Richard D. Taylor

How Judge Taylor rules, drawn from 21 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas
Position
bankruptcy
Commissioned
2003-01-03
Education
Centenary College (honors graduate); University of Arkansas School of Law (honors graduate)
Signed orders read
21

How Judge Taylor decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

A completed postpetition foreclosure sale was void where the debtors retained a statutory cure right and the property remained in the estate.

“the sale of the debtors’ home is void ab initio.”

A rural homestead remained exempt where city amenities were nearby but the property's character and surrounding uses were rural.

“Nothing more than the intrusion of the city a mile to his west suggests that this property or its contiguous areas are anything other than rural.”

Procedural preferences

Exact compliance with a company's designated service method weighed strongly against setting aside a later default caused by its internal failures.

“The Trustee served PIRS exactly as it requested.”

A valid class-action waiver remained enforceable even though the underlying individual bankruptcy claims stayed in court.

“this court must respect the parties’ valid and voluntary agreement to waive class actions”

Cautions

Systematic inaccuracies in simple schedules supported denial of discharge where they deprived creditors and the trustee of reliable disclosure.

“the debtor intentionally failed to accurately complete his schedules”

A stay pending appeal required legal injury and standing, not mere dissatisfaction with a trustee's sale.

“Riffenburg complains of unhappiness rather than legal grievance or standing.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Dowden v. Skyline Services Group, LLC et al.
4:18-ap-01062 · 2018-12-14
Summary judgment (defendants) Denied

“Accordingly, the Defendants’ Summary Judgment Motion is denied.”

May v. Midland Funding, LLC et al.
4:18-ap-01057 · 2018-10-03
Motion to compel arbitration (Midland Funding, LLC and Midland Credit Management, Inc.) Denied

“The request for arbitration contained in the Motion is denied.”

In re Fred Ausburn and Janet L. Ausburn
4:14-bk-16153 · 2015-02-10
Motion for automatic stay relief (debtors) Granted

“For the reasons stated above, the debtors’ Amended Motion is granted.”

Coleman v. Fields
4:14-ap-01055 · 2016-01-20
Nondischargeability adversary claim (Richard M. Coleman, Jr.) Granted

“the damages, costs, and attorney’s fees are nondischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A), for false pretenses and false representations.”

In re James Keith Currie
6:25-bk-70221 · 2025-06-18
Summary judgment (Chapter 13 trustee) Denied

“the relief sought in the Motion for Summary Judgment is denied.”

Motion to dismiss bankruptcy case (Chapter 13 trustee) Denied

“The Motion to Dismiss is also denied.”

Wetzel v. Eichler
4:17-ap-01089 · 2019-05-03
Objection to discharge (Chapter 7 trustee) Denied

“the relief requested by the Trustee in his Complaint is denied.”

In re Roger Dale Johnson, Jr. and Threesa A. Johnson
6:11-bk-75642 · 2012-10-10
Objection to confirmation (Pamela R. Buck) Granted

“The Objection is sustained.”

Request for attorneys fees (debtors) Denied

“The request for fees is denied.”

In re Barry K. Kellerman and Dana M. Kellerman
4:09-bk-13935 · 2015-05-26
Objection to exemptions (Chapter 7 trustee and Arvest Bank) Granted

“the objections filed by the Trustee and Arvest are sustained.”

In re Marie King
4:19-bk-16475 · 2020-04-30
Motion for relief from stay (REI Nation, LLC) Granted

“pursuant to section 362(d), the automatic stay is terminated”

Finishing Touch Carpet One v. Kinney
1:20-ap-07029 / 1:20-bk-70361 · 2020-12-01
Motion to convert chapter (debtor) Denied

“the Motion to Convert is denied.”

Objection to discharge (Finishing Touch Carpet One) Granted

“the relief requested in the Complaint is granted, and the debtor is denied his Chapter 7 discharge.”

In re Tilda Marie Chambers Leaks
5:15-bk-15772 · 2016-07-08
Motion to avoid judicial lien (debtor) Granted

“the relief requested in the Motion is granted.”

Jewell et al. v. Lewis
4:20-ap-07048 · 2022-02-04
Nondischargeability adversary claim (Danny and Charlotte Jewell) Denied

“The relief sought by the Jewells in the Complaint is denied.”

Nondischargeability adversary claim (Chandler Insurance Agency, Inc.) Granted

“The relief sought by Chandler Insurance is granted and a judgment of nondischargeability will be entered in the amount of $48,510 plus costs, interest, and attorney’s fees as awarded in the Judgment.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

All ten sampled matters were terminated. Their durations ranged from 67 to 1,798 days, with a median of 462.5 days. The sample is descriptive and is not a complete caseload census.

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