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Seventh Circuit holds that a debtor's "contingent future interest" in tenancy by entireties property is not exempt.

In re Jaffe, 18-2726 (7th Cir. August 5, 2019), the Seventh Circuit held that a homeowner’s “contingent future interest” in an otherwise exempt form of home ownership – tenancy by the entireties – was not exempt and was instead prop… Read More
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Consumer Debt Rising

“Incomes have been largely stagnant for two decades, despite a recent uptick. Filling the gap between earning and spending is an explosion of finance into nearly every corner of the consumer economy. Consumer debt, not counting mortgages, has c… Read More
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Chicago Appellate Court directs City of Chicago to release impounded vehicles when owner files Chapter 13 petition.

Seventh Circuit directs City of Chicago to release impounded vehicles and affirms holding in Thompson. Read More
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Notable parallels between the 2008-2009 financial crisis and today's high-risk alternative lending sector

This week, the American Bankruptcy Institute posted an article (which is reprinted below) identifying a growing trend that may impact a large sector of the economy: alternative lenders making risky loans. As many know, the 2008-2009 meltdown ensnared… Read More
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Court rejects "sufficiently rooted" test and holds bankruptcy estate does not include portion of bonus earned from prepetition employment

In In re Brown, Case No. 18-81242 (Bankr. C.D. Ill. May 9, 2019), Judge Perkins of the Central District of Illinois, concluded that property of the estate did not include that portion of a debtor’s annual bonus payable after the petition date t… Read More
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The Small Business Reorganization Act

Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee reintroduced the Small Business Reorganization Act (SB 1091). SB 1091 is intended to streamline the process for small businesses (those with debts less than $2,566,050) that wish to use Chapter 11 to reorgan… Read More
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Money inherited more than 180 days after petition date belongs to Chapter 13 bankruptcy estate

In Moore, the bankruptcy court for the Eastern District of Tennessee joined a majority of courts and held that money inherited outside of the 180 day window set forth in § 541 was still property of the chapter 13 estate. In the Moore case, the debto… Read More
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The Absolute Priority rule is alive and well for Chapter 11 cases

I. Explanation of absolute priority rule Consumer debtors that do not qualify for protection under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, are left with filing under Chapter 11, where they will come face-to-face with the absolute priority rul… Read More
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5 Mortifying Reasons Mortgage Applications End Up in the 'Reject' Pile

An interesting article in Realtor.com explains why mortgage applications are sometimes denied. According to the article, a recent Federal Reserve study concluded that one out of every eight home loan applications (12%) ends in a rejection. The causes… Read More
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Bankruptcy Filings among Elderly Increased Exponentially over Last 25 Years

According to an article posted today in the New York Times by Tara Segal Bernard, “[f]or a rapidly growing share of older Americans, traditional ideas about life in retirement are being upended by a dismal reality: bankruptcy.” According… Read More
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