Law Commons^™

Toward A More Reasoned Approach To The Priority Of Attorneys' Fees In Bankruptcy, Michelle A. Cecil

Michelle A. Cecil

The current mortgage foreclosure crisis, coupled with the country’s economic downturn and escalating consumer costs, have combined to place a crippling burden on the nation’s bankruptcy system. During difficult economic times such as this, it is imperative that the bankruptcy system operate efficiently, as it provides a social safety net for both consumers and businesses. Unfortunately, there are many issues of statutory interpretation left unanswered in the Bankruptcy Code, and these issues have placed an increased burden on the country’s bankruptcy courts. This Article seeks to resolve one thorny issue of statutory interpretation: the treatment of attorneys’ fees in bankruptcy. …

Toward A More Reasoned Approach To The Priority Of Attorneys' Fees In Bankruptcy, Michelle A. Cecil

Michelle A. Cecil

The current mortgage foreclosure crisis, coupled with the country’s economic downturn and escalating consumer costs, have combined to place a crippling burden on the nation’s bankruptcy system. During difficult economic times such as this, it is imperative that the bankruptcy system operate efficiently, as it provides a social safety net for both consumers and businesses. Unfortunately, there are many issues of statutory interpretation left unanswered in the Bankruptcy Code, and these issues have placed an increased burden on the country’s bankruptcy courts. This Article seeks to resolve one thorny issue of statutory interpretation: the treatment of attorneys’ fees in bankruptcy. …

The Effect Of 2005 Bankruptcy Reform On Credit Card Industry Profits And Prices, Michael N. Simkovic

Michael N Simkovic

The U.S. Bankruptcy code changed dramatically with the passage of The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act Of 2005. This act increased the costs and decreased the benefits of bankruptcy to consumers. Supporters of the law claimed that it would benefit consumers as well as creditors, because reducing the losses faced by creditors would lower the cost of credit to consumers. Critics of the law depicted it as special interest legislation designed to profit credit card companies at the expense of consumers. This study tests whether the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform: (1) reduced the number of bankruptcies; (2) reduced credit …

Ripping Off Grandma And Grandpa Without Hurting The Banks Of America: Allowing The Elderly And Other Easy Prey To Pay For The Crimes Of Immoral Individuals And Institutions, Brett D. Maxfield

Brett D Maxfield

This paper looks at the abuses of the banks of America in the ways they influence the law of credit and debt collection and what can be done to reform the system.

The Doctrine Of Necessity In Bankruptcy Reorganizations, Rahul K. Sharma

Rahul K. Sharma

Necessity is an old concept used in many fields of law. In criminal law and torts, it is a defense. In property law, its reasoning is used to support eminent domain. This paper will analyze the use of the doctrine of necessity in bankruptcy reorganizations. In bankruptcy, necessity has also been used as a justification for paying certain creditors earlier than they would have otherwise been paid. This has become controversial as such payments became routine. A decision by the Seventh Circuit in the 2004 Kmart case strongly criticized such payments and criticized reliance upon the doctrine of necessity. This …

Misbehavior And Mistake In Bankruptcy Mortgage Claims, Katherine Porter

Katherine Porter

The greatest fear of many families in serious financial trouble is that they will lose their homes. Bankruptcy offers a last chance for families to save their homes by halting a foreclosure and by repaying any default on their mortgage loans over a period of years. Mortgage companies participate in bankruptcy by filing claims with the court for the amount of the mortgage debt. To retain their homes bankruptcy debtors must pay these amounts. This process is well-established and, until now, uncontroversial. The assumption is that the protective elements of the federal bankruptcy shield vulnerable homeowners from harm.

This Article …

The Effect Of The 2005 Bankruptcy Reforms On Credit Card Company Profits And Prices (2), Michael N. Simkovic

Michael N Simkovic

The U.S. Bankruptcy code changed dramatically with the passage of The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act Of 2005. This act increased the costs and decreased the benefits of bankruptcy to consumers. Supporters of the law claimed that it would benefit consumers as well as creditors, because reducing the losses faced by creditors would lower the cost of credit to consumers. Critics of the law depicted it as special interest legislation designed to profit credit card companies at the expense of consumers. This study tests whether the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform: (1) reduced the number of bankruptcies; (2) reduced credit …

Designing The Limits Of Creditworthiness. Insolvency In Antwerp Bankruptcy Legislation And Practice (16th-17th Centuries), Dave De Ruysscher

Dave De ruysscher

In 1516 and 1518, the Antwerp City Council introduced a collective system of debt recovery, which was partly derived from academic doctrine and which broke with the tradition of priority for the first seizing claimant. The new views were inserted into a legal framework that was based on the concept of publicly known insolvency. Because of the vague legal definitions in the 1582 and 1608 Antwerp law compilations, the position of pursuing creditors was strengthened. Although these rules weren't successful, they demonstrate an early intention to draw the line between criminal bankruptcy, persisting insolvency and temporary payment problems.

Making Sense Of Nation-Level Bankruptcy Filing Rates, Ronald J. Mann

Ronald Mann

No abstract provided.

Patterns Of Credit Card Use Among Low And Moderate Income Households, Ronald J. Mann

Ronald Mann

This chapter uses data from the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances for 2004 (the “SCF”) to examine the penetration of credit cards into LMI markets. The chapter has two purposes. First, I discuss the rise of the modern credit market, emphasizing the segmentation of product lines based on behavioral and financial characteristics of customer groups. Among other things, that trend involves the use of products aimed at LMI households that differ significantly from those aimed at middle-class households. Second, I describe the extent to which LMI households borrow on credit cards, the types of LMI households that borrow, …