In re: Cery Perle

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Debtor filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy but did not list, as one of his outstanding debts, a $350,000 arbitration award to Fiero Brothers (creditor). At issue on appeal was whether the creditor's lawyer's knowledge of the bankruptcy constituted notice to the creditor. In this instance, the lawyer learned of debtor's bankruptcy during his representation of another client and, although the lawyer continued to represent the creditor on other matters, he no longer represented the creditor in relation to the debt at issue. Under these facts, the court declined to impute the notice or actual knowledge of debtor's bankruptcy filing that the lawyer had to creditor. Accordingly, the court affirmed the BAP's ruling that the arbitration debt was nondischargeable under sections 523(a)(3) and 523(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code. View "In re: Cery Perle" on Justia Law