By Scott Riddle Posted in Consumer Bankruptcy Guide,Northern District CasesIn In re Cady, Ch. 7 No. 24-41026-ejc, 2025 WL 1587266 (Bankr. S.D. Ga. June 4, 2025) the issue was whether the Debtor, a real estate agent, could claim an exemption in her vehicle as a tool of the trade. In addition to claiming vehicle and wild card exemptions, Debtor argued that her vehicle was… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Miscellaneous Cases,News and CommentsIt is expensive to stay in Bankruptcy. Last month a Brown Rudnick lawyer tried to increase his hourly rate from $1,000 per hour to $1,500 per hour. Chief Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein in Delaware rejected the increase, “saying that no client would approve such a steep fee hike in the middle of a case.” See… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in News and Comments,Northern District CasesI don’t typically post about new Chapter 11 filings unless there is something compelling about them, but almost 300 Chapter 11 cases for Lavie Care Centers and related entities filed on the same day qualifies as news here in the Northern District of Georgia. The Motion for Joint Administration alone is 49 pages, most of… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Miscellaneous Cases,Northern District CasesAn entire blog could be devoted to the intersection of Bankruptcy and divorce, but for this post we will look at what happens when a divorce decree (or final settlement agreement) requires that one of the spouses transfer his or her interest in real property to the other spouse, but before the actual transfer is… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Northern District Cases… at least in Judge Sigler’s Court in the Northern District of Georgia. Primary Investments Group, Inc. v. RA Custom Design Inc., 2024 WL 607716, Adv. Proc. No. 23-05193-sms (February 13, 2024). The holding is consistent with most courts that have ruled on the issue, with the exception of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Eleventh Circuit CasesIn a case of first impression in the Eleventh Circuit, the Circuit Panel addressed the dischargeability of debts incurred by a produce buyer who is acting as a trustee under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (“PACA”). In re Forrest, 2022 WL 3908803 (11th Cir. August 31, 2022)(click here for .pdf). The court concluded that debts… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Eleventh Circuit Cases,Northern District CasesIn Auriga Polymers, Inc. v. PMCM2, LLC, as Liquidating Trustee, No. 20-14647, 2022 WL 2800195 (11th Cir. July 17, 2022) (click here for .pdf) the creditor, Auriga, received transfers of more than $2.2 million in the 90 days before the Debtor, Beaulieu Group, LLC, filed its Bankruptcy case on July 16, 2017. During the 90… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Consumer Bankruptcy Guide,Northern District CasesIn the case of In re Ruff, 2022 B.R. 1638964, Ch. 7 Case No. 20-68855-pwb (Bankr. N.D.Ga. March 31, 2022) (click here for .pdf) the issue was whether the educational loans owed by the Debtor were “consumer” debts as defined by 11 U.S.C. §101(8) of the Bankruptcy Code, and incorporated into 11 U.S.C. §707(b). If… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Eleventh Circuit Cases,Northern District CasesOnce again, a Bankruptcy case leads to a key opinion in Georgia real estate law and, as often the case, the Chapter 7 Trustee prevails. In In re Lindstrom, 2022 WL 1041192 (11th Cir. April 7, 2022) (click here for .pdf) the issue was the validity of a security deed, the interpretation of the Georgia… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Northern District Cases[Updated – The Trustee has filed a Motion for Rehearing (click here for .pdf of motion). That Motion was denied on July 12, 2022 (click here for Order]. In this lengthy post, we discuss Judge Paul Bonapfel’s 73-page Order in which he skewered the fee application of a Chapter 7 Trustee and effectively changed the… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Eleventh Circuit CasesIn a relatively brief opinion, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on the deadlines for appealing an order from the District Court (acting as an appellate court for a Bankruptcy Court Order) to the Court of Appeals. Appellants appealed a Bankruptcy Court Order to the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. On… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Georgia State Cases,Middle District CasesIn Georgia, does a judgment lien attach to real property as of the date the judgment was entered or as of the date and time the writ of fieri facias on that judgment is properly recorded in the county records, as required under Georgia law? The Supreme Court of Georgia answered this question in Synovus… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Corporate & Fiduciary Litigation,Miscellaneous CasesIn Jay Alix, as assignee of AlixPartners, LLP v. McKinsey & Co., Inc., 2022 WL 163800 (2nd Cir., January 19, 2022) (click here for .pdf), two major competitors in the niche market of Bankruptcy advising to estates with a billion dollars or more of assets were in court against each other over lucrative consulting assignments.… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Eleventh Circuit Cases,Georgia State Cases,Northern District CasesIn In re Hoffman, 2022 WL 203415 (11th Cir. January 24, 2022) (click here for .pdf) the issue before the Court was whether Roth IRAs were exempt pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §541(c)(2) or O.C.G.A. § 44-13-100(a)(2)(E). This is a case of first impression in the Circuit, based upon recent amendments to the Georgia exemption statutes.… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Eleventh Circuit CasesIn SuVicMon Development, Inc. v. Morrison, __ F.3d __, 2021 WL 1136546 (11th Cir. March 25, 2021) (click here for .pdf), the plaintiffs are three corporations that sued the Debtor for fraud and securities violations in state court. Plaintiffs subsequently amended the complaint to include fraudulent transfer claims against Debtor and his two sons. Debtor… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Consumer Bankruptcy Guide,Miscellaneous CasesIn In re Tingling, __ F3d __, 2021 WL 922448 (2nd Cir. March 11, 2021) (click for .pdf), the Debtor filed an adversary proceeding seeking discharge of her student loans. The Bankruptcy Court determined that the debtor failed to meet the Brunner Test, and the District Court affirmed. The Debtor appealed to the Second Circuit,… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Eleventh Circuit CasesIn In re Breland, __ F.3d __ , 2021 WL 910657 (11th Cir., March 10, 2021) (click here for .pdf) the individual Debtor filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition. After it was determined that he was transferring assets and defrauding his creditors a Chapter 11 Trustee was appointed. [Debtor] protested that the trustee’s appointment violated… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Northern District CasesIn what certainly will be one of most important and talked-about orders to come out of the Northern District of Georgia in some time, Judge Paul Bonapfel eviscerated a fee application filed by a Chapter 7 Trustee and counsel. The case is In re McConnell, Case No. 19-67128-pwb, 2021 WL 203331 (Bankr. N.D.Ga. October 28,… Continue Reading
In In re Cady, Ch. 7 No. 24-41026-ejc, 2025 WL 1587266 (Bankr. S.D. Ga. June 4, 2025) the issue was whether the Debtor, a real estate agent, could claim an exemption in her vehicle as a tool of the trade. In addition to claiming vehicle and wild card exemptions, Debtor argued that her vehicle was… Continue Reading