Are You Correctly Classifying Workers as Independent Contractors?

By Andrew Iwata, Tran Law Firm LLP, Houston, TX

It is very important for a company to know whether its workers are employees or independent contractors. It is also important for the worker to know which classification properly applies to her. Most statutory protections for workers – such as the wage and hour provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, or the anti-discrimination rules in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, only apply to employees, and do not apply to independent contractors. Broadly speaking . . .

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An Open Thank You Letter to NACTT – Reflections from a New(er) Trustee: My First Two Years

March 7, 2021

By Dynele Schinker-Kuharich, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Canton, OH) I vividly remember getting the call that I was to be appointed as a Standing Chapter 13 Trustee (effective October 1, 2018). I was so honored, and humbled, and excited. At the time I was a panel Chapter 7 Trustee, but my heart had always been in Chapter 13. As corny...

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...

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Director’s Awards Recognize 19 Employees for Leadership, Service

The Academy

December 10, 2023

Congratulations to all but specifically the two bankruptcy courts with recognized recipients!

Win Now, Wreck Later: A Tale of Bankruptcy and Mortgage Servicing

August 18, 2019

By Cathy Moran, Esq. (Redwood City, CA) My Google Alert popped up a lovely win for a Chapter 13 homeowner, but all I could see was the train wreck that lies ahead. The bankruptcy court ruled that the confirmed (and completed) plan trumped a late-filed mortgage proof of claim. Payment of the amount provided in the plan cured the prepetition...

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Does Section 1325(b)(1)(A) Hold Your Interest?

Daniel M. Tavera, The Honorable John P. Gustafson

July 9, 2023

When Does The Bankruptcy Code Require The Payment Of Interest On Unsecured Claims In Chapter 13? I. Introduction This article primarily discusses the interpretation and application of § 1325(b)(1)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code in relation to the payment of interest to general unsecured creditors in chapter 13 bankruptcy cases. Section 1325(b)(1)(A) generally states that a court may not approve a chapter...

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Chapter 13 Trustee Duties, Powers, And Limitations – Part 2

October 11, 2020

By James J. Robinson, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Alabama What are the statutory duties of the standing chapter 13 trustee? Bankruptcy Code §§ 1302 and 704 provide the statutory framework for the trustee’s duties, and provide as follows: 11 U.S.C. § 1302. Trustee (a) If the United States trustee appoints an individual under section 586(b) of...

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Choice of Staying in Chapter 13 or Converting to 7? Circuits Show It Makes a Difference

The Honorable William Houston Brown

March 31, 2024

Eighth Circuit, like the Ninth, has ruled that when Chapter 13 cases are converted to Chapter 7, any increase in a debtor's home value beyond exemptions and liens becomes part of the Chapter 7 estate. See also: Critical Case Comment – Post-Petition/Pre-Conversion Equity

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Delaware Trustee Michael Joseph to Retire

Paul Chael

March 13, 2022

The debtors will miss him. The creditors will miss him. Even more, his colleagues will miss him. Michael Joseph has served as the Chapter 13 Trustee in Delaware since 1987. He is retiring March 31, 2022. He has served with competence and excellence. The debtors will miss him because he treated them with dignity and compassion. The creditors knew they...

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What the FICO? Reaffirming Doesn’t Help My Credit Score?

May 23, 2021

By The Honorable John P. Gustafson, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Ohio (Toledo) Reaffirmation hearings during the pandemic have been difficult, at least for me. The economic risks for debtors are greater. There are uncertainties about the availability of credit, and the availability of suitable vehicles. Prices of used cars have gone up – with stimulus money pushing...

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Is This Corporation Really Separate from Its Owners: A Checklist

Cathy Moran

October 1, 2023

In a perfectly executed world, clients who do business via an entity like a corporation or LLC would arrive with their business lives neatly separated from their personal lives. However, that’s not the world I practice in. It’s probably not yours, either. Instead, I have to sleuth out the facts, and compare them to the individual’s version. I see prospective...

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