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.
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.....
The successful outcome of a chapter 7 case that pays creditors in full does not justify compensating the trustee’s attorney for performing duties imposed on the trustee, the Fifth Circuit said in a.....
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.....
Proceeds from the sale of a homestead may be exempt under the laws of some states, but not under federal exemptions, even when proceeds are exempt in that state, according to Bankruptcy Judge Charles.....
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.....
The bankruptcy judges in the Western District of Kentucky have effectively banned so-called bifurcated fee arrangements where chapter 7 debtors pay counsel fees after filing. The October 5 opinion by.....
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.....
Even though there was benefit only to the debtor and none to the estate, a chapter 13 debtor’s lawyer was entitled to compensation under Section 330(a)(4)(B), an exception to the so-called American.....
Fighting like cats and dogs may be acceptable in a matrimonial case, but not when special counsel represents a debtor who is restructuring her debt in chapter 11.
Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur of.....