The trial court held that the credit union’s actions, as well as that of the credit union attorney, violated the bankruptcy code’s automatic stay. The trial court ordered the credit union and its attorney to pay $15,000 in punitive damages. Here, debtor purchased a kit to transform his 1970 Volkswagen chassis into a 1937 Jaguar […]

A 56 million dollar plus Texas credit union adopted a personnel policy manual which included an internal grievance procedure. The manual contained a specific assurance that: [n]o employee shall be penalized for using the grievance procedure. A veteran credit union employee of eight years filed an internal grievance when she and three other employees were […]

Court held creditor must pay debtor for creditors wrongful repossession. In this case, the debtor pledged his vehicle as collateral on a loan and the loan was in default due to late payments. The creditor, Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp., repossessed debtor’s vehicle, however, the court found the repossession constituted a wrongful repossession, or “conversion.” The court […]

Here, credit union member, Randy Pieper, was discussing possible financing for the purchase of an apartment building with a loan officer of Melrose Credit Union.   The loan officer told Pieper that a local gas station was for sale and the purchase of the gas station would be a better investment than the apartment building. […]

In this case,  debtor filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy attempting to liquidate some $67,000 of unsecured credit card debts. The Court denied the discharge as to Corestates Bank. Here, the debtor used his credit cards to obtain cash advances for daily living expenses. The debtor’s charge cards were nearly all charged to the maximum limit. […]

Here, the credit union brought an action against Carol and Donald Phillips and their seventeen year old son after the son stole a check from his parents, forged his mother’s signature and made the check payable to himself. The son then presented the check to the credit union and obtained $2,200. Most states have statutes […]

General Motors Acceptance Corporation issued a loan to debtor secured by debtor’s new automobile. The debtor purchased disability insurance through GMAC which provided that payments on the loan would be made to GMAC by the insurance company if the debtor became disabled. Debtor did, indeed, become disabled when she suffered a stroke. A claim was […]

Here, the debtor, a former police officer, applied for and was approved for a loan from Hartford Police Federal Credit Union for $150,000. The debt was intended to be utilized to pay off an existing second mortgage on debtor’s residence and for the purchase of a balloon business. At the closing on the credit union’s […]

Preferential Transfer: “Time” of Transfer adopted. — On September 11th, a garnishment was filed on debtor’s savings account; — On September 17th, a garnishment order to pay was issued by the court; — On September 19th, garnishee defendant received the order to pay; — On September 27th, funds were paid to the court by the […]

In this case, Dutch Point Credit Union challenged the sale of its collateral by a mechanic’s shop that resulted in extinguishing the credit union’s perfected lien. The credit union granted a loan secured by debtor’s Datsun automobile. The credit union properly placed its lien on the vehicle. After the loan was granted, the vehicle was in an […]