I Was Just Following Orders

Tom Waldron, former bankruptcy judge and initial Advisor to the NACTT Academy.

Both on the world stage and in local courtrooms, the words “I was just following orders” have a hollow ring and fail to provide an acceptable defense for unacceptable actions or, quite frequently, failures to act.

An example of this ineffective defense is found in Judge Bruce Markell’s decision, In re Martinez, 2008 WL 3155034 (Bankr. D. Nev).

A detailed factual recitation is not necessary for this article. The undisputed facts established that the chapter 13 debtors intended to keep house A and surrender house . . .

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By Mark S. Wheeler, Staff Attorney to M.O. Marshall, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee (Chicago, IL) (Used with expressed permission. Published February 2021 in the Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court Liaison Committee Newsletter.) Despite appearing before the Senior Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois perhaps hundreds of times over the last 29 years, I was uncharacteristically nervous to...

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Chapter 13 Practice in the Time of COVID-19

March 22, 2020

By Alex Schmidt, Law Clerk to the Honorable John P. Gustafson., Northern District of Ohio at Toledo As the United States begins the process of coming to grips with COVID-19, those who work in the consumer bankruptcy world are going to have to roll with the punches thrown by a global pandemic that is already creating financial chaos throughout the...

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From the Editor

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By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Disgorgement of fees for nondisclosure. The Tenth Circuit held that the “default sanction” for an attorney’s failure to satisfy disclosure obligation is full disgorgement of fees paid. While full disgorgement may not be required in particular circumstances, the “default sanction” principle required reversal and remand. The bankruptcy court, affirmed by the BAP, had...

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Keep Calm and Carry On – Observations Regarding CBRA

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

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First, breathe deep and try to relax. The Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative House Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, with minimal notice, set an oversight hearing for September 29, 2022. The subcommittee is charged to deal with matters relating to bankruptcy. The subject of the hearing was to be the “Oversight of the Bankruptcy Code, Part 2: Ensuring a Fresh...

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Tax Tips for Taxpayers to Consider When Selling Their Home

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The IRS has some good news for taxpayers who are selling their home. When filing their taxes, they may qualify to exclude all or part of any gain from the sale from their income. Here are some things that homeowners should think about when selling a home: Ownership and use To claim the exclusion, the taxpayer must meet ownership and...

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Rebecca Rogers Garcia

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Rebecca Rogers Garcia was a staff attorney for Mary B. Grossman, the Chapter 13 Trustee in Milwaukee from 2002 until November 2014. Prior to her employment with the Chapter 13 Trustee; she represented debtors in consumer cases. Ms. Garcia is on the board of the Bankruptcy, Insolvency and Creditors Rights Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin and a member...

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