Author Archives: BankruptcyRealEstateInsights

About BankruptcyRealEstateInsights

Vicki R. Harding was a partner in the Detroit office of Pepper Hamilton LLP who moved to Arizona seeking warmer weather. Ms. Harding continues to handle commercial transactions with an emphasis on real estate and bankruptcy issues (but no longer owns a snow shovel).

Fraudulent Transfer: “Reasonably Equivalent Value” Meets Debt Recharacterization

Official Comm. of Unsecured Creditors v. Hancock Park Capital II, L.P. (In re Fitness Holdings International, Inc.), 714 F.3d 1141 (9th Cir. 2013) – A chapter 11 unsecured creditors’ committee sought to recover payments made to the debtor’s shareholder as a fraudulent … Continue reading

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Cross-Collateralization: Your Dragnet Clause May Have at Least a Little Hole In It

Peoples National Bank, N.A. v. Banterra Bank, 719 F.3d 608 (7th Cir. 2013) – In this case, the district court had reversed the bankruptcy court – holding that a standard dragnet clause in a mortgage was not sufficient to secure a … Continue reading

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Cross-Collateralization: Beware the Intricacies of Local Real Estate Law

Hari Aum, LLC v. First Guar. Bank (In re Hari Aum), 714 F.3d 274 (5th Cir. 2013) – A debtor and its lender sought a determination of whether a mortgage on the debtor’s motel secured only a loan to the debtor, … Continue reading

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Foreclosure Sale As a Preference: “Strong Arm” Powers Strike Again

Nguyen v. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (In re Nguyen), 490 B.R. 230 (Bankr. S.D. Tex. 2013) – An individual debtor in a chapter 7 bankruptcy brought an adversary proceeding seeking to recover from a mortgagee for negligent misrepresentation and to set aside … Continue reading

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Lease Claims: Sometimes Privity Matters

In re Parrott Broadcasting Ltd. P’ship, 492 B.R. 35 (Bankr. D. Idaho 2013) – A chapter 7 trustee objected to a proof of claim filed by a landlord for rent and late charges due under a lease.  The debtor was an assignee … Continue reading

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Failure to Negotiate Mortgage Note: “Strong Arm” Powers With A Twist

Rogan v. Vanderbilt Mortgage & Finance, Inc. (In re Dorsey), 491 B.R. 464 (Bankr. E.D. Ky. 2013 – A chapter 7 trustee sought to use his “strong arm” powers as a hypothetical judgment lien creditor, arguing that a mortgage could be avoided … Continue reading

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