Where a debtor promised to renovate and make repairs to the plaintiff’s real property and then failed to do so, a judgment entered against the debtor was dischargeable because he fully intended to perform at the time he made the ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens U.S. Bankruptcy Court

A Chapter 13 debtor may strip off an unsecured lien from real property that is titled as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, where the joint tenant is not a joint debtor in the bankruptcy case. Background On May 15, ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens U.S. Bankruptcy Court

The Richmond-based law firm of LeClairRyan PLLC converted its Chapter 11 bankruptcy to Chapter 7 last Friday, Oct. 4, with a trustee taking over liquidation proceedings. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens approved the move Sept. 26, observing it was ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens LeClairRyan

Although Congress has increased the fees payable to the U.S. Trustee System, that fee increase is unconstitutional because it is not being applied evenly to all Chapter 11 cases. As a result, the liquidating trust here is not responsible for ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens U.S. Bankruptcy Court

A debtor who settled her personal injury claim may keep the funds because they were acquired after the petition date but prior to the conversion date, meaning the money was not property of the debtors’ bankruptcy estate. Background The debtors ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Where a creditor was not entitled to a distribution of excess cash entering the bankruptcy estate in the future pursuant to the express terms of the approved reorganization plan, the creditor lacked standing to obtain relief from judgment in order ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Where a husband and wife initiated a Chapter 7 bankruptcy action to halt the sale of their home in a foreclosure commenced when the wife failed to make payments ordered in her prior Chapter 13 bankruptcy case, the wife could ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens U.S. Bankruptcy Court

A woman seeking to discharge her student loans failed to provide evidence that repayment of her debt would cause an “undue hardship.” Background On Nov. 13, 2011, Wanda Lipscomb Menefee and her husband, Frank Hoehl Menefee, Jr., filed a voluntary ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens U.S. Bankruptcy Court

An Alexandria lawyer who pursued collection efforts after a tenant filed for bankruptcy has been hit with $5,000 in punitive damages for what the judge labeled “flagrant violations” of legal protections for debtors. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens said ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Good judges, good law­yers and a well-oiled legal system are prov­ing to be an attractive combination at the U.S. Bankrupt­cy Court in Richmond. Struggling corporations seeking sanc­tuary from creditors are coming to Rich­mond in greater numbers these days, passing by ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Gymboree Judge Keith L. Phillips Judge Kevin R. Huennekens Patriot Coal Corporation Penn Virginia Corporation U.S. Bankruptcy Court Richmond