Supreme Court Corner

By M. Jonathan Hayes, Certified Bankruptcy Specialist, Northridge, CA

The Supreme Court has accepted cert in Bank of America, N.A. v. Caulkett agreeing to review the right of a chapter 7 debtor to strip off an entirely unsecured lien. In Los Angeles we call them "Lam Motions." I expect oral argument some time in April, 2015 and I expect to be there. Nearly every court in the country has held that the Supreme Court case of Dewsnup requires denial of the strip off in chapter 7. My brief summary of the cases follow . . .

It looks like you are not signed in or registered! This content is only available to members.

Or Sign In Below:

No Author Biography has been linked to this Article.

I’ve Looked at Clouds from Both Sides Now

April 25, 2021

(Song by Joni Mitchell – first recorded by Judy Collins in 1968) By Merideth Akers, CPA, PHR, Comptroller for Bradford W. Caraway (Birmingham, AL) In the simplest terms, bankruptcy has two sides. The debtor is on one side, and the creditor is on the opposite side. Although there are opposite sides in bankruptcy, the system is designed to be non-adversarial....

Members

Critical Case Comment–Sex, Lies and the Barton Doctrine

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

March 27, 2022

The issuance of a subpoena to a Chapter 7 trustee by a third party was subject to the Barton Doctrine and could not be permitted without the parties seeking bankruptcy court consent. (Clarkson) In re Eagan Avenatti, LLP, 2022 WL 630332 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. March 3, 2022) Case Summary Eagan Avenatti, LLP, was the California law firm of the somewhat...

Members

CARES Act Financial Hardship ‘Laundry List’

April 5, 2020

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Nashville, TN) During the free Academy webinar The CARES Act – Impacts on Chapter 13 on April 2, 2020, the panel – Judge Wm. Houston Brown (Retired), Amanda DeBerry and I – referred to the importance of detailing the reasons for modifications or suspensions to be related to financial hardship stemming...

Members

Claims: Transfers, Address Changes, and Payee Switches – Oh My!

The NACTT Emeritus Trustees

April 30, 2023

In any given year Chapter 13 Trustees administer 400,000 to 500,000 cases and distribute almost $5 billion to creditors. A critical duty for trustees is to be sure that distributions are correctly delivered to an allowed claimant. 11 USC § 501 governs the filing of a proof of claim and 11 USC § 502 sets forth the requirements for allowance...

Members

The Dangers of Extending a Plan Too Long – Or Alternatively, Why Take as Little Time as Possible

April 26, 2020

By Joseph A. Bledsoe, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Eastern District of North Carolina (New Bern) Under section 1113(b)(1)(C) of the CARES Act, upon the request of a debtor, and after notice and a hearing, a plan confirmed may be extended up to 7 years from the date the first payment under the original plan came due if...

Members

Critical Case Comment–“No Realistic Future Prospects”

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

March 26, 2023

A 34-year-old Chapter 7 debtor could discharge his student loan obligation by establishing that he could not reasonably make payments on the balance, could not maintain a reasonable standard of living, and because the expiration of his payment term had already passed, his standard of living was likely to persist, with no realistic future prospects. (Silverstein) In re Wolfson, No....

Members

Critical Case Comment

March 28, 2021

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Nashville, TN) Section 1328(i) requires the court to consider the discharge provisions of §§ 1328(a) through (h) and the fact that incomplete personal residence mortgage payments or a forbearance do not preclude but do not compel a COVID-19 Discharge. (Tighe) In re Ritter, 2021 WL 864092 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. March 5,...

Members

Escrow 101 – Part 1 of 3

August 29, 2021

By Michael J. McCormick, Esq., McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC (Roswell, GA) Escrow 101 – Part 2 Escrow 101 – Part 3 Escrow 102 – Part 1 Escrow 102 – Part 2

Members

2022 Bankruptcy Procedure Year in Review: Revised Statute and Rules and Selected Cases – Part 1 Amended Statute and Rules Amendments Not Related to SBRA

Lawrence R. Ahern, III

November 6, 2022

Introduction This year sees changes in the Code and numerous new and amended Rules of BankruptcyProcedure that are to be effective December 1. The statutory amendments and the changes in therules that do not relate to cases under subchapter V of Chapter 11 are summarized below. They will be followed, by a digest of other new and amended rule and...

Members

Bankruptcy Lawyer Must Have Otherworldly Powers

Cathy Moran

November 5, 2023

Just for fun . . .

Members