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State law conversion claim allowed for improper disposition of attorney's fees

In Deborah K. Ebner, as Chapter 7 Trustee for the Bankruptcy Estate of Santilli Law Group, Ltd.Plaintiff, v. Alfred Vano, Case 17-00293, (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 06/15/18), Judge Cox of the Northern District of Illinois held that an attorney that improperly… Read More
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Serial Bankruptcy Filings Initiated to Delay Creditor Action Can Lead to Criminal Charges

In United States v. Williams, Case No. 17-2244 (7th Cir., June 6, 2018), the Seventh Circuit upheld jury trial verdict against Charlise Williams on five counts of bankruptcy fraud, resulting in 46 month prison sentence. Read More
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Student loans discharged even when Debtor was not required to make payments on loans

In Murphy v. United States, 15-11240-j7 (Bankr. D. N.M. June 1, 2018), the Bankruptcy Court in New Mexico held that a debtor who was not obligated to make payments on student loans because she qualified for a -0- payment under an Income Based Repayme… Read More
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Supreme Court Sets a Trap for the Unwary Debtor

“One of the ‘main purpose[s]’ of the federal bankruptcy system is ‘to aid the unfortunate debtor by giving him a fresh start in life, free from debts, except of a certain character.’” Lamar, Archer & Cofrin, LLP v. Appling, 584 U.S. _… Read More
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Millions of U.S. homeowners still underwater on mortgages, with Chicago being one of the hardest hit markets

According to the American Bankruptcy Institute: A staggering number of American homeowners remain underwater on their mortgages a decade after the housing bubble burst, Bloomberg News reported. Almost 4.5 million households — or 9.1 percent — owe… Read More
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Chicago Court orders City to surrender vehicle to Debtor notwithstanding asserted possessory lien to secure traffic tickets

In a recent case, Judge Schmetterer held in In re Cross, Adversary No. 18 AP 00154, that the City of Chicago did not have the right to retain a chapter 13 debtor’s vehicle to protect its possessory lien on the car that allegedly secured payment… Read More
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Illinois among top 10 states for credit card debt.

According to a May 30, 2018 article in Illinois Patch, Illinois is among the top 10 states where residents have the most credit card debt. That’s according to a report released Tuesday by New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. According to the s… Read More
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Chicago Courts are clamping down on Chapter 13 plans that give super-priority to attorneys' fees

ProPublica and other publications (including FindLaw) have been reporting on a trend in the Chicago courts to limit attorneys’ fees to counsel for chapter 13 debtors for so-called “step-up” plans. A step-up plan requires the payment… Read More
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ABI Reports that Banks are Loosening Lending Standards

According to the ABI on May 29, 2018, Faced with tepid loan growth and heated competition for clients, banks are sweetening their deals on loans to businesses, a development that is concerning regulators, the Wall Street Journal reported. Lenders are… Read More
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Categories: Uncategorized

Parties to a Civil Union Held Eligible to File a Joint Petition

As reported by Rochelle’s Daily Wire on May 23, 2018, Bankruptcy judges in California and Chicago disagree on whether parties to a civil union or domestic partnership are “spouses” eligible to file a joint bankruptcy petition. In the Chicag… Read More
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