Second Circuit Opinion Raises Questions Left Open by Taggart v. Lorenzen
If a lower court buys an argument that’s clearly wrong, is the argument nonetheless ‘objectively reasonable?’ And does Taggart apply to an automatic stay violation?
Seventh Circuit Solidifies a Circuit Split on the Automatic Stay
Disagreeing with the Tenth and D.C. Circuits and siding with four other circuits, the Seventh Circuit rules that passively holding estate property violates the automatic stay.
Failure to Petition the Circuit Court for a Direct Appeal Requires Dismissal
Overruling its own precedent, the Seventh Circuit dismissed an appeal when the appellant had not filed a motion in the appeals court for permission to undertake a direct appeal, even though the bankruptcy court had certified the question to the circuit.
Supreme Court Rejects Strict Liability for Discharge Violations
‘No objectively reasonable basis’ is the high court standard to find civil contempt for violating the discharge injunction.
Supreme Court Agrees to Rule on What Is or Is Not a ‘Final, Appealable’ Order
For now, the high court ducks an important automatic stay question for chapter 13 debtors.
Freezing a Chapter 7 Debtor’s Bank Account Doesn’t Violate the Automatic Stay
SDNY opinion seems to mean that a bank may freeze a debtor’s entire bank account at filing, without violating the automatic stay.
Supreme Court Hears Argument on Good Faith as Defense to Discharge Violation
In Taggart v. Lorenzen, the justices sounded largely noncommittal, except for the Chief Justice, who seemed in the debtor’s camp favoring a stricter standard for contempt of the discharge injunction.