First Circuit Reverses the BAP for Fact-Finding on Appeal
First Circuit requires detailed fact-finding by the bankruptcy court on the credibility of witnesses and the elements of nondischargeability for false representations.
Circuit Split Widens over Discharging Taxes on Late-Filed Returns
The Supreme Court has ducked the split twice in recent years but should tackle the question this time around.
Technicalities Insulated a Lawyer from Liability for Misusing an IOLA
A creditor lost a dischargeability suit by failing to call the right witnesses to prove that a lawyer’s trust account was used to hide assets.
Debt of $46,000 Discharged Despite a Flagrantly False Loan Application
Even though the debtor defaulted, Judge Christopher Klein held a trial and ruled that the lender had not relied on a false loan application.
Courts Interpret Brunner Too Harshly, Bankruptcy Judge Cecelia Morris Says
A debtor with a law degree but only $37,500 in gross annual income was permitted to discharge more than $220,000 in student loans.
Holding a Contempt Hearing May Be Ok, but the Remedy Might Violate Automatic Stay
A contempt hearing fell under the ‘criminal’ exception to the automatic stay, but jailing a debtor to coerce payment of a prepetition debt violated the stay, Judge Grossman ruled.
PACA Doesn’t Give Rise to Denial of Discharge for Defalcation, Chicago Judge Says
A PACA trust lacks the hallmarks of a trust, so a failure to pay a produce supplier doesn’t give rise to a nondischargeable debt for defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity, Judge Goldgar says.