Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts tagged as “Fifth Circuit”

5th Cir. Holds Overpayment of Grant Money Qualified as ‘Debt’ Under FDCPA

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently held that a consumer’s contractual obligation to repay an overpayment in government grant money received by the debtor qualified as a “debt” under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) because it involved a consensual promise to repay in exchange for receipt of an item of value, and the subject of the transaction was primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.

5th Cir. Reverses Sanctions Against Consumer’s Counsel for Failure to Promptly Settle

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently reversed a trial court’s order sanctioning a consumer’s counsel for failure to promptly settle a lawsuit, but affirmed the trial court's order denying a motion to recuse because the trial court was not biased against the consumer.

5th Cir. Affirms Order Compelling Arbitration of Age Discrimination Claim

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed a trial court’s order compelling the arbitration of an employee’s federal age discrimination claim against a financial institution employer, holding that the trial court correctly found that there was a meeting of the minds between the employee and the employer as required to form the arbitration agreement.

5th Cir. Holds SCRA Does Not Apply to Louisiana Confessions of Judgment

In a case of first impression, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently held that the protections against default judgment under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) do not apply to the seizure and sale of real property in in rem proceedings under Louisiana law where the debtors have agreed to a confession of judgment in the mortgage or security agreement.

5th Cir. Reverses Denial of Motion to Compel Arbitration in TILA Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently reversed the denial of a lender’s motion to compel arbitration in an adversary bankruptcy proceeding for allegedly violating the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA), holding that -- despite conflicting clauses in two different relevant agreements -- the parties had entered into a valid arbitration agreement that delegated the threshold issue of arbitrability to the arbitrator.

5th Cir. Rejects Borrower’s Texas Foreclosure Statute of Limitations Challenge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed judgment against a borrower for quiet title claims brought against the owner and servicer of her mortgage loan, and entered judgment of foreclosure in the loan owner and servicer’s favor on their counterclaims for foreclosure against the borrower.

5th Cir. Holds Bankruptcy Courts Cannot Enforce Discharge Injunctions From Other Districts

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently held that a bankruptcy court lacks the power to enforce discharge injunctions entered in other districts, and that the debtors’ particular private education loans were not excepted from discharge. A copy of the opinion in Crocker v. Navient Solutions, LLC is available at:  Link to Opinion. Two debtors obtained student loans, one to prepare for his bar exam, and the other to fund tuition and expenses to attend a vocational school, from a “for-profit, public corporation whose loans are not part of any governmental loan program.” The loans were then transferred…

5th Cir. Holds Bankruptcy Discharge Violations Not Always Subject to Arbitration

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed a bankruptcy court order denying a bank’s motion to compel arbitration, holding that when a debtor seeks to enforce a discharge injunction, a bankruptcy court may decline to compel arbitration because it implicates a bankruptcy court’s ability to enforce its own orders. A copy of the opinion in Henry v. Educational Financial Service is available at:  Link to Opinion. A borrower took out a student loan and subsequently filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The bankruptcy court confirmed the plan.  The borrower made the payments to her creditors, including her…

5th Cir. Holds Refinance Mortgagee Not Entitled to Contractual Subrogation When DOT Invalid

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that a refinance lender is not entitled to contractual subrogation where it does not have a valid deed of trust. Additionally, the Fifth Circuit certified the question of law to the Supreme Court of Texas regarding whether a lender is entitled to equitable subrogation where it failed to correct a curable constitutional defect in the loan documents under § 50 of the Texas Constitution. A copy of the opinion in Zepeda v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. is available at:  Link to Opinion. In 2007, a borrower took out a…