On Bankruptcy and Mediation
Protecting (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Did Congress intend that Subchapter V provide greater bankruptcy protection to corporations than to individuals? The answer is, “Yes,” according to a recent line of opinions: it’s easier for a corporation to be “engaged in business or commercial activities” than it is for the corporation’s owners; andthe... Continue Reading →
He had authority to act (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson We are starting to get appellate opinions on Subchapter V cases and issues. Here is one of the earliest: In re SSRE Holdings, LLC, Case No. CC-21-1027, Ninth Circuit BAP (issued August 26, 2021, “Not for Publication”). The issue in SSRE Holdings is... Continue Reading →
A casino (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson The opinion is In re Robinson, Case No. 20-11471, Kansas Bankruptcy Court (issued August 20, 2021, Doc. 72). The issue involves gambling by the Debtor while in a Subchapter V bankruptcy case. The U.S. Trustee moves to dismiss Debtor’s Subchapter V case for “gross mismanagement,” because... Continue Reading →
De facto end of the harbor? (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson A Subchapter V trustee “acts more like a mediator than an adversary”; and A “substantial part of the Subchapter V trustee’s pre-confirmation role” is to “serve as a de facto mediator between the debtor and its creditors.” --From In re 218 Jackson... Continue Reading →
Old and bad (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson “Projected disposable income” is a plan confirmation provision appearing in all reorganization chapters of the Bankruptcy Code: in § 1129(a)(15) for Chapter 11;in § 1191(c)(2) for Subchapter V; in § 1225(b)(1) for Chapter 12; andin § 1325(b)(1) for Chapter 13. Here’s an example of... Continue Reading →
Don’t sleep on your rights (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Ooops! Debtor’s counsel fails to apply its pre-petition retainer to its pre-petition fee before filing Debtor’s Subchapter V Petition. The result is a reduced fee claim (to a $9,999 amount, as authorized by § 1195) and a fight over the post-petition application of... Continue Reading →
New business opportunity (cleanup) arises from a failure (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By Donald L. Swanson For many years, Chapter 11 has been nearly-synonymous with sale of a business. The Old Way But such Chapter 11 sales typically occur under § 363 as pre-confirmation asset sales. Rarely is there a post-confirmation sale of the ownership interests... Continue Reading →
An early end By Donald L. Swanson A Subchapter V trustee has various duties established by statute (see 11 U.S.C. § 1183(b)). Such duties are substantial and important, but most are concluded upon confirmation of a Subchapter V plan. Administrative Expense—Early Termination Savings Of necessity, a Subchapter V trustee’s performance of statutory duties creates an... Continue Reading →
Fixed (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson A debtor’s Subchapter V plan must provide for disposable income payments over a “3-year period, or such longer period not to exceed 5 years as the court may fix” (11 U.S.C. § 1191(c)(2), emphasis added). One of the mysteries of Subchapter V is this: what standards should... Continue Reading →
An individual -- not an entity (photo by Marilyn Swanson) By: Donald L Swanson Do § 523(a) discharge exceptions apply to non-individual debtors in Subchapter V? That question has been resolved, with opposite results, in two recent opinions by two bankruptcy courts. What follows is a summary of operative statutes and the two opinions. Operative Statutes... Continue Reading →
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