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.
Writing an opinion that reads like a law review article, Bankruptcy Judge Michelle V. Larson of Dallas decided that the so-called economic unit approach is the best method for deciding the size of a.....
Ruling in favor of the debtor on an issue similar to the question before the Supreme Court this coming term in Bartenwerfer, Bankruptcy Judge Joshua P. Searcy of Tyler, Texas, held that a debt is.....
A district court decision from Houston is required reading for plaintiffs’ tort lawyers to understand how they must write jury instructions and special verdict forms to ensure that judgments for.....
The estate of a chapter 13 debtor who dies before completing plan payments may still be granted a discharge despite the decedent’s inability to complete the required financial management course.....
Reversing the bankruptcy court, a district judge in South Carolina permitted so-called bifurcated fee arrangements for chapter 7 debtors despite a local rule that could be read to bar them outright.
In.....
The Supreme Court’s Espinosa decision enabled Bankruptcy Judge Robert L. Jones of Lubbock, Tex., to present the debtors with a sizeable and unexpected gift alongside their chapter 13 discharges.
The.....
Taking sides with Collier but disagreeing with two other treatises, Bankruptcy Judge John E. Waites of Columbia, S.C., ruled that a chapter 13 debtor is not required to pay interest on unsecured.....
Dismissal with prejudice is a hot topic in chapter 13 for courts throughout the country. Bankruptcy Judge Michelle V. Larson of Dallas dismissed a case for “cause” under Section 1307(c) and imposed a.....
In an area where the courts are split and the Fourth Circuit has no precedent, Bankruptcy Judge John E. Waites of Columbia, S.C., decided that the Bankruptcy Code allowed him to attach conditions when.....
The pleading requirements laid down by the Supreme Court in Iqbal and Twombly do not apply to the filing of an involuntary bankruptcy petition under Section 303. The petitioning creditor need only.....