In a pro-debtor opinion released on February 26, 2013, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a debtor may “artificial impair” claims in a class to obtain an impaired and accepting class of claims as required by section 1129(a)(10) of the Bankruptcy Code. Western Real Estate Equities, L.L.C. v. Village at Camp Bowie I, L.P. (In re Village at Camp Bowie I, L.P.), No. 12-10271, 2013 WL 690497 (5th Cir. Feb. 26, 2013).
Statutory Background to the Artificial Impairment Issue
Can an equity investor who directs an insider to contribute "new value" to a debtor under a plan of reorganization, so as to retain his interest in the company, avoid an express market test for that new equity? The answer to that question is a resounding "no," according to Chief Judge Easterbrook of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in In re Castleton Plaza, LP, Case No. 12 Civ. 2639, 2013 WL 537269 (7th Cir. Feb. 14, 2013).
In re 18 RVC, LLC, Case No. 812-72378-reg (Bankr. E.D.N.Y., Oct. 22, 2012)
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All too often, a secured creditor’s negotiation and litigation of chapter 11 plan confirmation issues centers disproportionately on the amortization schedule of a secured claim and lacks focus on other issues that shift risk or otherwise have significant economic impact on the relative rights of the parties.
In re S. White Transp., Inc., 473 B.R. 695 (S.D. Miss. 2012)
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In re American Capital Equipment, LLC, 688 F.3d 145 (3d Cir. 2012)
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DRI- The Voice of the Defense Bar
The ability of secured creditors to credit bid in sales conducted under bankruptcy plans of reorganization is an important right that protects them against low bids from rival purchasers. A secured creditor is typically permitted to offset, or bid, its secured allowed claim against the purchase price in a sale of collateral conducted under section 363(b) of the United States Bankruptcy Code.
In re Furrs Supermarkets, Inc., No. 11-01-10779 SA (Bankr. D.N.M. Aug. 15, 2012)
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In re Heritage Highgate, 679 F.3d 132 (3d Cir. 2012)
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In Shelton v. CitiMortgage, Inc. (In re Shelton), --- B.R. --- (B.A.P. 8th Cir. Sept. 24, 2012), the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that a secured creditor’s lien cannot be avoided simply because the creditor’s claim was disallowed as being filed after the proof of claim bar date.