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Circuit Court

In re Supreme Beef Processors Inc.

Ruling
Waiver of sovereign immunity could not be used to create a cause of action that did not exist outside of bankruptcy.
Procedural posture

The District Court for the Eastern District of Texas dismissed the debtor's tort claims against the creditor United States Department of Agriculture as barred by sovereign immunity. On the debtor's appeal, a panel of the Fifth Circuit held that permissive counterclaims could be used as a setoff under 11 U.S.C. § 106(c) as a waiver of sovereign immunity. The case was reconsidered en banc.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on October 19, 2006 , LexisNexis #1106-049

Meza v. Truman

Ruling
Bankruptcy court should have heard trustee's motion for plan modification filed but not heard before completion of payments.
Procedural posture

Appellant trustee, moved to modify appellee debtors'chapter 13 bankruptcy plan. The Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas denied the motion, finding it untimely under 11 U.S.C. § 1329(a). The District Court for the Northern District of Texas affirmed that decision. The trustee again appealed.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on October 16, 2006 , LexisNexis #1106-069

United States v. White

Ruling
Post-confirmation assessment of tax liability was erroneously invalidated by district court.
Procedural posture

Plaintiff United States appealed from the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, challenging the invalidation of its assessment of a tax liability against defendant debtor following confirmation of the taxpayer's chapter 11 bankruptcy plan.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on October 11, 2006 , LexisNexis #1106-081

In re Salem

Ruling
Debtor could not convert chapter 7 case filed in one district court to a chapter 13 case filed in another district court.
Procedural posture

A chapter 13 debtor appealed after a Northern District of Illinois bankruptcy court denied his proposed chapter 13 plan and dismissed his bankruptcy case. The debtor sought further review after the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois affirmed the bankruptcy court's dismissal order and other interlocutory orders. The debtor raised error claims regarding the handling of his chapter 13 case.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on October 10, 2006 , LexisNexis #1106-097

Racusin v. American Wagering Inc. (In re American Wagering Inc.)

Ruling
Bankruptcy Appellate Panel erred in reversing decision that claim for breach of stock consulting agreement could not be subordinated.
Procedural posture

Appellee debtors filed an adversary proceeding against appellant consultant, alleging that a claim filed by the consultant in their chapter 11 bankruptcy case must be subordinated under 11 U.S.C. § 510(b). A bankruptcy court granted summary judgment to the consultant and denied it to debtors. The Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel reversed and held that the claim should be subordinated. The consultant appealed.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on October 06, 2006 , LexisNexis #1006-124

Hebbring v. United States Trustee

Ruling
Bankruptcy court did not err in dismissing case for substantial abuse based on finding that retirement contributions were not reasonably necessary expenses.
Procedural posture

Appellant debtor sought review of an order from the District Court for the District of Nevada, which affirmed the bankruptcy court's decision to grant appellee United States Trustee's motion to dismiss the debtor's chapter 7 bankruptcy petition for substantial abuse under 11 U.S.C. § 707(b) based on a finding that the debtor's contributions to her 401(k) plan and savings bond were not reasonably necessary expenses.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on September 11, 2006 , LexisNexis #1006-025

In re Globe Bldg. Materials Inc.

Ruling
State wage lien could be avoided where statute did not give precedence over bona fide purchasers.
Procedural posture

Appellants, the State of Wisconsin and its Attorney General, sought review of a decision of the District Court for the Northern District of Indiana affirming the bankruptcy court's grant of summary judgment in favor of appellee bankruptcy trustee in the trustee's adversary proceeding, seeking to set aside the State's wage lien asserted under Wis. Stat. § 109.09 on the net sale proceeds of the debtor's property.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on September 08, 2006 , LexisNexis #1006-022

D.A.N. Joint Venture v. Cacioli (In re Cacioli)

Ruling
Debtor's failure to keep business records was not grounds for denial of discharge where debtor reasonably relied on better educated partner to keep records.
Procedural posture

Appellant creditors sought review of a judgment of the District Court for the District of Connecticut, which affirmed a bankruptcy court's judgment in favor of appellee debtor in the creditors' adversary proceeding under 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(3) and (5) for the denial of bankruptcy discharge.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on September 06, 2006 , LexisNexis #1006-027

Pratt v. GM Acceptance Corp. (In re Pratt)

Ruling
Creditor's refusal to release valueless auto lien unless outstanding balance was paid was coercive and violated discharge injunction
Procedural posture

Chapter 7 debtors, husband and wife, appealed a decision from the District Court for the District of Maine affirming a bankruptcy court ruling that creditor, a car financing corporation, did not violate the discharge injunction by declining to discharge its lien on debtors'automobile until they paid the remaining balance due on their prepetition car loan.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on September 01, 2006 , LexisNexis #1006-021

Peters v. Pikes Peak Musicians Assn

Ruling
Musicians performed necessary services for debtor orchestra and were entitled to priority payments pursuant to collective bargaining agreement.
Procedural posture

When reorganization failed, debtor orchestra converted its chapter 11 bankruptcy to a chapter 7 proceeding. Defendant musicians were granted a first priority payment of postpetition wages and benefits due under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement ("CBA") as administrative expenses under 11 U.S.C. §§ 503(b)(1)(A) and 507(a)(1). Plaintiff trustee appealed the decision from the District Court for the District of Colorado.

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Court :
Judge or Jurisdiction information not available
opinion summary, case decided on September 01, 2006 , LexisNexis #1006-030