On July 16, 2025, the National Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Center (NCBRC) and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) filed a joint amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in support of the debtor-appellant in Goddard v. Burnett, Case No. 25-1303. The case presents a critical question about the interaction between the statutory “means test” and the judicially interpreted “good faith” standard in Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.
[Read more…] about Fourth Circuit Appeal in Goddard v. Burnett Examines the Role of Good Faith in Paying Secured Debts in Chapter 13 PlansRefinancing Loans Not Consumer Debts
The movant bears the burden of demonstrating by a preponderance of the evidence that the debtor’s debts were “consumer” rather than “business,” and the debtor’s subjective purpose in taking out the loans is a crucial factor where the debts do not fall neatly into either category. Centennial Bank v. Kane, No. 21-4597 (N.D. Cal. July 22, 2022). [Read more…] about Refinancing Loans Not Consumer Debts