Bankrupt Attorney Cannot Discharge State Court Sanctions

In a recent opinion, the 9th Circuit BAP affirmed a bankruptcy judge’s decision that sanctions order by a state court were nondischargeable under § 523(a)(6)i and that the state court proceeding precluded litigating the issue in bankruptcy.ii The sanctions originate from a California doctor’s defamation suit against two former patients. The Doctor initiated the action against two women who wrote online reviews accusing the Doctor of sexual assault and harassment. In the case, the Doctor alleged the women posted the false statements shortly after refusing to . . .

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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.

U.S. Trustee Fee Unconstitutional

The Honorable William Houston Brown

June 12, 2022

On June 6, the Supreme Court’s unanimous opinion in Siegel v. Fitzgerald1 held that the increase in U.S. Trustee fees in Chapter 11 cases violated the uniformity requirement of the Constitution’s Bankruptcy Clause,2 because the fee increase in 2017 only applied to in the U.S. Trustee districts and didn’t apply to the Bankruptcy Administrator districts in Alabama and North Carolina....

What Was the Most Unusual Debtor Asset or Case During Your Watch?

The NACTT Emeritus Trustees

November 19, 2023

What do a license plate, a house in Gambia, anda drug runner’s house all have in common? This is a fun holiday week read – enjoy!

Chapter 13 Trustee Duties, Powers, And Limitations – Part 5

November 1, 2020

By James J. Robinson, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Alabama Under what circumstances should the trustee object to claims (assuming a purpose would be served under § 707(a)(5))? Midland Funding, LLC v. Johnson, 137 S. Ct. 1407 (2017). This case centered around the debtor’s argument that a creditor violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when it...

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Towering Victory: UT Law Shines Bright with Third Duberstein Moot Court Championship

Debbie Langehennig

January 12, 2025

Trustee Deborah Langehennig lead University of Texas to its third national Duberstein championship. GO DEB!!!!

Is Your Law Practice Evolving to Incorporate New Technology

October 3, 2021

By Jay Fleischman, Managing Attorney at Money Wise Law (Los Angeles, CA) When the world was forced to adjust to new routines in March 2020 due to the global pandemic, I was instantly struck by how little my professional life changed. I’d worked remotely for over a decade, and my systems and procedures didn’t change. Sadly, the same couldn’t be...

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Here’s What Taxpayers Should Know About Making 2019 Estimated Tax Payments

August 18, 2019

Small business owners, self-employed people, and some wage earners should look into whether they should make estimated tax payments this year. Doing so can help them avoid an unexpected tax bill and possibly a penalty when they file next year. Everyone must pay tax as they earn income. Taxpayers who earn a paycheck usually have their employer withhold tax from...

IRS Warns of Impersonation Email Scam; Reminds Taxpayers IRS Does Not Send Unsolicited Emails

August 25, 2019

On 8/22/19 the IRSe and its Security Summit partners warned taxpayers and tax professionals about a new IRS impersonation scam campaign spreading nationally on email. Remember: the IRS does not send unsolicited emails and never emails taxpayers about the status of refunds. The IRS detected this new scam as taxpayers began notifying [email protected] about unsolicited emails from IRS imposters. The...

From the Editor – Plan Modification

March 21, 2021

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) For modification purposes, best interests test remains at petition date. In an examination of post-confirmation sale of the debtor’s home that yielded excess of homestead exemption, the Court concluded that the best-interests of creditors’ calculation was performed as of the petition date, rather than time of modification. Section 1329 does not provide a...

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Sixth Circuit Selects Douglas L. Lutz as Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky

The Academy

April 28, 2024

The Circuit Executive for the Sixth Circuit announces that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has selected Douglas L. Lutz as Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Bankruptcy Judge Tracey N. Wise. He took the oath of office on April 19, 2024.

Measuring Success in Chapter 13: Successful Dismissals and Conversions

Honorable Brian D. Lynch

July 16, 2023

A. Introduction When should we regard dismissal or conversion of a chapter 13 as an unsuccessful bankruptcy? The arguments are familiar.Chapter 13 is the easiest, quickest, and cheapest way to stop foreclosures, repossessions, and garnishments by creditors.Desperate debtors can file a chapter 13 case without schedules, statements, or a plan and buy themselves a stay for a short period. And...

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