So you are chugging along with a foreclosure action (either on real and/or personal property) only to be stopped in your tracks by the borrower filing a voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. The usual, immediate thought is – “better contact our bankruptcy counsel to obtain relief from the automatic stay.” Well, perhaps, or perhaps you might want to contact the Chapter 7 Trustee first (either directly or through your bankruptcy counsel). Why? Maybe the Chapter 7 Trustee would be interested in liquidating that collateral for you though the bankruptcy system.

(Bankr. W.D. Ky. May 17, 2016)

On May 16, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Husky International Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz, No. 15-145, holding that the "actual fraud" bar to discharge under section 523(a)(2)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code encompasses an individual debtor's knowing receipt of fraudulently transferred property.

Statutory Background

The Supreme Court’s Decision:

CentsAbility: Creditors' Rights Law Update

In a recent case from the Business Court in Brunswick County, a North Carolina Judge held that Defendants could assert a claim for breach of the duty to negotiate in good faith finding that negotiations for a loan modification and renewal gave rise to a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the parties had entered into a “binding preliminary agreement.” RREF BB Acquisitions v. MAS Properties, LLC, No. 13 CVS 193, 2015 NCBC 58, 2015 WL 3646992 (N.C. Super. Ct. June 9, 2015).

(U.S. Sup. Ct. May 16, 2016)

On May 10, 2016, the Missouri General Assembly passed the Missouri Commercial Receivership Act (MCRA), providing for significant changes to Missouri’s law on receiverships. Assuming that Governor Nixon signs the bill (which is almost certain), the law will become effective later this year. The significant changes to the Missouri receivership law in the MCRA are as follows:

Either from our prior posts here and here, or from the great posts from Stone and Baxter’s Plan Propon

On May 16, 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down its opinion in Husky International Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz, Case No. 15-145.

On May 10, 2016, the Missouri Commercial Receivership Act (the “Act”) was passed by the Missouri General Assembly as SB 578. The proposed Act provides a complete statutory structure for the appointment of receivers and the administration of receiverships within the state.

Currently, Missouri law regarding receiverships is largely based on case law, in addition to very limited statutory authority. As a result, receivership law can be somewhat confusing and inconsistently applied.