Meet New Trustee Brian Tucci

In April, Brian Tucci started his appointment as the Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for Baltimore, Maryland. He is a native Marylander with deep roots in the Maryland bankruptcy community. Brian succeeded the late Robert S. Thomas, II and Robert’s predecessor, the late Ellen Crosby.

Brian earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland and his J.D. at Western Michigan University. Brian began his legal career on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Aide. Wanting a more balanced life and career, he transitioned to bankruptcy law and immersed himself in the field. Brian credits the mentoring he received from . . .

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Nicole P. Novak

Sirody & Ruben Bankruptcy Center, LLC

Nicole P. Novak is an attorney with the Sirody & Ruben Bankruptcy Center in Baltimore, Maryland. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland (2018) and Ohio (2006). Ms. Novak has worked for debtors, creditors, and trustees. Her current practice focuses on debtor representation with an emphasis on Chapter 13. Ms. Novak graduated magna cum laude from Cleveland State University College of Law. When practicing in Ohio, Ms. Novak actively volunteered on committees for the Bankruptcy Section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and served as co-chair for The William J. O’Neill Great Lakes Regional Bankruptcy Institute. She serves as contributor to the Maryland section of the Bankruptcy Exemption Manual published by Thomson West and is a frequent author for the NACTT Academy. Ms. Novak is a current member of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, the NACTT Academy, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the Maryland State Bar Association and Consumer Bankruptcy Section, and the Maryland Bankruptcy Bar Association.

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...

From the Editor – Classification

August 9, 2020

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Separate classification and preferential treatment of student loan debt. The Chapter 13 trustee and debtors’ attorney attempted to change the traditional approach in the District, seeking approval of a permissible fair discrimination in favor of student loan debt in plans so long as the preferential treatment and discrimination was no more than 20%....

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ABI Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy – Definition of “Tax Return” for Purposes of Nondischargeability

June 2, 2019

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III and Sloan Hastings Section 523(a)(1) excepts from discharge taxes that are priority claims under § 507(a)(8). One of § 507(a)(8)’s provisions makes debts not dischargeable for income taxes requiring the filing of a tax return due during the three years prior to filing bankruptcy. It is this “recent years taxes nondischargeable” moniker that leads many...

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Escrow 101 – Part 3 of 3

September 19, 2021

By Michael J. McCormick, Esq., McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC (Roswell, GA) Escrow 101 – Part 1 Escrow 101 – Part 2 Escrow 102 – Part 1 Escrow 102 – Part 2

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Legal Aid and Who Are Our Chapter 13 “Customers”

January 31, 2021

By Rachel Jones, Staff Attorney to Chapter 13 Standing Trustee Chris Micale, Western District of Virginia (Roanoke) The events of 2020 have had a devastating impact on the very low-income population. The working poor are struggling, particularly those working in sectors such as hospitality and tourism. State and Federal funding and local programs such as food banks and community action...

The Weak Link in the Means Test

Cathy Moran

August 27, 2023

The bankruptcy means test, designed to keep people out of bankruptcy, has a fatal weakness. . . . it’s health care.

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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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How Does an Idea Become a Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure?

Hon. Rebecca B. Connelly

August 4, 2024

This week, Judge Connelly brings Academy subscribers a real treat. Got a rule change idea? Learn how you can help shape the process. Submit your suggestions and be part of the evolution of bankruptcy procedure!

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Escrow 102 – Part 3 of 4

October 10, 2021

By Michael J. McCormick, Esq., McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC (Roswell, GA) Escrow 101 – Part 1 Escrow 101 – Part 2 Escrow 101 – Part 3 Escrow 102 – Part 1

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Judicial Year in Review 2021: Revised Rules and Selected Cases – Part 1 Amended Rules

November 7, 2021

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction This year's changes in the Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure are summarized below. They will be followed, in Part 2, by a digest of selected judicial decisions in the past year of interest for their procedural implications. December 1, 2021, Amendments to Bankruptcy Rules 2005, 3007, 7007.1 and 9036 On...

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