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Small business owners should think carefully before taking out merchant cash advances, which is a form of financing that is heavily marketed. Small businesses, like any other business, need cash to run. It can be difficult, though, for some small bus… Read More

There appears to be an increase in consumer debt that is reminiscent of the near-collapse of 2008-2010. A recent article in Crain’s Chicago Business (reprinted below), reports that consumers are using increases in home equity to secure further… Read More

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

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

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

“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

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

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