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By order issued on February 23, 2012, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina vacated the bankruptcy court’s decision in In re Mammoth Grading, Inc.  This decision and the companion decision in In re Harrelson Utilities, Inc. held that the lien rights of construction subcontractors and suppliers cannot be perfected once a bankruptcy petition is filed by a party higher in the contract chain. 

As real estate-related bankruptcy filings remain steady, courts continue to see debtors challenging the validity of deeds of trust and mortgages due to minor scriveners’ errors.  The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina is viewed by debtors as a favorable venue in which to bring such challenges due to a string of prior rulings starting with In re Head Grading in 2006, which invalidated a North Carolina deed of trust that incorrectly cited the date of the related note by one day.  The latest chapter in this saga involves an effort by a

The healthcare industry was ailing in 2011. There were 88 publicly traded companies that filed for Chapter 11 relief in 2011, and of that amount, approximately 11 companies were in the healthcare industry. The healthcare industry led the group, with telecommunications and energy tied for second place (nine filings in each industry). The healthcare industry has faced many challenges over the years. For starters, hospitals are not always paid for their services.

In a recent decision from the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York by Judge Martin Glenn in theIn re Borders Group, Inc. case, Jefferies was awarded a "Liquidation Fee" even though it was not involved in the actual liquidation of Borders Group, Inc. (the "Debtors" or "Borders"), and was unsuccessful in procuring a going-concern sale for the Borders business. As a result, approximately 400 stores were sold in September of 2011.

Yesterday Governor Scott Walker signed into law SB 241 which permits non-judicial foreclosures for mortgages and assessment liens on timeshare estates and licenses.  The new law took effect upon being signed by Governor Scott Walker.

Patient care ombudsmen are sometimes appointed to monitor the care provided to patients of medical facilities that have filed for bankruptcy. Courts, however, weigh a number of factors in determining whether an ombudsman should be appointed, and whether the patients and the facility’s creditors would benefit from the appointment.

A recent New York bankruptcy case holds that shareholders, directors and officers who dissolve a corporation to avoid paying a judgment against the business may be jointly and severally liable for a non-dischargeable debt in their personal bankruptcies.

If there was such a contest, the 232-unit Spa at Sunset Isles would be in the running for "worst case scenario" condo-conversion.  Here is a summary of the development's situation as it existed in late 2010:  

A recent opinion from the Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina adds another chapter to the continuing saga of attacks lodged against the validity of deeds of trust encumbering real property owned by debtors.  In re Deuce Investments, Inc.

One consequence of the depressed real estate market has been numerous Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases wherein the debtor seeks confirmation of a “dirt-for-debt” plan. In such a plan, instead of paying the secured creditor the value of the real property securing the debt through restructured loan terms, the debtor proposes to convey part or all of the real property securing the debt to the creditor in full satisfaction of its secured claim.