From the Editor

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired)

Dismissal of Case - Debtor’s attorney’s failure to file timely appeal of dismissal was not excusable neglect. Affirming, the First Circuit held that the bankruptcy court had wide discretion and there was no abuse in denial of the debtor’s motion for extension of time to appeal. The debtor failed to establish excusable neglect by her attorney’s failure to file a timely notice of appeal, and there was “no error in the bankruptcy court’s rational determination that counsel’s carelessness [in missing . . .

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From the Editor – Confirmation

March 8, 2020

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Equal monthly payments and attorney fees. The secured creditor objected to confirmation on basis that the plan improperly deferred its payments until debtor’s attorney fees were paid, and the District Court affirmed confirmation that delayed start of secured equal monthly payments for 21 months. The opinion examines three approaches to the issue: 1)...

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Is 1328(i) Ultimately Terrible for Debtors?

February 7, 2021

By Ken Siomos, Staff Attorney for Marsha L. Combs-Skinner (Newman, IL) The December 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, more commonly known as the second covid-19 stimulus bill, contains a few bankruptcy related provisions, but none stood out more with respect to Chapter 13 than the newly created § 1328(i). This provision provides that a court may grant a full 1328(a)...

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From the Editor

March 24, 2019

By Wm. Houston Brown, United States Bankruptcy Judge (Retired) Discharge - Section 523(a)(8)(A)(ii) does not include “loan.” Denying Navient’s motion to dismiss debtors’ complaint, reviewing the split of authority on whether § 523(a)(8)(A)(ii)’s “educational benefit” included loans, and finding no controlling authority in the Tenth Circuit, the Court concluded that Congress made a distinction between “loan” in § 523(a)(8)(A)(i) and...

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Supreme Court Revisits Finality of Orders in Bankruptcy: Comment on Ritzen and Review of “Finality”

February 9, 2020

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction The Supreme Court unanimously held on January 14 that an order denying stay relief was final in Ritzen Group, Inc. v. Jackson Masonry, LLC.1 Thus, the creditor should have appealed the denial instead of waiting until later in the case to seek again to pursue its pre-bankruptcy litigation against...

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What Defines a Petition Preparer

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

May 26, 2024

A person or entity need not physically prepare a bankruptcy petition for a pro se debtor in order to be a bankruptcy petition preparer, but a debtor must have paid some compensation for the “services” provided.

I Win. I Win. Trustee Holds Record for Having the Oldest Open Chapter 13 Case

April 7, 2019

By Helen M. Morris, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia It really takes so little to make a Chapter 13 Trustee happy—debtor’s counsel using calculators when they draft a plan ($100 for 36 months is NOT $4,936.87 no matter how many times it is repeated); saying “the Trustee is right” distinctly in open...

Home Equity Conversion Mortgages – Reversal of Fortune

Michael B. Joseph

March 30, 2025

Reverse mortgages, while providing liquidity to senior homeowners, come with high costs and unique challenges, particularly in Chapter 13, where both borrower and non-borrower debtors must navigate complex repayment issues.

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Critical Case Comment – Listing a Debt “Just in Case”

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

October 29, 2023

An interesting decision – one we would like for you to weigh in on. Did the Judge get it right? Is this a win for Creditors? Is this yet another case that requires more work from Debtors’ Counsel? Let us hear from you.

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The Neglected Non-Dischargeability Provision

Cathy Moran

June 11, 2023

Hands up everyone who has encountered a claim that a debt is non-dischargeable by reason of § 523(a)(14). That’s what I thought: nada, or next thing to it. Despite watching for it, I hadn’t seen one ‘til this year when AmEx filed an adversary in a case in which I was peripherally involved. My copy of Collier’s code doesn’t comment...

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Ask Ms. Ps & Qs

Nancy B. Rapoport

June 25, 2023

Dear Readers: By now, I’m hoping that all of you are aware of the sad story of the plaintiff’s lawyers in Mata v. Avianca, Inc., Case No. 22-cv-1461 (PKC) (S.D.N.Y). Lawyer A used ChatGPT to “research” a brief; Lawyer A was not admitted in the jurisdiction, so Lawyer B (same firm) entered a notice of appearance; Lawyer B filed Lawyer...

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Related Articles

From the Editor – Confirmation

Is 1328(i) Ultimately Terrible for Debtors?

From the Editor

Supreme Court Revisits Finality of Orders in Bankruptcy: Comment on Ritzen and Review of “Finality”

What Defines a Petition Preparer

I Win. I Win. Trustee Holds Record for Having the Oldest Open Chapter 13 Case

Home Equity Conversion Mortgages – Reversal of Fortune

Critical Case Comment – Listing a Debt “Just in Case”

The Neglected Non-Dischargeability Provision

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