Thoughts on the Law: “None of My Business” Or “CU Later”? – Does Refusing to Do Business with a Debtor Violate the Automatic Stay?

By The Honorable John P. Gustafson

Can a creditor refuse to do business with a debtor, or is such refusal a violation of the automatic stay?

The case of Brown v. Penn State Employees Credit Union, 851 F.2d 81 (3rd Cir. 1988) held that a credit union’s refusal to continue to do business with a debtor who caused a loss to the institution was not a violation of the automatic stay. As Brown states: “Nothing in the Bankruptcy Code requires this creditor to do business with this debtor. To require dealings would impermissibly extend . . .

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Advising Consumer Clients About Credit Scoring – Some Questions

The Honorable William Houston Brown, Cathy Moran

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“We have observed consumers who seem to be focused principally on their credit scores, . . . rather than focusing on . . . a more critical immediate focus on their balance sheets . . .”

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CFPB Releases Report on Debt Settlements and Credit Counseling

July 12, 2020

July 10, 2020, the CFPB released a report examining recent trends in debt settlement and credit counseling. Many Americans struggle with their debts, especially during times of crisis. Today’s report documents changes over time in how consumers have used these debt relief options for unsecured debt. Using the Bureau’s Consumer Credit Panel (CCP), a nationally representative sample of approximately five...

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It is always troublesome when an individual bankruptcy petition is filed by power of attorney. It may be less of a concern in a chapter 7 case when the debtor is in the military, incarcerated, or temporarily disabled. More worrisome is the incompetent or advanced aged debtor who has been placed in a chapter 13 by someone holding a power...

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Of Tax Refunds, Exemptions, Setoffs, and Roman Gods

April 18, 2021

By Herbert L. Beskin, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Western District of Virginia (Charlottesville) If you’re looking for a well-written and clear appellate opinion about a much-litigated topic, with a bit of ancient mythology thrown in for good measure, this HUD’s for you. The case is Wood v. U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (In re Larry and...

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Cars, Fines, and Chapter 13 in the Windy City

January 12, 2020

By Herbert L. Beskin, Chapter 13 Trustee for the Western District of Virginia (Charlottesville) The Seventh Circuit thought that it had finished dealing with the intersection of cars, fines, Chapter 13, and the City of Chicago when it rendered its decision earlier in 2019 in “Steenes I.” In re Steenes, 918 F.3d 554 . Alas, it was not to be,...

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Generative A.I. – Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Naliko Markel

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“ . . . next leap: Generative A.I. learns everything there is to know about you from your public social media presence and crafts phishing attacks unique to YOU.”

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Amended Rule 2002(a)(5) – Who Gets Served and Who Petitions the Court for Change?

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By Phil Lamos, Chief Legal Counsel, Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee Lauren A. Helbling (Cleveland, OH) Bankruptcy Rule 2002(a)(5) directs that 21 days’ notice must be given of the “time fixed to accept or reject a proposed modification of a [Chapter 13] plan.” But to whom must notice be given? Specifically, which creditors need to be given notice? This...

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Why Creditors Should Get Less in Chapter 13

Cathy Moran

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Spending every dollar they make, and then some, is often how our Chapter 13 clients got into financial trouble. Yet Chapter 13, as practiced, validates the practice of continuing to spend 100% of each month’s income during the life of the plan. In doing so, we, as a society, squander the chance to use Chapter 13 to teach new budgeting...

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Chapter 13 –Success/Benefits & Everything in between

December 20, 2020

By Robert S. Thomas, II,1 Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the District of Maryland (Baltimore) All stakeholders strive to make the Chapter 13 program efficient and beneficial to all parties. The Chapter 13 program has evolved over the years to better serve debtors and creditors. This is due in part because of the remarkable actions taken daily by our Bankruptcy...

Critical Case Comment

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

April 17, 2022

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