October 13, 2017

Disposable Income Does Not Include Voluntary Retirement Plan Contributions

A chapter 13 plan is in good faith even if retirement plan contributions are 10 times more than payments to creditors.

11th Circuit, Florida, Florida Southern District

October 12, 2017

Unclaimed Distributions Go to the Treasury, Not to Other Creditors, Judge Says

Tennessee judge changes a practice established in 1995 regarding unclaimed distributions.

6th Circuit, Tennessee, Tennessee Middle District

October 10, 2017

Supreme Court Won’t Settle Circuit Split on Transfer to a Debtor’s Own Account

Fourth Circuit splits with the Ninth and Tenth on ‘what is a transfer?’

Supreme Court

October 06, 2017

Circuits Split, Judge Teel Earmarks Collateral Surcharges for All ‘Admin’ Creditors

Law v. Siegel didn’t insulate professionals from disgorging interim fee awards.

D.C. Circuit, District of Columbia

October 05, 2017

No Statutory Fees for Standing Chapter 13 Trustees if Dismissal Precedes Confirmation

With no circuit authority, lower courts are split on the fate of standing trustees’ fees when a chapter 13 case is dismissed before confirmation.

October 04, 2017

Counsel Must Eat Filing Fees in ‘No-Money-Down’ Chapter 13s

Lawyers can’t be reimbursed for advancing filing fees through fee applications or ‘no-look’ fees.

5th Circuit, Louisiana, Louisiana Western District

October 03, 2017

Previously Listing Property as a Principal Residence Didn’t Preclude a Later Cramdown

Limited knowledge of English and ‘nuances’ in legal terms saved debtor from a fatal admission.

2nd Circuit, New York, New York Eastern District

September 29, 2017

No New Bankruptcy Cases Have Been Added to Supreme Court Docket — Not Yet, at Least

Several cases are in the running for Supreme Court review this term or next.

Supreme Court

September 28, 2017

Circuit Split on Wage Garnishments Underpins a Certiorari Petition

Certiorari petition asks Supreme Court to narrow Local Loan and Barnhill.

Supreme Court

September 27, 2017

Seventh Circuit Opines on Method for Calculating ‘New Value’ Defense

Average daily sales suffice to show the date when new value was advanced.

7th Circuit