Critical Case Comment

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Middle District of Tennessee

The Supreme Court’s holding in Harris v. Viegelahn requires the trustee to return funds to the debtor upon conversion of the case whether the case is converted before or after confirmation. (Jacobvitz) In re Beauregard, 533 B.R. 886 (Bankr. D. N.M. July 10, 2015)

Case Summary

Kelley Skehen, the Chapter 13 Trustee in New Mexico, brought several cases before the court, requesting direction as to the trustee’s appropriate function when a case has . . .

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Twenty Years After BAPCPA; The Federal Form Still Doesn’t Follow the Statute

Robert G. Drummond

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“The calculations in Form B122C-1 are directly at odds with the calculations in § 1325(b)(2)(B).”

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Critical Case Comment–Be Careful What You Stipulate

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

August 14, 2022

Where a stipulation of a settlement of an objection to confirmation provided that a creditor’s claim would be “excepted from discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6)”, the stipulation would not prevent the discharge of the claim based upon a breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with business relations, unfair competition, defamation, and conversion which resulted in a state jury...

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How to Effectively Handle a Difficult Debtor

The NACTT Emeritus Trustees

June 9, 2024

This is a GREAT resource everyone should read! “Sometimes the trustee’s office must deal with a difficult debtor. . . . All trustees know — or should know — that skilled debtors’ lawyers are our best allies.”

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8th Circuit Kills SAVE Program Disallowing Loan Forgiveness

Scott Waterman

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This decision will completely upend the income driven student loan landscape, impacting over 8 million student loan borrowers who were enrolled in those programs. The injunction also impacts Chapter 13.

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Wholly Unsecured Junior Liens in Chapter 13: The Lien Strip Dance

Michael B. Joseph

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“ . . . practice and procedure accomplishing the lien strip have been slow to evolve since 2017. . . . in the jurisdictions that opted out of usage of the Form 113 Plan, multiple iterations for lien stripping and release are found.”

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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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Strategies in Court Arguments – Are We Tired of Baseless Accusations in Arguments Yet?

Scott C. Clarkson

December 21, 2025

As a gift, Judge Clarkson shares an article with Academy readers on courtroom strategies.

Post-Petition Equity in Chapter 13 – Who Gets The $$$

Thomas D. DeCarlo

October 2, 2022

So, what happens to post-petition appreciation of assets during a Chapter 13? Does the Debtor get to keep the money? Or does the Chapter 13 Trustee get it for the benefit of creditors? That was the question for the Court in In re Klein, 2022 WL 3902822 (Bankr. D. Colo. 2022). The question in Klein is a bit different than...

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The Gambling Debtor – What is a Chapter 13 Trustee to Do?

Stacey A. O’Stafy

January 28, 2024

Gambling was one of the earliest forms of entertainment, likely pre-dating recorded human history and before man invented minted currency. . . . gambling alone is not evidence of bad faith! Another article on this topic: If You’re Gonna Bet the Farm, Maybe Play Against the House

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Jay S. Jump

March 12, 2023

Recently, I had the pleasure of a great conversation with Chapter 13 Trustee, Thomas McDonald, from the EDMI. As it turns out, we have both been pilots for a long time. Once we came to this realization, our conversation quickly devolved from the issues confronting the bankruptcy industry to talk of density altitude, mountain flying, and the importance of using...

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Related Articles

Twenty Years After BAPCPA; The Federal Form Still Doesn’t Follow the Statute

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