Ask Ms. Ps & Qs

By Professor Nancy Rapoport

Dear Readers:

A bankruptcy lawyer’s day is often very, very busy, and sometimes people are tempted to skip some good management techniques in order to deal with the pace of practice. In In re T.H., 529 B.R. 112 (2015), the failure to document conversations between a lawyer and his client (and to obtain a “wet” signature) ended up being a very bad idea.

The case is an interesting read,1 but it boils down to having regularly kept documents in order to avoid a lot . . .

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Critical Case Comment – 3002.1 and Reverse Mortgages

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

January 23, 2022

Requirements and remedies in Rule 3002.1 apply to reverse mortgages as well as conventional mortgages; while discharge of Chapter 13 plan does not discharge a mortgage obligation treated pursuant to § 1325(b)(5), the court may prohibit prospective use of a nondisclosed obligation as grounds for a default. (Waites) In re Legare-Doctor, 2021 WL 5712149 (Bankr. D. S.C. Dec. 1, 2021)...

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Obtaining Credit in Chapter 13 – Did the Amendment to FRBP 4001(c) Eliminate Motions to Incur Additional Credit?

March 1, 2020

By Nathan E. Curtis and Peter Francis Geraci, Geraci Law LLC (Chicago, IL) Time does not stand still while a debtor is in Chapter 13. Nor do income and expenses. Ideally, consumer debtors who have filed a chapter 13 would not need to obtain credit during the term of their plan. Unfortunately, circumstances sometimes get in the way. The most...

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IRS Updates Guidance for Deductible Business, Charitable, Medical and Moving Expenses

November 17, 2019

11/14/19, the IRS issued guidance for taxpayers with certain deductible expenses to reflect changes resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Revenue Procedure 2019-46, posted today on IRS.gov, updates the rules for using the optional standard mileage rates in computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving expense purposes. The guidance also...

Supreme Court Agrees to Revisit Finality of Orders in Bankruptcy

May 26, 2019

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction In Ritzen Group, Inc. v. Jackson Masonry, LLC (In re Jackson Masonry, LLC),1 the Sixth Circuit reviewed circuit authority on finality of orders for appellate purposes and affirmed the district court's dismissal of an appeal from an order denying stay relief. The Court of Appeals said that, under 28...

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Can a Secured Claim Still “Ride-Through” Bankruptcy Despite BAPCPA? – Part 1 In re Rhodes Says, “Let Me Count the Ways”

Lawrence R. Ahern, III

January 30, 2022

Background A recent Chapter 7 case out of the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California, In re Rhodes,1 addresses reaffirmation in a context that is very significant and should be of interest to all debtor's attorneys. It points out that the "ride-through" of a debtor's secured debt in Chapter 7—which Congress tried to eliminate in 2005—still exists. In...

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The Chapter 13 Business Model

February 21, 2021

By John M. Hauber, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Indianapolis, IN) I have recently written an article for the NACTT Quarterly, that may or may not be published at the time of this writing, which is simply a stream-of-conscious style response to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s desire to modify the Bankruptcy Code based upon her perception that debtors’ attorneys get rich off...

Some Basics You Always Wanted to Know About the FCRA But Were Too Embarrassed to Ask

October 20, 2019

By Herb Beskin, Chapter 13 Trustee and Edward M. Wayland, Esq. (Charlottesville, VA) Trustees are not privy to the struggles of Debtors as they emerge from Chapter 13 and work to re-establish (establish?) their credit worthiness. A crucial factor in this process is the Debtor’s credit report. In this article, we discuss the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), the rules...

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Inclusion in Bankruptcy Doesn’t Equal “Discharged”

Cathy Moran

February 11, 2024

Communications Practice Pointer! Convincing clients that all of their debts must be included in bankruptcy is one of the hardest parts of being a bankruptcy lawyer. Communicating clearly with our clients, in their language, is a key part of our job. The struggle often seems Herculean.

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If You’re Gonna Bet the Farm, Maybe Play Against the House

Danielle N. Gueck-Townsend

January 30, 2022

Gambling is inherently risky, but that rings even more true when a bankruptcy is involved. Section 727(a)(5) allows for denial of discharge if “the debtor has failed to explain satisfactorily, …. any loss of assets or deficiency of assets to meet the debtor’s liabilities.” 11 U.S.C. §727(a)(5). Recently, Bankruptcy Judge Timothy A. Barnes in Chicago wrote an opinion in which...

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The Long Reach of R. 3002.1

Cathy Moran

August 20, 2023

What are the consequences of a secured lender’s failure to comply with R. 3002.1 in a prior case when the debtor files again? Significant, it seems. . . . since their attorney said he “didn’t see the need” to do so. [Can you guess, now, how this comes out?]

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Related Articles

Critical Case Comment – 3002.1 and Reverse Mortgages

Obtaining Credit in Chapter 13 – Did the Amendment to FRBP 4001(c) Eliminate Motions to Incur Additional Credit?

IRS Updates Guidance for Deductible Business, Charitable, Medical and Moving Expenses

Supreme Court Agrees to Revisit Finality of Orders in Bankruptcy

Can a Secured Claim Still “Ride-Through” Bankruptcy Despite BAPCPA? – Part 1 In re Rhodes Says, “Let Me Count the Ways”

The Chapter 13 Business Model

Some Basics You Always Wanted to Know About the FCRA But Were Too Embarrassed to Ask

Inclusion in Bankruptcy Doesn’t Equal “Discharged”

If You’re Gonna Bet the Farm, Maybe Play Against the House

The Long Reach of R. 3002.1

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