In the first opinion authored by Justice Elena Kagan, the Supreme Court ruled that a Chapter 13 debtor may not deduct the “ownership costs” of a vehicle under the means test when he owes no further payments on the vehicle, affirming a decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The 8-1 opinion featured a pro-debtor dissent by Justice Scalia.

The latest numbers on bankruptcy filings in 2010 have been released, and 1.53 million Americans filed for bankruptcy protection last year, an increase of 9% over 2009’s figures. This number is the highest number of bankruptcy filings since the passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) became law in 2005. In that year, 2 million Americans filed bankruptcy in order to file before BAPCPA’s restrictions on bankruptcy filings took effect.  

Most employers know that it is unlawful to terminate the employment of or to discriminate against an individual who has previously filed bankruptcy because of his or her status as a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding. A recent Federal Court of Appeals decision, however, highlights the distinction between denying employment to an individual based on prior bankruptcy filing and terminating the individual’s employment because of it.

While the American economy continues to grow at a tepid pace, the filing rate for both personal and business bankruptcies has slowed dramatically. As banks have cleared many, but certainly not all, of their problem loans and have curtailed lending activity, the main driver of small- and medium-business bankruptcies has slowed. However, like death and taxes, bankruptcy is not going to go away. The retail sector appears to be primed for the next wave in bankruptcy filings, and that means that vendors, suppliers, and other creditors should be prepared.

As of August 1st, the legal landscape for receiverships in the State of Minnesota will change dramatically. Receiverships have long been used a remedy for mortgage lenders to preserve commercial property in foreclosure, but a lack of clear guidance under Minnesota law has been problematic for all parties. The Minnesota State Bar Association convened a panel of experienced debtor creditor attorneys to create a new statutory framework, which was eventually passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor this spring. The new receivership statute, codified under Minnesota St

Most people are familiar with the two most common forms of bankruptcy protection under the Bankruptcy Code – Chapter 7 liquidations and Chapter 11 reorganizations. But like individuals and companies, municipalities can also file for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code. Now the city of Stockton, California has become the largest city to file for municipal bankruptcy protection following major municipal bankruptcy filings in Jackson County, Alabama and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Due to the economic crisis of the past few years, many large and medium-sized businesses were forced to file for bankruptcy protection. Now, many businesses are faced with letters from bankruptcy trustees, or worse, a summons where the trustee is seeking liability for a “preference.” Faced with these demands, many businesses are failing to defend themselves, and incurring unnecessary liability. But acting quickly can help protect you and your business and settle preference claims short of expensive litigation.