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.
The settlement of a lawsuit where the debtor does not expressly admit liability may nevertheless result in automatic nondischargeability under Section 523(a)(19) if the complaint was properly drafted.....
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.....
If a debtor has no “ascertainable” residence, the Internal Revenue Service cannot obtain a valid and enforceable tax lien on a debtor’s personal property, according to Bankruptcy Judge M. Ruthie Hagan.....
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.....
Everyone knows that chapter 7 debtors seldom have standing to object to a trustee’s initiatives in bankruptcy court because they can’t show that the outcome will affect the debtor. But how strong a.....
Falsifying financial records to defraud clients does not result in the denial of discharge under Section 727(a)(3) if the records are accurate and allow the trustee to ascertain the debtor’s financial.....
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.....
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.....