Joining the Tenth Circuit, the Ninth Circuit also has held that chapter 13 trustees are not paid their fees when cases are dismissed before confirmation. The identical issue was argued on February 15 before the Second Circuit.
In short order, we’ll have either unanimity or a split of circuits. A split will give rise to an issue worthy of a grant of certiorari by the Supreme Court.
Notably, the Ninth Circuit’s opinion on June 12 adopted reasoning in an amicus brief filed in support of the debtor by the National Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Center and National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.
Someone who does not have legal residence in the U.S. will still qualify for a Florida homestead exemption if she has at least one family member in the home who “hopes” to gain legal residency and has.....
Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth D. Katz gave some relief to an individual not entitled to discharge student loans.
Under Section 105(a), Judge Katz of Springfield, Mass., discharged whatever would be left.....
In a state that allows a couple to hold personal property as tenants by the entireties, a tax refund is not estate property if only one spouse is in bankruptcy, even when all income was earned by the.....
Sending anonymous text messages and emails alleging that the debtor engaged in “numerous extramarital affairs” does not violate the automatic stay, even if the sender is a creditor, according to.....
For an individual debtor who misbehaves badly, the bankruptcy court may both deny discharge and dismiss immediately thereafter, according to the First Circuit. Consequently, the sanction of denial of.....
A debtor who is not a U.S. citizen is not entitled to a Florida homestead exemption unless the debtor holds a so-called green card entitling the debtor to permanent residence in the U.S.
The debtor was.....
Bankruptcy Judge Roberta A. Colton of Tampa, Fla., socked a law firm with $10,500 in sanctions for violating the discharge injunction.
The lesson to be learned: When confronted with a discharge.....
On an issue where the circuits are divided, the First Circuit upheld the two lower courts by ruling that a homestead exemption, valid on the chapter 13 filing date, is not lost if the debtor sells the.....
Believing that Supreme Court authority on preferences didn’t govern, the First Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel ruled that funds allegedly withdrawn from a retirement account before the filing date.....
In Taggart, the Supreme Court raised the bar on holding a creditor in contempt for violating the automatic stay. Some might say that the high court defanged the discharge. See Taggart v. Lorenzen, 139.....