Summary: The Debtor was a North Carolina corporation, wholly owned by DeCoro Limited (“Ltd.”), a Hong Kong limited liability company, which shipped furniture manufactured in China to the United States. The the furniture sales in the United States were procured by the Debtor. In 2008 or 2009, the IRS began an examination to determine whether the Debtor or Ltd. were liable for taxes in the United States. The determination hinged on whether the Debtor was a “dependent agent” of Ltd., in which case Ltd.

Summary: Decor sought to rejoin Decofin, L.L.C. as a party, after it had been voluntarily dismissed by DeCoro earlier, and to add additional claims to its Complaint based upon alleged fraud and breach of a settlement agreement by the Defendant ("Ricci") and Decofin that occurred subsequent to the commencement of this adversary proceeding.

Summary: In a prior related case, the Plaintiffs brought class action suit against Credit Collections Defense Network (“CCDN”) and several individuals, as attorneys associated with CCDN, alleging a scam that involved promises to assist debtors in legally avoiding credit card debts. See Lucas v. R.K. Lock & Assoc., 710 S.E. 2d 707 (N.C. Ct. App. March 2011).

Summary: The Male Debtor, the owner of IPS Construction, personally guaranteed a loan to M.G. Brown, a division of Foreman’s Inc. After IPS failed to pay its debt, M.G. Brown commenced a small claims lawsuit in 2010. After the magistrate entered a judgment in favor of M.G. Brown on January 12, 2011, the Male Debtor appealed and the matter was referred to arbitration. Neither Debtor attended the arbitration and subsequently, on June 1, 2011, the Debtors filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy, listing as a creditor, among others, M.G. Brown. On June 30, 2011, M.G.

Summary: In In re Mammoth Grading, Inc., No. 09-01286-8-ATS (Bankr. E.D.N.C.

Summary: This Adversary Proceeding was brought to determine whether a debt was nondischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(B).

Summary: World Omni repossessed the Debtors’ vehicle and on August 30, 2010, received notice of its intent to sell the vehicle at private sale on or after September 9, 2010. The letter also informed the Debtors of their right to regain the vehicle by payment of the outstanding loan balance before September 9, 2010. The vehicle was sold on September 16, 2010, and, after the Debtors filed bankruptcy nearly a year later, World Omni filed a Proof of Claim for the deficiency.

Summary: Judge Ahart revisits his 2005 article, The Limited Scope of Implied Powers of a Bankruptcy Judge: A Statutory Court of Bankruptcy, Not a Court of Equity, 79 Am. Bankr. L.J. 1, in light of the Stern v. Marshall, 131 S. Ct.

Summary: The Debtor granted Woodlands Bank a $1.44 million mortgage. Woodlands Bank was purchased by the FDIC and sold to Bank of the Ozarks, subject to a guarantee that the FDIC would compensate the Bank of the Ozarks for up to 80% of any losses on loans. Subsequently, the Debtor filed Chapter 11. The Bank of the Ozarks filed a Proof of Claim in the amount of $1,488,324.07, but then sent the Debtor two letters stating that the mortgage balance was $1.16 million.

Summary: Halo entered into interconnection agreements (together referred to as the “ICA”) with BellSouth for the transmission of Halo’s wireless data over AT&T networks. A dispute arose between BellSouth and Halo regarding the ICA, with Halo first filing a complaint against BellSouth (among others) in federal District Court in the Eastern District of Texas seeking to limit BellSouth (and others) from having the ICA dispute in any other forum than the FCC.