Bankruptcy Law Commons^™

The Dischargeability Of Debts In Bankruptcy, Paul J. Hartman

Vanderbilt Law Review

From the viewpoint of the bankrupt debtor, a discharge from his obligations is, no doubt, the most important facet of bankruptcy proceedings. The bankruptcy discharge is designed to relieve the honest debtor from his financial entanglements, and to give him an opportunity to reinstate himself in the business world. A debtor is now entitled to a discharge as a matter of right, unless he has been guilty of certain specified offenses against the Bankruptcy Act. For many generations the idea of a discharge from one's debts has been the relieving feature of bankruptcy. However, it has not always been so. …

The Practitioner And The Bankruptcy Process, John M. Bates

Vanderbilt Law Review

While procedure in bankruptcy matters is not difficult it requires meticulous attention to detail. After observing many cases, it is my opinion that the average practitioner who carefully observes the rules of procedure and is painstaking and conscientious in drafting the schedules and other required pleadings can find bankruptcy an interesting and rewarding practice.

Determination Of The Effect Of A Discharge In Bankruptcy, T. A. Smedley

Vanderbilt Law Review

This article examines the operation of the system under which the granting of the discharge is the function of the bankruptcy court but the construction of the effect of the discharge falls within the power of any court in which a creditor happens to bring suit to enforce an obligation of the bankrupt. The customary practice of leaving to the lower state courts the task of determining the dischargeability of specific debts is evaluated, and the bases for having this determination made in the bankruptcy court instead are explored.

The Equitable Subordination Of Claims In Bankruptcy, Asa S. Herzog, Joel B. Zweibel

Vanderbilt Law Review

The authors of this article address themselves to the problems raised by the use by bankruptcy courts of their equity powers to subordinate claims. They discuss the distinctions between subordination and disallowance, the interplay between state and federal law, res adjudicata, and the classes of cases in which equitable subordination occurs. They conclude that, while much confusion exists in this area, the equitable principles involved are generally sound and that applying them is often in the best interest of debtor, creditor, and public.

Preferences Under The Bankruptcy Act, Charles Seligson

Vanderbilt Law Review

The Bankruptcy Act allows the trustee in bankruptcy to avoid the effect of certain transactions entered into by the debtor on the ground that these transactions give some creditors a preference. In this article, Mr. Seligson examines section 60 of the Bankruptcy Act to determine when this can be done. He discusses the elements of preferential transfers, the problems of proof, the relationship between state and federal law, and the manner in which the statutory provisions have been applied by the courts.

Federal Tax Liens In Bankruptcy, Pierre R. Loiseaux

Vanderbilt Law Review

In this article, the author considers the peculiarly preferred position of the tax lien under section 67 of the Bankruptcy Act. From his consideration of the position of the trustee and the claim of the government he concludes that the law as presently applied is inequitable. He advocates that the government's secret lien be held invalid against the trustee, that the inchoate lien doctrine should not be applied in bankruptcy, and that the doctrine of Moore v. Bay be modified.

Arrangements And Wage Earner Plans: Proceedings Under Chapters Xi And Xiii, Sydney Krause

Vanderbilt Law Review

In this article, Mr. Krause considers the practical problems confronting the attorney who conducts proceedings under chapters 11 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Act. The article is a revision of remarks made by Mr. Krause at the Institute on Debtor-Creditor Relations held at the Vanderbilt University School of Law on November 11, 1961. While a number of changes have been made in the remarks, the author has retained, insofar as possible, the original flavor of the address.

The Wage Earners' Plan: Its Purpose, Walter Chandler

Vanderbilt Law Review

Chapter XIII is the forerunner of the general revision of the National Bankruptcy Act in 1938. Introduced as a bill for the relief of harassed wage earners who desire to pay their debts if given sufficient opportunity, the bill attracted the attention of the Honorable Hatton W. Sumners, Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. In view of the cumulative need for a definitive study of the law of bankruptcy with the end view of enacting a complete revision of the Act of 1898, a special subcommittee on bankruptcy was created; this subcommittee, with the …

The Wage Earner's Plan In Practice, Reginald W. Mcduffee

Vanderbilt Law Review

In this article Judge McDuffee discusses the present use of the Wage Earner's Plan, the need for its extension, and the potential which this provision possesses for benefiting both debtor and creditor. He documents his commentary both with statistical data and with statements made by referees throughout the nation.

Selected Materials On The Literature Of Bankruptcy, Roy Mersky

Vanderbilt Law Review

Charles Warren, in his book Bankruptcy in United States History, opens the first chapter with a statement that would discourage most lawyers interested in developing a practice in bankruptcy: "The subject of bankruptcy is gloomy and depressing in that the law of bankruptcy is dry and discouraging." However, a federal bankruptcy law has been on the statute books continuously since 1898, and it is safe to assume that barring a nuclear war, legal problems dealing with bankruptcy will continue for along time in the future.

Bankruptcy - Summary Jurisdiction - Filing Proof Of Claim As Basis For Money Judgment On A Counterclaim In Favor Of The Trustee, Jerome M. Salle S. Ed

Michigan Law Review

Appellant filed a proof of claim with the trustee in bankruptcy for unliquidated damages for an alleged breach of contract by the bankrupt. In response, the trustee filed a petition with the bankruptcy court for an order disallowing the appellant's claim and for a money judgment against appellant for a breach of the same contract. The district court affirmed the referee's denial of appellant's claim and judgment in favor of the trustee. On appeal, held, affirmed. Filing proof of claim gives the bankruptcy court jurisdiction not only to hear, but to grant the trustee's petition for affirmative relief on …

Recent Cases, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Law Review

Bankruptcy--Assets--Trustee's Rights Under 70(c) Ascertained at Date of Bankruptcy Rather than Anterior Point of Time

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Contempt--Publisher Not in Contempt for Newspaper Articles Which He reasonably did not believe would interfere with Trial

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Federal Procedure--Erie Doctrine--Impeachment Evidence not Outcome--Determinative

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Jurisdiction--Federal Death on High Seas Act Grants Exclusive Jurisdiction to Federal Courts

Bankruptcy--Life Insurance--Trustee Not Entitled To Case Surrender Value Of Policy, Arthur Mark Recht

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.