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In re Petters Co.

Ruling
Trustee could seek to recover alleged fraudulent transfer to lenders for amounts in excess of principal for which debtor Ponzi scheme operator had never received reasonably equivalent value.
Issue(s)
Could trustee avoid prepetition payments to lenders made in furtherance of debtor's Ponzi scheme as fraudulent.

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Commercial opinion summary, case decided on September 30, 2013 , LexisNexis #0214-099

Manty v. Ahmad Helal (In re Fifty Below Sales & Mktg.)

Ruling
Bankruptcy court abstained from non-compete and confidentiality claims against debtor's former employer.
Procedural posture

Plaintiffs, a bankruptcy trustee and a purchaser of a bankruptcy debtor's ongoing business, brought an action in state court against defendant former employees of the debtor to enforce covenants not to compete and of confidentiality in the employment agreements of the employees. The employees removed the claims to the bankruptcy court, and the trustee and the purchaser moved for abstention and remand to state court under 28 U.S.C.S. § 1334(c).

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Commercial opinion summary, case decided on April 12, 2013 , LexisNexis #0513-034

Stoebner v. Ritchie Capital Mgmt. LLC (In re Polaroid Corp.)

Ruling
Grant of security interest in property made only to delay, hinder or defraud could be avoided.
Procedural posture

Plaintiff chapter 7 trustee's adversary proceeding sought to avoid, under 11 U.S.C. §§ 548, 544, the grant of security interests to defendants, entities that claimed to hold an enforceable security interest in certain aspects of debtor's intellectual property, specifically certain trademarks and associated rights. The trustee sought other relief, alternatively or additionally. The trustee moved for partial summary judgment.

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Commercial opinion summary, case decided on April 30, 2012 , LexisNexis #0512-089

Town Centre Self Storage LLC v. Conoryea (In re Conoryea)

Ruling
Debt arising from debtor's embezzlement from employer was nondischargeable.
Procedural posture

Plaintiff, an LLC that operated a self-storage unit business that had employed defendant, a Chapter 13 debtor, brought an adversary complaint for a ruling per 11 U.S.C.S. § 523(a)(4) that debtor's obligation to pay it $25,915 was nondischargeable on the ground that debtor had embezzled that sum from plaintiff. Plaintiff also sought a punitive damages award under Minn. Stat. § 604.14, subd. 1.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on November 03, 2011 , LexisNexis #1111-120

Croix Oil Co. v. Moua (In re Moua)

Ruling
Late-filed claim by unscheduled creditor was excepted from discharge.
Procedural posture

Plaintiff creditor filed a complaint against defendant Chapter 7 debtor seeking a determination that a debt was nondischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C.S. § 523(a)(3)(A). The creditor filed a motion for summary judgment.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on October 14, 2011 , LexisNexis #1111-015

In re Wiczek

Ruling
Debtors could not claim administrative expense claim in excess of amount available under §522(d)(5).
Procedural posture

This Chapter 7 case came before the court on the Chapter 7 Trustee's objection to debtors' amended claim of exemption in certain assets. Also, the Trustee requested an evidentiary hearing on her allegations of bad faith, and any inherent request for imposition of sanctions on debtors.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on June 16, 2011 , LexisNexis #0711-115

Sullivan v. Welsh (In re Lumbar)

Ruling
Trustee could not avoid quitclaim deed of exempt homestead property from debtor to parents that was not constructively fraudulent under state law.
Procedural posture

Plaintiff bankruptcy trustee brought an adversary proceeding against defendant parents of a bankruptcy debtor seeking to avoid as actually and constructively fraudulent under bankruptcy and state law a transfer of real property from the debtor to the parents by quitclaim deed. The trustee moved for summary judgment.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on March 03, 2011 , LexisNexis #0311-126

In re Keenan

Ruling
Debtor's right of action for abuse by Catholic priest that occurred when he was a minor was not exempt absent evidence of bodily injury.
Procedural posture

Chapter 7 trustee objected to the debtors' claim of exemption under 11 U.S.C.S. § 522(d)(11)(D) in an asset described as personal injury claims against representatives of Catholic Church in Minnesota.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on January 07, 2011 , LexisNexis #0211-018

In re Chapman

Ruling
Dismissal of chapter 7 case for abuse denied as case had originally been commenced under chapter 13.
Procedural posture

Though debtors, a married couple, filed a voluntary petition under chapter 13 and won plan confirmation, they sought postpetition to convert the case to one under chapter 7. The U.S. Trustee (UST) moved to dismiss for abuse per 11 U.S.C.S. § 707(b). Debtors opposed dismissal. At issue was whether § 707(b)(1) even applied to a case that had been commenced via a petition under chapter 13 was converted to one under chapter 7 postconfirmation.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on June 10, 2010 , LexisNexis #0810-096

In re Robrock

Ruling
Case dismissed for abuse after recalculation of current monthly income.
Procedural posture

The United States Trustee asserted that a bankruptcy debtor claimed improper reductions in calculating his current monthly income, and that a proper calculation of current monthly income raised a presumption of abuse of chapter 7 bankruptcy under 11 U.S.C.S. § 707(b)(1). The Trustee moved to dismiss the debtor's chapter 7 bankruptcy case.

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Consumer opinion summary, case decided on May 21, 2010 , LexisNexis #0810-026