Claims

5th Circuit Feb 20, 2020

Fifth Circuit Rules that the Penalty under the ACA Isn’t a Priority Tax Claim

The exaction for failure to purchase health insurance isn’t an excise tax ‘on a transaction’ under Section 507(a)(8)(E)(i).

Fifth Circuit’s Seminal Reed Decision Not Followed in Chapter 13

Bankruptcy judge finds no statutory power for a chapter 13 trustee to prosecute a lawsuit that the debtor was judicially estopped for pursuing.

Large Medical Bills Held Not to Be ‘Consumer’ Debts

Courts are split on whether large medical bills are consumer debts that invoke the means test and can bar relief in chapter 7.

Lender and Servicer Held Liable for Making False Claim for Real Estate Taxes

Judge Rodriguez holds servicer and lender liable under Rule 3002.1 and the FDCPA for making a claim for unpaid real estate taxes that had been paid.
11th Circuit Jan 23, 2020

Circuit Split Widens over Discharging Taxes on Late-Filed Returns

The Supreme Court has ducked the split twice in recent years but should tackle the question this time around.

PACA Doesn’t Give Rise to Denial of Discharge for Defalcation, Chicago Judge Says

A PACA trust lacks the hallmarks of a trust, so a failure to pay a produce supplier doesn’t give rise to a nondischargeable debt for defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity, Judge Goldgar says.