Are You Throwing Your Bankruptcy Client to the Predators?

By Cathy Moran, Mt. View, CA

Behind every IRS tax audit lurks the state taxing authority. Fail to give the state its due, and the tax in question may be non dischargeable.

I had to dredge this tidbit from memory when we were looking over the tax transcript for a client who had been audited by the IRS and assessed a whopping tax bill. To his good fortune, that newly assessed tax will be dischargeable 241 days after the audit assessment. But, I asked, had he reported the results of the IRS audit to our state (CA) income . . .

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Avoidance Powers In Chapter 13 – Part 3 of 6

January 13, 2019

By John P. Gustafson, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Ohio, Western Division (Toledo, OH) Click here for Part 1 of 6 Click here for Part 2 of 6 Click here for Part 4 of 6 Click here for Part 5 of 6

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In re Fulton: Seventh Circuit Affirms Its Position with Majority of Circuits on Passive Retention of Property as Violation of Sections 362 and 542

June 30, 2019

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction In In re Fulton,1 the Seventh Circuit has restated its position on passive violation of the automatic stay, holding that failure by the City of Chicago to turn over impounded vehicles after the owners' bankruptcy filings violated Bankruptcy Code sections 362 and 542. Fulton – Background and Ruling The...

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From the Editor

September 27, 2020

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Disgorgement of fees for nondisclosure. The Tenth Circuit held that the “default sanction” for an attorney’s failure to satisfy disclosure obligation is full disgorgement of fees paid. While full disgorgement may not be required in particular circumstances, the “default sanction” principle required reversal and remand. The bankruptcy court, affirmed by the BAP, had...

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Tax Tips for Taxpayers to Consider When Selling Their Home

May 19, 2019

The IRS has some good news for taxpayers who are selling their home. When filing their taxes, they may qualify to exclude all or part of any gain from the sale from their income. Here are some things that homeowners should think about when selling a home: Ownership and use To claim the exclusion, the taxpayer must meet ownership and...

Topp – Upending Till??

Jody Bledsoe

August 27, 2023

The Eighth Circuit recently released its Topp opinion. At issue was the appropriate starting point for determining the discount rate to be used when paying secured claims under a chapter 12 plan. The debtor, who had gained confirmation of his plan before the bankruptcy court, proposed paying claims to Farm Credit Services over 20 years at a rate based on the...

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Remembrances of a Retired Trustee

October 6, 2019

By Mike Fitzgerald It has been almost one full year since I retired as the Chapter 13 Standing Trustee in Seattle. I am happy to report that my family and I are enjoying ourselves immensely. As retirement grows more comfortable, I find myself looking back with mostly very fond memories at the nineteen years I served as a Trustee, as...

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Phil Lamos – Humble Sage

June 27, 2021

By Academy Staff Phil was a quiet, humble man. He loved his family, loved the law, and loved to serve others. Philip D. Lamos, age 53 of Painesville Township, passed away suddenly on June 11, 2021. He was a hometown boy who loved his family, especially his son Matthew and daughter Emily. Phil was a graduate of John Carroll University...

Bankruptcy Court Broadly Interprets “Engaged in Business” Requirement for Subchapter V Eligibility

May 23, 2021

By Lawrence R. Ahern, III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction The Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado ruled recently, in a case styled In re Ikalowych,1 that while eligibility for subchapter V of Chapter 112 requires that 50% of a debtor's debt must arise from commercial or business activities, the debtor was not required to be directly involved...

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Critical Case Comment–Who is Responsible to Address Eligibility Questions?

April 3, 2022

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Middle District of TN (Nashville) Bankruptcy Court is under an obligation to examine the eligibility of a debtor to file Chapter 13 even where no party raises a timely, written objection. (Seibel) Preuss v. Perry (In re Perry), 7:20-cv-04617-CS (S.D. N.Y., Sept. 21, 2021) Case Summary Bruce Perry filed...

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Will Getting Home Mortgage Forbearance Save Your Client’s Home?

April 19, 2020

By Cathy Moran, Esq. (Redwood City, CA) Mortgage forbearance for homeowners, shout the headlines. No need to make a house payment. Borrowers who can’t make this month’s mortgage payment were thrown a lifeline of sorts in the coronavirus rescue package. Only it’s probably not the help they think it is. And the lifeline may be far more fragile than they...

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