Representing Elderly Clients in Bankruptcy – Part 2 of 3 • NACTT Academy

Representing Elderly Clients in Bankruptcy – Part 2 of 3

By David Cox,1 Cox Law Group, PLLC (Lynchburg, VA)

C. Determining whether to file.

Collection considerations outside of bankruptcy.
1. Is the debtor judgment-proof? Are assets and income exempt?
2. How active are creditors?
3. Is the current situation likely to change?
4. Has there been a previous filing, and if so, are there stay or exhausted exemption issues?

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From the Editor – Curing Default

October 27, 2019

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Debtor could cure default beyond 60 months. Agreeing with In re Klaas, 858 F.3d 820 (3d Cir. 2017), bankruptcy court had discretion to permit debtors to cure plan default, allowing a reasonable grace period beyond the 60 months of confirmed plan. Dismissal of the case for plan default was not required under §...

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Duty to Update Trustee Regarding Changes Post-Plan Confirmation

Daryl J. Smith

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Is there a duty to inform the trustee about changes post-plan confirmation? Yes. There is an inherent duty for the consumer debtor to update the trustee on any and all material changes, particularly windfalls, post plan confirmation. In a very recent case, In Re Robinson, the United States Trustee moved to dismiss debtor’s chapter 13 case because the debtor received...

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Chapter 13 Trustee Duties, Powers, And Limitations – Part 3

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By James J. Robinson, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Alabama Can the trustee challenge the debtor’s attorney’s fee? In re Rodriguez Perez, 2018 WL 3655656 (Bankr. D.P.R. 2018). In this case, the chapter 13 trustee asked the bankruptcy court to assess the contract between the debtor and counsel under § 526-528. The trustee alleged that the contract...

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Supreme Court Camping!

David Jacob

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“Just call me the third-party release clause groupie. . . . After another security check and metal detector, we were in and I had a seat where I could see all of the justices in their glory!”

The Brunner Student Loan Hardship Test: Alive and Well in The Big Apple

June 23, 2019

By Herbert L. Beskin, Chapter 13 Trustee for the Western District of Virginia (Charlottesville) Let’s take the following set of facts and see how it plays out in the labyrinthian world of hardship discharge of student loan debt. The case is In re Lozada (Lozada v. Educational Credit Management Corporation), 594 B.R. 212 (Bankr. S.D. N.Y. 2018). Years ago (30...

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Creditors’ Rights and Debtors’ Protections at the Intersection of Consumer Bankruptcy and UCC Article 9

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By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction to this Series Current pandemic circumstances and economic conditions portend an onslaught of bankruptcy filings. In the consumer bankruptcy field, trustees and debtors' counsel often are uncomfortable with the rules in UCC Article 9. Here, we look at a couple of topics that touch on the interplay of Article...

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Critical Case Comment – Although a Mess, Month-to-Month Lease Assumed

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

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A month-to-month residential lease can be assumed and defaults cured in a Chapter 13 plan. (Rucker) In re Mattoon, 2022 WL 2080184 (Bankr. E.D. Tenn. June 9, 2022) Case Summary Sarah Mattoon executed a lease with Open Doors in September of 2019. Several of Ms. Mattoon’s family members lived with her in the rented apartment including her “companion” and her...

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Choice of Staying in Chapter 13 or Converting to 7? Circuits Show It Makes a Difference

The Honorable William Houston Brown

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Eighth Circuit, like the Ninth, has ruled that when Chapter 13 cases are converted to Chapter 7, any increase in a debtor's home value beyond exemptions and liens becomes part of the Chapter 7 estate. See also: Critical Case Comment – Post-Petition/Pre-Conversion Equity

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Tracking Down the Illusive Mortgage Interest Deduction

Cathy Moran

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Are your clients curing mortgage arrears through their Chapter 13 plan? If so, I’m convinced a mortgage interest tax deduction lurks, unclaimed, in the trustee’s records.

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Judge Carol A. Doyle: Pre-Retirement Interview

Samantha Ruben

May 14, 2023

(Reprinted with permission. Bankruptcy Court Liaison Committee Newsletter – Spring 2023 (Northern District of Illinois)) During her tenure as a bankruptcy judge for nearly 24 years, Judge Carol A. Doyle has presided over countless chapter 7, 11, and 13 cases, leaving a lasting impact on the Chicago bankruptcy landscape. She has been a dedicated and respected member of the bankruptcy...