Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones But Words Will Never Hurt Me . . . Or Do They?

By Sarah E. Smith, Esq., Senior Staff Attorney to Kathleen A. Leavitt, Chapter 13 Trustee Las Vegas, NV

Are the words we use to describe the individuals who have chosen to file bankruptcy harmful to our industry? Think about it . . . in a moment of frustration or superficial wit, have you ever thought to yourself “this is why they are debtors!” or even uttered under your breath “Debtors are so stupid!”? Have you ever made these or similar comments out loud to people in your office? Or in a Meeting of Creditors waiting room, when you think you’re . . .

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Judge Carol A. Doyle: Pre-Retirement Interview

Samantha Ruben

May 14, 2023

(Reprinted with permission. Bankruptcy Court Liaison Committee Newsletter – Spring 2023 (Northern District of Illinois)) During her tenure as a bankruptcy judge for nearly 24 years, Judge Carol A. Doyle has presided over countless chapter 7, 11, and 13 cases, leaving a lasting impact on the Chicago bankruptcy landscape. She has been a dedicated and respected member of the bankruptcy...

Bankruptcy Intersecting with Tevis Equals Malpractice Claim

Nicole Noll

March 20, 2022

A New Jersey attorney is the subject of a legal malpractice complaint for allegedly failing to properly preserve a marital tort claim as an exception to discharge. Asma J. Warsi v. Adrian J. Johnson (Case No. MID-L-001023-22, Super. Ct. of N.J., Middlesex County); In re Chaundry, 569 B.R. 372 (Bankr. D. N.J. 2017). In Chaundry, Creditor Wife had a marital...

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Diaz: Is it Really a Tax Refund?

December 20, 2020

By Cathy Moran, Esq., Moran Law Group (Redwood City, CA) On its face, Diaz (Diaz v. Viegelahn, No. 19-50982 (5th Cir. Aug. 26, 2020)) is a pretty straightforward decision that struck down a local form plan as violating a below-median income debtor's right to use her tax refund to finance necessary expenses for maintenance and support. On a deeper level,...

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The Brunner Student Loan Hardship Test: Alive and Well in The Big Apple

June 23, 2019

By Herbert L. Beskin, Chapter 13 Trustee for the Western District of Virginia (Charlottesville) Let’s take the following set of facts and see how it plays out in the labyrinthian world of hardship discharge of student loan debt. The case is In re Lozada (Lozada v. Educational Credit Management Corporation), 594 B.R. 212 (Bankr. S.D. N.Y. 2018). Years ago (30...

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Still Trying to Apply Taggart: Fourth Circuit Vacates Beckhart v. Newrez, LLC

Lawrence R. Ahern, III

May 15, 2022

Background - In re Taggart In 2019, the Supreme Court rendered its opinion in In re Taggart,1 which was the subject of earlier analyses: (1) Is a Finding of Contempt Precluded by a "Good Faith" but Unreasonable Belief that an Action Does Not Violate the Discharge Injunction?; (2) Looking Beyond . . . It looks like you are not signed...

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Critical Case Comment

June 27, 2021

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Nashville, TN) It constitutes an unfair discrimination, violative of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(1), for a Chapter 13 plan which would pay more to a student loan than to the remaining general unsecured creditors. (Somers) In re Kane, 603 B.R. 491 (Bankr. C.D. Kan. June 18, 2019) Case Summary Ronald Kane filed...

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When the Trustee Gets Subpoenaed

August 15, 2021

By Karin N. Amyx, Staff Attorney to Chapter 13 Trustee Carl Davis (Wichita, KS) Trustees possess a variety of sensitive information that could be useful to litigants in contract disputes, divorce and child custody matters, insurance litigation or criminal prosecution. Additionally, debtors, creditors or third parties may be interested in the trustee’s internal operating procedures or legal position on disputes...

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Critical Case Comment – No Approval No Pay

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

May 15, 2022

It is incumbent upon nonbankruptcy attorneys, including personal injury attorneys, to verify on PACER that their client is not a debtor and that the cause of action as to which they represent their client is not property of the estate; failure to obtain approval of the bankruptcy court for representing a debtor or settlement of a personal injury action is...

Ask Ms. Ps and Qs

Nancy B. Rapoport

May 14, 2023

Dear Readers: Want to know why your 1L Civ Pro course is your best friend when it comes to “undue hardship” cases? Because burdens of proof matter. (They matter in other cases, too, but I’m in love with the case of Love v. U.S. Dept. of Education (In re Love), Case No. 19-20532-C-7, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern...

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Can Good Facts Also Make Bad Law? Finality of Orders in Bankruptcy Revisited after Ritzen Group

Lawrence R. Ahern, III

March 20, 2022

"Finality" in Bankruptcy When is an order within a bankruptcy case "final"? When must a party to the proceeding appeal within 14 days? When may a party either seek interlocutory review or sit back and wait until something more occurs to make the order final? Final orders are appealable. In civil actions, this is a relatively easy proposition to apply...

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