A junior lienholder that receives a payment to release its “out of the money” lien may not have to repay it if their borrower files for bankruptcy shortly thereafter as decided recently in Lauter v. Wells Fargo Bank (In re...more
The Issue and Background - Debtors David Caulkett and Edelmiro Toledo-Cardona (“Debtors”) each filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief with “underwater” junior mortgages held by Bank of America, N.A. (“Bank”). In other...more
A Battle in the Making in the Oil and Gas Sector: Second Lien vs. High Yield Debt - In the oil and gas industry, there is a storm brewing between holders of second lien debt and unsecured high yield bonds. These...more
On June 1, 2015, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling resolving a split amongst circuit courts in which the 11th circuit was the singular minority, addressing the permissibility of “lien-stripping” in...more
United States Supreme Court Begrudgingly Extends Dewsnup Decision in Holding That Chapter 7 Debtors May Not Strip Off Wholly Unsecured Junior Mortgages in Bankruptcy - On June 1, 2015, the United States Supreme Court, in...more
On June 1, 2015, the United States Supreme Court decided Bank of America v. Caulkett, No. 13-1421, together with Bank of America v. Toledo-Cardona, No. 14-163, holding that a debtor in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding may...more