March 20, 2020
Two Circuits Hold that a Debt Buyer Can Be a ‘Debt Collector’ Under the FDCPA
Even the dissenter in the Ninth Circuit would not let a debt buyer off the hook if the complaint were properly pleaded.
9th CircuitMarch 19, 2020
Mortgage Servicer Hit with $300,000 in Actual and Punitive Damages for Stay Violation
The creditor was guilty of an automatic stay violation, but Taggart insulated the creditor from liability for a discharge violation for continuation of the same conduct.
9th Circuit, NevadaMarch 18, 2020
Ninth Circuit Equivocates on ‘Collection Injunctions’ in Individual Chapter 11s
Dissenter in the Ninth Circuit says that utilizing provisions in the Bankruptcy Code is not bad faith barring confirmation.
9th CircuitMarch 17, 2020
Judge Finds a Workaround to Avoid Using Nunc Pro Tunc Retentions
Judge Grossman finds a way to grant allowances of compensation for services performed before the entry of a retention order.
2nd Circuit, New York, New York Eastern DistrictMarch 16, 2020
To Impair an Exemption, Judicial Lien Must Attach to Property the Debtor Already Owns
A judicial lien may be avoided under Section 522(f) only if the lien attached after the debtor acquired the property.
2nd CircuitMarch 13, 2020
Ninth Circuit Takes a Hard Line Against Waiving Discharge Inadvertently
The Ninth Circuit may be backing off from Ybarra, a case that waives discharge for attorneys’ fees if the debtor ‘returns to the fray.’
9th CircuitMarch 12, 2020
HAVEN Act May Be Employed to Reduce Payments Under a Confirmed Chapter 13 Plan
Judge Shefferly writes a complicated opinion on the retroactivity of the HAVEN Act to cases filed prior to enactment.
6th Circuit, Michigan, Michigan Eastern DistrictMarch 11, 2020
Eighth Circuit Applies Cap on Lease Claims to a Fraudulent Transfer Judgment
Appeals court had sympathy for the debtor by disallowing part but not all of a judgment for receipt of a fraudulent transfer with ‘actual intent.’
8th CircuitMarch 10, 2020
Fifth Circuit Rules that the Penalty under the ACA Isn’t a Priority Tax Claim
The exaction for failure to purchase health insurance isn’t an excise tax ‘on a transaction’ under Section 507(a)(8)(E)(i).
5th CircuitMarch 09, 2020
To Avoid U.S. Trustee Fees, Court Liberally Allows Closing a Case After Confirmation
Pending adversary proceedings don’t preclude a finding that the chapter 11 case has been ‘fully administered,’ thus allowing entry of a final decree and cutting off further fees owing to the U.S. Trustee Program.
2nd Circuit, Connecticut