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This Week's Featured Articles

gendron-1
September 17, 2023
“Perhaps the most obvious problem with this instructional language is that it refers to outdated services.”
Members
Academy Circle Logo Final
September 17, 2023
Recently Upsolve printed an article titled: “Why is Chapter 13 Probably A Bad Idea” by Jonathan Petts, July 27, 2023. In a nutshell the article says an unsuccessful Chapter 13 can leave you in worse financial shape. Further it states that it costs more than Chapter 7 and is less likely to be successful. Additional points by Upsolve are: Chapter...
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

Current Articles

finberg
September 10, 2023
Andrew B. Finberg has been appointed as a Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the District of New Jersey.  Finberg is picking up the mantle left by happily retiring Isabel Balboa.
justicedepartment
September 10, 2023
These virtual 341 meetings via Zoom will be implemented on a rolling basis through early 2024. YEP, this means you, y’all, all y’all, you guys, and yoos guys. Doesn’t matter if you have been doing 341’s via telephone for 100 years . . . it’s ZOOM as soon as implemented in your district. For Debtor Atty’s, this may require having clients...
Hale-Andrew-Antico
September 10, 2023
The Ninth Circuit BAP held that the chapter 13 debtors converted their case to Chapter 7 in good faith and therefore a post-petition inheritance was not property of the chapter 7 estate.
Members
William-1_print_2019
“We have observed consumers who seem to be focused principally on their credit scores, . . . rather than focusing on . . . a more critical immediate focus on their balance sheets . . .”
Members
Academy Circle Logo Final
September 3, 2023
Tracy Updike of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has been named as a Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Northern District of Indiana.  Updike will be filling the trusteeship vacated by Debra Miller when she accepted a trusteeship in the Eastern District of Tennessee.
justicedepartment
September 3, 2023
These virtual 341 meetings via Zoom will be implemented on a rolling basis through early 2024.
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
September 3, 2023
To pay present value to a secured creditor, a reorganization plan may start with a treasury rate and add a risk factor and need not start with a prime rate plus a risk factor.
Members
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
August 27, 2023
A creditor having received relief from the automatic stay prior to confirmation of the debtor’s plan is nonetheless bound by the terms of the plan, once confirmed.
Members
moran_cathy
August 27, 2023
The bankruptcy means test, designed to keep people out of bankruptcy, has a fatal weakness. . . . it’s health care.
Members
bledsoe150
August 27, 2023
The Eighth Circuit recently released its Topp opinion. At issue was the appropriate starting point for determining the discount rate to be used when paying secured claims under a chapter 12 plan. The debtor, who had gained confirmation of his plan before the bankruptcy court, proposed paying claims to Farm Credit Services over 20 years at a rate based on the...
Members
judgebaxter
August 20, 2023
Passing of Retired Ohio Judge Judge Baxter was appointed United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Ohio on December 16, 1985, and served in the Court’s Cleveland, Ohio location until his retirement in 2011. He served as Chief Judge between 2004 and 2008. Click here for obituary.
moran_cathy
August 20, 2023
What are the consequences of a secured lender’s failure to comply with R. 3002.1 in a prior case when the debtor files again? Significant, it seems. . . . since their attorney said he “didn’t see the need” to do so. [Can you guess, now, how this comes out?]
Members
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
August 20, 2023
Equity that accrues as a result of market conditions in debtor’s assets between the time of confirmation of a Chapter 13 plan and conversion to Chapter 7 constitutes property of the estate which may be administered by the Chapter 7 trustee.
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Curated Selections

Passing of Michael L. Sherman
michaelshermanIt is with great sadness that we report the passing of beloved Chicago attorney. The Academy sends our condolences to his family and friends.

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More Articles

balboa
August 20, 2023
Wishing our dear friend and colleague, Isabel Balboa, a hearty congratulations on her upcoming retirement. As many of you know, Isabel came to the United States from Cuba at the age of 6 with her mother and sisters.  Upon leaving Cuba, they were forced to leave everything behind for fear that they would be caught and detained.  Her father was...
Jeffrey-Fraser
August 13, 2023
In this brief synopsis, Fraser compares Lac du Flambeauto a case from the Middle District Court of North Carolina and its connection to the automatic stay.
Members
McCormick2
August 13, 2023
In the fall of 2021, Michael McCormick provided subscribers with an EXCELLENT, expository, seven-part outline on mortgage escrow.   This information is just as relevant today as when we first published it with one important update . . . When the next escrow analysis is performed and the servicer has received less than 12 payments of escrow (and often zero, as is often the case after the borrower received a forbearance during the COVID pandemic), the escrow balance will be far less than anticipated!!
Members
greenburg
August 6, 2023
Practice Point: Just because it is an unsecured claim does not mean that it should be ignored. Review all claims for inappropriate violations and disclosure of personal identifiers! Keep track of serial violators for possible use in future requests for contempt and sanctions. With all of the emphasis these days on transparency and the requirement for more and more information...
Members
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
August 6, 2023
Nothing prohibits the confirmation of a Chapter 13 plan which frontloads the payment of attorney’s fees ahead of payments to secured and other creditors.
Members
moran_cathy
August 6, 2023
I was the third attorney on this lien avoidance matter. Instead of it being “third time’s the charm”, it came close to being “three strikes and you’re out.” All because of FRBP 7041. This was the set up: debtor’s original counsel filed a number of lien avoidance actions, including the one against a landlord with a large default judgment. The...
Members
moran_cathy
August 1, 2023
By Cathy Moran, Moran Law Group (Redwood City, CA) Bankruptcy attorneys and their clients often seem to be a pair, divided by their common language. Even without legal jargon, we talk past each other. How do we misunderstand each other? Let me count the ways: Property: I don’t have any property, lost the house to foreclosure last year. Property 2:...
Members
Academy Circle Logo Final
While administering cases, Chapter 13 Trustees should carefully exercise their prosecutorial discretion. Trustee discretion is a powerful tool. It should be used wisely and consistently.  Trustees should have office policies in place fort heir attorneys and office staff.  What matters involve discretion? The UST Chapter 13 Handbook describes some: We asked the NACTT Emeritus Trustees for their thoughts and examples...
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
July 30, 2023
By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Middle District of Tennessee (Nashville) Post-petition, pre-conversion equity that accrues in a debtor’s residence during the pendency of a Chapter 13 plan is property of the estate in the Chapter 7 estate following conversion.  (Hastings) Goetz v. Weber (In re Goetz), 651 B.R. 292 (8th Cir. BAP, June 1,...
Members
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
July 23, 2023
Post-petition voluntary contributions to a 401(k) are not reasonably necessary expenses and are thus included in disposable income in calculating a debtor’s Chapter 13 plan.  (Freeman) In re Saldana, 2023 WL 3483241 (N.D. Cal. May 15, 2023) Case Summary In April of 2022, Jorden Marie Saldana filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 13.  Ms. Saldana was single with no dependents...
Members

Current Webinars

January 28, 2023
Join our panel of experts* as they discuss the specifics of the brand new DOJ Guidelines, how they are geared...
Members
September 1, 2022
Join Trustee Hank Hildebrand as he interviews Amy Seigenthaler, Managing Partner of FINN Partners Southeast. FINN are specialists in marketing...
Members
January 15, 2022
Join our panel of experts as they expound on the discussion that began in our webinar on December 16th entitled...
Members
January 7, 2022
Join our panel of experts for a lively discussion regarding the proposed changes to Federal Rule 3002.1. Is it working...
Members
October 29, 2021
Much is being written and discussed about an opinion out of Vermont - Gravel. Taggart, Law v. Siegel, Newrez, LLC...
Members
June 4, 2021
Join an esteemed panel for a detailed discussion regarding the nuances of working with Credit Union loans in Chapter 13...
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