Think Beyond the Means Test

It started as a means test question: could emergency medical expenses be deemed non consumer debt. It ended up as a step back to get the bigger picture.

Well seasoned bankruptcy counsel brought the fact pattern to a list serve of colleagues. The prospective debtors’ income in a small consulting corporation is declining, his health crisis raises not only income issues but issues of end of life expenses; and there’s apparent money on the bottom line. What to do?

Before this group of two dozen experienced lawyers had finished, we were talking about

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Cathy Moran, Esq.

Head of Moran Law Group

Cathy Moran has headed her own small firm Moran Law Group in Redwood City, California, for nearly 30 years. Family law and tax issues as they play out in bankruptcy are areas of particular interest to Cathy.

Critical Case Comment – Objection to Entire Housing Allowance Overruled

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

March 3, 2024

This is a potential BIGGIE . . . Where a Chapter 13 debtor incurs one relatively small expense covered by the IRS Local Standards, the debtor is entitled to deduct from CMI the entire allowance to calculate Projected Disposable Income.

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Quick Confirmation – BAP Says Not So Fast

Hale Andrew Antico

September 25, 2022

Sahni v. Tajima (In re Tajima) 2022 WL 3354006 (9th Cir. BAP Aug 15, 2022)(unpublished) S.Klein J ISSUE Did the Bankruptcy Court err when confirming Chapter 13 plan? RULING Yes. FACTS This case involves the tension of litigation in bankruptcy causing delay, and the need to get a Chapter 13 plan confirmed quickly. Here, there was a dispute between debtors...

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Critical Case Comment

June 14, 2020

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Trustee (Nashville, TN) Chapter 13 debtor may exclude from disposable income amounts projected to be paid to an employer sponsored 401(k) where such payments are consistent with pre-filing contributions made to the retirement account. Davis v. Helbling, 2020 WL 2831172 (6th Cir. June 1, 2020) (Larsen) Case Summary In 2017, Camille Davis filed...

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2 Million ITINs Set to Expire in 2019; To Avoid Refund Delays Apply Soon

October 13, 2019

Taxpayers with expiring Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) can get their ITINs renewed more quickly and avoid refund delays next year by submitting their renewal application soon, the Internal Revenue Service said 10/10/19. An ITIN is a tax ID number used by taxpayers who don’t qualify to get a Social Security number. Any ITIN with middle digits 83, 84 ....

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Retirement of the Honorable John E. Hoffman, Jr., Chief Judge

The Academy

February 18, 2024

Retirement of the Honorable John E. Hoffman, Jr., Chief Judge

Critical Case Comment – Repeat: No Fee Splitting

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

October 23, 2022

A referral fee by retained special counsel paid to debtor’s attorney violates the prohibition in § 504 in that it constitutes an unauthorized splitting of attorney’s fees. (Williamson) In re Davis, 638 B.R. 198 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. March 31, 2022) Case Summary Four years after Lisa Davis filed her Chapter 13 petition, she was involved in an auto accident resulting...

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Notice of Error Regarding Misinformation Given During Phone Call to Mortgage Servicer

The Academy

January 16, 2022

There is no special language/verbiage. Keep is simple. Stick to one issue per NOE. Pertinent loan/debtor information – “name, rank, and serial number” Called bank twice. Tried to get borrower reviewed for FHA Recovery Mod. Both times I was essentially told that the loan was “too many months delinquent” to be reviewed for FHA Recovery Mod. I was also told...

Ask Ms. Ps & Qs

Nancy B. Rapoport

October 9, 2022

Dear Readers: We are all working at what feels like the speed of light these days. (And if we’re not, then we’re upset that work is too slow. Yes, we feel like Goldilocks—work’s either too busy or not busy enough.) But the wonderful Regina has asked me a question that often relates to someone hitting “send” too soon: “When opposing...

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Demystifying Bankruptcy Appeals

M. Jonathan Hayes

September 11, 2022

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...

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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!