One of the benefits of bankruptcy is that it allows parties to discharge their debts so that they can regain financial security and move forward with their lives. Certain debts cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, however, such as those that arise out of the malicious or willful injury to another…
One of the many benefits of filing for bankruptcy is that a stay is automatically entered upon filing, preventing any creditors from taking legal action against the debtor. If an automatic stay is violated, a debtor can seek relief from the court. Issues can arise, however, when it is unclear…
It is not uncommon in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings for the courts to permit the Trustee to sell the property of the bankruptcy estate. While it is within the courts’ authority to allow such sales to occur, they must ensure that any property is sold for its optimal value in…
In bankruptcy matters, the debtor must set forth schedules that include all of their property, assets, income, sources of money, and debts. Among other things, this includes any pending or potential claims or lawsuits. If they fail to properly disclose such information, they may be barred from pursuing such claims…
In most bankruptcy cases, creditors will submit proofs of claims. If parties object to such proofs, the courts will typically assess whether the objections are valid and, in some instances, may reduce a creditor’s claim. This was illustrated recently in a ruling issued in a California bankruptcy case in which…
In bankruptcy cases, creditors have the right to file appeals. If the court finds that they failed to adequately preserve their rights, though, it may dismiss the appeal as equitably moot. Specifically, if a creditor neglected to seek a stay of bankruptcy proceedings before filing an appeal, their appeal will…
Under California law, it is well-established that parties only get “one bite of the apple.” In other words, they only have one chance to assert a claim, and if they receive an unfavorable verdict, they cannot attempt to relitigate the claim before another court. This was demonstrated in a recent…
Bankruptcy proceedings have allowed millions of parties to escape overwhelming debts, regain financial stability, and move forward with their lives. While a broad array of people are eligible for bankruptcy relief, there are certain rules and guidelines that people filing bankruptcy petitions must adhere to, and if they do not,…
It is not uncommon for a creditor to assign a debt or the right to collect money owed from a debtor to another party. In such instances, the assignee enjoys the same rights and privileges as the creditor did prior to assigning the debt. Thus, if a creditor’s debt was…
In many bankruptcy cases, there are insufficient funds to fulfill the debtor’s obligations. Thus, the creditors may enter into a stipulation regarding how any available money should be distributed. Such stipulations do not necessarily mean that a creditor cannot pursue any other claims against a debtor, however. The implication of…