Showing 64 posts in Chapter 7.
Are Funds Received as the Beneficiary of an IRA Property of the Estate in Bankruptcy?
When an individual files a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, the debtor’s non-exempt assets become property of the estate that is used to pay creditors. “Property of the estate” is a defined term under the Bankruptcy Code, so a disputed question in many cases is: What assets are, in fact, available to creditors? Read More ›
Categories: Chapter 7, Eastern District of Michigan, Estate Planning
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Sixth Circuit: Creditor did not Violate Chapter 7 Discharge Injunction While Negotiating Release of Lien
Once a Chapter 7 debtor receives a discharge of personal debts, creditors are enjoined from taking action to collect, recover, or offset such debts. However, unlike personal debts, liens held by secured creditors “ride through” bankruptcy. The underlying debt secured by the lien may be extinguished, but as long as the lien is valid it survives the bankruptcy. Read More ›
Categories: 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Chapter 7
Who is a “Non-Statutory Insider” for Purposes of Determining Whether a Payment Was Preferential in Bankruptcy?
One of the objectives of the Bankruptcy Code is to ensure that each class of creditors is treated equally. And one of the ways that is accomplished is to allow the debtor’s estate to claw back certain pre-petition payments made to creditors. Accordingly, creditors of a debtor who files for bankruptcy are often unpleasantly surprised to learn that they may be forced to relinquish “preferential” payments they received before the bankruptcy filing. Read More ›
Categories: Chapter 7, Eastern District of Michigan
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Finds No Breach of Contract or FCRA Violation in Connection with Late Payments Under a Reaffirmation Agreement
In bankruptcy, a debtor must relinquish assets to satisfy debts. But there are exceptions to this general rule. Certain assets may be exempted from a debtor’s bankruptcy under federal and state law. Other assets, which are subject to a contractual loan agreement and the security interest of a lender, may be “reaffirmed” by a debtor pursuant to a reaffirmation agreement. The debtor may keep the asset, such as a house or a car, as long as the debtor enters into a new agreement with the lender that reaffirms the debt according to defined contractual terms, which may or may not track the original loan terms. Read More ›
Categories: 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Billing/Payment, Chapter 7, Collections
Chapter 7 Debtors Permitted to Amend Schedules to Claim Homestead Exemption after Successful Avoidance Action by Trustee
The purpose of bankruptcy is to provide for an orderly process by which a debtor’s assets can be fairly divided and distributed among creditors. Read More ›
Categories: Chapter 7, Financing, Personal Property Tax, Property Tax, Western District of Michigan
U.S. Supreme Court Holds that Debtor’s False Oral Statement Concerning Single Asset Does not Provide Basis for Non-dischargeability Action
On June 4, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Lamar, Archer & Cofrin, LLP v. Appling, No. 16-1215, which dealt with the dischargeability of debt in bankruptcy proceedings. The Court held that a statement about a single asset can be a “statement respecting the debtor’s financial condition” under section 523(a)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code. Read More ›
Categories: Chapter 7, U.S. Supreme Court
Significant Changes to Bankruptcy Rules Effective December 1, 2017
Numerous changes to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the “Rules”) take effect on December 1, 2017. The changes significantly impact the administration of consumer bankruptcy cases, and Chapter 13 cases in particular. Read More ›
Categories: Chapter 13, Chapter 7
Trustee’s Avoidance of Transfer by Chapter 7 Debtors Does Not Necessarily Preclude Debtors from Claiming an Amended Exemption
The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan recently issued an opinion in a bankruptcy case involving a husband and wife who filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. Read More ›
Categories: Chapter 7, Collections
Reserve it or Lose it: Sixth Circuit BAP Reverses Bankruptcy Court on Issue of Whether Trustee Abandoned Asset in Chapter 7 Case
In a recent decision, the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit (the “Court”) considered the issue of asset “abandonment” in a Chapter 7 case[1]. The Court reversed the bankruptcy court’s decision to allow the Chapter 7 trustee to compromise a claim that the debtor argued the trustee had abandoned.
[1] In re: Wayne L. Wright, Docket No. 16-8019 (6th Cir. BAP, April 17, 2017). Read More ›
Categories: 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Chapter 7
Sixth Circuit Affirms Decision to Deny Chapter 7 Debtor’s Proposed Exemption Because She Lacked Equity in Property After a Sale
In the case of Susan G. Brown v. Douglas Ellmann [1], the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (the “Sixth Circuit”) recently affirmed a bankruptcy court’s decision to deny a Chapter 7 debtor’s proposed exemptions for the value of redemption rights she enjoyed under Michigan law related to the sale of a property she surrendered to the bankruptcy estate.
[1] Case No. 16-1967 (6th Cir., March 20, 2017). Read More ›
Categories: 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Chapter 7
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