Hardesty v. Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (In re Boothe), 510 B.R. 154 (Bankr. S.D. Ohio 2013) –

A chapter 7 trustee successfully sought to avoid a mortgage using his “strong arm” powers on the basis that the mortgage was not properly acknowledged. Once again a mortgagee paid dearly for sloppy execution of a document.

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In re Joan Fabrics Corp., 508 B.R. 881 (Bankr. D. Del. 2014) –

The buyer of assets in a bankruptcy sale sought to enforce its asset purchase agreement against a county that was seeking to collect personal property taxes arising prior to the sale by exercising a statutory lien on the property acquired by the buyer.

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Law v Siegel, 134 Sup.Ct. 1188, 188 L.Ed.2d 146 (2014) -

A bankruptcy court ordered that a debtor’s homestead exemption be surcharged to pay the attorney’s fees of a Chapter 7 incurred in overcoming the debtor’s fraud. The order was affirmed on appeal until it reached the Supreme Court.

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Highland Capital Mgmt. L.P. v. UBS Securities, LLC (In re Lyondell Chemical Co.), 505 B.R. 409 (S.D.N.Y. 2014) –

A hedge fund sued an investment bank for tortious interference based on its exclusion from participation in exit financing for a debtor. The bankruptcy court granted the investment banker’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, and the hedge fund appealed.

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