Ask Ms. Ps & Qs

By Professor Nancy Rapoport

Dear Readers:

What do you get when you cross an astonishing fact pattern with a judge with a feel for the power of the written word? You get Sundquist v. Bank of America (In re Sundquist), United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California, Case No. 1035624 (Nov. 15, 2017)—a cautionary tale if ever there was one.

As always, it’s easy to know when an opinion is going to involve some juicy facts when this is the first sentence: “This Motion to Expunge an attorneys' fee lien asserted . . .

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From the Editor – Debtor’s Attorney

May 17, 2020

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Sanctions for including foreclosed property in petition. On creditor’s motion, sanctions for attorney fees and costs were awarded against Chapter 13 debtor’s attorney for scheduling as property of estate real property that had been foreclosed and on which debtor’s redemption period had expired. Under Rule 9011(c), a safe harbor letter from the creditor...

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Hanging Paragraph, Cars for Non-Personal Use, and PMSI

November 3, 2019

By Gretchen Holland, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee for the Greenville/Spartanburg Division of South Carolina The hanging paragraph of § 1325(a)(9) prevents bifurcation of a PMSI claim if the collateral securing it was purchased within certain time periods prepetition. A 910-day limitation applies to motor vehicles acquired for the debtor’s personal use. A one-year limitation applies to all other PMSI collateral,...

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We Love You Dan (“Stingray”) Brunner!!

October 1, 2023

Dan grew up in Spokane, Washington, and graduated from Gonzaga University in 1966 with a BA in political science. After finishing his undergraduate degree, Dan entered active duty in the United States Army. He was stationed in Korea from 1967 to 1968 where he commanded a HAWK missile battery. Dan retired from the United States Army in 1994 with the...

Tax Time Guide: Contribute to an IRA by April 15 to claim it on 2018 tax returns

March 24, 2019

3/19/19 IRS reminded taxpayers that it’s not too late to contribute to an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) and still claim it on a 2018 tax return. Anyone with a traditional IRA may be eligible for a tax credit or deduction on their 2018 tax return if they make contributions by April 15, 2019. This news release is part of a...

Ensure You Understand Insurance in Bankruptcy

March 17, 2019

By Cathy Moran, Esq. (Redwood City, CA) Because its treatment varies so, we need to be asking more pointed questions of clients about both insurance policies and the debtor as beneficiary. Unmatured life insurance Starting with exemptions, §522(d)(7) makes an unmatured life insurance policy exempt without limit. So, the insurance element of a policy owned by the debtor is exempt...

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Escrow 101 – Part 3 of 3

September 19, 2021

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

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6 Steps to Ethical Unbundling of Bankruptcy Representation

March 21, 2021

By Cathy Moran, Esq. (Redwood City, CA) No matter how many hoops the client dutifully jumped through, without adequate inquiry and communication, the bankruptcy attorney was slammed for unbundling his services. The representation agreement at issue excluded representation in any adversary proceeding filed, as do most such agreements, I imagine. The client initialed every paragraph of the 19-paged representation agreement,...

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341s: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Brandi Manuel Jolley

November 19, 2023

“The chief obstacle we have had since starting Zoom revolves around the lack of high-speed internet in our division.”

The Change to Chapter 13 Law I’d Most Like to See?

The NACTT Emeritus Trustees

October 15, 2023

A question recently presented to the NACTT Emeritus Trustees is “the change to chapter 13 law I’d most like to see?” Here is a summary of their responses. This question was presented by a ConsiderChapter13.org reader. If you have a question for the Emeritus Trustees or Ms. Ps & Qs (ethics), please submit them here.

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What I Learned about Bankruptcy on Facebook

Cathy Moran

November 17, 2024

For nearly a year, I’ve been hanging out on a Facebook “bankruptcy support” group. It’s a world full of misunderstanding, fear, and anguish. But it’s also clear to me that our profession can learn some things from that stew, both individually and collectively. We need to work together to fix the disconnect. Ideas? We would love to hear them.

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Related Articles

From the Editor – Debtor’s Attorney

Hanging Paragraph, Cars for Non-Personal Use, and PMSI

We Love You Dan (“Stingray”) Brunner!!

Tax Time Guide: Contribute to an IRA by April 15 to claim it on 2018 tax returns

Ensure You Understand Insurance in Bankruptcy

Escrow 101 – Part 3 of 3

6 Steps to Ethical Unbundling of Bankruptcy Representation

341s: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Change to Chapter 13 Law I’d Most Like to See?

What I Learned about Bankruptcy on Facebook

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