In re Launderville, No. 11-61117-13, 2012 WL 78713 (Bankr. D. Mont. Jan. 11, 2012) (Kirscher)

Oversecured creditor is entitled to reasonable fees but not to compensation for meritless objections to confirmation. Secured proof of claim was never challenged, and creditor was never required to engage counsel to defend its status.

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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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How To Manage Incompetent, Unprepared, and Negligent Bankruptcy Counsel

The NACTT Emeritus Trustees

February 12, 2023

Previously the Emeritus Trustees (“ETC”) were asked to comment on “How to Manage Unprofessional and Discourteous Attorneys”. We now turn to ETC to share their collective wisdom when addressing the issues raised by incompetent, unprepared, and negligent bankruptcy counsel. Chapter 13 Trustees are required to administer cases in accordance with the duties set forth in 11 U.S.C. Sec. 1302 and...

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Disregarding Bankruptcy Protections Can be Costly: How Courts Decide Punitive Damages Awards for Stay Violations

December 15, 2019

By Veronica D. Brown-Moseley and Stephen F. Relyea1 The automatic stay serves as a shield that immediately protects debtors in bankruptcy and their property from a host of creditor collection actions ranging from foreclosure, repossession, and garnishment to collection letters and phone calls. In most instances, the filing of a bankruptcy case forces creditors to cease all collection actions and...

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Fourth Circuit Examines Tenancy by Entirety

The Honorable William Houston Brown

May 19, 2024

The Fourth Circuit ruled that federal tax debts can affect one spouse's interest in such property, even if the debt isn't jointly held. They also clarified that the value of a debtor's share in this type of property isn't necessarily the fair market value of the whole property, but rather their interest in the tenancy.

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Passing of a Legend

June 13, 2021

By Kara L. West, CPA, Chapter 12/13 Standing Trustee for the Eastern District of Tennessee (Chattanooga); Successor Trustee to C. Kenneth Still C. Kenneth Still was a legend. “Always with Barbara at this side, he epitomized qualities I think we all seek—honesty, diligence, kindness, and patience. He was a great mentor and a quick wit, and I miss him already....

Chapter 13 Debtor Employment in the Marijuana Industry

Michael Gieseke

August 18, 2024

Bankruptcy Courts are beginning to get a whiff of the fringes of the marijuana industry. Namely, is it automatically bad faith for “Bud” to propose a plan when his income is derived from a perfectly legal (as far as the state is concerned) business? Attorney Gieseke brings Academy readers an up to date look at what courts are saying.

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Meet the First Black Woman to Serve as Chief Judge for Federal Bankruptcy Court in Cleveland

The Academy

February 4, 2024

February is Black History Month and it’s a time to recognize the past but also honor those who are achieving great things today.

Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste: The Bankruptcy Amendments in the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2021

January 10, 2021

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Trustee (Nashville, TN) Other than a recluse without any information of current events, we have been made fully aware of the fact that Congress was fashioning a second stimulus/COVID relief bill. The result is the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; a massive bill with more than 5,300 pages governing a huge expanse of appropriations,...

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Supreme Court Corner: Homestead vs. Lien

M. Jonathan Hayes

November 17, 2024

Issue: Does the bankruptcy discharge terminate the right of a secured creditor to foreclose its lien on the debtor’s exempt homestead?

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A Guide to the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 – Revised June 2022

Paul W. Bonapfel

November 9, 2022

Click here to see PDF – SBRA Guide June 2022 Compilation FINAL Click here to see PDF – SBRA May-June Supplement Final