No Terms of Endearment

By Helen M. Morris, Chapter 13 Trustee for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia

We are nearing the first anniversary of the new forms for bankruptcy schedules. While others were decrying them with words of fear and loathing—and not just in Las Vegas, the format of the new schedules birthed a new hope for me. I imagined these detailed schedules with their break down of categories and parenthetical examples would open up a world where debtors’ attorneys filled in the addresses of real estate and identified the terms of ownership. No more “house and lot . . .

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Taxpayers Should Beware of Property Lien Scam

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With scam artists hard at work all year, taxpayers should watch for new versions of tax-related scams. One such scam involves fake property liens. It threatens taxpayers with a tax bill from a fictional government agency. Here are some details about the property lien scam that will help taxpayers recognize it: This scheme involves a letter threatening an IRS lien...

From the Editor – Confirmation

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From the Editor – Confirmation

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By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Plan did not properly address 910 creditor’s liens. Finding that the plan did not satisfy one of the three options for addressing a secured claim under § 1325(a)(5), specifically failing to provide for the 910 creditor’s retention of lien, the Panel observed that in response to the creditor’s objection to confirmation, the debtors...

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From the Editor

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By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Three-month delay in completing bare-bones petition. When the Chapter 13 debtor filed a skeletal petition, her motion for more time to complete schedules, statement and plan was denied, with no cause found for extending time after three-month delay, and show cause hearing was set to determine if case should be dismissed with 180-day...

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Just the Facts, Ma’am – Consolidated Appropriations Act, December 27, 2020

January 10, 2021

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) This legislation includes several bankruptcy-related provisions, in addition to government funding and other COVID relief. Consumer bankruptcy issues are addressed in Title X of the Act, section 1001, which amends Bankruptcy Code § 541(b)’s exclusions from property of the estate, adding subsection 11 for certain coronavirus relief, defined as “recovery rebates made under...

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From the Editor – Claims

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(To be sung to the tune of Julie Andrews’ version of “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music) Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens– Hey, wait a minute, that’s not what I mean; It’s time that we focus on Chapter Thirteen. We’ve been Trustees for so...

Arbitration in Bankruptcy: Reading Opinions & Tea Leaves in Recent Supreme Court & Lower Court Actions Part IV

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By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) PART IV: What's an Attorney to Do? Considerations for Counsel on all Sides of the Arbitration Question Click here for Part I Click here for Part II

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Meet a Brand Spankin’ New Trustee

The Academy

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William F. Jaworski, Jr. - Bill - was appointed Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the District of Delaware on April 1, 2022. Jaworski has very large shoes to fill as he is taking over for Michael Joseph upon his well-deserved retirement. Jaworski was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. As a hometown boy, he didn’t venture too far away...

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From the Editor – Confirmation

March 8, 2020

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