In re Zeigafuse, No. 11-20854, 2012 WL 1155680, at *5 (Bankr. D. Wyo. Apr. 5, 2012) (McNiff)

Separate classification of continuing payment of long-term student loan “outside” plan unfairly discriminates when student loan creditor will receive 21% and general unsecured creditors only 1.2%; level payment plan would pay all unsecured creditors 19%. “This court . . . joins the majority view holding that §§ 1322(b)(1) and 1322(b)(5) must be read in conjunction with one another.” Applying the “four step test,” the “balancing test” and the “baseline test,” debtors failed to show a reasonable basis for the discrimination, debtors presented no evidence whether they could carry out their plan without the discrimination, Congress provided no priority of payment to student loans in Chapter 13 cases and debtors proposed no voluntary contributions to “square up” the disproportionate distribution.

No Author Biography has been linked to this Article.

Related Articles

ahern_larry_regular
May 14, 2023
Introduction This series reviews developments in bankruptcy procedure during the past year.One new rule and amendments to 16 rules took effect December 1, 2022.  Many reflected changes necessitated by the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (SBRA), and had been in place in the same or similar form on an interim basis since that legislation took effect.
Members
NBR cropped 2
November 12, 2023
Cathy Moran’s article Bankruptcy Lawyer Must Have Otherworldly Powers raised an interesting issue: what should a lawyer do when a client calls and says, “what the heck IS this [notice, letter, order, whatever] that I just got?” Professor Rapoport’s take on this issue is not at all what you would expect. She puts the responsibility squarely on . . .
Members
ahern_larry_regular
March 20, 2022
"Finality" in Bankruptcy When is an order within a bankruptcy case "final"? When must a party to the proceeding appeal within 14 days? When may a party either seek interlocutory review or sit back and wait until something more occurs to make the order final? Final orders are appealable. In civil actions, this is a relatively easy proposition to apply...
Members
December 15, 2019
By William H. Brown, Editor and Advisor, Academy for Consumer Bankruptcy Education, Inc. (d/b/a ConsiderChapter13.org) Members of the Academy and regular speakers at NACTT’s annual seminars were recently elected as Fellows of the American College of Bankruptcy, representing recognition by the College of the important contributions by those in the consumer bankruptcy system. Newly elected Fellows, who are to be...
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
January 1, 2023
Confirmation of a “sale” plan (proposing the sale of the debtor’s principal residence) depends upon how quickly the sale will be consummated, milestones established, and consequences for failing to meet those deadlines; a plan that makes payments to the mortgage company under a “sale” plan may not modify the rights of the mortgagee but if care is taken to comply...
Members
moran_cathy
February 25, 2024
“The headline was ‘Are your clients really stupid?’ . . .The answer isn’t what you’re tempted to respond.” The second in a 3-part series on treating clients as we would want to be treated. More on this topic: Why Listening Is a Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Superpower
Members
moran_cathy
September 17, 2023
What do you do when you don’t know the answer to a bankruptcy client’s questions? After all, you’re a bankruptcy lawyer.
Members
March 10, 2019
Victims of March 3rd tornadoes and severe storms in Alabama have until July 31, 2019, to file certain individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments. The IRS is offering this relief to any Major Disaster Declaration area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as qualifying for individual assistance. Currently, this only includes Lee County, Alabama,...
September 20, 2020
By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Chapter 13 debtor lacked “person aggrieved” standing to appeal objection to trustee’s final report. The bankruptcy court had overruled the debtor’s objection to the trustee’s final report, and debtor’s appeal was dismissed, with the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel finding that debtor lacked “person aggrieved” standing to appeal. Debtor’s objection had not included amount of...
Members
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
February 5, 2023
Mortgagee’s failure to disclose payment changes resulting from escrow adjustments and interest rate modifications compels the Court to order mortgagee to credit all undisclosed increases and subject it to sanctions, including attorney’s fees. (Somers) In re Kinderknecht, 2023 WL 320984 (Bankr. D. Kan. January 19, 2023) Case Summary Kyle and Chasity Kinderknecht filed a Chapter 13 petition in December of...
Members

Looking to Become a Member?

ConsiderChapter13.org offers a forum to advance continuing education of consumer bankruptcy via access to insightful articles, informative webinars, and the latest industry news. Join now to benefit from expert resources and stay informed.

Webinars

These informative sessions are led by industry experts and cover a range of consumer bankruptcy topics.

Member Articles

Written by industry experts, these articles provide in-depth analysis and practical guidance on consumer bankruptcy topics.

Industry News

The Academy is the go-to source for the latest news and analysis in the Chapter 13 bankruptcy industry.

To get started, please let us know which of these best fits your current position: