enjoy a healthy treat from one of our food vendors.” Website: https://www.sanantonio.gov/ParksAndRec/News-Events/Earth-Day Earth Day ATX 2022 – Austin When: April 23, 2022 Where: Huston-Tillotson University Time: 12 pm – 6 pm Description: “Earth Day Austin is the largest sustainability event in Central Texas. On April 23, 2022, thousands from the Austin Area and beyond will come to learn about conservation and sustainable solutions, celebrate our love for the environment, and get connected to the best and most innovative green businesses and organizations. Your business or organization should be right in the center of it. With family and friends, attendees explore rich, in-depth programming, exciting new activities and engaging exhibitions that allow them to discover new connections to the environment and environmental issues. Inspired by their experiences and interactions, participants are empowered to make new sustainable choices that enhance their lives while helping the planet.” Website: https://earthdayaustin.com/for-exhibitors-2-2/   ____________________________________________________________________   Earth Day, Every Day! Groundwork Dallas – Dallas When: Every Saturday Where: Event locations changing constantly. Click here for location. Time: 9 am – 12 pm Description: Join Groundwork Dallas every Saturday to help protect and clean Dallas! Website: https://greensourcedfw.org/events/groundwork-dallas-parks-cleanup-volunteer-opportunity-dallas-every-saturday   Organize A Litter Cleanup – Fort Worth When: Can be whichever date you choose Where: Can be whichever location you choose Time: Can be whichever time you choose Description: “Keep Fort Worth Beautiful supports volunteers by providing them with trash bags and gloves, which helps in their efforts to clean litter and have a positive impact on their community. KFWB typically provides the following supplies for a standard two-hour cleanup: One bag per adult volunteer One bag per two youth volunteers Gloves for all volunteers Equipment to help any volunteers who are elderly or who have disabilities (available upon request)” Website: Create your littler cleanup here: https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/code-compliance/kfwb/initiatives/litter   San Antonio River Authority – San Antonio When: Can be whichever date you choose Where: Can be whichever location you choose Time: Can be whichever time you choose Description: “Every year, the San Antonio River Authority, City of San Antonio, Bexar County, other governmental agencies, and volunteers pull tons of trash out of area creeks and rivers. A piece of trash you see on the sidewalk in your neighborhood or on the ground at an area park will likely end up in a local waterway. You can help make a difference. Don’t let litter trash your river!” Website: https://www.sariverauthority.org/trash-initiative/volunteer-toolkit   Keep Austin Beautiful – Austin When: The 2nd Saturday of every month Where: Event locations changing constantly Time: Event times changing constantly Description: “We inspire and educate all Austinites to volunteer together, beautify green spaces, clean waterways, and reduce waste every day. Keep Austin Beautiful empowers people to care for the environment by providing community resources, education, and volunteer opportunities.” Website: Must register here per event: https://keepaustinbeautiful.org/volunteer-opportunities/ The post How Can Texans Celebrate Earth Day? appeared first on Allmand Law Firm, PLLC.

When Alex Jones filed bankruptcy for three of his entities holding intellectual property and contract rights, it wasn't immediately clear how these filings would help him resolve his larger legal problems. Now it has unfolded that Mr. Jones is using the bankruptcy filings as a vehicle for removing state court actions against him to federal court.  On April 18, 2022, attorneys for the Debtors removed eight state court lawsuits to U.S. Bankruptcy Court: five in Texas and three in Connecticut. The removed actions are:Adv. No. 22-1021; Pozner, et al v. Jones, et al (Bankr. W.D. Tex.)Adv. No. 22-1022; Fontaine v. Jones, et al (Bankr. W.D. Tex.)Adv. No. 22-1023; Heslin v. Jones, et al (Bankr. W.D. Tex.)Adv. No. 22-1024; Lewis v. Jones, et al (Bankr. W.D. Tex.)Adv. No. 22-6004; Heslin v. InfoW, LLC (Bankr. W.D. Tex.)Adv. No. 22-5004; Lafferty, et al v. Jones, et al (Bankr. D. Conn.)Adv. No. 22-5005; Sherlach v. Jones, et al (Bankr. D. Conn.)Adv. No. 22-5006; Sherlach v. Jones, et al (Bankr. D. Conn.)What the debtors have accomplished in the short run is to derail the pending litigation. Once a case is removed to federal court, it no longer resides in state court and cannot proceed.  This has a benefit to the non-debtor defendants, such as Alex Jones, who also enjoy a temporary reprieve from being sued.Under bankruptcy law, an action may only be removed to the district where the suit was pending.  A collateral consequence of the removals is that Jones-related cases are now pending before four separate bankruptcy judges. Judge Christopher Lopez is the judge over the main bankruptcy cases pending in Victoria, Texas. H. Christopher Mott is the judge for the four cases removed from Travis County, Texas. Judge Michael Parker is the judge over one case that was removed to the Waco Division. Finally, Judge Julie A. Manning is judge over the three cases removed to the Connecticut bankruptcy court.What this means for the constellation of Jones-related litigation is that any pending trials are thrown into limbo. For the debtors, the goal is to move the cases to a more favorable venue and to slow things down while they try to reach a global solution. For the plaintiffs, the goal is to get their litigation back on track and establish that the debtors and their related parties are manipulating the system.  What happens next depends upon the parties. The three judges presiding over the removed cases will likely convene status conferences to determine how to proceed. The Debtors may move to transfer the cases to the district where the main cases are pending. It is almost certain that the plaintiffs' lawyers will ask to have the cases sent back to state court. According to reporting in the Austin American Statesman, in at least one case, the plaintiffs had dismissed out the debtor entity prior to the removal, which would deprive the court of jurisdiction.

Virginia Bankruptcy Exemptions–Update April 2022 “What will they take?”  Your Virginia bankruptcy exemptions answer that question. When you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the Chapter 7 trustee can take and sell your non-exempt assets.  (The proceeds are used to pay your creditors.) Most people don’t have “non-exempt” assets, so the trustee doesn’t take and sell anything.  But […] The post Virginia Bankruptcy Exemptions by Robert Weed appeared first on Northern VA Bankruptcy Lawyer Robert Weed.

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 In a widely misunderstood move, Alex Jones and his legal team have put three of his entities that own intellectual property assets into SubChapter V of Chapter 11. The move, if successful, will protect the domain name, infowars.com, and will delay entry of judgments against Jones personally. The move involves apparent forum shopping and clever use of SubChapter V. The cases are jointly administered under Case. No. 22-60020 in the Southern District of Texas, Victoria Division.Who Are the Debtors?The Debtors are InfoW, LLC, IW Health, LLC and Prison Planet TV, LLC. Contrary to much of the reporting, the InfoWars internet program did not file bankruptcy.  According to early filings in the case,  InfoW, LLC owns copyrights and domain names related to "InfoWars.com," IW Health owns cash flow from royalties from an entity called Youngevity and Prison Planet TV owns copyrights and domain names related to prisonplanet.tv. According to the early filings:"Infowars"--a conspiracy-oriented website and media company--is operated by Free Speech Solutions, LLC ("FSS"), which does business under a registered trademark for that name. InfoW and Prison Planet TV license their intellectual property and domain names to FSS for use in its business but the Debtors do not produce or have any control over the content of Inforwars. FSS maintains and operates the website https://infowars.com. Debtors' Emergency Motion for Order Authorizing Appointment of Russell F. Nelms and Richard S. Schmidt as Trustees of the 2022 Litigation Settlement Trust and Granting Related Relief, para. 8.What Are They Trying to Do? The filings appear to be aimed at taking the intellectual property which makes Infowars.com possible, as well as the revenue from certain health products and protect those assets by funding payments to creditors from a trust created by Jones and FSS. According to a Plan Support Agreement, Jones and FSS have already funded the trusts with $725,000 and agree to contribute an additional $7 million over five years if their reorganization plan is approved. The trustees of the trust will be two retired bankruptcy judges, Richard S. Schmidt and Russell Nelms. A secondary effect of the filings is that a trial scheduled in Travis County District Court for April 25 to assess damages against Jones and others will likely be delayed. It is still possible that the automatic stay will be lifted to allow the case to go forward but the number of days in which that can happen are running out. If the current trial setting is delayed, it just means that the trial will happen at a later date. It doesn't make the case or cases go away. Apparent Forum ShoppingAccording to documents on file with the Texas Secretary of State, the three debtors are located at 3005 S. Lamar, Suite D109 317, Austin, TX 78701 or P.O. Box 19549, Austin, TX 78760. However, when they filed bankruptcy, they told the court that their address was 5606 N. Navarro, Suite 300-W, Victoria, TX 77904.  5606 N. Navarro is an office building in Victoria, Texas.  Victoria is a small city located in South Texas known for its oil and ranching wealth and was an early locus for immigration to Texas.  An internet search shows an Edward D. Jones agent, The Summit Realty Company, a Goosehead Insurance Agent, APS Personnel Services and AmCap Home Loans Mortgage Lender are all located 5606 N. Navarro, Suite 300, but none of them is located at Suite 300-W.  This suggests (although I don't have confirmation for this) that 5606 N. Navarro, Suite 300 is an executive office suite, a place where many businesses can share office space. However, it doesn't answer the question of what connection these debtors have to this address. When a debtor files for bankruptcy in a location different from its home office, this is known as forum shopping. Forum shopping is generally done to obtain a perceived benefit or avoid a perceived detriment. It is hard to see how filing in Victoria, Texas would be an advantage over Austin, Texas. Filing in Victoria assures that the judge appointed to the case would be Judge Christopher Lopez. Judge Lopez is really smart and is a straight shooter. If the case had been filed in Austin, it would have been assigned to Judge Tony Davis or Judge Christopher Mott, both of whom are really smart and are straight shooters. I don't see the benefit in filing in Victoria.. However, there are some really clever lawyers involved in the case and I assume they had a reason. Interesting Issues Under SubChapter V These three cases were filed under SubChapter V, the small business subchapter for reorganization. One feature of SubChapter V is that voting by creditors is much less important. A Plan can be confirmed under SubChapter V even if every creditor votes against the plan. Given that the creditors are all or mostly plaintiffs who are suing Alex Jones in connection with InfoWars, it is hard to see how many of them would have voted for a plan that allows one corner of the Alex Jones empire to remain intact. To qualify for SubChapter V, a debtor or group of debtors cannot have over $2.7 million in debt. However, in making this determination, contingent and unliquidated debts are not included. Since damages have not been awarded in the suits against Jones, et al, all of the litigation debt is likely unliquidated and thus not counted for eligibility purposes.  As a result, the timing of the filings prior to any claims being liquidated was crucial. Of course, being eligible to file does not mean that the debtors will be able to confirm a plan. In another contentious SubChapter V case, a different judge in the Southern District of Texas recently denied confirmation and converted the case to Chapter 7. In re Ozelebi, 2022 Bankr. LEXIS 854 (Bankr. S.D. Tex. 2022). An Impressive Cast of Characters Whatever you think about Alex Jones, these cases will furnish some high stakes legal drama. It is clear (at least to me) that this was a well thought out strategy involving a cast of highly qualified Texas bankruptcy professionals. These include Kyung Lee and R.J. Shannon who represent the debtors, Ray Battaglia who represents FSS and Shelby Jordan who represents Alex Jones.  Bringing in two retired bankruptcy judges, Richard Schmidt and Russell Nelms, to serve as litigation trustees also increases the cases' star power.  These are all household names among the Texas bankruptcy community. They have also brought in Marc Schwartz to serve as Chief Restructuring Officer. A Chief Restructuring Officer or CRO is a role not found in the Bankruptcy Code but one which has been used in cases where existing management needs to step to the side but the parties don't want a full-blown Chapter 11 trustee. The benefit to having a CRO is that Alex Jones can continue to be Alex Jones while a professional restructuring professional runs the cases. Melissa Haselden has been appointed as SubChapter V trustee. The role of a SubChapter V trustee is to attempt to facilitate a consensual reorganization. The role is one closer to a mediator than a conventional trustee. Ms. Haselden will have her work cut out for her. Final Thought (For Now) There is one more interesting aspect to the strategy that I want to discuss. Under the Plan Support Agreement, $725,000 has been funded to the litigation trust so far and an additional $7 million will be funded. Alex Jones and FSS are committed to provide that funding if the plan is confirmed. For this strategy to work, Alex Jones and FSS need to be left with $7 million that they can pay out over five years. However, the plan in these cases, if successful, would only resolve one piece of the larger legal drama. This suggests that the bankruptcy filings here are just the opening gambit in a strategy to reach a larger resolution.Disclaimer:  Everything I have written is based on my review of the initial filings and my knowledge of bankruptcy law. I have not spoken to any of the participants (even though I know many of them) and do not have any insight into what they might be thinking other than what they have put into their filings so far. I don't know what is going to happen here and will be watching with interest to find out.

Financial setbacks can occur to anyone. You may suffer a medical emergency, lose your job, or incur other unforeseen expenses. In these situations, it is easy to get behind on loan payments. When you fall behind on loan payments, you can be at risk of repossession. When you accept a loan from a bank, finance […] The post Property Repossession Laws in Pennsylvania – 2022 Guide appeared first on .

 https://gothamist.com/news/future-of-nycs-iconic-yellow-cabs-looks-like-another-ride-hailing-appNew York City’s yellow cabs may operate and function more like their ride-hailing app competitors in the future, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s strategic plan released late Friday.The agency said it wants to roll out shared rides, variable pricing and be included in transit apps that compare taxi prices to other ride services “in the coming years.”“TLC is excited about ways that technology and innovation can facilitate the taxi industry’s continued recovery from the impacts of the pandemic,” TLC Acting Commissioner Ryan Wanttaja wrote in a statement. “The Taxi Strategic Plan includes big ideas that will help ensure the long-term viability of the industry, and we are looking forward to working with drivers, industry members, and other stakeholders on implementing these initiatives.”The plan includes 40 recommendations, some of which are currently underway, like the medallion debt relief program. Other ideas would change the way yellow cabs have historically operated, with plans to open the door to testing automated vehicles and exploring a future of prices that rise and fall based on demand, as opposed to a flat meter rate.The TLC said it is committed to “supporting the Taxi industry and its future as a critical part of New York City’s transportation network,” and noted these 40 suggestions were created as “a first step to ensuring the continued viability of the industry.”The yellow cab industry has been facing headwinds for a decade now. For-hire vehicle apps entered the city in 2012, leading to a decline in taxis.The value of a taxi medallion was more than $1.2 million in 2014, but is now worth about $100,000. The medallions’ nosediving worth has sent owners – taxi drivers who thought the medallion was a foothold in the middle class – into financial and mental crises.These upheavals have been further exacerbated by the pandemic, which has wiped out any fares from tourism and business sectors. The TLC’s initiatives received mixed reactions, with the drivers’ union hoping for more actions to improve workers’ livelihoods and drivers eager for any possible changes that will earn them higher wages.From the 2022 Taxi Strategic PlanTAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION Bhairavi Desai, executive director of New York Taxi Workers Alliance which represents taxi drivers, said she was glad to see that the TLC plan includes increasing the flat rates to and from the airports, as well as continuing with the medallion debt relief.The medallion debt program, which was announced last November , followed a two-week hunger strike workers went on last year, seeking relief from the city. The strategic plan notes that the city has agreed to be the guarantor on the principle of medallion loans that are written down to “$170,000 or less, with an interest rate of 5% or less, and that are fully amortized over 20 years.”But Desai said she was dismayed that the TLC is trying to change the way yellow cabs operate to make them function more like Uber and Lyft.“We need to replace that economic model that’s already left Uber and Lyft drivers at sub-minimum wages and use this as an opportunity to elevate the standard so all drivers can earn more,” Desai said.But some yellow cab drivers said they think the TLC’s plan is a positive move.“We need something to compete with Uber, and I think this is the right step. I feel like this should help the yellow cab industry,” Al Khan said. “I’m hopeful … I don’t see the downside.”Khan, a 29-year-old Staten Island resident, has been driving for 10 years. He said he would still like to see the city restrict more for-hire vehicles from being allowed on the streets.The TLC’s document noted it will continue to reevaluate the number of for-hire vehicles every six months and will decide whether to issue new licenses.While there are 13,587 taxi medallions, the document notes at the end of 2021, only 6,750 were actively picking up passengers, while the others were in storage.From the 2022 Taxi Strategic PlanTAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION Yellow cab ridership is still down from pre-pandemic levels. While there were over 250,000 taxi rides in February 2020, there were about 106,000 this February. Still, that’s an increase from January 2022, which saw just 79,000 taxi trips.The TLC plan also calls for advocating to avoid any additional MTA congestion pricing charges. The first phase of congestion pricing, which passed the state legislature in 2019, included a $2.50 surcharge on all taxis that drive below 96th Street, which the TLC document notes is nearly every trip that isn’t an airport trip. The details of the next phase, how much drivers that enter the congestion zone below 60th Street might be charged and which vehicles would be exempted, will likely be announced later this year.“TLC will work with industry stakeholders and governmental partners to advocate that Taxis be excluded from congestion pricing,” the plan noted.The MTA hasn’t said if taxis will be exempt from the higher charges, which could be as much as $23 for an E-Z pass user, and $35 for others, according to details during the first round of public hearings on congestion pricing.“Any credits, discounts or exemptions for any vehicles need to be counterbalanced by not just charges on other drivers, but also on the impact they will have on traffic flows as the primary purpose of the Central Business District Tolling Program is to reduce congestion in the central business district and raise sufficient funds to support $15 billion for the region’s subways, buses and commuter railroads,” MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan wrote in a statement.Still, other drivers said there are things the TLC can’t control that are still contributing to low wages and ongoing hardships for drivers, like gas prices, and the cost of leasing vehicles“We are suffering,” MD Islam, 52, who has been driving a cab for eight years, said. “Lose money, too much lose money, that’s the problem.”

Traps and grey areas abound when one spouse files bankruptcy during or after a divorce. Inattention by the non-filing spouse can result in the bankruptcy discharge of spousal claims that might actually be nondischargeable. One of those traps involves the differing treatment in bankruptcy of debts to a former spouse incurred in the course of […] The post The Complex World Of Interspousal Claims In Bankruptcy appeared first on Bankruptcy Mastery.

 https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/bankruptcy-filings-are-creeping-back-up-early-2022-2022-04-05/(Reuters) - Bankruptcy filings have started to increase this year and the number of new cases filed in March jumped significantly from February, but remain below last year's numbers, according to data released on Tuesday by legal research firm Epiq.The total number of new commercial and consumer bankruptcies filed in March grew 33.5% over the month prior, according to Epiq, with consumer filings increasing by 34% and commercial cases jumping by 26%. Those figures build on the slight upward trend that began in February, which brought 3% more new bankruptcies than January, according to Epiq’s data.But, the overall number of filings are still down compared to last year. The first quarter of 2022 brought a 17% decline in new filings compared with the same period in 2021, with consumer cases down 16% and commercial cases down 25%.Bankruptcy filings have largely dipped since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in March 2020, as government aid programs helped keep individuals and businesses afloat. But experts say that as those aid packages dry up, people and companies alike will start seeking debt relief via bankruptcy again.“Amid rising interest rates, growing inflation concerns, worker shortages and supply chain challenges, access to bankruptcy is imperative for struggling consumers and businesses,” Amy Quackenboss, executive director of the American Bankruptcy Institute, said in a statement on Tuesday.Chapter 11 cases, which encompass larger commercial bankruptcies, were up 38% in March over February, but down 43% for the first quarter of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021.Small business bankruptcy filings known as subchapter V cases, a new type of filing that went into effect in February 2020 under the Small Business Reorganization Act, hit record numbers last month. Epiq said the 81 cases filed the week of Mar. 21 is the highest weekly total ever for that type of bankruptcy.That spike came just before the $7.5 million debt limit for businesses that file under subchapter V was set to drop down to $2.7 million, though legislation is underway to permanently bring the debt limit back up to $7.5 million.Individual filings could also increase if Congress passes legislation that would increase the debt limit under Chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code to $2.75 million from the existing $1.2 million. The bill, which was introduced in the Senate last month and has bipartisan support, aims to simplify eligibility for Chapter 13 protection and make it easier for self-employed people to qualify for bankruptcy relief.