What happens in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case when a creditor files a proof of claim involving a debt for which the statute of limitations to collect the debt has run? More specifically, does the filing of such a claim violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (the “Act”)? That’s the issue considered by the U.S. Supreme Court in its recent decision in the case of Midland Funding, LLC v. Johnson. 1

In a recent decision, the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit (the “Court”) considered the issue of asset “abandonment” in a Chapter 7 case[1]. The Court reversed the bankruptcy court’s decision to allow the Chapter 7 trustee to compromise a claim that the debtor argued the trustee had abandoned.

Background

In the case of Susan G. Brown v. Douglas Ellmann [1], the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (the “Sixth Circuit”) recently affirmed a bankruptcy court’s decision to deny a Chapter 7 debtor’s proposed exemptions for the value of redemption rights she enjoyed under Michigan law related to the sale of a property she surrendered to the bankruptcy estate.

Background

Upcoming Committee Formation Meeting: Thursday, March 16, 2017, 1:00 p.m.

Case Name: 17-10500 (KJC)

Location: J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building 844 N. King Street 3rd Floor – Room 3209 Wilmington, DE 19801

Sometimes the smallest bankruptcy cases give rise to the most interesting legal questions. One such case was that of ScripsAmerica, Inc., which gave rise to the question of whether the Office of the United States Trustee (the “UST”) has the statutory authority to disband a committee of unsecured creditors once a committee is appointed, or whether that authority resides with the Bankruptcy Court.

Many bankruptcy cases involve adversary proceedings in which creditors seek to have certain debts deemed nondischargeable. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (the “District Court”) recently considered, on appeal, whether the Bankruptcy Court properly held that a debt owed by a debtor (the “Debtor”) to the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (the “Agency”) is dischargeable in a Chapter 13 case.1

On November 15, 2016, Texas-based Xtera Communications, Inc. and seven of its affiliates filed voluntary petitions for chapter 11 bankruptcy relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No: 16-12577). XTERA is a leading provider of high-capacity, cost-efficient optical transport solutions that it sells to telecommunications service providers.

While bankruptcy relief is available as a tool for individuals to discharge debts, it is not available to everyone, under all circumstances. Before a debtor can, for example, discharge debts in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, he or she must prove that debts and income are within certain statutory thresholds. When determining whether an individual is eligible for relief, the nature of the debts at issue is also relevant.

NJOY, Inc., an e-cigarette and vaping company headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 16-12076).

Noble Environmental Power, LLC, and several of its affiliates filed for Chapter 11 protection in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 16-12055). Noble, a renewable energy company that owns and operates wind generation assets in New York and Texas, has its principal place of business in Centerbrook, Connecticut. According to the Debtor’s first day affidavit, downward trends in energy prices have made its debt obligations untenable, leading to the commencement of this case.