October 29, 2009

IRS may not collect taxes on short sales or foreclosure sales - IRS tax attorney

Los Angeles Tax Attorney:

If you are looking for information on the IRS voluntary disclosure or the IRS FBAR program you can visit here FBAR - Why file IRS Voluntary Disclosure or here IRS Voluntary Disclosure for FBAR

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If you owe a debt to a bank or any other creditor and they agree to forgive or reduce the balance of the debt, the canceled amount of the debt may be taxed by the Internal Revenue Service.

The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 generally allows IRS taxpayers to exclude income from the reduced debt on their principal place of residence. IRS taxpayers who were able to reduce debt owed their home through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in connection with a foreclosure, may not be taxed on the amount of the canceled debt.

Up to $2 million of forgiven debt is eligible for this IRS income tax exclusion ($1 million if married filing separately). The tax exclusion does not apply if the debt forgiveness is due to services performed, trades or offsets with the lender or any other reason which is not directly related to a decline in real estate value of the taxpayer's home or their changed financial circumstance.

If you have any questions regarding the Internal Revenue Service Rules or Procedures (IRS) you may contact us here.


June 14, 2009

Los Angeles Lakers 2009 World Champions

Los Angeles Tax Attorney:


Congratulations Los Angeles Lakers #15

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Los Angeles Lakers 2009 World Champions Game Highlights

April 17, 2009

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Torrance Based Mall Files Bankruptcy Business and Consmer Bankruptcy Filings Surge

Torrance Bankruptcy Attorney:

Los Angeles based mall owner files for Chapter 11 business bankruptcy. According to Los Angeles Times article, one of the largest mall owners in Southern California with locations in Burbank, Northridge, Torrance and Carson has filed bankruptcy to reorganize its debt structure.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filings and other consumer and business bankruptcy filings by businesses located in Manhattan Beach Torrance Hermos Beach Redondo Beach Carson Gardena Lomita Lawndale Palos Verdes have seen a dramatic increase over the last 12 months period as our local economy goes through the current recessionary cycle. Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing by General Growth Properties could have a ripple effect to other local businesses which rely on these malls for their own survival.

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Chapter 11 bankruptcy attorneys provide business protection through the bankruptcy courts which typically allows a bankrupt company to hold off creditors and operate as normal while it develops a financial reorganization plan. Most Chapter 11 bankruptcy plans and Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcies provide pay out of few cents on the dollar to its general unsecured creditors. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to both individuals and businesses of all size.


Continue reading "Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Torrance Based Mall Files Bankruptcy Business and Consmer Bankruptcy Filings Surge" »

January 25, 2009

California Tax Attorney: Tax Refund Delayed in California

California Tax Attorney: With the declining tax revenues and no budget in place, California Franchise Tax Board announced today that the state will suspend tax refunds, welfare checks, student grants and other payments owed to Californians starting Feb. 1,

According to Los Angeles Times Tax News California Controller John Chiang said he had no choice but to stop making some $3.7 billion in payments in the absence of action by the governor and lawmakers to close the state's nearly $42-billion budget deficit. More than half of those payments are tax refunds.


Is California going bankrupt?

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September 13, 2008

Los Angeles Bankruptcy Attorney: Business and Personal Bankruptcy Law Firm Update

Los Angeles Bankruptcy Attorney

United States Bankruptcy Court Los Angeles Bankruptcy Court

Chapter 11 Business Bankruptcy Case: In re Brice Road Developments, LLC
6th Cir. BAP

To calculate a cramdown interest rate in a chapter 11 case, where an “efficient market” exists, the market rate should be applied, and where no “efficient market” exists, the formula approach endorsed by the Supreme Court in Till v. SCS Credit Corp. should be employed.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Case: Zurich Am Ins v. Lexington Coal
6th Cir.

The bankruptcy court did not err in disallowing the administrative claim sought by a debtor's post-petition insurer for its unaccrued claim against the debtor based upon an actuarial estimate of amounts to become due under a "deductible policy" (ie. a policy where the insurer paid claims in full and then billed the debtor for the deductible).

Chapter 7 Personal Bankruptcy Case: In re Phillips Bankr. N.D. IL.

§ 330(a)(7) requires a Court to determine reasonable compensation for a Ch. 7 trustee as a commission with § 326(a) establishing a maximum cap thereon, but such cap is not an entitlement, nor is the trustee entitled to a statutory presumption of the appropriate allowable compensation for such services.


Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Case: In the Matter of United Operating, LLC
5th Cir.

In a suit following a bankruptcy case alleging mismanagement of debtor's property during reorganization, summary judgment against debtor is affirmed where debtor, in agreeing to the bankruptcy reorganization plan, failed to retain its right to bring a post-confirmation action, and therefore lacked standing.

In the Matter of Yorkshire LLC
5th Cir.

Bankruptcy court's order sanctioning debtors for filing two bankruptcy petitions in bad faith is affirmed where the bankruptcy court did not err in concluding that the bankruptcy cases had been filed with a bad motive and with no meaningful thought being given to the actual purposes of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Winget v. JP Morgan Chase Bank
6th Cir.

Although a court generally may not look beyond the averments in a complaint in deciding a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, it can look at public records, including judicial proceedings, in addition to the allegations in the complaint. Specifically, on a motion to dismiss, the court may take judicial notice of another court’s opinion not for the truth of the facts recited therein, but for the existence of the opinion, which is not subject to reasonable dispute over its authenticity.

The district court did not err in dismissing a complaint based upon its conclusion that a bankruptcy court's prior sale order was preclusive as to the claims asserted in the complaint. Where the claims in a complaint generally attack the value of the debtor's assets, such claims go to the heart of a sale order and thus are claims that "should have been" brought in the context of a sale.

In re Storey
6th Cir. BAP

§ 1327 precludes modification of a confirmed plan under § 1329 to address issues that were or could have been decided at the time the plan was originally confirmed.

Teleglobe USA, Inc. et. al. v. BCE et. al.

Although a party is required to disclose a testifying expert's report and all data or information considered by the expert in preparing the report, this rule does not require disclosure of prior drafts of the report prepared by the expert.

A testifying expert does not have to produce documents which are protected as core attorney work product (i.e., which reflect the attorney's mental impressions and trial strategy). Rule 26 disclosures by testifying experts do not trump the attorney work product doctrine. Attorney work product continues to be protected by Rule 26 even if it is shared with a testifying expert. Factual information delivered to an expert by an attorney however, can be discoverable.

Where a witness uses a document to refresh his recollection before testifying, disclosure of that document is not automatic, but is within the court's discretion. Such discretion must take account of any applicable privilege pertaining to the document.

When co-clients and their common attorneys communicate with one another, those communications are "in confidence" for privilege purposes. Hence the privilege protects those communications from compelled disclosure to persons outside the joint representation. Moreover, waiving the joint-client privilege requires the consent of all joint clients.

In re Elrod Holdings
Bankr. DE

A secured creditor has standing to seek equitable subordination of another creditor's claim so long as the injury underlying the subordination is particularized to the creditor seeking subordination (eg. is not an injury suffered by all creditors)

March 3, 2008

Los Angeles Home Foreclosure Attorney - Michael Jackson's Home set for Foreclosure

Michael Jackson Behind on Mortgage Payments

Los Angeles Tax Attorney- Los Angeles County Public documents shows Los Angeles based superstar Michael Jackson has failed to make mortgage payments on a Los Angeles home that he has used for many years. Documents do not show whether he is behind in his tax payments.

Foreclosure documents filed with the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office by his mortgage lender indicate Michael Jackson has been delinquent with his home mortgage payments over the last several months. Michael Jackson's Los Angeles home is located in Encino, an area in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County.

According to Los Angeles Times,the singer had $153,910 in missed payments as of January17 on a $4 million loan serviced by Pasadena, California home mortgage lender IndyMac Bancorp. Los Angeles county documents dated Feb. 7, 2008, show the home mortgage notice of default was withdrawn. A spokeswoman for Jackson or his attorney did not immediately return a call for comment.

If Jackson or anyone in Los Angeles facing foreclosure wants to immediately stop the foreclosure process, they'll need to negotiate a forebearance agreement on the loan or file Chapter 13 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Due to the high secured loan balance, Michael Jackson would not qualify for Chapter 13. A reorganization under Chapter 11 would be the most likely legal tool to stave off foreclosure sale of his home in the event the the mortgage lender re-initiates the foreclosure process.

If you are facing home foreclosure in Los Angeles and wish to discussed with an attorney who has helped save hundreds of homeowners from losing their home, call 310 234 5680.

February 24, 2008

Tax Problems for Los Angeles Mortgage Lender

As the housing market and the mortgage businesses continue to crumble, even the once wealthy mortgage lenders are facing tax problems. Los Angeles Tax Problems for Mortgage Brokers With the wave of recent foreclosure filings and bankruptcy filings in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Torrance and other areas of Los Angeles County, home prices may continue to deteriorate.

February 24, 2008

Los Angeles Bankruptcy Filing Increase as Foreclosures Rise

Los Angles Bankruptcy Attorney - As Los Angles area bankruptcy and foreclosures sky rocket, the Bush administration and Congress are considering new proposals for the government to rescue hundreds of thousands of homeowners whose mortgages are higher than the value of their houses.

Los Angles Bankruptcy Attorneys have noticed many high income neighborhoods in the Los Angeles are facing negative equity position in their homes.

Not since the Depression has a larger share of Americans owed more on their homes than they are worth. With the collapse of the housing boom, nearly 8.8 million homeowners, or 10.3 percent of the total, may lose their homes.

Bush Administration officials say they still oppose any taxpayer bailout for either people who borrowed more than they could afford or banks that made foolish loans during the height of the speculative bubble in housing. This includes majority of Los Angeles homebuyers who bought homes since 2001. In addition, sorting who can be helped and who will not be helped is a daunting task.

Troubled homeowner and their increasing nervousness is evident across Los Angeles, Long Beach, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana, San Diego, Torrance, Pasadena homeowners where falling home prices and negative equity are increasingly common.

As Los Angles home prices fall, many file Chapter 13 bankruptcy to protect losing their homes through foreclosure. However, with the current bankruptcy code, it is difficult to save many homes in the Los Angeles area.

The Federal Housing Administration, meanwhile, is examining ways to expand its new insurance program, known as FHA Secure, to help people replace their costly subprime mortgages with federally guaranteed fixed-rate mortgages. However, for those in foreclosure now, it may be too late. Mortgage industry executives say that the F.H.A.’s eligibility requirements are too restrictive. In that regard, many Californians including those in Los Angles, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Torrance, El Monte, Pasadena are filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy petitions to save their homes.

February 15, 2008

Los Angeles Bankruptcy Court Stops Foreclosure & Changes Mortgage Loan Terms

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate last night will change the bankruptcy law to allow Los Angeles Bankruptcy Court Judges and Los Angeles Bankruptcy Attorneys to modify loans held by Los Angeles homeowners on the verge of losing their homes in Los Angeles and California through foreclosure.

The amendment to Bankruptcy Law, S.2636, allows Los Angeles Bankruptcy and Tax Attorneys to provide modifications to mortgage loans on the Los Angeles homewoners' “principal residence” who meet certain income and expense criteria.
Los Angeles Bankruptcy Court May Stop Foreclosure by Modifying Home Loans

February 12, 2008

Los Angeles Foreclosure Help

As the housing prices gradually decline in the Los Angeles area, foreclosure and bankruptcy attorneys in the Los Angeles area have been inundated with inquiries by consumers desperate to save their homes.

Los Angeles Times is reporting that to help homeowners, six of the largest U.S. mortgage lenders, including Los Angeles based Countrywide, announced today they will halt the foreclosure process while they try to work out a new payment scheme with the delinquent borrowers. This new plan is dubbed "Project Lifeline," and set to identify borrowers more than 60 days delinquent and stall any foreclosure proceedings by much as 30 days while new loan terms may be negotiated.

This "new" plan is not really new. Most banks have been extending additional grace period beyond the statutory foreclosure timelines to accommodate delinquent home owners. In this market, most banks do not want to foreclose on the homeowner. If you can show any reasonable cause or provide a plan which can demonstrate your ability to catch up on your arrears, most lenders have been holding off the foreclosure process in some cases as much as 6 months.

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The real plan to stave off home foreclosures must involve lowering the interest rates and providing homeowners with a traditional 30 year loan. All these save the "American Dream" plans I've seen are gimmicky at best...its like trying to fix a broken dam with playdoh.