Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  Fearing for the legal profession’s future, he has begun documenting the law school tuition bubble at his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where you can read his latest post, “With the Links”.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

A Clean Slate – the Bankruptcy Law Blog by Andy Winchell

• The “Alphabet Problem” For Dummies

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• Mortgages, Foreclosure, Morality
• Stopping Foreclosure When the Lender Says “NO!”
• Florida Mortgage Foreclosure and Liability
• A New Unexpected Cause of Foreclosure Examined
• Foreclosure: The Best Thing That Ever Happened To You?
• Foreclosure Update: the Good and the Bad
• What Is The Difference Between Surrendering A Home And Foreclosure?
• If I walk away from my underwater house, can I be sued for the deficiency?
• Foreclosures Likely to Top One Million This Year
• Minor late fees won’t trigger foreclosure
• ¡MORE!

Bankruptcy Law Network

• Foreclosure: Should You Embrace It?
• Avoid bankruptcy if not facing a mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment
• Bankruptcy and Short Sales
• Bankruptcy And Foreclosure
• File Bankruptcy: Keep Your Home / Walk Away From Your Home
• Does Working On A Mortgage Modification Stop Foreclosure?

Beat the Press (Dean Baker, Center for Economic Policy Research)

• Money for Failed Modifications Goes to Banks, Not Homeowners

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

CreditSlips.org

• Foreclosure Update: the Good and the Bad
• How to Find the Owner of Your Mortgage
• Produce the (Bogus?) Paper
• Foreclosures: What about the States?
• Tenant Protections in Foreclosure

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• CL&P Blog: Foreclosure Stories and Goldman Sachs
• CL&P Blog: Foreclosures: Not Getting any Better
• CL&P Blog: New Study – Foreclosures’ Impact on Families
• CL&P Blog: Foreclosure Crisis
• CL&P Blog: October Foreclosure Crisis Update
• CL&P Blog: Looking Into the Foreclosure Process
• CL&P Blog: Times Reports on Identity Theft Risks, Foreclosure Crisis, Privacy Policies, And More
• CL&P Blog: NCLC Report on Why Mortgage Servicers Foreclose When They Should Modify Loans
• CL&P Blog: Times Articles on Foreclosure Issues, Mortgage Fees, and College Loans
• CL&P Blog: Mortgage Crisis Update: Treasury Tinkers with Failed HAMP Program, Delinquencies and Foreclosures Stubbornly Refuse to Go Away

ALABAMA

Collins & Hancock – Alabama Bankruptcy Blog (Cullman, AL)

• Can a bankruptcy stop my house from being foreclosed on in Alabama?

Matt Dunaway, Esq. – Birmingham Bankruptcy Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Mortgage Delinquencies Still Rising
• Foreclosure Notice in Alabama (Why Many Homeowners are NOT aware their homes were sold at Foreclosure Sales)
• Foreclosures and Voodoo Accounting Put Banks at Risk
• Sub-prime Foreclosures and Credit Crisis bring down Wall Street’s Bear Stearns
• Stemming the rising tide of Foreclosures in Alabama
• Alabama Mortgage Crisis Increases Foreclosures

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Article On Should I Trust The Foreclosure Lawyer To Advise Me?
• Video – Alabama Ejectment Suit – Assuming Nothing Can Be Done After Foreclosure – Second Most Common Mistake
• Video – First Critical Mistake In Alabama Ejectment Lawsuit – Failing To Answer The Complaint
• Video – Overview Of Five Most Common Mistakes When Alabama Consumers Sued For Ejectment
• Video On Three Stages Of Foreclosure In Alabama
• Seven Things To Ask Your Foreclosure Defense Lawyer Before Hiring
• Mortgage Company Suing You for Ejectment after Foreclosure? Good.
• Wonderful Ruling Out Of Florida on Foreclosures – You Won’t Believe This….
• Do You Want Bogus Defenses Or Do You Want Real Defenses To Foreclosures In Alabama?
• Can A Mortgage Company Still Foreclose On Me If I Am In A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy?
• ¡MORE!

ARIZONA

Michael S. Anderson, Esq. – Arizona Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Mesa, AZ)

• Arizona Short Sale – If bankruptcy is in your future, be careful
• Foreclosures Rise 81% in 2008 from 2007

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Cathy Moran, Esq. – BankruptcyMastery.com and On the Bankruptcy Soapbox (Mt View, CA) (aka Silicon Valley)

• Homeowner’s rights intact while “in foreclosure”
• After the loan modification: the underwater house
• Surrendering Property in Bankruptcy

Jeena Cho, Esq. (JC Law Group) – San Francisco Bankruptcy Blog (San Francisco, CA)

• Is it better to just foreclose on your house or claim bankruptcy? We just have to get out of our mortgage, it is killing us.

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA); also by Scott Sagaria – American Bankruptcy Association (ABA) Journal California Bankruptcy Blog

• Can Someone Foreclose After Bankruptcy Petition Filed?
• Can I Short Sell A House In Bankruptcy?
• How Do I Stop Foreclosure in San Jose and Fremont?

Southern California

Christine Wilton, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Law Monitor (Los Angeles, CA)

• Mortgage Forensic Loan Audits Scam Alert
• Bankruptcy as a Home-Saving Device
• Temporary Foreclosure Relief enacted in California
• 5 Ways to Stop a Foreclosure

Hale Antico, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog (Los Angeles, CA)

• Foreclosure Relief Scams
• Data: Why the Foreclosures?
• Foreclosures up in April… again
• Notice of Default (NOD) to Foreclosure in how many seconds, flat?

Howard Nassiri (Vincent D. Howard, Esq. and Damian J. Nassiri, Esq.) – California Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Anaheim, CA)

• California Considering Law Banning Foreclosures Before Loan Modification Decision
• More Homeowners Taking Advantage of Long Delay Between Foreclosure and Eviction
• Experts Predict Flood of Lawsuits Against Unsuspecting Foreclosed Homeowners
• Experts Say Federal Policy Could Stop or Slow Commercial Real Estate Foreclosures
• Homeowners Continue to Go Into Foreclosure Because of Bank Miscommunications
• Bankrupt, Foreclosed Homeowners Being Hit by HOA Fee Lawsuits

Mark J. Markus, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog:  Current issues, comments, questions and answers in bankruptcy law (Los Angeles, CA)

• Short Sales or Foreclosures: Which is Better?

COLORADO

Gailyn Wink & Michael Wink – Wink & Wink, P.C. (Denver, Co)

• You do not have to lose your home in bankruptcy, but letting go of the underwater mortgage may make financial sense!!

CONNECTICUT

Eugene Melchionne, Esq. – ConsumerBankruptcyTips.com (Waterbury, CT)

• Attorney Melchionne cited by Waterbury Republican-American on Foreclosures
• Attorney Melchionne interviewed by CBS Evening News on Foreclosure Issues
• Attorney Melchionne featured in Article on Foreclosures
• Attorney Melchionne featured in NY Times article on family’s fight against foreclosure in Connecticut

FLORIDA

Jonathan Alper, Esq. – Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Orlando, FL)

• Interesting Question About Mortgage Foreclosure And Homestead Exemption

Jordan E. Bublick, Esq. – South Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Miami, FL)

• Palm Beach County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation
• Options for Distressed South Florida Homeowners
• Florida Mortgage Foreclosure and Liability
• Hearings on Foreclosures Before Joint Economic Committee

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Can You Rely on a Verbal Promise that Your Foreclosure Will be Delayed?
• Should You Save Your Home from Foreclosure, or Should You Let it Go
• Honest Renters Get Caught in Foreclosure Disasters
• Foreclosure Practices in North Georgia Come Under Scrutiny
• Georgia Legislature Considers Home Foreclosure Relief Bills

ILLINOIS

David Leibowitz, Esq. (Lakelaw Bankruptcy Center) – LakeBlawg (Chicago, Waukegan, Kenosha, Skokie, Lacrosse, IL)

• Don’t ignore a Wisconsin Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint
• Congress responding to foreclosure – Loan Modifications in Chapter 13

Steven Jakubowski, Esq.  (Coleman Law Firm) – Bankruptcy Litigation Blog (Chicago, IL)

• Foreclosure Report
• Foreclosures on the Rise, Confidence on the Wane, and Hot Dogs on the Grill

INDIANA

Mark S. Zuckerberg, Esq. (Indianapolis, IN)

• Help Stop Foreclosure! All In A Day’s Work For Indiana Bankruptcy Lawyer
• Renters Caught Between Someone Else’s Foreclosure And Their Own Indiana Bankruptcy
• Indiana Bankruptcy Attorney’s Report On New Mortgage Modification Team-Up: Supreme Court & Foreclosure Prevention Network
• Women, Bankruptcy, And Foreclosure
• Indiana Bankruptcy Attorney’s And Bank Of America’s Programs To Help Stop Foreclosure

MARYLAND

Belsky Weinberg & Horowitz – Maryland Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog and Maryland Lawyer Online (Baltimore, Columbia, Greenbelt, Rockville, Glen Burnie, Hagerstown, MD)

• How bankruptcy can stop foreclosure?
• What Could Make the Foreclosure Crisis any Worse?
• Foreclosures: Still a Looming Problem in Maryland
• Home Foreclosures & Bankruptcy: What is a Past or Present Homeowner to Do?
• New Maryland Rule Affords Homeowners Additional Rights in Foreclosure Proceedings
• The Three Branches of the Government Respond to the Foreclosure and Economic Crisis

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill McLeod (McLeod Law Offices) – McLeod Law Blog (Boston, MA)

• Redux Predators in our Midst: A Warning for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure
• Short Sales & Foreclosure: Perception & Reality
• Saving the Home: Thinking Beyond “Delay and Pray”
• Victims of Foreclosure
• Another Foreclosure Workshop Planned

Bacon Wilson P.C. – Bankruptcy Bits (Springfield, Westfield, Northampton, Amherst, MA)

• How Do I Save My House From Foreclosure?

Dax B. Grantham, Esq. (Grantham Cencarik, P.C.)

• Banks must Produce the Note to foreclose

Goldstein & Clegg, LLC – Bankruptcy & Loan Modifications (Lynnfield, MA); also ABA Journal Massachusetts Bankruptcy Blog by Michael Goldstein

• Banks who buy mortgages may not be able to foreclose
• Foreclosure or Bankruptcy – Which is the lesser of two evils

Kara O’Donnell, Esq. (Law Office of Kara O’Donnell) – Quincy Bankruptcy Blog (Quincy, MA)

• Massachusetts Foreclosure and Renters

Nicolas F. Ortiz, Esq. – Massachusetts Bankruptcy and Consumer Law (Boston, MA)

• Massachusetts Mortgage Foreclosure Backlog
• Massachusetts Land Court Foreclosure Case Affirmed
• Judge Somma Orders Continuation of Preliminary Injunction of Mortgage Foreclosure

MICHIGAN

Kurt O’Keefe, Esq. – Bankruptcy Blog (G.P. Woods, MI)

• Foreclosure Crisis – The Next Phase
• Michigan Bankruptcy and Foreclosure News
• Did Bankruptcy Reform Worsen Foreclosure Crisis?
• HAMP Failing To Stem Foreclosures
• Michigan Foreclosure Crisis Continuing
• Foreclosures And Bankruptcy
• What Happens In A Michigan Foreclosure?
• Top Ten List Of Things To Do When You Get A Foreclosure Notice
• Government Report on Foreclosure Crisis
• Record Number of Foreclosures
• ¡MORE!

Michigan’s Bankruptcy Blog (not a lawyer – apparently someone who went through bankruptcy.  Seemingly a good resource.)

• Michigan Cities & Bankruptcy

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Haines & Krieger Las Vegas Foreclosure Round-up 04.02.10
• Haines & Krieger Las Vegas Foreclosure Round-up 03.26.10
• Haines & Krieger’s Las Vegas Foreclosure Round-up 03.04.10
• Using Bankruptcy To Walk Away From A Home

Black & LoBello Law Blog (Las Vegas, NV)

• New Foreclosure Numbers For 1st Half of 2010
• Avoid Foreclosure with a Deed-In-Lieu?
• Mortgage lenders pursue homeowners even after foreclosure
• Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program Helps Thousands of Homeowners
• Distinct Nevada Laws Concerning Deeds of Trust & Foreclosure
• Income Tax Considerations Involved in a Short Sale or Foreclosure
• Final Nevada Mandatory Foreclosure Rules Adopted
• Proposed Rules for Foreclosure Mediation
• The Foreclosure Process In Nevada
• Protecting Tenants in Foreclosure

NEW JERSEY

Stark & Stark – Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Blog (Lawrenceville, NJ)

• Recently Passed New Jersey Foreclosure Fairness Act Effective January 26, 2010 and February 16, 2010
• New Jersey Judiciary Foreclosure Mediation Program Update

NEW MEXICO

Gini Nelson Law Office – New Mexico Bankruptcy Law Blog (Santa Fe, NM)

• When Foreclosure Threatens: Can You Afford to Keep Your Home? Part 1
• When Foreclosure Threatens: Can You Afford to Keep Your Home? Part 2
• When Foreclosure Threatens: Can You Afford to Keep Your Home? Part 3

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Pre-bankruptcy planning in New York and the continuing foreclosure crisis and economic recession
• Loan modification scams and U.S. Foreclosure Relief
• Foreclosure increase + jobless recovery = Trouble
• Brooklyn Judge gives New York homeowners a fighting chance against foreclosure
• New York foreclosures likely to continue as ARMs begin to re-set over next 4 years
• Bankruptcy Bits: Subprime lender subsidies; Foreclosure depression and Japan’s lack of medical bankruptcies
• Foreclosure mediation and other new ways to encourage loan modification
• Love in the Time of Foreclosure
• Loan modification: Are you eligible?

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Long Island Mortgage Foreclosure Clinics on News 12 Tonight
• Has Steven J. Baum, P.C. Served You with Foreclosure Papers?
• Mortgage Companies Entitlement to Bring Foreclosure Proceedings: Prove It or Lose It
• Judicial Sentiment Against Foreclosing-Banks Reaching All-Time High
• Long Island Bankruptcy Debtors Delay Foreclosure for 12 Years
• Foreclosure Law Discussed by Four Suffolk County Supreme Court Judges
• Long Island Bankruptcy Attorney Craig Robins Quoted In Newsday Article About Canceled Mortgage
• Judge Cancels Mortgage Due to Mortgagee’s Shocking Behavior in Long Island Foreclosure Action
• A New Powerful Mortgage Foreclosure Defense — Compliments of MERS
• Many New York Foreclosure Suits Are Dismissed Because They Are Defective
• ¡MORE!

Daniel Gershberg, Esq., P.C. (Newark, NJ and Brooklyn, NY)

Elliot S. Schlissel, Esq. – The Elliot Schlissel New York Law Blog (Lynbrook, NY)

• Judge Punishes Bank For Unfair Mortgage Agreement
• Foreclosure Rates Going Up in 2010
• Foreclosure Dismissed- Mortgage Cancelled Due to Bank’s Bad Behavior
• Foreclosure – Don’t Give Up – You Can Fight

Starr & Starr, PLLC – New York Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (New York, NY)

• New York Foreclosure — Personal Chapter 11 Cases
• NY Foreclosure & Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
• New York Foreclosure & Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Wayne D. Holly, Esq. – Bankruptcy Fraud Resource Center (New York, NY)

• Woman charged with filing fraudulent bankruptcy petitions in alleged foreclosure scheme

NORTH CAROLINA

Susanne M. Robicsek, Esq. – North Carolina Bankruptcy Lawyer (Charlotte, NC)

• Mortgage Crisis
• Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Or Mortgage Assistance Workout?

OHIO

Justin M. Smith, Esq. – Cleveland Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Cleveland, OH)

• Ohio May See Rise in Delinquent Mortgages in 2009 and Beyond
• Ohio Homeowners Facing Foreclosure Should Seek Legal Advice: New Developments May Help

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq. – Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• Elizabeth Warren Says Obama’s Foreclosure Aid Program (HAMP) Is A Failure
• Defending Foreclosures In Oklahoma
• How does filing bankruptcy stop the foreclosure of my home in Oklahoma?
• What happens during the “judicial foreclosure” process in Oklahoma?
• What is foreclosure in Oklahoma?
• Citigroup Suspends Foreclosures For Christmas

PENNSYLVANIA

Law Office of Steven M. Otto, LLC – A Bankruptcy Lawyer and His Take on Consumer Law (Sewickley, PA)

• Bank of America Runs Ad Touting Foreclosure Program
• Colorado now offers a foreclosure assistance hotline

RHODE ISLAND

David Hathaway, Esq. – Rhode Island Bankruptcy Information Center (Warwick, RI)

• Can filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy stop home foreclosure in Rhode Island?

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Apartment Dwellers Suffer From Foreclosure
• Three Lender Practices Driving Americans Into Foreclosure

Cary & Lippincott – Texas Collection Law Blog (Austin, TX)

• Austin Lawyer: “Produce the Note” Claims in Foreclosure
• Texas Foreclosure Procedures
• Fair Debt and Texas Foreclosure

Chuck Newton, Esq. – StayViolation.com (TX)

• “Show Me The Note” Defense
• Fighting The Foreclosure Machine

Fears & Nachawati – Texas Bankruptcy Blog (Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX)

• Dallas-Fort Worth area sees decrease in foreclosure filings in February
• Study finds more Texans filing for bankruptcy to avoid foreclosure
• Fort Worth Homeowners: You Can Avoid Foreclosures!
• What are my alternatives to Bankruptcy to Stop a Foreclosure?
• Texas Hit Hard By Foreclosures
• Avoid Foreclosure Scams & Save Your Home
• Bill would buy more time for Texans in foreclosure
• Dallas Fort Worth Foreclosure Filings on the Rise
• Citizen Fights Foreclosure
• U.S. foreclosures down 10% from December
• ¡MORE!

J. Brian Allen – Northeast Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer (Sulphur Springs, TX)

• Queens homeowners sue Chase to gain relief from foreclosure
• Day 1 Filing Chapter 13 – Stopping the Foreclosure And Repossession

J. Michael McBride, P.C. – TexasLawyerBlog (Ft. Worth, TX)

• Treasury Department Announces Foreclosure Relief
• Next Wave of Foreclosures
• Foreclosures Continue to Climb (46%), Car Sales Fall Locally (41%)

WASHINGTON

Spencer Anderson Buhr PLLC – Seattle Bankruptcy Blog (Seattle, WA)

• Lenders going after money lost in foreclosures and short sales
• Disorganization at Banks Causing Mistaken Foreclosures
• How foreclosure and bankruptcy impacts your credit score

WISCONSIN

Law Office of Gregory A. Holbus, Esq. – Wisconsin Bankruptcy Blog (Green Bay, WI)

• June Foreclosure Stats
• Mortgage Modification Scams – point of clarification
• Are Mortgage Modification Agreements a Scam?
• March Foreclosure Stats
• Foreclosure Alternatives
• Can bankruptcy stop foreclosure?
• Foreclosures Still on the Rise

Brad Lund, Esq. (Lund Law Offices) – Law by Lund (Wasau, WI)

• Loan Modification and Short Sales
• Foreclosure: How Much Time Do You Have before They Take Your House?

Jamie Miller, Esq. (Miller & Miller, LLC) – Milwaukee Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Milwaukee, WI)

• Foreclosures Rose 5% in Wisconsin
• How Chapter 13 Can Save Your Home
• How does foreclosure work in Wisconsin and how does filing bankruptcy stop it?

And of course, Steven curse my blot my name out if I forgot Bankruptcy Bill’s foreclosure coverage in its tag and mortgage and foreclosure category.

**********

Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  Fearing the legal profession’s future, he has begun documenting the law school tuition bubble at his own blog, where you can read his latest posts on the state of legal education in Minnesota, “Land of 10,000 Lakes and One Tuition Bubble: Parts I and II”.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

A Clean Slate – the Bankruptcy Law Blog by Andy Winchell

• How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Automatic Stay

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• Hey, That’s My Automatic Stay!
• New Massachusetts Bankruptcy Local Rules
• Creditors Leave Annoying Messages On Debtor’s Telephone Answering Machine
• Spookiest Bankruptcy Opinion of 2009
• All Hope May Not Be Lost For a Seller of Goods to an Insolvent Buyer
• Options for the Distressed Florida Homeowner
• It’s The Debtor’s Vehicle. Give It Back To Him!
• Trustees Can Take Hostages! – They’re Called “Exemptions”
• Counterclaims in Avoidance Actions? Are We Sure We Know Why Not?
• It’s Not Final Until It’s Over

Bankruptcy Case Blog – St John’s University Law School

• A Creditor May Recover Damages for Stay Violation
• Fraudulently Conveyed Assets Are Not Property of the Estate Until Recovered
• Discharge Injunction Requires School to Issue Transcript
• Sixth Circuit Affirms Bankruptcy Court’s Retroactive Conversion Order
• It’s Never Too Late to Deal with Unscheduled Assets
• Master Repurchase Agreement Penetrates the Automatic Stay
• Single Asset Real Estate: Tightening the Noose for Developers?

Bankruptcy Law Network

• Wells Fargo’s Procedure of Freezing Accounts After A Bankruptcy Filing Invalidated
• I’ve Been Sued–Is It Too Late To File Bankruptcy?
• How Not To Successfully Complete A Bankruptcy Case
• Why do I have to reaffirm my car loan?

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

CreditSlips.org

• Collateral and Derivatives
• Bank of America Settlement—A Sign of True Progress?
• Combining Chapter 13 with a Voluntary Mortgage Modification
• Seen This Movie Before?
• Show Me the Original Note and I Will Show You the Money
• Produce the (Bogus?) Paper
• Dubai World

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• NCLC Updates: Practice Tools
• Henry Sommer on Mortgage Overcharges and the Need for Reform

MICHIGAN

Law Offices of John M. Hilla, PLLC – Michigan Bankruptcy Lawyer (Southfield, MI)

• What Is the Automatic Stay and How Does it Protect Debtors in Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy?
• What Happens if My Creditors Keep Calling after I File my Bankruptcy Petition?

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill McLeod (McLeod Law Offices) – McLeod Law Blog (Boston, MA)

• When You Discover You Are a Creditor in a Bankruptcy Case
• When the Ex Files for Bankruptcy

Dax B. Grantham, Esq. (Grantham Cencarik, P.C.)

• The Effect of Bankruptcy on Eviction Proceedings

Goldstein & Clegg, LLC – Bankruptcy & Loan Modifications (Lynnfield, MA); also ABA Journal Massachusetts Bankruptcy Blog by Michael Goldstein

• Loan Modifications are not the only option
• Loan Modifications can be done even inside a bankruptcy
• Emotional Distress Damages Awarded for Creditor Violations of the Automatic Stay
• Student Loan Collections stopped by the automatic Stay
• Massachusetts Courts Split Hairs On Who May Seek Stay Relief

Kara O’Donnell, Esq. (Law Office of Kara O’Donnell) – Quincy Bankruptcy Blog (Quincy, MA)

• MA Bankruptcy Attorney – Chapter 7 timeline

Nicolas F. Ortiz, Esq. – Massachusetts Bankruptcy and Consumer Law (Boston, MA)

• New Rules for Mortgage Modifications in Massachusetts Bankruptcy

MARYLAND

Belsky Weinberg & Horowitz – Maryland Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog and Maryland Lawyer Online (Baltimore, Columbia, Greenbelt, Rockville, Glen Burnie, Hagerstown, MD)

• Ninth Circuit Appeals Court Slams Wells Fargo’s Bank Account Freeze Policy
• How bankruptcy can stop foreclosure?

Lawrence & Fisher PLLC – DC Bankruptcy Blog (Washington, D.C.)

• Understanding the Automatic Stay

KANSAS

Mark Neis & Jill Michaux – Kansas Bankruptcy Law Information – (Topeka, KS)

• Why Did They Stop Sending My Mortgage Statements After Bankruptcy?
• Don’t Be Fooled by False Letter that Says Your Bankruptcy is Dismissed – Your Stay Still in Effect

IOWA

Jeff Mathias, Esq. – Iowa Bankruptcy Blog (Des Moines, IA)

• Important Bankruptcy Law Cases

INDIANA

Mark S. Zuckerberg, Esq. (Indianapolis, IN)

• Bankruptcy Lawyer Explains New Requirement In Indiana – Mandatory Settlement Conferences For Foreclosure

ILLINOIS

David Leibowitz, Esq. (Lakelaw Bankruptcy Center) – LakeBlawg (Chicago, Waukegan, Kenosha, Skokie, Lacrosse, IL)

• What are the Benefits of a Single Asset Real Estate case? (Third in a Series of Three)
• How do I get my creditors to stop calling me?

Steven Jakubowski, Esq.  (Coleman Law Firm) – Bankruptcy Litigation Blog (Chicago, IL)

• Bankruptcy Tweets for the Week Ending 4/4/2010
• 9^th Circuit Declares Anna Nicole Smith’s Estate the Big Loser on Preclusion Grounds in Dispute with Pierce’s Estate over Her Right to Money from J. Howard Marshall’s Estate

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Another Debtor Ripped Off by a Foreclosure Relief Scam: Part I, Part II
• Missed Mortgage Payments in Your Chapter 13 – An Expensive Problem
• An Automatic Stay Violation Case that is Hard to Believe
• My Chapter 13 Was Dismissed Two Weeks Ago – Can I Refile a Chapter 13?

FLORIDA

Jonathan Alper, Esq. – Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Orlando, FL)

• Is It An Automatic Stay Violation If Doctor Refuses To Treat Bankrupt Patient Unless He Pays Doctor’s Pre-Petition Medical Bill?
• Court Says Foreign Creditor Can Ignore Automatic Stay And Continue Pursuit Of Debtor’s Assets Abroad
• Wage Garnishment After Bankruptcy: Is Employer Required To Withhold Post Petition Paychecks, Or Is Doing So A Stay Violation?

DELAWARE

Fox Rothschild, LLP – Delaware Bankruptcy Litigation

• · Issues Relevant To The Fairchild Corporation Bankruptcy: What are the Standards for DIP Financing Priming Liens and Granting Relief from the Automatic Stay?
• American Home Mortgage Sheds Light on the Meaning of “Repurchase Agreement”

CONNECTICUT

Eugene Melchionne, Esq. – ConsumerBankruptcyTips.com (Waterbury, CT)

• Bankruptcy – What If The Creditor Didn’t Intend To Harass You?
• Creditors Harassment after Bankruptcy? Tell Your Bankruptcy Lawyer!

COLORADO

Gailyn Wink & Michael Wink – Wink & Wink, P.C. (Denver, Co)

• What Happens to my Cosigner in Bankruptcy?
• Colorado Repossession Law: Possess The Facts

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Bob Eisenbach, Esq. (Cooley Godward Kronish LLP) – In The (Red):  Business Bankruptcy Blog (San Francisco, CA)

• Real Estate Workouts: Are Pre-Bankruptcy Waivers Of The Automatic Stay Enforceable?
• Who Gets The Benefit Of A D&O Policy’s Proceeds, The Directors And Officers Or A Bankruptcy Trustee?
• Automatic Stay Of Bankruptcy
• Who’s SARE Now? Bankruptcy’s Single Asset Real Estate Rules And Their Impact On Commercial Real Estate

Cathy Moran, Esq. – BankruptcyMastery.com and On the Bankruptcy Soapbox (Mt View, CA) (aka Silicon Valley)

• Convert, Don’t Dismiss, That Bankruptcy Case
• Lenders slow to act following relief from stay
• Provide notice of bankruptcy to the right address
• Disdain for Automatic Stay Everywhere
• Cash collateral in consumer cases

Jeena Cho, Esq. (JC Law Group) – San Francisco Bankruptcy Blog (San Francisco, CA)

• So you’ve been sued by Chase

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA); also by Scott Sagaria – American Bankruptcy Association (ABA) Journal California Bankruptcy Blog

• What Is An Automatic Stay?

Southern California

Anerio Altman, Esq. (Lake Forest Bankruptcy Center) – Orange County Emergency Bankruptcy Law Office (Lake Forest, CA)

• Bring Back the Glorious Silence
• Getting Garnishments Back

Christine Wilton, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Law Monitor (Los Angeles, CA)

• Payday Loans and Bankruptcy

ARIZONA

Michael S. Anderson, Esq. – Arizona Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Mesa, AZ)

• The Automatic Stay of the Bankruptcy Code is what it says – “Automatic”
• Bankruptcy and the Automatic Stay – Mesa Arizona
• Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and the Automatic Stay for Arizona Debtors

ALABAMA

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Will Bankruptcy Stop A Foreclosure In Alabama?
• Creditors Find Ways Around New Credit Card Rules
• An Example Of Illegal Collection During A Bankruptcy Case

WISCONSIN

Law Office of Gregory A. Holbus, Esq. – Wisconsin Bankruptcy Blog (Green Bay, WI)

• Wells Fargo Slammed for Freezing Bankruptcy Debtors’ Bank Accounts
• Creditor Alert – Wells Fargo

Jamie Miller, Esq. (Miller & Miller, LLC) – Milwaukee Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Milwaukee, WI)

• How Chapter 13 Can Save Your Home
• How does foreclosure work in Wisconsin and how does filing bankruptcy stop it?

WASHINGTON

Linda Rantz (Paralegal) – Due Diligence (Seattle, WA)

• Legalese: Automatic Stay and Avoidance

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Violation of Automatic Stay Creates Interesting Twist In Bankruptcy Case
• Can Creditors Avoid An Automatic Stay?
• A Glorious Benefit of Bankruptcy – The Automatic Stay
• Filing An Emergency Bankruptcy Can Stop Foreclosure Now

Chuck Newton, Esq. – StayViolation.com (TX)

• Foreclosures In The Third Quarter Topped The Record
• Dismissal of a Bankruptcy Case Does Not End of Prevent Automatic Stay Violation Litigation Even If the Court Does Not Explicitly Retain Jurisdiction to Reopen the Case.
• 5^th Circuit Helps Answer the Question of Who Owns an Automatic Stay Violation Claim

Fears & Nachawati – Texas Bankruptcy Blog (Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX)

• Bankruptcy’s Automatic Stay
• How Often Can I File Bankruptcy?
• Can Bankruptcy Stop A Rental Eviction?

J. Brian Allen – Northeast Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer (Sulphur Springs, TX)

• Bankruptcy Protection from Foreign Creditors
• Day 1 Filing Chapter 13 – Stopping the Foreclosure And Repossession

J. Michael McBride, P.C. – TexasLawyerBlog (Ft. Worth, TX)

• Recent Opinion in the Northern District of Texas
• Pre-Petition Workout Agreement Enforced, Even As to Stay Waiver
• Beware of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
• Tenth Circuit clarifies automatic termination of the automatic stay

Steven Sathers, Esq. – A Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Blog (Austin, TX)

• Judges Examine the Murky Standing of MERS
• Outrageous Creditor Behavior Leads to Small Damage Award

SOUTH CAROLINA

Russell A. DeMott, Esq. – SCBankruptcyAttorney.com (Charleston, SC)

• Bankruptcy Reaffirmation Agreements (Part Two)
• What is the Automatic Stay?
• Motions for Relief from Stay Regarding Surrendered Assets (DON’T PANIC!!!)

OREGON

Kent Anderson Law – Oregon Debt Relief Weblawg and Debt Law Network (Eugene, OR)

• Remedies for Attempt to Collect Debts Included in Bankruptcy
• Should I Sign a Reaffirmation Agreement
• They Took My Car, Can I Get It Back?

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq. – Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• Can filing bankruptcy stop my paycheck from being garnished in Oklahoma?
• What is the automatic stay in bankruptcy in Oklahoma?

OHIO

Justin M. Smith, Esq. – Cleveland Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Cleveland, OH)

• Ohio Bankruptcy Filers Get Powerful Protection: The Automatic Stay

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Bankruptcy Mistakes: Don’t do these things before you file for bankruptcy in New York
• Dealing with debt collector harassment in New York

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Effect of the Automatic Bankruptcy Stay on Matrimonial Litigation and Support Proceedings
• What is a Motion for Relief from Stay in Bankruptcy Court?
• Serial Bankruptcy Filers Eventually Get the Ax

Elliot S. Schlissel, Esq. – The Elliot Schlissel New York Law Blog (Lynbrook, NY)

• Foreclosure – Don’t Give Up – You Can Fight

Starr & Starr, PLLC – New York Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (New York, NY)

• Using Bankruptcy to Stop Wage Garnishment in New York
• What Happens To Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Claims In The Manhattan Bankruptcy Court?

Wayne D. Holly, Esq. – Bankruptcy Fraud Resource Center (New York, NY)

• Woman charged with filing fraudulent bankruptcy petitions in alleged foreclosure scheme

Upstate New York

Alexander Korotkin, Esq. – Rochester Bankruptcy and Debt Relief (Rochester, NY)

• Bankruptcy Basics – All About Automatic Stay
• Bankruptcy and Personal Injury Lawsuits
• Bankruptcy, Bad Checks, Discharge and Criminal Liability
• Automatic Stay and Proceedings in New York Family Court
• Eviction, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
• Mistakes to Avoid When Filing For Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in New York
• Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy and Inheritances
• Refiling Chapter 13 Bankruptcy After Dismissal

NEW MEXICO

Gini Nelson Law Office – New Mexico Bankruptcy Law Blog (Santa Fe, NM)

• What Can Bankruptcy Do for Me?

NEW JERSEY

Stark & Stark – Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Blog (Lawrenceville, NJ)

• New Jersey Judiciary Foreclosure Mediation Program Update
• Bankruptcy Basics for Boards – Chapter 7 Debtors’ Liability for Post-Petition Assessments

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Bankruptcy’s Automatic Stay
• Can Bankruptcy Stop A Las Vegas Rental Eviction?
• Using Bankruptcy To Walk Away From A Home
• How Often Can I File Bankruptcy?
• Statement of Intention
• Declaring Bankruptcy the Right Way
• Help! My Car Has Been Repossessed!

And of course, Steven would never forgive me if I forgot to link to Bankruptcy Bill’s excellent automatic stay coverage.

**********

Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  Fearing the legal profession’s future, he has begun documenting the law school tuition bubble at his own blog, where you can read his latest post, “A Half-Hearted Defense of the Legal Services Cartel”.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• 6^th Circuit Determines that Negative Equity Financing can be Protected from Cramdown
• Underwater Mortgages in the U.S. by City

Bankruptcy Case Blog – St John’s University Law School

• Positive Treatment for Negative Equity

Bankruptcy Law Network

• Foreclosure: Should You Embrace It?
• Are You Behind on Your Mortgage?
• Who Decides about Reaffirming a Mortgage?
• South Carolina Bankruptcy Lawyer Unleashes Vulcan Intellect on the Hanging Paragraph
• Individual Chapter 11 Fact: You Can Always Cram Down Your Car
• Chapter 13 Debt Limit Qualifications
• Upside Down Car Loans Protected in 8^th Circuit
• Bankruptcy and the Upside-Down House: American Dream a Nightmare?
• Fourth Circuit Rules that the “Hanging Paragraph” Protects Negative Equity
• Underwater Trade-In not Protected Claim in Bankruptcy
• Owe More than Your Car Is Worth?
• Upside Down Car Loans in Missouri, Redux

CreditSlips.org

• Does Securitization Affect Loan Modification?
• Is Redefault Risk Preventing Mortgage Loan Mods?
• The Other Underwater Loans: Negative Equity in Auto Finance

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• Moral Hazard, Strategic Default, and Debt Reduction
• HAMP Homeowners Stuck in Limbo

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA)

• December Amicus Project Update

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Can I Reduce My Car Loan Interest Payments in Bankruptcy?
• The Number of Homeowners with Negative Equity Increases
• Dallas-Fort Worth Homeowners Drowning?
• Three Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Your Home’s Equity to Pay Debts
• Homeowners Associations Using Foreclosure to Grab Equity Rich Homes?

Steven Sathers, Esq. – A Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Blog (Austin, TX)

• Fifth Circuit Goes All In on Hanging Paragraph
• Interesting Cases I Didn’t Get Around to This Year

TENNESSEE

The McKellar Law Firm, PLLC (Knoxville, TN)

• Heiress Asks UK Court to Reverse Payback in Divorce Decision

SOUTH CAROLINA

Russell A. DeMott, Esq. – SCBankruptcyAttorney.com (Charleston, SC)

• What’s a Redemption?

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• New York Foreclosures Likely to Continue as ARMs begin to Re-set over next 4 Years

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• One-Fourth of All Homeowners Are Underwater.  What Should These Homeowners Do?
• Bankruptcy Change under President Obama

NEW MEXICO

Gini Nelson Law Office – New Mexico Bankruptcy Law Blog (Santa Fe, NM)

• When Foreclosure Threatens: Can You Afford to Keep Your Home? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Haines & Krieger Las Vegas Foreclosure Round-up 12.4.09

Black & LoBello Law Blog (Las Vegas, NV)

• 60 Minutes Special: Walking Away
• Homes Projected to Remain Underwater until 2020
• Strategies Regarding Negative Equity

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill McLeod (McLeod Law Offices) – McLeod Law Blog (Boston, MA)

• The President’s “Plan”
• Upside Down

Goldstein & Clegg, LLC – Bankruptcy & Loan Modifications (Lynnfield, MA); also ABA Journal Massachusetts Bankruptcy Blog by Michael Goldstein

• What Is the Home Affordable Modification Program
• Foreclosure or Bankruptcy – Which Is the Lesser of Two Evils?

KANSAS

Mark Neis & Jill Michaux – Kansas Bankruptcy Law Information – (Topeka, KS)

• Negative Equity
• Gap Insurance, Warranty Not PMSI
• 910 Car Claims Get Interest

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Should You Save Your Home from Foreclosure, or Should You Let It Go?

FLORIDA

Jonathan Alper, Esq. – Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Orlando, FL)

• Defending Mortgage Foreclosure
• Negotiating with Car Lenders

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Brian V. Lee, Esq. – All About Bankruptcy (Washington, D.C.)

• Personal Bankruptcy FAQ (Part 3 of 3)

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Cathy Moran, Esq. – BankruptcyMastery.com and On the Bankruptcy Soapbox (Mt View, CA) (aka Silicon Valley)

• After the Loan Modification: The Underwater House
• Keeping the House with Negative Equity

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA); also by Scott Sagaria – American Bankruptcy Association (ABA) Journal California Bankruptcy Blog

• Sacramento Bankruptcy Attorney Talks About The New Bankruptcy Seeker

Southern California

Christine Wilton, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Law Monitor (Los Angeles, CA)

• Would You Suggest a Strategic Bankruptcy?
• Mortgage Forensic Loan Audits Scam Alert

Hale Antico, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog (Los Angeles, CA)

• More than One in Five Homes Underwater
• Shifting Blame for Foreclosures
• Data: Why the Foreclosures?

Howard Nassiri (Vincent D. Howard, Esq. and Damian J. Nassiri, Esq.) – California Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Anaheim, CA)

• Private Fund Invents Program Paying Underwater Homeowners to Stay Put
• Deutsche Bank Report Predicts that 48 Percent of Homeowners will be Upside-Down in 2011

ALABAMA

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Obama Administration Knew Foreclosure Programs Weren’t Working and Did Nothing
• Consumers Paying Credit Card Bills Instead of Mortgages
• 300 California Law Firms Investigated for Mortgage Scams
• The Problem of “Shadow Inventory”

**********

Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  Fearing the legal profession’s future, he has begun documenting the law school tuition bubble at his own blog where you can read his latest post, “Bottleneck Attack!“.

Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.

• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

Bankruptcy Law Network

• Student Loan Zombie Debt
• What Is Zombie Debt and Why Is It a Problem?
• Creditors Try to Collect Debt Discharged by Bankruptcy
• What Is Zombie Debt?
• Zombie Debt Haunts the Discharged
• What Is a Zombie Debt?
• Bankruptcy: Why Do I Need to Save My Papers?
• Chapter 13 Claims Abuses
• Zombie Debt, Being Sued by a Debt Buyer
• Am I Responsible for the Debts of my Deceased Spouse or Other Relatives?
• Who Is This Unknown Collector That Filed a Proof of Claim in My Bankruptcy?
• Bankruptcy – Do I Have the Right to Remain Silent?
• Can You Defend a Credit Card Lawsuit When You May Owe the Money?

CreditSlips.org

• How Much Do You Want for That Discharged Debt?

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

ALABAMA

Matt Dunaway, Esq. – Birmingham Bankruptcy Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Zombie Debt Collectors Harass Alabama Consumers

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Bankruptcy Judge Strikes Back at Zombie Debt

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Cathy Moran, Esq. – BankruptcyMastery.com and On the Bankruptcy Soapbox (Mt View, CA) (aka Silicon Valley)

• The Debt That Wouldn’t Die
• What Was Discharged in My Case?

Southern California

Howard Nassiri (Vincent D. Howard, Esq. and Damian J. Nassiri, Esq.) – California Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Anaheim, CA)

• Minnesota Attorney General Takes Action to Stop Collection of ‘Zombie Debt’

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Georgia Collection Law Firm Facing Lawsuit from Governors’ Office of Consumer Affairs
• Debt Collector’s Unlawful Message on Answering Machine May Give Rise to Stay or Discharge Violation Action

ILLINOIS

David Leibowitz, Esq. (Lakelaw Bankruptcy Center) – LakeBlawg (Chicago, Waukegan, Kenosha, Skokie, Lacrosse, IL)

• Illinois Credit Card Claims subject to 5 year Statute of Limitation – not 10 years for written contract
• How do I get my creditors to stop calling me?

MISSOURI

Rachel Lynn Foley, Esq. – Missouri Bankruptcy (Kansas City and Independence, MO)

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Discharged Creditor Responsible for Selling Debt

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Dealing with Debt Collector Harassment in New York

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq. – Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• Debt Collectors And Zombie Debts

TEXAS

Fears & Nachawati – Texas Bankruptcy Blog (Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX)

• Discharged Creditor Responsible for Selling Debt
• Don’t Let Zombie Debts Haunt You

J. Brian Allen – Northeast Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer (Sulphur Springs, TX)

J. Michael McBride, P.C. – TexasLawyerBlog (Ft. Worth, TX)

• “Zombie Debt” and Collectors
• Beware of Zombies

WISCONSIN

Brad Lund, Esq. (Lund Law Offices) – Law By Lund (Wasau, WI)

• Too Many Bills? Follow These 3 Rules Until You Call Us

**********

Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  Fearing the legal profession’s future, he has begun documenting the law school tuition bubble at his own blog where you can read his latest post, “The Big Bubble Battle (Bart I): Enter the University“.

Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.

• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• Six Reasons Why It’s a Tough Time for Debt Collection Attorneys
• FTC Hails Victory Over Abusive Debt Collection Practices
• Can Credit Card Companies Trust the Collection Firms They Hire?
• Judge Seeks Creditors’ Attention With Discharge Violation Ruling
• February 2010 Western Dist. of KY Bankruptcy Court Memorandum-Opinion Summaries
• NYT: Judges Growing Frustrated With Dishonest Debt Collectors; Sanctions Imposed
• No jail time in debt collection
• ¡MORE!

CreditSlips.org

• Life Imitates Art (or at Least My Final Exam)
• Lying Is Wrong
• The Benefits of Being Litigious
• Private Tax Collection
• After Notice and a Hearing — One Out of Two Ain’t Bad?
• Courts as Creditors
• Operation Repo
• Maxed Out

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• Another Supreme Court Victory for Consumers: Ignorance of the Law Doesn’t Excuse Collection Abuses
• Class Action Brought in Debt Collection Sewer Service Scandal
• Alaska Supreme Court Rejects Debt Collectors’ First Amendment Defense
• Debtor’s Prison in Indiana
• NY Attorney General Cuomo Sues to Vacate 100,000 Debt Collection Judgments
• AOL Posts “Debt Collection Horror Stories”
• Does Federal Law Bar Collecting Debts From the Dead?

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA)

• NACBA Amicus Project Assists with Brief on Debtor’s Right to Seek Determination of Dischargeability of Taxes

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

MICHIGAN

Kurt O’Keefe, Esq. – Bankruptcy Blog (G.P. Woods, MI)

• Stop Paying Credit Cards?
• How Does My Credit Card Company Find Out So Much About Me?
• Debt Collectors Harassment Continues After Death

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill McLeod (McLeod Law Offices) – McLeod Law Blog (Boston, MA)

• Another Reason Why Going Pro Se is a Bad Idea
• A Shakedown Backfires
• I Have a Bone to Pick with a Credit Union

Bacon Wilson P.C. – Bankruptcy Bits (Springfield, Westfield, Northampton, Amherst, MA)

• Credit card issuers will no longer require consumers to arbitrate their disputed debts
• Be able to count on accounts receivable

Goldstein & Clegg, LLC – Bankruptcy & Loan Modifications (Lynnfield, MA); also ABA Journal Massachusetts Bankruptcy Blog by Michael Goldstein

• Consumer Attorney sticking up for Creditors Counsel

Kara O’Donnell, Esq. (Law Office of Kara O’Donnell) – Quincy Bankruptcy Blog (Quincy, MA)

• Quincy Bankruptcy Attorney-IRAs protected in bankruptcy?
• Bank Fee Scams. One less Anti-Consumer banking practice to deal with!
• MA Bankruptcy – Settle with Credit Card Company? Then you pay taxes . . .
• MA Bankruptcy – Debt Collectors and What They CANNOT Do To You
• Mass. Bankruptcy Attorney-Are there debt limits in a bankruptcy?
• Bankruptcy Blog-How banks scam you with fees

Mark S. Buckley, Esq. CFP – Rhode Island & South Eastern Massachusetts (East Greenwich, RI)

• Stopping Wage Attachment: Rhode Island Bankruptcy Law
• RI Bankruptcy Law: Discharge vs Debt Cancellation

Nicolas F. Ortiz, Esq. – Massachusetts Bankruptcy and Consumer Law (Boston, MA)

• Car Repossession in Massachusetts

MARYLAND

Belsky Weinberg & Horowitz – Maryland Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog and Maryland Lawyer Online (Baltimore, Columbia, Greenbelt, Rockville, Glen Burnie, Hagerstown, MD)

• Home Foreclosures & Bankruptcy: What is a Past or Present Homeowner to Do?
• How bankruptcy can stop foreclosure?
• Alternatives to Bankruptcy

KANSAS

Mark Neis & Jill Michaux – Kansas Bankruptcy Law Information – (Topeka, KS)

• 7 Bankruptcy Mistakes to Avoid
• Why Did They Stop Sending My Mortgage Statements After Bankruptcy?
• Beware of “Disguised” Reaffirmation Agreement

INDIANA

Mark S. Zuckerberg, Esq. (Indianapolis, IN)

• In Bankruptcy In Indiana, What About Social Security In Bank Accounts?
• Debt Consolidation Lawyer In Indiana Answers Blog Reader’s Question: Can Bankruptcy Stop IRS Collectors?
• To Do’s And Not-To-Do’s Before Filing Bankruptcy In Indiana
• Tell ‘Em In Black And White Before Filing Bankruptcy In Indiana
• Fees And Calls In Bankruptcy In Indiana
• Prove It! Indiana Follows Federal Debt Collection Law

ILLINOIS

David Leibowitz, Esq. (Lakelaw Bankruptcy Center) – LakeBlawg (Chicago, Waukegan, Kenosha, Skokie, Lacrosse, IL)

• How do I get my creditors to stop calling me?

Kevin Chern, Esq. – The Bankruptcy Lawyers Blog (Chicago, IL)

• Are the Wrong People Filing for Bankruptcy?

Steven Jakubowski, Esq.  (Coleman Law Firm) – Bankruptcy Litigation Blog (Chicago, IL)

• Reviewing “Strategic Alternatives For Distressed Businesses” by Jonathan Friedland

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Understand the Psychology of Debt Collection Tactics and Avoid Being Manipulated
• Beware of Bad Faith Collection Efforts by Bill Collectors
• Georgia Collection Law Firm Facing Lawsuit from Governors’ Office of Consumer Affairs
• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Basic Collection Questions
• Giant Debt Collector Law Firm Mann, Bracken Out of Business
• Georgia Collection Law Firm Facing Lawsuit from Governors’ Office of Consumer Affairs

FLORIDA

Jonathan Alper, Esq. – Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Orlando, FL)

• Credit Card Negotiations In The Life Of Your Credit Card Account: Why Don’t They Negotiate Balances?
• Does Bankruptcy Automatic Stay Apply to Creditors Located In Other Countries?
• Responding To Initial Letters From Debt Collection Companies Prior To Bankruptcy
• Creditor Harassment Claims During Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
• Attorney Helps Re-establish Credit After Bankruptcy
• Mortgage Deficiency Judgments: A Different Opinion From Creditors

Jordan E. Bublick, Esq. – South Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Miami, FL)

• Florida Mortgage Foreclosure and Liability
• Collection of Student Loan Barred by Res Judicata

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Lawrence & Fisher PLLC – DC Bankruptcy Blog (Washington, D.C.)

• Understanding the Automatic Stay

DELAWARE

Fox Rothschild, LLP – Delaware Bankruptcy Litigation

• Ten Things Every Commercial Landlord Should Know about a Tenant in Bankruptcy

CONNECTICUT

Eugene Melchionne, Esq. – ConsumerBankruptcyTips.com (Waterbury, CT)

• Creditors Harassment After Bankruptcy? Tell Your Bankruptcy Lawyer!
• What should I bring when I meet with my bankruptcy lawyer in Connecticut?

COLORADO

Gailyn Wink & Michael Wink – Wink & Wink, P.C. (Denver, Co)

• Walking Away From Your Mortgage? What You Don’t Know May Be Stalking You.
• Colorado Repossession Law: Possess The Facts
• Debt Collection in Colorado: Know Your Rights

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Bob Eisenbach, Esq. (Cooley Godward Kronish LLP) – In The (Red):  Business Bankruptcy Blog (San Francisco, CA)

Cathy Moran, Esq. – BankruptcyMastery.com and On the Bankruptcy Soapbox (Mt View, CA) (aka Silicon Valley)

• Bankruptcy Debtors: Beware the Bank
• Chase Home Loans Runs Amok in Chapter 13 Cases
• Provide Notice of Bankruptcy to the Right Address
• Disdain for Automatic Stay Everywhere

Jeena Cho, Esq. (JC Law Group) – San Francisco Bankruptcy Blog (San Francisco, CA)

• Sued by Chase, Discover, or American Express (AMEX)?
• Debt Collection Law Firm Abruptly Closes; Thousands of Cases Dismissed
• Have you been sued by Mann Bracken?
• So you’ve been sued by Chase
• DEBT CUT IN HALF? DON’T COUNT ON IT
• Debt Settlers Offer Promises but Little Help

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA); also by Scott Sagaria – American Bankruptcy Association (ABA) Journal California Bankruptcy Blog

• California Creditor Harassment Law
• Homesteads and Tax Liens

Southern California

Howard Nassiri (Vincent D. Howard, Esq. and Damian J. Nassiri, Esq.) – California Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Anaheim, CA)

• California Ranks Eighth in Top Ten States With the Most Filings for Bankruptcy
• Proposed Class Action Lawsuit Claims Debt Collectors Mislead About Credit Card Offers
• Minnesota Attorney General Takes Action to Stop Collection of ‘Zombie Debt’
• Bay Area Attorneys Pool Resources to Fight Debt Collectors’ Use of Lawsuits
• Sixth Circuit Rules Debt Collectors May Garnish Bank Accounts Without Subpoenaing Bank Records
• Supreme Court Rules Debt Collectors May Not Use Bona Fide Error Defense for Mistakes of Law
• Ohio Debt Collection Company Settles Lawsuit Alleging It Harassed Consumers
• Federal Court Data Show Big Jump in Consumer Lending Lawsuits in 2009
• Executive Alleges Bank Fired Her for Complaining About Unethical Sale of Debt
• ¡MORE!

Mark J. Markus, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog:  Current issues, comments, questions and answers in bankruptcy law (Los Angeles, CA)

• Bankruptcy: Debtor’s Prison Abolished!
• Debt Charge-offs: Do you still owe the money?

ALABAMA

Collins & Hancock – Alabama Bankruptcy Blog (Cullman, AL)

• I have been using a Payday Loan company or Check Cashing store and can no longer pay the fee and I know the check(s) will bounce. Can I file bankruptcy on payday loans or check cashing loans? Can I be charged with a crime or go to jail?
• A debt collector called me and said “We will garnish your next paycheck.” Can they do this?

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• FDCPA – Why Should I Use A Collection Log?
• The Story Of The Scorpion And Frog – Explains Collectors And Mortgage Companies
• Video – Can A Debt Buyer Legally Collect A Debt From You?
• Consumer Power – May 13, 2010 – Example Of Consumer Applying Knowledge To Protect Herself
• Consumer Power Newsletter – Dealing With Adversity
• Consumer Guide – Three Types Of Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) Violations
• New Consumer Guide On Four Requirements For The FDCPA To Apply
• Consumer Power Newsletter – Documenting Collector Calls And Free Consumer Protection Books
• New Supreme Court Ruling Against Abusive Debt Collectors
• ¡MORE!

WISCONSIN

Jamie Miller, Esq. (Miller & Miller, LLC) – Milwaukee Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Milwaukee, WI)

• Bill Collector Harassment

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• How To Keep Debt Collectors’ Prying Eyes Out Of Your Private Life
• ALERT: Phony Pay Day Debt Collectors
• Federal Trade Commission To Reimburse Consumers Scammed By Debt Collectors
• Vehicle Repossession and Your Rights
• Myths and Facts About Debt Collection
• Hounded by a Debt Collector….Know Abuse and Report Abuse
• Which Debts Are Covered By The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act?

Cary & Lippincott – Texas Collection Law Blog (Austin, TX)

• Filing Time-Barred Lawsuits Violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
• CollectionLinks.com
• Fair Debt and Texas Foreclosure
• Collection out of state

Chuck Newton, Esq. – StayViolation.com (TX)

• (Video) “You Are Only As Good As Your Last Payment”. Is Bank Of America Intrinsically Evil?
• Another Customer Tries To Reach Bank Of America Using YouTube As A Last Resort
• The YouTube Debtor Revolt Continues
• Bearing Witness To The Tragedy That Is Debt Collection And Foreclosure From The Perspective Of Ordinary People
• Consumer Tells Bank of America To Stick It
• Green Tree Servicing And Tough Collection Practices. Is It Justified?
• Online Payday Loan Companies Are Loan Sharks That Trap People In Debt And Then Disappear
• The New Frontier In Debt Collection – Harassing The Dead’s Next Of Kin To Pay What They Do Not Owe
• Attorneys General Say Debt Collectors Inspire The Most Complaints
• ¡MORE!

Fears & Nachawati – Texas Bankruptcy Blog (Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX)

• Options When Sued Over Credit Card Debt
• Oh, Those Misbehaving Debt Collectors

J. Brian Allen – Northeast Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer (Sulphur Springs, TX)

• LAW FIRM SUED FOR FILING FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS
• Fighting Abusive Debt Collectors
• DEBT COLLECTORS PAY MORE THAN $1 MILLION TO SETTLE FTC CHARGES

J. Michael McBride, P.C. – TexasLawyerBlog (Ft. Worth, TX)

• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Complaints on the Rise
• What a Nasty Letter for a $16.96 Debt!

Steven Sathers, Esq. – A Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Blog (Austin, TX)

• Outrageous Creditor Behavior Leads to Small Damage Award

RHODE ISLAND

Mark S. Buckley, Esq. CFP – Rhode Island & South Eastern Massachusetts (East Greenwich, RI)

• Stopping Wage Attachment: Rhode Island Bankruptcy Law
• RI Bankruptcy Law: Discharge vs Debt Cancellation

OREGON

Baxter & Baxter, LLP – About Bankruptcy in Portland, OR (Portland, OR)

• What To Do If You Are Sued By A Credit Card Company

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Credit Card Debt Collectors: Honey? Or more vinegar?
• WNYC talks with a debt collector
• Dealing with debt collector harassment in New York
• What you should know about the credit counseling requirement

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Process Server Going to Jail for Defrauding Consumers in Credit Card Collection Cases
• Six Reasons Why It’s a Tough Time for Debt Collection Attorneys
• Bill Collectors Slapped with Class Action Suit
• Can Credit Card Companies Trust the Collection Firms They Hire?
• Credit Card Debt Collectors Ripped in Federal Report
• My Credit Card Company Sued Me. What Should I Do?

Starr & Starr, PLLC – New York Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (New York, NY)

• What Is “Poundage” and What Does It Have to Do With Judgments in New York?
• What happens if I default on my credit card debt in New York?
• Can the NYC Marshal Take All My Possession to Enforce a Judgment?
• Help A Collector Has Frozen My Bank Account in New York, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn!

NEW MEXICO

Gini Nelson Law Office – New Mexico Bankruptcy Law Blog (Santa Fe, NM)

• When Debt Collectors Call, Parts 1-10

NEW JERSEY

Daniel Gershberg, Esq., P.C. (Newark, NJ and Brooklyn, NY)

• Queens Bankruptcy attorney Daniel Gershburg constantly hears “I did not get served by Mel Harris and they’re suing me”
• Brighton Beach Bankruptcy Lawyer Daniel Gershburg discusses how Cohen & Slamowitz, Rubin & Rothman and the rest can freeze your bank account without you knowing
• The Problem with Collection

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• When Judgment Proof Is Not Poor Enough
• Credit Card Defendant Wins Lawsuit, Collects $120,000
• Discharged Creditor Responsible for Selling Debt

Black & LoBello Law Blog (Las Vegas, NV)

• Service Members Civil Relief Act Provides Protection from Judgments and Debt Collections
• Bankruptcy Court Finds IRS Form 1099-C Does Not Prevent Collection of Debt

**********

Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  Fearing the legal profession’s future, he has begun documenting the law school tuition bubble at his own blog.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

A Clean Slate – the Bankruptcy Law Blog by Andy Winchell

• Should I Do Debt Settlement?

CreditSlips.org

• Wanted: People with Good Credit for Low-Paying Jobs
• Experian and FreeCreditReport.com Sink to A New Low
• Does A Tarnished Credit Report Equal an Untrustworthy Employee?
• Bankruptcy Risk Scores

ALABAMA

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Video on Five Step Process to Correct Credit Report Errors
• “Free” Credit Scores and Reports Still Not Entirely Free
• “New” Free Credit Report Rules
• Lawsuit Against Experian’s “Free” Credit Reports
• Tips to Clean Up Your Credit Score
• Lesser-Known Factors Affect Your Credit Report
• Legal Uses of A Credit Report
• Debt Collectors and Credit Reporting Agencies – Even Closer Now
• Mortgage Modifications Can Affect Credit Scores
• Credit Scores Can Impact Your Job Prospects
• Trade Ins Can Destroy Your Credit Score
• 5 Things That Ruin Credit

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

ARIZONA

Brian Dault, Esq. (Dault & Associates PLLC) – Phoenix Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Chandler, AZ)

• Arizona Short Sale – If Bankruptcy Is in Your Future, Be Careful

Michael S. Anderson, Esq. – Arizona Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Mesa, AZ)

• Avoiding Bankruptcy in Arizona and Negotiating the Debt – Pros and Cons
• Serious Debt? What Are Your Options?

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Jeena Cho, Esq. (JC Law Group) – San Francisco Bankruptcy Blog (San Francisco, CA)

• Can I Keep A Credit Card Through Bankruptcy?
• Debt Cut in Half?  Don’t Count on It
• Should You File for Bankruptcy?
• Debt Settlers Offer Promises but Little Help

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA); also by Scott Sagaria – American Bankruptcy Association (ABA) Journal California Bankruptcy Blog

• Post Bankruptcy Credit Score
• Mortgage Relief Leads to Foreclosure Notice
• San Jose Bankruptcy Attorney Explains How Bankruptcy May Benefit Couples Filing for Divorce

Southern California

Hale Antico, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog (Los Angeles, CA)

• Free Credit Reports often Not Free

Howard Nassiri (Vincent D. Howard, Esq. and Damian J. Nassiri, Esq.) – California Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Anaheim, CA)

• Federal Court Data Show Big Jump in Consumer Lending Lawsuits in 2009
• FTC Sues Debt Collector for Trying to Collect Old Debts and Reporting False Credit Information
• FTC Requests Information from Debt Buyers to Understand Consumer Complaints

COLORADO

Gailyn Wink & Michael Wink – Wink & Wink, P.C. (Denver, Co)

• Walking Away from Your Mortgage? What You Don’t Know May Be Stalking You.
• Seven Rules for Debt Settlement, Plus One Golden Rule
• Making A Comeback after Bankruptcy

CONNECTICUT

Eugene Melchionne, Esq. – ConsumerBankruptcyTips.com (Waterbury, CT)

• What Should I Bring When I Meet with My Bankruptcy Lawyer in Connecticut?

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Brian V. Lee, Esq. – All About Bankruptcy (Washington, D.C.)

• Personal Bankruptcy FAQ (Part 1 of 3)

FLORIDA

Jonathan Alper, Esq. – Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Orlando, FL)

• Attorney Helps Re-Establish Credit after Bankruptcy
• Rebuilding Your Credit Score after Bankruptcy
• Good Article on Credit Rating Myths
• Reestablishing Good Credit after Bankruptcy
• Bankruptcy’s Effect on Credit Score: Lender Rebuts Common Myths

Jordan E. Bublick, Esq. – South Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Miami, FL)

• Correcting Your Credit Report

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Forgotten Lawsuit Creates Big Problems for Prior Chapter 7 Client
• How Can Filing Bankruptcy Impact My Children?

ILLINOIS

David Leibowitz, Esq. (Lakelaw Bankruptcy Center) – LakeBlawg (Chicago, Waukegan, Kenosha, Skokie, Lacrosse, IL)

• Can I File Bankruptcy Without My Wife?  Can I file Bankruptcy Without My Husband?

INDIANA

Mark S. Zuckerberg, Esq. (Indianapolis, IN)

• Women, Bankruptcy, and Foreclosure
• Can an Employer Refuse to Hire Me If I’ve Filed Bankruptcy?

KANSAS

Mark Neis & Jill Michaux – Kansas Bankruptcy Law Information – (Topeka, KS)

• Beware Credit Repair Companies

KENTUCKY

Brian T. Cannup, Esq. – Kentucky Consumer Law Group (Lexington & Paris, KY)

• Haunted by Zombie Debt after Bankruptcy?
• Debt Collection Information: Who Is Calling You?

MAINE

Molleur Law Office – James Molleur’s Maine Bankruptcy Blog (Biddeford, ME)

• The Effects of Foreclosure on Credit Score

MARYLAND

Belsky Weinberg & Horowitz – Maryland Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog and Maryland Lawyer Online (Baltimore, Columbia, Greenbelt, Rockville, Glen Burnie, Hagerstown, MD)

• Thinking about Short Selling Your Home?  Think Again!

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill McLeod (McLeod Law Offices) – McLeod Law Blog (Boston, MA)

• Can Declaring Bankruptcy Improve Your Credit Score?
• Why Not Wipe the Slate Clean?
• Short Sales & Foreclosure: Perception & Reality
• Rumor Control: Credit Reports and What’s Dischargeable in Chapter 7
• The Short Sale Option

Bacon Wilson P.C. – Bankruptcy Bits (Springfield, Westfield, Northampton, Amherst, MA)

• What If I Forget to List A Creditor in My Bankruptcy?

MICHIGAN

Kurt O’Keefe, Esq. – Bankruptcy Blog (G.P. Woods, MI)

• Bankruptcy or Debt Settlement Scam?

Law Offices of John M. Hilla, PLLC – Michigan Bankruptcy Lawyer (Southfield, MI)

• What Happens If I forget to List A Creditor in My Bankruptcy Petition?
• If I Am Filing for Bankruptcy but My Spouse Is Not, Do I Need to Provide His or Her Income Information?
• Is Debt Consolidation a Good Alternative to Bankruptcy?

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Haines & Krieger Las Vegas Foreclosure Round-up 04.02.10
• Options When Sued over Credit Card Debt
• Popular Half-Truths about Bankruptcy
• Bankruptcy and Court-Ordered Marital Obligations
• Buying a Home after Bankruptcy
• Five Reasons to Choose Chapter 13
• What Happens When You Walk Away from a Home Loan?
• Mortgage Refinancing Can Be Full of Surprises
• Should I Try Credit Counseling Instead of Filing for Bankruptcy?

Black & LoBello Law Blog (Las Vegas, NV)

• 12 Percent of All Defaults Are Strategic
• Even High-Score Borrowers at Risk of Mortgage Default
• Strategic Default
• Rebuilding Your Credit Score after Bankruptcy
• Bankruptcy FAQ

NEW MEXICO

Gini Nelson Law Office – New Mexico Bankruptcy Law Blog (Santa Fe, NM)

• Financial Health Steps – #22: Identify Ways to Reduce Spending

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• How Much Will A Bankruptcy Filing Affect My FICO Score?
• Can I Rebuild My Credit after Bankruptcy in New York?
• Understanding Your Credit Score in The New Economy
• Bankruptcy FAQ

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Retainer Agreements in Bankruptcy Cases
• Obama’s “Making Homes Affordable” Mortgage Modification Program Failing
• Does A Credit Card Charge-Off Mean You’re Off The Hook?
• What Is A Judgment?
• How to Get Your Credit Report for Free
• Life after Bankruptcy: Getting Credit Has Become Too Easy

Daniel Gershberg, Esq., P.C. (Newark, NJ and Brooklyn, NY)

• How Long Will Bankruptcy Affect My Credit?
• New York Credit Reporting Errors Can Hurt…Just Ask Me….
• Will My New York City Bankruptcy Affect My Prospects for Getting a Job?
• Do Not Use Debt Settlement. Period.
• Know Your Bankruptcy Attorney
• Bankruptcy in College

David S. Hamilton (Dwyer & Associates) (New York, NY)

• Bankruptcy or Debt Settlement (NYC)
• What Documents Do I Need When Filing for Bankruptcy in New York?
• How Is My Credit History Affected by Bankruptcy? NY
• Beware of Credit Repair Company Scams
• Foreclosure or Short Sale in NYC

Elliot S. Schlissel, Esq. – The Elliot Schlissel New York Law Blog (Lynbrook, NY)

• How Do I Rebuild My Credit after Bankruptcy?
• Frequent Questions about How Bankruptcy Affects and Rebuilding Credit

Starr & Starr, PLLC – New York Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (New York, NY)

• Will My Employer Learn If I Have A Wage Garnishment in New York?

Upstate New York

Alexander Korotkin, Esq. – Rochester Bankruptcy and Debt Relief (Rochester, NY)

• Top Ten Bankruptcy Myths
• Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and Debtor’s Credit Report
• Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and Purchase of a Vehicle

OHIO

Justin M. Smith, Esq. – Cleveland Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Cleveland, OH)

• A New FICO Score Debuts: How Will This Affect Ohio Consumers?
• Get to Know Your Credit Score in Ohio
• We Recommend that Our Ohio Bankruptcy Clients Obtain A Credit Report Before Filing
• Ohio Credit Concerns: How Long Will A Bankruptcy Filing Stay on My Credit Report?

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq. – Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• When Will My Bankruptcy Be Removed from My Credit Report?
• Filing Bankruptcy Can Improve Your Credit Score
• FreeCreditReport.com Is NOT Really Free
• Oklahomans Should Beware of Credit Repair Companies
• Check Your Credit Report after Receiving Your Bankruptcy Discharge in Oklahoma
• What Effect Will Bankruptcy Have on My Credit Score or Credit Report in Oklahoma?
• How Long Will My Bankruptcy Stay on My Credit Report in Oklahoma?

OREGON

Baxter & Baxter, LLP – About Bankruptcy in Portland, OR (Portland, OR)

• How to Dispute False Credit Reports after Bankruptcy
• How Will Filing for Bankruptcy Affect My Credit
• Washington Bankruptcy

Kent Anderson Law – Oregon Debt Relief Weblawg and Debt Law Network (Eugene, OR)

• A Real Free Credit Report!

SOUTH CAROLINA

Russell A. DeMott, Esq. – SCBankruptcyAttorney.com (Charleston, SC)

• Obtaining Credit After You’ve Filed Bankruptcy

TEXAS

Chuck Newton, Esq. – StayViolation.com (TX)

• Using Your Credit Card Even Responsibly Can Be Ruining Your Credit
• New Credit Card Law Will Also Restrict FreeCreditReport.com-style Ads
• 10^th Circuit Adopts Objective-Coercion Principle in Discharge Injunction Violations

Fears & Nachawati – Texas Bankruptcy Blog (Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX)

• Options When Sued over Credit Card Debt
• When Can I Apply for Credit After Filing for Bankruptcy?
• Bankruptcy and Court-Ordered Marital Obligations
• 5 Things You Didn’t Know about Bankruptcy
• The Perils of A DIY Bankruptcy
• How Long Does Bankruptcy Stay on A Credit Report?
• Chapter 13 Co-Debtor Stay
• Debt Relief Companies: So Many Names, So Many Scams
• Don’t Let Zombie Debts Haunt You

WASHINGTON

Linda Rantz (Paralegal) – Due Diligence (Seattle, WA)

• Credit Reports: TeleCheck, Innovis and Your FICO Score
• Credit Reports: Dun and Bradstreet

WISCONSIN

Law Office of Gregory A. Holbus, Esq. – Wisconsin Bankruptcy Blog (Green Bay, WI)

Brad Lund, Esq. (Lund Law Offices) – Law By Lund (Wasau, WI)

• Credit and Bankruptcy
• FTC Joins Battle of the Free-Credit-Report-Bands

Jamie Miller, Esq. (Miller & Miller, LLC) – Milwaukee Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Milwaukee, WI)

• Information on Your Credit Report and How to Report Errors on Your Credit Report

**********

Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

A Clean Slate – the Bankruptcy Law Blog by Andy Winchell

• Four Ways That Student Loan Debt Is Like a Tattoo

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• Proposed Bill Would Change Role of Student Loans in Bankruptcy
• Handling Student Loans Outside of Bankruptcy
• Student Loan Disasters
• The Worst Debt You Can Have: Student Loans: Part I, Part II, and Part III
• What Can I Do about My Student Loans?
• Student Loans: Here’s the Best Way to Pay Them in a Chapter 13 Plan

Bankruptcy Law Network

• Student Loan “Undue Hardship” Must Exist at Time of Filing Bankruptcy Case
• $480,000 Student Loan Debt Disqualifies Applicant From Obtaining License to Practice Law
• More Student Loans, School Expenses Not Discharged in Bankruptcy
• Should You Tap Savings or Borrow for College?
• Student Loans: Paradise for Debt Scavengers
• Will Changes in Student Loan Law Help Me?
• Student Loan Forgiveness, Fact or Fantasy?
• What Is a College Degree Worth to a 45-year-old Woman?

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

CreditSlips.org

• Debt-Free: An Unrealistic Expectation
• Student Loans, and the Housing Crisis
• What the Foreclosure Mess Tells Us about Private Student Loan Dischargeability

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• Fed Proposes New Amendments to Regulation Z

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA)

• NACBA Member Adrian Lapas testified before House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law

WISCONSIN

Law Office of Gregory A. Holbus, Esq. – Wisconsin Bankruptcy Blog (Green Bay, WI)

• How Can I Improve My Budget to Avoid Bankruptcy Again in the Future?

Bankruptcy Law Offices of Richard A. Check, Esq. (Milwaukee, WI)

• Supreme Court Okays Bankruptcy Discharge of Student Loans
• Supremes Consider Bankruptcy Changes

Jamie Miller, Esq. (Miller & Miller, LLC) – Milwaukee Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Milwaukee, WI)

• Can I Discharge My Student Loans in Bankruptcy?
• Should I Choose Bankruptcy or Debt Consolidation?

WASHINGTON

Linda Rantz (Paralegal) – Due Diligence (Seattle, WA)

• Considerations about Student Loan Debts in a Bankruptcy Case
• Calculating Student Loan Payments in a Chapter 13 Plan

Spencer Anderson Buhr PLLC – Seattle Bankruptcy Blog (Seattle, WA)

• Legal Job Market Tightens

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• A Supreme Court Victory for Student Loan Debtors
• Three Things You Need to Know about Bankruptcy and Student Loans
• The State of the Union: Student Loans an Bankruptcy
• Are There Other Ways to Discharge My Student Loan Besides Bankruptcy? Part I and Part II

Fears & Nachawati – Texas Bankruptcy Blog (Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX)

• Discharging Student Loans in Bankruptcy
• Can Student Loans Be Discharged in Bankruptcy?

J. Brian Allen – Northeast Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer (Sulphur Springs, TX)

• Sulpher Springs Lady Discharges Nearly $7,000 in Sallie Mae & TERI/NCT Student Loans in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Adversary Proceeding

Steven Sathers, Esq. – A Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Blog (Austin, TX)

• Espinosa Oral Argument Provides Glimpse into World of Supreme Court
• Supreme Court Decides One Case and Hints at Result in Another

RHODE ISLAND

David Hathaway, Esq. – Rhode Island Bankruptcy Information Center (Warwick, RI)

• What Kinds of Debt Can Bankruptcy Eliminate?

OREGON

Baxter & Baxter, LLP – About Bankruptcy in Portland, OR (Portland, OR)

• Supreme Court Case Doesn’t Open the Floodgates to Discharging Student Loans in Bankruptcy

Kent Anderson Law – Oregon Debt Relief Weblawg and Debt Law Network (Eugene, OR)

• How Not to Deal with the Private Student Loan Problem

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq. – Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• U.S. Supreme Court Hears Argument Regarding Student Loan Discharge
• Will I Be Able to Get a Student Loan If I File for Bankruptcy?
• Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and Student Loans in Oklahoma
• Student Loans and Bankruptcy in Oklahoma

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Are Any Debts Non-Dischargeable in a Bankruptcy Case in New York?
• Will Congress Soon Let New Yorkers Discharge Their Student Loans in Bankruptcy?

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Can Debtors Deduct College Expenses of Their Children on the Means Test?
• Five Scenarios Where Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Is Not the Best Solution to Debt Problems
• Student Loans in Bankruptcy

Daniel Gershberg, Esq., P.C. (Newark, NJ and Brooklyn, NY)

David S. Hamilton (Dwyer & Associates) (New York, NY)

• I Pass the Means Test But Still Can’t File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy? Why Not!?
• Can Bankruptcy Prevent Me From Obtaining a Student Loan?
• House of Reps to Discuss Student Loans Bankruptcy
• Considering Going Bankrupt to Get Rid of Student Loans?

Starr & Starr, PLLC – New York Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (New York, NY)

• Student Loan and Bankruptcy in New York

Upstate New York

Alexander Korotkin, Esq. – Rochester Bankruptcy and Debt Relief (Rochester, NY)

• New Student Loan Program and Debt Relief
• Student Loans Guaranteed By Parent and Bankruptcy

NEW JERSEY

Stark & Stark – Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Blog (Lawrenceville, NJ)

• New Jersey’s Investigation of Student Loan Industry’s Dealings with Colleges and Universities

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Discharging Student Loans in Bankruptcy

Black & LoBello Law Blog (Las Vegas, NV)

• Rebuilding Your Credit Score after Bankruptcy

MICHIGAN

Kurt O’Keefe, Esq. – Bankruptcy Blog (G.P. Woods, MI)

• Student Loan Problems, Bankruptcy Rarely Helps
• Do I Have To Repay My Student Loans?

Law Offices of John M. Hilla, PLLC – Michigan Bankruptcy Lawyer (Southfield, MI)

• Can My Student Loans Be Discharged in Bankruptcy?

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill McLeod (McLeod Law Offices) – McLeod Law Blog (Boston, MA)

• Two Cents, and Some Concerns about Espinosa
• The US Supreme Court Rules in United Student Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa
• Student Loans: The Financial Shackles of Higher Education
• Section 523(a)(8): Reality v. Student Loans

Bacon Wilson P.C. – Bankruptcy Bits (Springfield, Westfield, Northampton, Amherst, MA)

• Beware of Incurring Large Student Loans During Tough Financial Times

Goldstein & Clegg, LLC – Bankruptcy & Loan Modifications (Lynnfield, MA); also ABA Journal Massachusetts Bankruptcy Blog by Michael Goldstein

• 12 Myths about Bankruptcy
• Shouldn’t You Be Able To Discharge Your Student Loans in a Bankruptcy

Nicolas F. Ortiz, Esq. – Massachusetts Bankruptcy and Consumer Law (Boston, MA)

• NCLC Student Loan Resource Page

MARYLAND

Belsky Weinberg & Horowitz – Maryland Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog and Maryland Lawyer Online (Baltimore, Columbia, Greenbelt, Rockville, Glen Burnie, Hagerstown, MD)

• What is Schedule F?

MAINE

Molleur Law Office – James Molleur’s Maine Bankruptcy Blog (Biddeford, ME)

• Recent Supreme Court Decisions

KANSAS

Mark Neis & Jill Michaux – Kansas Bankruptcy Law Information – (Topeka, KS)

• Will Bankruptcy Wipe Out All My Debts?

IOWA

Jeff Mathias, Esq. – Iowa Bankruptcy Blog (Des Moines, IA)

• Bankruptcy Cases

INDIANA

Mark S. Zuckerberg, Esq. (Indianapolis, IN)

• Indiana Bankruptcy Attorney Offering Student Loan Debt Help Follows Supreme Court Case

ILLINOIS

David Leibowitz, Esq. (Lakelaw Bankruptcy Center) – LakeBlawg (Chicago, Waukegan, Kenosha, Skokie, Lacrosse, IL)

• Will Bankruptcy Wipe Out My Debts?  Some Debts Are Not Dischargeable.
• Can I Get Rid of My Student Loan in Bankruptcy?
• Can Bankruptcy Help Me with Student Loans?

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Student Loan Debts – Bankruptcy Won’t Help Much
• Can Long Term Unemployment Support a Claim for Hardship Discharge of a Student Loan

FLORIDA

Jonathan Alper, Esq. – Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Orlando, FL)

• Rebuilding Your Credit Score After Bankruptcy

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Cathy Moran, Esq. – BankruptcyMastery.com and On the Bankruptcy Soapbox (Mt View, CA) (aka Silicon Valley)

• Bankruptcy Exemptions: 10 Ways to Deal with Excess Cash

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA); also by Scott Sagaria – American Bankruptcy Association (ABA) Journal California Bankruptcy Blog

• Supreme Court Allows Student Loan Discharge
• Bankruptcy and Student Loans
• Debt Relief for Students of Silver State Helicopters

Southern California

Christine Wilton, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Law Monitor (Los Angeles, CA)

• U.S. Supreme Court Ruling in Student Loan Case
• Discharging Student Loans in Bankruptcy
• Chapter 7 Basics

Howard Nassiri (Vincent D. Howard, Esq. and Damian J. Nassiri, Esq.) – California Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Anaheim, CA)

• Supreme Court Considers Easing Rules on When Bankruptcy Can Erase Student Loans
• Congress Considers Bankruptcy Law Change to Allow Forgiveness of Private Student Loans
• Westminster Bankruptcy Law Firm Explains Which Debts are Dischargeable in Bankruptcy

Mark J. Markus, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog:  Current issues, comments, questions and answers in bankruptcy law (Los Angeles, CA)

• Private Student Loans in Bankruptcy: Dischargeable?
• Are Student Loans Counted as Part of Chapter 13 Debt Limits?

ARIZONA

Michael S. Anderson, Esq. – Arizona Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Mesa, AZ)

• What Type of Debt is NOT Discharged in an Arizona Chapter 13 Bankruptcy?

ALABAMA

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Many Hope Student Loans Will Become Easier to Discharge
• Bankruptcy and Student Loans

**********

Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• HAMP Mortgage Modification and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
• HAMP Notes

Beat The Press (Dean Baker, Center for Economic Policy Research)

• Money for Failed Modifications Goes to Banks, Not Homeowners

CreditSlips.org

• Redemption (of the 722 variety) for Struggling Homeowners
• Today’s Consumers Prefer Chapter 7 Bankruptcy 3 to 1

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• Mortgage Crisis Update: Treasury Tinkers with Failed HAMP Program, Delinquencies and Foreclosures Stubbornly Refuse to Go Away
• Latest HAMP Report: Treasury Program a Failure

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• New Federal Guidelines Hope to Increase Home Modifications
• Mortgage Refinancing Can Be Full Of Surprises
• Happy Holidays from Mortgage Lenders
• Foreclosure mediation update: Non-Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Programs Struggling

Black & LoBello Law Blog (Las Vegas, NV)

• Government Helps Make Loan Modifications Permanent
• Federal Programs for Homeowners

NEW JERSEY

Stark & Stark – Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Blog (Lawrenceville, NJ)

• HAFA – Will Short Sales Be the Trick to Stop the Foreclosure Flood?

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Can I keep my home if I file for bankruptcy in New York?
• Foreclosure mediation and other new ways to encourage loan modification
• Loan Modification: Are You Eligible?

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Seeking HAMP (Home Affordable Mortgage Program) in Bankruptcy—Eight Things to Know
• WARNING: HAMP Can Drive Homeowners to Bankruptcy
• Bankruptcy Issues Involving HAMP (Home Affordable Mortgage Program)—Part One

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq. – Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• Elizabeth Warren Says Obama’s Foreclosure Aid Program (HAMP) Is A Failure

OREGON

Baxter & Baxter, LLP – About Bankruptcy in Portland, OR (Portland, OR)

• NACBA: NACBA Member Irwin Trauss Testifies at House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Loan Modification Programs

Kent Anderson Law – Oregon Debt Relief Weblawg and Debt Law Network (Eugene, OR)

• Mortgage Modification: No Real Relief Yet

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Why HAMP Is Failing To Stop The Foreclosure Crisis
• HAMP Foreclosure Prevention Changes Coming Soon
• Treasury Department Admits Foreclosure Prevention Program Not As Successful As Hoped
• Dallas-Forth Foreclosures Continue To Rise
• Foreclosures Set Another Record For Dallas-Fort Worth
• ¡MORE!

WASHINGTON

Spencer Anderson Buhr PLLC – Seattle Bankruptcy Blog (Seattle, WA)

• Flaws plague foreclosure relief program

ALABAMA

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Do You Want Bogus Defenses Or Do You Want Real Defenses To Foreclosure In Alabama
• Lenders Distract Homeowners With Modifications To Foreclose Quickly

ARKANSAS

Bankruptcy Savant – Arkansas Bankruptcy News and Info (useful site but can’t tell who writes it)

• The Mortgage Modification Lie
• HAMP = Homeowners and Taxpayers Duped?

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA); also by Scott Sagaria – American Bankruptcy Association (ABA) Journal California Bankruptcy Blog

• Summary of Some of the Requirements of Home Affordable Modification or “HAMP”
• Is HAMP Falling Short?

Southern California

Hale Antico, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog (Los Angeles, CA)

• Obama 2^nd Mortgage Plan Still Not Launched After 9 Months

Howard Nassiri (Vincent D. Howard, Esq. and Damian J. Nassiri, Esq.) – California Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Anaheim, CA)

• Changes to Federal Loan Modification Program Encourage Principal Reductions
• Treasury Department Considers Adding Appeal Period to HAMP
• New Federal Data Shows Sharp Increase in Permanent Loan Modifications
• New York State Loan Modification Program Called Ineffective Because It’s Voluntary
• A Look at Why One Lender Has Succeeded in HAMP While Others Have Failed
• ¡MORE!

FLORIDA

Jordan E. Bublick, Esq. – South Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Miami, FL)

• Making Home Affordable Program Updates
• Proposed Changes to HAMP
• Keeping Your Florida Roof Over Your Head – HAMP and Chapter 13
• Another Mortgage Modification Proposal
• December Treasury-HUD Report on the HAMP
• ¡MORE!

INDIANA

Mark S. Zuckerberg, Esq. (Indianapolis, IN)

• Indianapolis Bankruptcy Lawyer Update on Mortgage Modification
• Mortgage Modification Sessions May Be Missing Important Player

KANSAS

Mark Neis & Jill Michaux – Kansas Bankruptcy Law Information – (Topeka, KS)

• Foreclosure Truth: Few Getting Help

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill McLeod (McLeod Law Offices) – McLeod Law Blog (Boston, MA)

• Some ‘Provocative’ Questions about ‘Extend and Pretend’
• That Servicemembers Notice & Your Loan Mod Request
• Saving the Home: Thinking Beyond “Delay and Pray”
• State of the Union Decompression: The Whole Mortgage Modification Thing
• The State of Our Union

Goldstein & Clegg, LLC – Bankruptcy & Loan Modifications (Lynnfield, MA); also ABA Journal Massachusetts Bankruptcy Blog by Michael Goldstein

• How the HAMP loan modifications effect your credit score
• Press Release on the HAMP Program

Nicolas F. Ortiz, Esq. – Massachusetts Bankruptcy and Consumer Law (Boston, MA)

• List of HAMP Mortgage Servicers
• Home Affordable Modification Program: Introduction

MICHIGAN

Kurt O’Keefe, Esq. – Bankruptcy Blog (G.P. Woods, MI)

• HAMP Failing To Stem Foreclosures
• How Is The Government Mortgage Modification Program Working?
• HAMP and Bankruptcy

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Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• LifeLock Fined for Inappropriate Identity Theft Protection Claims
• FTC: Identity Theft Top Complaint in 2009; Potential Data Breach
• Financial News This Week: More Consumer Protection
• Medical Records in Bankruptcy Court
• Is Texting ‘HAITI’ to 90999 A Scam?
• Bankruptcy More A Girl Thing

Bankruptcy Law Network

• Protect Your Privacy in Bankruptcy – Redact!
• Better Business Bureau and Identity Theft Prevention—Not Just An Agency to Call to Complain
• Beware of Fake Debt Collectors
• Online Pay Lenders: The Next Wave of Identity Theft?
• My Social Security Number Is Protected During Bankruptcy, Right?
• Identity Theft Involving Children’s Social Security Numbers

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

CreditSlips.org

• Your Free Lottery Ticket: Credit Card Truncation and Identity Theft
• Security Freezes One Year Later / Security Freezes
• Targeting the Elderly
• Credit Card Application Approval Process

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• Roberds and Schreft on the Economics Behind Data Security, Privacy, and Identity Theft
• Study Finds Data Breach Laws Have Only Marginal Effect on Identity Theft
• Phony Consumer Protection Watch: Is § 1681s-2(a) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act an Example of Phony Consumer Protection?
• New Javelin Report Finds 22% Increase in Identity Theft Victims

MASSACHUSETTS

Bacon Wilson P.C. – Bankruptcy Bits (Springfield, Westfield, Northampton, Amherst, MA)

• ALERT: The Deadline for Massachusetts Information Security Regulations Compliance is March 1, 2010
• New Amendments Extend Deadline for Compliance with Identity Theft Laws

INDIANA

Mark S. Zuckerberg, Esq. (Indianapolis, IN)

• Job Scams Make Bloomington Bankruptcy Attorney’s Blood Boil
• Protecting Against Scams Pre- And Post-Bankruptcy
• Columbus Bankruptcy Lawyer Warns of Identity Theft
• Real People, Real Identity Theft, Real Bankruptcy
• Anderson Bankruptcy Attorney Warns Against New Scams
• Worse to Worser – Adding Identity Theft to Bankruptcy

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Tips on Stopping Damage Caused by Identity Theft

CALIFORNIA

Anerio Altman, Esq. (Lake Forest Bankruptcy Center) – Orange County Emergency Bankruptcy Law Office (Lake Forest, CA)

• Discharging Identity Theft

ALABAMA

Watts Law Group, P.C. and M. Stan Herring, P.C. – Alabama Consumer Law Blog (Birmingham, AL)

• Homeowner Insurance Can Cover Identity Theft
• Rise in Medical Identity Theft
• IRS Warns of Tax Scams
• Common Traits of Identity Theft Victims
• Identity Thief Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison

WISCONSIN

Bankruptcy Law Offices of Richard A. Check, Esq. (Milwaukee, WI)

• G-Men Offer Bankruptcy Tips
• Monitoring Your Credit Report

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Tips to Avoid Having Your Identity Stolen
• Bankruptcy Court Conceals Debtor’s Identity Due to Medical Disclosures
• Creditor Reveals Debtors’ Personal Information in a Proof of Claim
• Unemployed? Beware of Job Scams
• IRS Warns Taxpayers to Avoid Common Tax Scams
• After Bankruptcy Don’t Fall for Credit File Segregation Scams
• Texas Legislators Crack Down on Criminals Who Target Seniors

Fears & Nachawati – Texas Bankruptcy Blog (Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX)

• Bankruptcy Fraud Is A Federal Crime
• The Rise in Bankruptcy Filings in The Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex

J. Brian Allen – Northeast Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer (Sulphur Springs, TX)

• Seven Bankruptcy Scams to Avoid

J. Michael McBride, P.C. – TexasLawyerBlog (Ft. Worth, TX)

• Mortgage Fraud Cases Surge, Convictions Rise, FBI Reports

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq. – Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• Oklahoma Consumers Beware of the Work From Home Scam

NORTH CAROLINA

Susanne M. Robicsek, Esq. – North Carolina Bankruptcy Lawyer (Charlotte, NC)

• NC Attorney General Warning About Fake IRS Contact

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Unemployment Scams and Bankruptcy in New York

NEW JERSEY

Stark & Stark – Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Blog (Lawrenceville, NJ)

• New Jersey Legal Update – Podcast # 24

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Bankruptcy Fraud is a Federal Crime

BONUS

BLT’s  “Scams!” post will broaden your knowledge on credit fraudsters’ artifices.

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Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is a Brooklyn-based attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.

Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• A Closer Look at the Orleans Homebuilders Bankruptcy [via Delaware Bankruptcy Litigation]
• Hecker’s Troubles Signed, Unsealed, Delivered [via Bankruptcy Beat]
• Prosecutors Bring Bankruptcy Fraud Charges Against Hecker [via Bankruptcy Beat]
• Drama Continues for Death Row [via Bankruptcy Beat]
• The Daily Docket: Freedom Wins OK on Chapter 11 Plan [via Bankruptcy Beat]

ARIZONA

Brian Dault, Esq. (Dault & Associates PLLC) – Phoenix Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Chandler, AZ)

• College Football Star Files Bankruptcy, Surrenders Championship Ring

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.***

CALIFORNIA

Northern California

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA); also by Scott Sagaria – American Bankruptcy Association (ABA) Journal California Bankruptcy Blog

• Readers’ Digest Emerges from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
• Readers’ Digest Hits Snag in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
• Foundry Stalwart Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
• BlueHippo Bankruptcy
• Illinois on the Brink of Bankruptcy!
• A Look at Francis Ford Coppola’s Bankruptcy
• NFL’s Bernie Kosar and Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
• Mesa Air Group Inc. Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
• Tavern on the Green, Light on the Green

Southern California

Hale Antico, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog (Los Angeles, CA)

• Magic Mountain not so Magic

COLORADO

Gailyn Wink & Michael Wink – Wink & Wink, P.C. (Denver, Co)

• Presidents Day Secrets – Abe Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Bankruptcy

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• The “Do It Yourself Bailout” – Jonathon’s Interview with Kenny Golde:
  • Part I
  • Part II
  • Part III
  • Part IV
  • Part V
  • Part VI

• Giant Debt Collector Law Firm Mann, Bracken Out of Business

INDIANA

Mark S. Zuckerberg, Esq. (Indianapolis, IN)

• Indianapolis Bankruptcy Attorney Points to Lou Pearlman: The Music Doesn’t Stop in Bankruptcy Court
• For Celebrities and Common Folk, Bankruptcy Goes Back to the Basics
• Bankruptcy Hoi Polloi in 2009
• 2009: The Year of the Business Bankruptcy

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• When Your Town Goes Bust
• Even Presidents File for Bankruptcy
• Question: What Do You and Bernie Kosar Have in Common?

NEW YORK

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Lenny Dykstra Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Anti-Case Study Continues
• Having Trouble Selling Your Home? Don’t Do a Lenny Dykstra
• Presidents and Bankruptcy: Jefferson and Lincoln
• Bernie Kosar Bankruptcy Offers Lessons for Average Americans Facing Bankruptcy
• Another Celebrity Bankruptcy: Actor Barry Corbin
• My Connection to the Top 10 Celebrity Bankruptcies of the Decade

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq.- Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• Comedian Tim Clue Talks About Debt, Credit Cards and Bill Collectors

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Michael Jackson’s Doctor May Need a Bankruptcy Attorney
• Flamboyant Restaurant Owner Forced into Bankruptcy Is Arrested
• Morris Publishing Group’s Bankruptcy Plan Approved
• Neenah Enterprises Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
• Evan Rapper Jay-Z Battles Foreclosure
• Madoff Bankruptcy Liquidation Decision Riles Investors/Victims
• Bankruptcy Might Be an Option for Famous Pasadena Theater
• Tribune Co. Accused of Fraudulent Conveyance before Bankruptcy
• Movie Gallery Next Up for Bankruptcy
• Parking Co. of America Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
• Bankruptcy Update: RH Donnelly and Reader’s Digest
• Even “The Hulkster” Can’t Wrestle with Medical Debt
• Air America Radio Files Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
• Major Casino Operator Set to Emerge from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
• MGM Movie Studios May File Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Fears & Nachawati – Texas Bankruptcy Blog (Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX)

• When Your Town Goes Bust

WASHINGTON

Spencer Anderson Buhr PLLC – Seattle Bankruptcy Blog (Seattle, WA)

• Muzak Exits Bankruptcy Protection
• Taco Del Mar Files for Bankruptcy
• GM Bankruptcy Loomed for Years

WISCONSIN

Bankruptcy Law Offices of Richard A. Check, Esq. (Milwaukee, WI)

• GM Dealerships Get Second Chance Under Reinstatement Plan
• Wisconsin GM, Chrysler Dealerships Seek Reinstatement
• Wisconsin High-Tech Firm Unable to Find New Investors Goes Chapter 7

BONUS

Lest Steven punish me, I recommend you reread Bankruptcy Bill’s own post on the subject.

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