In this case, the Federal Court held that a guarantor on a loan is not excused from liability even when the principal debtor files bankruptcy. In this case, an obligation to the creditor was guaranteed by a third-party. The principal debtor filed bankruptcy and proposed to “cram down” the obligation to the creditor. Creditor filed an action […]

Here, the debtors somehow were able to have title to their vehicles issued that did not reflect the creditor’s lien. Debtors then filed a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Sears filed an adversary complaint with the Bankruptcy Court alleging the debtors committed fraud in having the creditor’s lien removed from the title. A discharge under the […]

Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union held a mortgage on debtors’ real estate.  The loan was in default and the credit union sought to foreclose and obtain possession of the property. The credit union initiated foreclosure proceedings and sent a Notice of Foreclosure Sale to debtors. The foreclosure notice, however, erroneously stated that the members did […]

PERSONAL LIABILITY VERSUS CORPORATE LIABILITY. In this case, the debtors, McClellan and Hoyt, were, respectively, the president and secretary of Calistoga Court Club, Inc. Calistoga Court Club, Inc. applied for and received a loan for $30,420 from a predecessor in interest to Mountain America Credit Union. The loan went into default and the debtors’ corporation […]

Here, DeKaalb County Farm Bureau Cooperative Association Credit Union had three mortgages on two different pieces of the members’ real estate. The Credit Union instituted foreclosure on one of its mortgages secured by real estate that the debtors were leasing to another party. In the foreclosure action, the Credit Union requested the trial court to […]

Here, the Court considered whether a debtor may keep property secured by a mortgage to the credit union even if the debtor does not either reaffirm, surrender or redeem the obligation.   In this case, GNC Credit Union held a mortgage issued by the debtors and secured by their home. The balance on the loan was […]

Bankrupt Debtor may only redeem collateral in one payment. Redemption installment payments prohibited if debtor elects to retain vehicle.     Here, debtor sought to redeem Ford Motor Credit collateral by paying installment payments for the value of the vehicle, instead of one lump-sum redemption payment. Section 722 of the Bankruptcy Code provides, in pertinent part: An individual debtor may, whether or not the […]

In this case, the bankruptcy court denied debtors’ discharge after debtors transferred property, without consideration, to close friends and relatives with the intent to hinder, delay or defraud creditors. Here, debtors filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and a creditor filed an adversary complaint with the court seeking to deny debtors’ discharge. The creditor’s complaint alleged […]

In this case, a credit union member obtained two loans from L.C.E. Federal Credit Union secured by his Jeep Comanche and Mazda RX-7. The loans went into default and both vehicles were repossessed by the credit union. Thereafter, the credit union sent a notice to the debtor advising him that the vehicles would be sold at […]

Offset upheld against Credit Union Member Shares pledged as collateral.   In this case, the bankruptcy court held that a credit union properly offset a member’s share deposits and applied them to the debtor’s loan balance. Here, the debtor borrowed funds from the Utica Community Federal Credit Union and signed a security agreement pledging all deposits at […]