Logical Fallacies Combined With Existentialism: Can A Chapter 7 Trustee Recover Property of a Chapter 13 Trustee Which No Longer Exists?

Or, “A Debtor’s Guide on How to Avoid Discharge in Bankruptcy in 10 Easy Steps”

By Karen Oakes, Klamath Falls, OR

Robert T. Zung’s recent article, “Tax Refund, Income Not Required to Be Given To Bankruptcy Trustee, Court Holds” would make any consumer bankruptcy attorney’s heart skip a beat or two in anticipation and excitement as each attorney visualized the sudden ending of all Motions to Dismiss for Failure to Turnover a Tax Refund by Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Trustees. The title of that Bureau of National Affairs article, probably edited for . . .

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Taxpayers with Expiring ITINs Should Renew Them Now

August 18, 2019

Taxpayers with expiring individual taxpayer identification numbers should renew their number ASAP. There are nearly 2 million ITINs set to expire at the end of 2019. Taxpayers with an expiring number should renew before the end of this year. This will help avoid unnecessary delays related to their tax refunds next year. ITINs are used by taxpayers required to file...

United Student Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa Ten Years After

May 3, 2020

By Hon. Brian Lynch, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Western District of Washington, Tacoma Division When the Supreme Court issued United Student Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa1 on March 23, 2010, commentators were perplexed.2 On the one hand, the Court upheld the 9th Circuit’s ruling allowing a hardship discharge of student loans in a chapter 13 plan. The Court held that...

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Creditors’ Rights and Debtors’ Protections at the Intersection of Consumer Bankruptcy and UCC Article 9

August 30, 2020

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) PART II – BASICS OF PERFECTION OF SECURITY INTERESTS Introduction Current circumstances, with a pandemic and a recession, portend a wave of bankruptcy filings. In the consumer bankruptcy field, trustees and debtors' counsel often are uncomfortable with the rules in UCC Article 9. In this space, we have previously looked...

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From the Editor

April 7, 2019

By Wm. Houston Brown, United States Bankruptcy Judge (Retired) Confirmation - Debtors could not deduct ownership costs for vehicle secured by non-purchase money lien. The above-median debtors claimed ownership deduction of $497 from projected disposable income, when the title loan payments on the vehicle were only $66.67. The difference in these amounts meant unsecured creditors could receive $25,819.80 over the...

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Critical Case Comment – Listing a Debt “Just in Case”

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

October 29, 2023

An interesting decision – one we would like for you to weigh in on. Did the Judge get it right? Is this a win for Creditors? Is this yet another case that requires more work from Debtors’ Counsel? Let us hear from you.

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The Day the Music Died

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

May 8, 2022

I never set out to be a bankruptcy lawyer, much less a trustee. It was always my intent to be trial lawyer. The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and the captive audience of a jury; having to think fast on your feet was exciting. Facing jurors and witnesses with a modicum of confidence was what my view of...

From the Editor – Discharge Injunction

May 31, 2020

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Only bankruptcy court issuing discharge order can enforce injunction. The Fifth Circuit held that only the bankruptcy court issuing a discharge order has authority to enforce the discharge injunction. The opinion reviews pre-2005 Code provisions and current 28 U.S.C. § 1963, citing other Circuits that “have insisted on a return to the bankruptcy...

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The Neglected Non-Dischargeability Provision

Cathy Moran

June 11, 2023

Hands up everyone who has encountered a claim that a debt is non-dischargeable by reason of § 523(a)(14). That’s what I thought: nada, or next thing to it. Despite watching for it, I hadn’t seen one ‘til this year when AmEx filed an adversary in a case in which I was peripherally involved. My copy of Collier’s code doesn’t comment...

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Meet a Brand Spankin’ New Trustee

The Academy

August 7, 2022

William F. Jaworski, Jr. - Bill - was appointed Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the District of Delaware on April 1, 2022. Jaworski has very large shoes to fill as he is taking over for Michael Joseph upon his well-deserved retirement. Jaworski was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. As a hometown boy, he didn’t venture too far away...

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What Does the Bankruptcy Code Say About Interest and Unsecured Debts

Hale Andrew Antico

March 24, 2024

“. . . the law is so clear that of course it's not allowed. However, some courts have twisted themselves into pretzels to create a creditor right to postpetition unmatured interest.” The article explores this not so simple issue by examining relevant sections of the Bankruptcy Code and case law from various circuit courts.

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