Abstract:

The authors document that the costs of student debt extend beyond borrowers to their parents. Exploiting the student loan federal payment moratorium, which paused payments for a subset of borrowers, the authors estimate the effect of children's debt relief on parental finances. Parents of treated borrowers experience a 5.7% reduction in installment delinquencies, a 6.4% decline in bankruptcy, and increased mortgage, installment, and home equity borrowing.

Summary:

In Williams v. Drexel University, Chief Judge Wendy Beetlestone allowed a former Drexel University student’s claims to proceed based on Drexel’s alleged use of academic records and access restrictions to collect unpaid tuition—including while the student was in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

The case is a useful reminder that a university wearing an academic cap does not necessarily stop being a creditor, and withholding a transcript can be debt collection just as surely as sending a collection letter.

In Williams v. Atlantic Recovery Solutions, LLC, No. 5:25-CV-505-BO (E.D.N.C. Sept. 1, 2026), Judge Terrence W. Boyle entered a default judgment against a debt collector that apparently had difficulty understanding the phrase “I refuse to pay.”

The consumer received collection texts concerning two separate accounts. Regarding one account, she responded:

“I refuse to pay any debt associated with any and all accounts in your office!”

Available at: Cardozo Law — LARC

Summary:

In Perkins v. PHEAA, Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. of the Middle District of North Carolina provides a fairly emphatic reminder that an issue actually decided in a bankruptcy adversary proceeding does not become available for another round of litigation simply because the debtor later develops new arguments—or new labels—for why the original decision was wrong.

Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/de-novo/117

Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/de-novo/117

Summary:

In Vibal v. Data Mortgage, Judge Terrence W. Boyle dismissed a federal lawsuit challenging a completed North Carolina foreclosure, providing a useful warning about both Rooker-Feldman and how consumer claims should be pleaded following foreclosure.

The homeowner alleged that the defendants lacked authority to foreclose, relied on a fabricated note, and misrepresented their authority. But the Cumberland County Clerk had already authorized foreclosure, the Superior Court affirmed, and the sale occurred.

The Birth of “Creditor Qualified Immunity”: Has Taggart Made the Bankruptcy Discharge Too Hard to Enforce?

Available at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/klj/vol114/iss3/3

ABSTRACT:

Available at:  TransUnion — Debt Settlement Enrollment Linked to Greater Credit Score Decli