ISSUE:  Whether a mortgagee bidding total debt at foreclosure sale can recover post-foreclosure advances for repairs and/or improvements through a deficiency action against mortgagor. CONCLUSION: A mortgagee (Lender) cannot pursue a mortgagor for a deficiency arising from post-foreclosure advances expended to repair or improve the premises. When a mortgagee makes a full credit bid for […]

Discrimination Suit awards five-years wages to employee for wrongful discrimination against employee. Here, an employee of  Peoples National Bank of Washington prevailed in a discrimination action against the bank for failure to promote the employee. The employee was a Cambodian born and highly educated individual. The employee had special training in speaking English, served in the U.S. […]

Here, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court ruled that a creditor’s recorded mortgage was invalid simply because the notary’s acknowledgement did not recite who appeared before the notary and acknowledged execution of the mortgage. In this case, debtors borrowed more than $148,000 from Calumet National Bank and signed a mortgage on their real estate securing the debt. […]

In this case,  debtor filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy attempting to liquidate some $67,000 of unsecured credit card debts. The Court denied the discharge as to Corestates Bank. Here, the debtor used his credit cards to obtain cash advances for daily living expenses. The debtor’s charge cards were nearly all charged to the maximum limit. […]

In this case, the Court addressed whether several employment contracts entered into between the Credit Union and its CUSO were enforceable. Here, the Credit Union desired to sell disability insurance to its members, but the regulations for federal Credit Unions prohibits any activity of this nature for profit. Hence, the Credit Union formed a CUSO […]

A Chapter 13 bankruptcy debtor attempted to confirm a plan that provided for 40% repayment on unsecured student loans and only 8% repayment on all other unsecured loans. The debtor created two classes of unsecured loans and provided unequal repayment between the student loans and all other general unsecured creditors. Often, if the debtor can […]

Creditors must be aware that a bankruptcy filing by a principal debtor may not toll (delay) the Statute of Limitations to proceed against a non-bankruptcy co-debtor. The Credit Union in this case was prevented from collecting a deficiency amount owed and suffered a financial loss. This Court held that a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing does not toll […]

Here, the credit union brought an action against Carol and Donald Phillips and their seventeen year old son after the son stole a check from his parents, forged his mother’s signature and made the check payable to himself. The son then presented the check to the credit union and obtained $2,200. Most states have statutes […]

In the case of David Scoggin vs. Listerhill Employees Credit Union, the Alabama Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling in favor of the credit union. Here, the credit union repossessed a member’s Dodge Dynasty and sold the vehicle at auction for the highest bid of $5,000. The vehicle’s odometer displayed mileage of 18,334 miles, however, […]

Court rules credit card debts not listed in bankruptcy schedules were not discharged.  Here, debtor filed bankruptcy against her creditors and inadvertently failed to list NCNB National Bank of Florida. The bank had no knowledge of the bankruptcy filing. Three years after the debtor’s discharge in bankruptcy, debtor petitioned the court to reopen the case […]