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Ebner v. Woodforest Partners LP (In re EBCO Land Dev. Ltd.)

Ruling
Bankruptcy court had authority to sell property free and clear of gas line easement.
Procedural posture

Plaintiff, the postpetition purchaser of certain real property from the chapter 11 estate, brought an adversary proceeding against defendant creditor, which held a gas line easement across the real property and had a contract with the debtor to provide gas service to residences on the property. The creditor moved to dismiss the complaint, and counterclaimed against the purchaser, which moved to dismiss the counterclaim.

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Commercial opinion summary, case decided on April 17, 2008 , LexisNexis #0508-095

Havis v. AIG SunAmerica Life Assurance Co. (In re Bossart)

Ruling
Purchase of annuity with substantially all non-exempt assets and subsequently claimed as exempt was intended to defraud creditors and was avoidable.
Procedural posture

Plaintiff bankruptcy trustee brought an adversary proceeding against defendant issuer of an annuity to intervenor bankruptcy debtors, alleging that the debtors'transfers of funds to the issuer to purchase the annuity on the eve of their bankruptcy was avoidable as actually and constructively fraudulent under 11 U.S.C. § 548. The bankruptcy court conducted a trial.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on December 21, 2007 , LexisNexis #0208-029

Smith v. McCombs (In re McCombs)

Ruling
Proceeds of sale of marital homestead was not exempt where partition between debtor and non-debtor spouse was unenforceable.
Procedural posture

Plaintiff creditor filed an adversary proceeding against defendants, chapter 7 trustee and the debtor's estranged wife, among others. The dispute centered around the proceeds from the sale of the debtor's home. The creditor claimed a prepetition judgment lien. The trustee claimed that the home became part of the estate. The wife claimed that the home was partitioned into her separate property. The creditor and trustee moved for summary judgment.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on December 17, 2007 , LexisNexis #0208-045

In re B&A Dev. Group LP

Ruling
Employee with undisputed, priority, unsecured claim could not be reclassified as contractor with general unsecured claim.
Procedural posture

Limited partners of the chapter 11 debtor filed an objection to the scheduled claim of a creditor, debtor's former director of marketing. Her claim was listed on Schedule E by debtor as an undisputed priority unsecured claim in the amount of $8,995 for wages, salaries and commissions. She objected to the reclassification of her claim.

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Commercial opinion summary, case decided on November 05, 2007 , LexisNexis #1207-115

In re Brown

Ruling
Debtors could not claim vehicle ownership expense for vehicle owned free and clear and resulting adjusted income required dismissal.
Procedural posture

The United States trustee moved to dismiss the debtors'chapter 7 petition, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 707(b)(2), arguing that the presumption of abuse arose and that the debtors were not allowed to claim a vehicle ownership expense under the Local Standards issued by the IRS, where they presently had no actual vehicle payment for their paid-off vehicles.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on October 16, 2007 , LexisNexis #1107-051

In re Presto

Ruling
Objection to homestead exemption granted to the extent representing nonexempt proceeds of sale of homestead invested in improvements of less expensive homestead property.
Procedural posture

A committee objected, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 522(q), (o) and (p), to a chapter 7 debtor's claim of a homestead exemption in his current residence.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on October 05, 2007 , LexisNexis #1107-008

In re Sissom

Ruling
Trustee granted equitable lien for $50,000 of non-exempt stock proceeds used to purchase otherwise exempt homestead.
Procedural posture

Chapter 7 trustee, pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 522(o), objected to the debtor's homestead exemption, alleging that the debtor improperly used nonexempt cash of $61,541 to help purchase the real property that he claimed as his homestead and to purchase personal property that he claimed exempt.

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opinion summary, case decided on May 11, 2007 , LexisNexis #0607-110

In re Nowlin

Ruling
Monthly income applied to 401(k) loan was required to be applied to chapter 13 plan upon satisfaction of the loan.
Procedural posture

Debtor filed a proposed chapter 13 plan which would last 60 months. The chapter 13 trustee opposed confirmation.

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opinion summary, case decided on April 11, 2007 , LexisNexis #0807-094

In re Cochener

Ruling
Attorney sanctioned for false filings, failure to attend creditors' meeting and advice to debtor not to attend creditors' meeting or produce documents.
Procedural posture

Chapter 7 trustee filed a motion for sanctions against debtor, debtor's attorney, and debtor's son.

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opinion summary, case decided on February 09, 2007 , LexisNexis #0407-012

In re Ortiz

Ruling
Debtor attorney who failed to comply with contempt order assessed additional sanctions.
Procedural posture

A debtor was ordered to appear and show cause why he should not have been sanctioned and held in civil contempt for failing to comply with the court's order, which required him to pay sanctions, dismissed his chapter 7 case, and barred future filings. The United States Trustee filed a certificate of non-compliance/non-payment reflecting that the debtor failed to comply with the sanctions order.

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opinion summary, case decided on October 13, 2006 , LexisNexis #1106-048