In an earlier precedent setting ruling, the bankruptcy court held that a bank’s temporary freeze on its depositor’s accounts did not violate the bankruptcy court’s automatic stay in a Chapter 7 proceeding. Here, the Bank of Newport had a standing policy that upon notice of a checking account customer filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, the funds on […]

Debtors filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, were discharged and the case closed. Slightly more than one year after the case was closed, debtors submitted a motion to reopen the case and add two more creditors that they had failed to list in the original proceeding. The court denied the debtors’ motion and refused to reopen […]

This Bankruptcy Court held that the debtor must pay creditor’s attorney fees after the creditor prevailed in a complaint for nondischargeability. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy frees the relieves the debtor from all prior personal obligations.  However, the policy “underlying bankruptcy law entitles only honest debtors to the fresh start” after discharge. If a debt results from […]

Credit Union held in Contempt of Court for failure to stop automatic payroll deductions upon debtor filing for bankruptcy. The debtor was on automatic payroll deduction to MFA Employees Credit Union for an unsecured loan. Debtor filed a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy but debtor did not cancel the payroll deductions for the credit union loan payments. The credit […]

Here, the Ohio Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Credit Union and held that a debtor’s attempt to avoid a security interest in bankruptcy actually survives the bankruptcy discharge. Here, the debtors borrowed money from the Credit Union and granted to the Credit Union a non-purchase money security interest in the debtors’ Ford […]

The Bankruptcy Code provides in Title 11 U.S.C. 523(a)(2)(A) and (C), in pertinent part, that a consumer who incurs debts owed to a single creditor and aggregating more than $500 for “luxury goods” within 40 days prior to filing bankruptcy, shall not have that debt discharged in bankruptcy. Here, debtor purchased more than $1,100 of collector […]

Refiananced Loan after Bankruptcy Discharge is unenforceable.   Creditors cannot re-write or refinance a discharged loan after the debt was discharged in bankruptcy.   In the case of Charles Artzt v. Lindale National Bank, 145 B.R. 866, the debtor owed more than $31,000 to Lindale National Bank (the “bank”). Debtor filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy […]

Debtors attempt to cram-down secured loan to “unsecured” status after debtor’s Chapter 13 Confirmation Hearing was denied by Court. Here, debtor owed a loan to creditor secured by one Mercury automobile. Debtor’s Chapter 13 repayment plan proposed to cram-down the obligation to the fair market value of the vehicle and repay creditor only $1,125, plus […]

In this case, the Bankruptcy Court held that a general judgment previously entered in the state court would not be discharged in bankruptcy. Here, a state court judgment was entered against the debtor for $100,000. The state court judgment did not indicate that the judgment would not be subject to discharge in a later bankruptcy, […]

Here, the debtors proposed a Chapter 13 reorganization plan that included a $150.00 voluntary charitable payment to a church per month and another $30.95 per month for cable television. Fort Eustis Federal Credit Union timely objected to the debtors’ payments above. However, the Bankruptcy Court confirmed the debtors’ plan over the credit union’s objections. The credit union […]