How Much Is That Doggy in the Window? The One with the PMSI?

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Nashville, TN) It constitutes an unfair discrimination, violative of 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(1), for a Chapter 13 plan which would pay more to a student loan than to the remaining general unsecured creditors. (Somers) In re Kane, 603 B.R. 491 (Bankr. C.D. Kan. June 18, 2019) Case Summary Ronald Kane filed...

Consumer bankruptcy attorneys in my experience tend to see appeals as a massively expensive undertaking fraught with unfamiliar rules and the threat of sanctions at every turn. That is not the reality. The purpose of this short article is to allay those fears. It’s a fun and satisfying process; dive in says I. Final order You can only appeal a...

Just when you thought you figured out the means test, a debtor throws you a curveball. Like the Naked City, there are eight million means test stories out there. This is one of them. I was reviewing a petition that a young lawyer I mentor was prepared to file. The debtor is recently married and he and his bride each make...

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Middle District of TN (Nashville) Where pro se debtors filed numerous groundless complaints and made specious allegations against their former counsel, sanctions under Rule 9011 were appropriate notwithstanding the fact that the debtors were now acting pro se. (Hopkins) In re Jones, 2021 WL 4168110 (Bankr. S.D. O.H., Sept....

By Cathy Moran, Esq., Moran Law Group (Redwood City, CA) For Californians, the CA Supreme Court’s decision in Brace this summer upended our understanding of joint tenancy and community property. For decades, we “knew” that a property couldn’t be . . . It looks like you are not signed in or registered! This content is only available to members. Join...

Part 6: Rule 9024 (Relief from a Judgment or Order) Mistakes are often made, even by bankruptcy judges. Bankruptcy Rule 9024, by incorporating Civil Rule 60 into bankruptcy cases, allows a bankruptcy court to correct mistakes either on their own sua sponte or at the request of a party. In requesting such relief, parties must be aware of the grounds in...