From the Editor – Modification • NACTT Academy

From the Editor – Modification

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired)

Decision certified to Fifth Circuit on whether above-median debtor may receive discharge prior to completion of 60-month plan. With no controlling decision from Fifth Circuit, the bankruptcy court approved the confirmed debtors’ ability to obtain discharge without paying unsecured creditors 100%, when they had made a lump sum payment that, combined with regular payments, exceeded the plan base. Trustee had moved to modify the plan to increase the plan base and appealed denial of that motion, citing four circuits’ opinions that above-median debtors are bound by . . .

It looks like you are not signed in or registered! This content is only available to members.

Or Sign In Below:

No Author Biography has been linked to this Article.

Trustee May Use Any Law Available to Avoid a Transfer

March 17, 2019

By Herbert L. Beskin, Chapter 13 Trustee for the Western District of Virginia (Charlottesville) *Special thanks to Gretchen D. Holland for editing this article. Facts In Vieira v. Gaither (In re Gaither), Bankr. D. S.C., # 18-01317-dd, Adv. Pro. 18 80040-dd, Chapter 7 case; 11/30/18 opinion (Duncan); 2018 Bankr. LEXIS 3816, the Debtors’ son died in an aviation accident in...

Members

New Judge Appointed

The Academy

June 18, 2023

Appeals Court Names Erie Lawyer as Newest Bankruptcy Judge – John C. Melaragno has been named the new judge for the Erie Division of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Some Basics You Always Wanted to Know About the FCRA But Were Too Embarrassed to Ask

October 20, 2019

By Herb Beskin, Chapter 13 Trustee and Edward M. Wayland, Esq. (Charlottesville, VA) Trustees are not privy to the struggles of Debtors as they emerge from Chapter 13 and work to re-establish (establish?) their credit worthiness. A crucial factor in this process is the Debtor’s credit report. In this article, we discuss the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), the rules...

Members

Tracking Down the Illusive Mortgage Interest Deduction

Cathy Moran

March 10, 2024

Are your clients curing mortgage arrears through their Chapter 13 plan? If so, I’m convinced a mortgage interest tax deduction lurks, unclaimed, in the trustee’s records.

Members

Tell the Story

May 16, 2021

By Cathy Moran, Esq., (Redwood City, CA) Have I got a story for you. A rousing tale of schedules, hearings, frustrations, and ultimately fortunes, traceable to a good story in the fee application. Maybe that's a bit overblown, but I'm telling this story with a purpose. Good stories lead to fair compensation for bankruptcy attorneys. Fee applications aren't hard Filing...

Members

More Federal Student Loan Debt Relief is Coming

Scott Waterman

March 24, 2024

An ordinary title for a very NON-ordinary article! A computer program which will accurately predict whether a borrower will default and relief extended based on the data. WHAAAT???

Possible Solution for Student Loans?

August 16, 2020

By Laila S. Gonzalez, Esq. One thing everyone can agree on is that student loan debt is increasing on an annual basis. Studies have shown than people with high student loan debt wait years longer to buy a home and start a family. Several suggestions have been made as to how to resolve the problem. One suggestion is to eliminate...

Members

Postpetition Borrowing by a Consumer Debtor in Chapter 13 – Part 1 of 2

May 5, 2019

By Judge Michael A. Fagone & Career Law Clerk Ciera S. Dye Although our Nation’s bankruptcy laws are uniform, chapter 13 practice in our Nation’s bankruptcy courts varies to a significant extent in the different judicial districts. One example of this variation is the treatment of postpetition borrowing by a consumer debtor in chapter 13.i Neither the Bankruptcy Code nor...

Members

The “Snapshot” Rule – Part 2: When is the Rule Not Determinative?

April 4, 2021

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction We saw in Part 1 that the circuits are falling in line to follow the "snapshot" rule, fixing the debtor's exemption rights as of the date of the petition and finding support in both the Code and recent Supreme Court jurisprudence. As the First Circuit put it . ....

Members

Rules, Means-Test Amounts and Miscellaneous Fees: Changes Wrap Up 2020

November 15, 2020

Lawrence R. Ahern, III Brown & Ahern Nashville, Tennessee Appendix B Adjustments to Means Test Amounts (Cases Filed On or After November 1, 2020) The tables on the following page provide median family income adjustments reproduced in a format designed for ease of use in completing Bankruptcy Forms 122A-1 and 122C-1. STATE 1 EARNER FAMILY SIZE 2 PEOPLE 3 PEOPLE...

Members