Consumer Bankruptcy

11th Circuit Jun 3, 2020

Eleventh Circuit Holds that a Chapter 13 Plan Alone Can’t Assume a Lease or Contract

In the first court of appeals decision on the topic, the Eleventh Circuit holds that the chapter 13 trustee alone has power to assume a lease or contract.
9th Circuit Jun 1, 2020

Ninth Circuit Narrowly Reads Section 506(d) on Voiding Liens After Claim Disallowance

A claim must be disallowed based on the invalidity of the debt before the associated lien can be voided under Section 506(d), the Ninth Circuit ruled in upholding the BAP.
6th Circuit Jun 1, 2020

Sixth Circuit Allows Chapter 13 Debtors to Continue Retirement Plan Contributions

Sixth Circuit is the first court of appeals to take sides on a lower court split and opine that continuing to make voluntary contributions to retirement plans is excluded from ‘disposable income.’
10th Circuit Utah May 19, 2020

District Judge Rejects the Majority’s ‘Gotcha’ Approach to Automatic Abandonment

Sufficiently listing an asset anywhere in the schedules and SOFA will result in abandonment if the asset was not administered by the trustee, Utah district judge holds.
1st Circuit May 21, 2020

BAP Didn’t See Barnhill as Prescribing the Date of Transfer from a Retirement Account

The First Circuit BAP evidently believes that a transfer occurred, even though an ordinary check wasn’t cashed.
10th Circuit Colorado May 12, 2020

An Exempt Asset Effectively Loses Its Exemption in Chapter 13

Lower courts are split on whether an exempt asset is included in the calculation of “projected disposable income” in chapter 13.