Sanctions in South Carolina

In a recent case out of South Carolina, rather than a debtor seeking sanctions against a creditor, it was the creditor’s counsel who sought sanctions against counsel for a Chapter 13 debtor in an adversary proceeding.

Ruling on a Motion for Sanctions in James Defoe v. Winyah Surgical Specialists, P.A. doing business as Winyah Surgical Specialists (In re Defoe), 632 B.R. 44 (Bank. D.S.C. 2021), Judge Waites held that two attorneys for the Debtor violated the automatic stay by failing to adequately investigate allegations prior to filing a complaint to . . .

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Ashley Baxter Curry

Staff Attorney for Joseph A. Bledsoe, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Eastern District of North Carolina (New Bern, Fayetteville, Greenville & Wilmington Divisions)

Ashley Baxter Curry is a native of New Bern, North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Economics and Political Science in 2003. She then worked for a statewide political campaign, thereafter serving as a Senate Sergeant-at-Arms in the North Carolina General Assembly. In 2009, she received her J.D. from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University, and began her legal career in bankruptcy with Stubbs & Perdue, P.A. In October, 2014, she joined Joseph A. Bledsoe, III (“Jody”), a Standing Chapter 13 Trustee for the Eastern District of North Carolina, as his Staff Attorney. She has spoken at several seminars for the Eastern Bankruptcy Institute, held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and currently serves on the Consumer Committee for the Bankruptcy Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. She and her husband, Gary, reside in New Bern with their almost-6-year-old daughter, Evie.

Members of the Armed Forces Are Entitled to Certain Tax Benefits

June 23, 2019

Members of the military and their families often qualify for special tax benefits. For example, members of the armed forces don’t have to pay taxes on some types of income. In addition, special rules could lower the tax they owe or allow them more time to file and pay their federal taxes. Here are some of these special tax benefits:...

Critical Case Comment

June 2, 2019

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Middle District of Tennessee If a Chapter 13 debtor does not list a creditor on the creditor matrix when filing the petition and makes no effort to provide supplemental notice to the creditor, the provisions of Rule 3002 allow the extension of time for the creditor to file a...

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When is Enough, Enough? Pro Se Dismissed with Extended Prejudice (and Violates Bar)

Jeff LeForce

January 16, 2022

When do the facts justify a long bar to refiling over the 180-day period in § 109(g)? Sometimes it is Justice Stewart’s infamous words from Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 U.S. 187 (1964)–“I know it when I see it.” Even so, a Trustee must provide evidence and authority to the Court for a long prejudice period. In In re Parson 2021...

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Escrow 102 – Part 4 of 4

October 17, 2021

By Michael J. McCormick, Esq., McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC (Roswell, GA) The Shortage-Only Arrears Claim Occasionally, running the escrow analysis right after the filing of the bankruptcy case leads to an escrow shortage even though the debtor might be current with respect to regular mortgage payments. Although the debtor may argue that it is impossible for there to be...

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What, Exactly, Is the Trustee’s Percentage Fee

Rebecca Herr

April 23, 2023

In recent years, a handful of cases have discussed the issue of what happens to the trustee’s percentage fee, collected from debtor plan payments, upon the dismissal or conversion of a case prior to confirmation. This is an emerging area of law, with decisions on both sides. However, with this new issue, there appears to be at least some confusion...

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Turnover by Motion? How About Under Rule 6008?

February 28, 2021

By Joseph A. Bledsoe, III (“Jody”), Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Eastern District of North Carolina (New Bern) In the aftermath of City of Chicago v. Fulton, discussions abound as to whether it is sufficient for a chapter 13 debtor to seek return of his vehicle, repossessed prepetition, via a motion for turnover. Most seem to believe a motion...

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ABI Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy – Collateral Repossessed Pre-Petition

October 6, 2019

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Nashville, TN) One of the most difficult situations faced by a debtor and debtors’ counsel is the repossession of important collateral securing a debt owed to a creditor. These items, such as automobiles, furniture, boats, and mowers which have been pledged to a creditor are important – often critical – to...

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Bankruptcy Protections Limited for Repeat Filers

January 13, 2019

By William H. Brown, Academy Editor & Advisor The First Circuit held that under § 362(c)(3)(A), upon the repeat filing by Chapter 7, 11 or 13 debtors within one year of dismissal of a prior pending case, the automatic stay terminates entirely on the 30th day after filing of the subsequent case as to the debtor, property of the debtor...

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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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Critical Case Comment

June 13, 2021

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Middle District of TN (Nashville) In awarding attorneys’ fees in a Chapter 13 case, a court is not limited to establishing the fee by use of the lodestar method; fees for services rendered should be based on the reasonable and customary fees charged by other attorneys performing the same...

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