8th Circuit

Section 303(a) Precludes Substantive Consolidation Among Religious Institutions

Pleading hierarchical control is insufficient for substantive consolidation.

Circuits Starkly Split on Filing Time-Barred Claims as Violations of the FDCPA

Eighth Circuit says bankruptcy adequately protects debtors from assertion of stale claims.
Court: 

Disallowance of Nondischargeable Debt Does Not Bar Later Collection, B.A.P. Says

Eighth Circuit B.A.P. majority allows collection of disallowed priority claims.
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Bankruptcy Judge Sidesteps State Prohibition Against Ponzi Scheme Presumptions

Judge resuscitates Petters suits to recover fictitious profits paid in a Ponzi scheme.

Substantive Consolidation Does Not Supply Actual Creditor for 544(b) Suit

Petters bankruptcy spawns another monumental Ponzi scheme opinion.

Courts Disagree on Necessity for Court Approval of New Debt in Chapter 13

To protect debtors from unscrupulous lenders, courts drive up the cost of chapter 13.

Eighth Circuit Holds that Loss of a Defense Does Not Give Standing to Appeal

Can substantive consolidation eradicate a defendant’s affirmative defense?
Court: 

WARN Act Claims Entitled to Class Status

Arkansas district judge sides with workers on WARN claims from mass firings.

Eighth Circuit Ignores Supreme Court’s Loose Language in Harris

Clever debtor’s lawyer trots out Bankruptcy Act concepts but loses.
Court: 

An Inherited Home Can Be Covered by the Homestead Exemption

Exemptions are not always fixed on the date of filing.