Posted by NCBRC - June 6th, 2013
The Fourth Circuit has accepted two direct appeals presenting the issue of whether the applicable commitment period for a chapter 13 plan applies when there is no projected disposable income. Both cases first treat the issue of whether an expected change in payments during the course of the plan should be considered when determining the debtor’s projected disposable income at the outset, and then deal with the relevance of the applicable commitment period where the debtor has zero or negative disposable income as calculated by the means test. Read More
Posted by NCBRC - September 7th, 2012
Wielding Hamilton v. Lanning, 130 S. Ct. 2464 (2010), the trustee in the Ninth Circuit case of In re Flores, launched a full-scale attack on Maney v. Kagenveama (In re Kagenveama), 541 F.3d 868 (9th Cir. 2008). Kagenveama won. The Ninth Circuit stood by its previous position that an above-median debtor with zero or negative disposable income does not need to confirm a 60 month plan under section 1325(b). Danielson v. Flores (In re Flores), No. 11-55452 (9th Cir. Aug. 31, 2012). NACBA assisted in drafting the debtor’s brief in this case. Read More
Posted by NCBRC - March 6th, 2012
NACBA has filed an amicus brief in the case of American Express Centurion Bank v. Henderson, No. 11-35864 (9th Cir.), arguing that a chapter 13 plan for an above-median debtor with negative disposable income need not extend for 60 months under the plain language of section 1325(b)(4) because there is no “projected disposable income.” Read More
Posted by NCBRC - January 9th, 2012
Today the Supreme Court denied certiorari in the case of Baud v. Carroll, which raised the issue of the appropriate applicable commitment period for an above-median income debtor with no “projected disposable income.” The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held below that above-median income debtors with no projected disposable income must propose five year plans if the trustee or unsecured creditor objects to a shorter plan period. See 634 F.3d 327 (6th Cir. 2011). Attention will now turn to Flores v. Danielson, No. 11-55452 (9th Cir.), where the Ninth Circuit will consider whether the Supreme Court’s ruling in Hamilton v. Lanning, 130 S.Ct.2464 (2010), abrogated the Ninth’s Circuit prior ruling on the applicable commitment period in Kagenveama v. Maney, 541 F.3d 868 (9th Cir. 2008).