From the Editor’s Desk – Plan Confirmation • NACTT Academy

From the Editor’s Desk – Plan Confirmation

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired)

Separate classification of municipal court fines. In two cases in which below-median debtors had proposed to separately classify and pay in full municipal court fines, while paying other unsecured creditors nothing, the court held that the separate classification was unfairly discriminatory. Assuming that the justification was in part due to potential incarceration for nonpayment of the fines, and noting that § 523(a)(7) debts are not exceptions from Chapter 13 discharge, the court held that the potential for incarceration was not enough to justify the discriminatory treatment. The . . .

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Judge Brian Lynch to Retire

Martha G. Bronitsky

May 12, 2024

Say it isn’t so!!!!! The bankruptcy community bids farewell to Judge Brian Lynch, a devoted jurist leaving a lasting impact on Chapter 13. Known for his advocacy and leadership, Judge Lynch's retirement marks the departure of a stalwart champion of bankruptcy law reform and education, leaving behind a legacy of compassion, humor, and dedication to improving the system.

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Dollar Amount Increases in Bankruptcy Code

March 3, 2019

By William Houston Brown, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Retired; Editor/Adviser, The Academy On April 1, 2019, an increase takes effect in those dollar amounts in the Bankruptcy Code that are subject to adjustment every three years.1 The following increases have significance in everything from the eligibility maximums for filing under Chapters 12 and 13 to the debtor’s exemptions. Relevant Official...

The NCBJ Is Turning 100

The Honorable Deborah L. Thorne, The Honorable Kathy A. Surratt-States

April 21, 2024

Judge Deborah Thorne, NDIL, and Judge Kathy Surratt-States, EDMO, on behalf of the NCBJ’s DEI Committee, have written two articles about some of judicial firsts.

Chapter 7 Trustee Compensation for Uncovered Equity

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

July 21, 2024

When a Chapter 7 trustee discovers non-exempt, undisclosed equity in the debtor’s property, the Chapter 7 trustee is entitled to be compensated in the case based upon the hours actually performed by the trustee in a lodestar method as an administrative expense when the case is converted to Chapter 13.

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Critical Case Comment – No Such Thing as “Technical” Violation of the Stay

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

February 20, 2022

Bankruptcy Court found violation of automatic stay to be “technical”, thus no damages. Ninth Circuit BAP did not agree. Continuing to pursue state court fraudulent transfer action after transfer or filed for Chapter 7 relief violated the automatic stay; even if the violation of the stay is “technical”, damages, including attorneys’ fees and costs, should be assessed against the violator....

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ABI Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy – What Does It Mean to Surrender?

November 24, 2019

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Nashville, TN) One of the most confusing elements in consumer bankruptcy practice is the effect of electing the option given in § 1325(a)(5)(C) or § 521(a)(2). Section 521(a)(2) requires every debtor to file a statement of intent that indicates whether the debtor intends to “surrender or retain” estate property which secured...

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Escrow 101 – Part 2 of 3

September 12, 2021

By Michael J. McCormick, Esq., McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC (Roswell, GA) Escrow 101 – Part 1 Escrow 101 – Part 3 Escrow 102 – Part 1 Escrow 102 – Part 2

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FFIEC Issues Statement on Examination Principles Related to Valuation Discrimination and Bias in Residential Lending

The Academy

February 18, 2024

FFIEC Issues Statement on Examination Principles Related to Valuation Discrimination and Bias in Residential Lending

How to Manage Incompetent, Unprepared, and Unreasonable Creditor Bankruptcy Counsel

The NACTT Emeritus Trustees

March 19, 2023

Recently, the Emeritus Trustees (“ETC”) commented on “How to Manage Incompetent, Unprepared, and Negligent Bankruptcy Counsel”. We now turn to ETC to share their collective wisdom when addressing the issues raised by incompetent, unprepared and unreasonable creditor counsel. CREDITOR ATTORNEY REPRESENTATION ISSUES Several ETC Trustees list the following as problematical during their tenure. Attorney claims lack of authority from creditor...

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Critical Case Comment – Ignoring 3002.1 Will Cost You

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

February 5, 2023

Mortgagee’s failure to disclose payment changes resulting from escrow adjustments and interest rate modifications compels the Court to order mortgagee to credit all undisclosed increases and subject it to sanctions, including attorney’s fees. (Somers) In re Kinderknecht, 2023 WL 320984 (Bankr. D. Kan. January 19, 2023) Case Summary Kyle and Chasity Kinderknecht filed a Chapter 13 petition in December of...

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