Major changes to bankruptcy rules that govern the administration of consumer bankruptcy cases, and Chapter 13 cases in particular, were recently approved by the Supreme Court and transmitted to Congress.1 After several years of drafting and debate by the rules committee, these rule amendments will become effective December 1, 2017.

In Del Forte USA, Inc. v. Blue Beverage Group, Inc. et al., No. 518454/2016, 2017 BL 253248 (Sup. Ct. Jul. 17, 2017), New York Commercial Division Justice Sylvia G. Ash denied plaintiff Del Forte’s preliminary injunction motion that sought, pursuant to N.Y.

The Bottom Line

Delaware’s Bankruptcy Court has recently issued two insightful opinions that impact a creditor’s ability to establish the “receipt” element of a valuable 503(b)(9) administrative expense priority claim.

A recent case in New York State Supreme Court, One Williams Street Capital Management LP v. U.S. Education Loan Trust IV, LLC (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cty. May 15, 2015), affords a useful opportunity to review the applicability and scope of §13-107 of the New York General Obligations Law, which provides that a transfer of a bond “vests in the transferee all claims or demands of the transferrer.” The court observed that §13-107 extends to all claims, whether in contract or in tort, including fraud.

In Del Forte USA, Inc. v. Blue Beverage Group, Inc. et al., No. 518454/2016, 2017 BL 253248 (Sup. Ct. Jul. 17, 2017), New York Commercial Division Justice Sylvia G. Ash denied plaintiff Del Forte’s preliminary injunction motion that sought, pursuant to N.Y.

(6th Cir. July 18, 2017)

The Sixth Circuit affirms the bankruptcy court’s order modifying its prior sale order under Rule 60(b). The court’s original order approved a sale of estate assets but the sale agreement and the order failed to include certain contracts to be assumed and assigned to the buyer. The court finds that modification of the order was appropriate because the motion to modify the order was filed within one year of entry of the sale order and the bankruptcy court properly exercised its discretion after weighing the relevant factors. Opinion below.

(Bankr. W.D. Ky. July 17, 2017)

The bankruptcy court enters judgment in favor of the lender, holding the debt owed by one of the debtors would not be discharged, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6). The debtor disregarded the lender’s security interest in his business’s inventory, using the proceeds of the inventory for personal expenses in violation of the security agreement. The court holds that the lender failed to present sufficient evidence to except the other debtor’s (the first debtor’s spouse) debt from discharge. Opinion below.

Judge: Stout

On June 27, 2017, the United States Supreme Court granted the petition for writ of certiorari regarding the decision In re Province Grande Olde Liberty, LLC, 655 Fed.Appx. 971 (4th Cir. Aug. 12, 2016) to decide a circuit split on the applicable standard for debt recharacterization.

(Bankr. S.D. Ind. July 14, 2017)

The bankruptcy court denies the creditor’s motion for summary judgment in this nondischargeability action under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2), (4), and (6). The creditor argued the debtor should be collaterally estopped from defending based on a prepetition judgment entered against the debtor. The court concludes that the issues were not “fairly and fully litigated” in the state court, and thus summary judgment based on collateral estoppel is not appropriate. Opinion below.

Judge: Moberly