Discharge Isn’t an Automatic Bar to Conversion from ‘7’ to ‘13’
A district court opinion from Michigan raises the question of whether the Supreme Court’s decision in Marrama is still good law after Law v. Siegel.
Actual Damages Not Required to Recover Attorneys’ Fees for a Stay Violation
Judge Goldblatt slaps creditors with $665,000 in damages for violating the automatic stay.
‘13’ Debtors May Bifurcate Mortgages that Mature Before the Final Plan Payment
The Ninth Circuit BAP says that a later valuation can make a debtor eligible for chapter 13 when the original schedules meant ineligibility.
Even Without Personal Liability, a Mortgage on a Debtor’s Property Is a ‘Claim’
The ‘broad’ definition of ‘claim’ by the Supreme Court in Johnson led Judge Huennekens to hold that in rem rights against a debtor’s property give rise to a ‘claim.’
Is an Option an Executory Contract or Not?
When there is a recorded option to purchase real estate, Prof. Westbrook would have analyzed the specific performance rights of the holder of the option under state law, not the question of whether the option was executory.
Two Judges Agree: A Class with No Votes Isn’t Considered in Confirming a Sub V Plan
One month apart, two Houston bankruptcy judges held that a non-voting class is not deemed to have voted against a plan.
Rooker-Feldman Only Applies to Someone Who Was a Party in State Court
Rooker-Feldman is applied narrowly these days and isn’t a substitute for collateral estoppel.
In MOAC on Remand, the Second Circuit Vacates the Order Assigning the Lease
The Second Circuit is remanding to district court for a ruling on the relief available to the landlord, given that the sale closed years ago.
Georgia Judge Approves a Chapter 11 Plan with Nonconsensual, Nondebtor Releases
Although the Supreme Court will soon rule on the permissibility of nonconsensual releases, Bankruptcy Judge Sigler approved a plan with nondebtor releases under existing Eleventh Circuit precedent.
Setoff Can’t Be Raised as a Defense to Receipt of a Fraudulent Transfer
The Madoff case makes more law: A claim against a bankrupt estate can’t be set off against liability for receipt of a fraudulent transfer because one arose before bankruptcy and the other arose after.