In a “loan-to-own” investment, an investor acquires secured debt at a discount to leverage the face amount of the debt in an asset purchase or debt-to-equity swap. For example, if an investor can buy US$50 million worth of debt for US$25 million, it can, in a bankruptcy proceeding, bid on the underlying assets that secure the debt at a 50 percent discount, because the investor can credit bid the face value of the debt as the equivalent of cash in a sale of collateral in bankruptcy, thus creating a competitive advantage over cash or strategic bidders.
In recent months, the US has seen a staggering increase in the number of retailers, both large and small, filing for bankruptcy. Among others, Dots, Alco Stores, Radio Shack, Deb Shops, Wet Seal, and Delia’s have each filed for bankruptcy protection in the past six months alone.
In post-confirmation proceedings, bankruptcy courts maintain the ability to clarify a plan where silent or ambiguous, and interpret a plan to advance equitable considerations. However, bankruptcy courts are not allowed to modify a plan outside the confines of section
Bankruptcy can be a lifeline to those individuals trying to get out from under a mountain of debt, but it becomes a point of frustration for the companies forced to move on without collecting the money they were owed.
Bankruptcy. A word that provokes more fear, loathing and foreboding failure than “world premiere” does to certain silver-haired symphony subscribers hoping to snooze again to Brahms. And no wonder when even venerable performing arts companies from the Philadelphia Orchestra to New York City Opera have gone through the reorganization wringer – and not always successfully.
Filing an involuntary bankruptcy petition is an alternative not often considered by creditors. However, faced with the possibility of having to write-off a claim, a creditor may choose to file an involuntary bankruptcy petition in order to put the debtor under the control of the Bankruptcy Code and the bankruptcy court. Such a move comes with risk, and a recent Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision may expand that risk.
If your small business is struggling with debt, bankruptcy relief may be an option.
You’re lying awake at night wondering how you’re going to make payroll. Many of your suppliers are threatening to switch you to cash on delivery (COD) or to cancel your account all together. You know the IRS will soon be knocking on your door to collect taxes. You’re in financial trouble and you think, “What am I going to do?”
The realities of the bankruptcy venue provisions require potential debtors and their advisers to prudently weigh the legal significance of a bankruptcy filing in various courts. In a recent decision, U.S.
Since its 1989 opinion in Folendore v. Small Business Admin., the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed debtors to completely strip off and void wholly unsecured junior liens in Chapter 7 bankruptcies under Section 506(d) of the Bankruptcy Code. Complete lien stripping forever prevents creditors from seeking relief against a debtor’s collateral if it is underwater, even if the property value later increases. Since Chapter 7 debtors are also discharged of personal liability, subordinate debt is, in such cases, rendered worthless.
That may soon change.