Duncan W. Keir

How Judge Keir rules, drawn from 19 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Judge Keir no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

Court
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland
Position
bankruptcy
Status
Retired 2011
Served
1993–2011
Commissioned
1993-11-12
Education
Gettysburg College, B.A., 1968; University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., 1975
Signed orders read
19

How Judge Keir decides

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

What persuades

Dismissal was warranted where a debtor had no operating business and no realistic prospect of restoring one.

“Rehabilitation means to reestablish a business and Landmark has no business.”

A secured creditor's silence counted as acceptance only after the plan and service clearly disclosed the proposed treatment.

“the information received by the creditor must openly and notoriously inform the creditor of the proposed treatment of their claim and that the court will determine this issue at the confirmation hearing.”

Procedural preferences

A party could not relitigate a decided stay-relief request merely by presenting evidence that was available at the first hearing.

“a party is not entitled to try and then retry the same dispute simply because at the first trial insufficient evidence was introduced”

Cautions

A rejected lease remained estate property until abandonment or another statutory termination of the stay.

“an executory contract or unexpired lease that is rejected under 11 U.S.C. § 365(d)(1) is breached, but is not abandoned.”

Signed rulings

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

In re Landmark Atlantic Hess Farm, LLC
10-24656-DK · 2011-03-03
Motion to dismiss chapter 11 (Merrill Cohen, Chapter 7 trustee) Granted

“After careful consideration, the court finds that the Landmark case should be dismissed and that continuation of the case in a chapter 7 is not in the best interests of the creditors or the estate.”

Motion to dismiss or convert chapter 11 (United States Trustee) Granted
In re Kotche
10-30082 · 2011-09-22
Motion to dismiss chapter 13 (Debtor) Denied

“the motion will not be granted.”

Motion to convert to chapter 7 (United States Trustee) Granted

“the court will grant the UST Motion to Convert.”

In re Sydnor; In re Clarkson
08-14229DK; 09-22084DK · 2010-06-11
Motion to appoint chapter 11 trustee or convert (Lenders) Granted

“an Order will be entered directing the United States Trustee to forthwith appoint a Chapter 11 Trustee for each of these estates.”

Motion to appoint chapter 11 trustee or convert (Lenders) Granted
Logan v. CitiMortgage, Inc. (In re Schubert)
08-17653-DK; Adv. 09-0031 · 2010-10-12
Complaint to avoid lien (Chapter 7 trustee) Denied

“the Trustee’s demands in the Amended Complaint to receive a turnover from CitiMortgage are denied.”

Request for turnover (Chapter 7 trustee) Denied
Request for declaratory judgment on lien priority (Chapter 7 trustee) Denied

“the Court declares that Citi-Mortgage holds the first priority lien upon the proceeds of the sale”

In re Eader
09-32656DK · 2010-03-22
Motion to approve lease assumption (Mazda American Credit) Denied

“the court will not grant a motion which seeks such approval by the court.”

In re Wick
08-11530DK · 2010-01-05
Plan confirmation (Debtor) Granted

“An Order Confirming Plan in accordance with this Memorandum Opinion has been entered.”

In re Davis
08-16117DK · 2008-11-12
Objection to plan confirmation (Chapter 13 trustee) Denied

“the Trustee’s objection under Section 1325(a)(5)(B) therefore must be denied.”

Plan confirmation (Debtor) Granted

“the Amended Chapter 13 Plan would be confirmed.”

First Niagara Leasing, Inc. v. Chesapeake Contractors, Inc. (In re Chesapeake Contractors, Inc.)
07-20678DK · 2008-12-11
Motion for relief from automatic stay (First Niagara Leasing, Inc.) Denied

“the motion for relief from stay will be denied as precluded for the reasons set forth in this Memorandum Opinion”

In re Bellamy
07-11332DK · 2007-11-28
Fee application (Debtor's counsel) Granted in part

“the court determines that an interim allowance of fee is appropriate in the amount of 60% of the total flat fee for the case, that is $2,700.00.”

In re Watson
06-11948DK · 2007-04-11

The opinion set a method for calculating projected disposable income and continued the confirmation hearing for evidence.

In re Mark
05-90551-DK · 2006-01-23
Motion to extend automatic stay (Debtor) Granted

“the court has granted the Debtor’s Motion to Extend Automatic Stay.”

Finance Maryland, LLC v. Smith (In re Smith)
06-10497-DK · 2006-11-02
Motions to dismiss (Finance Maryland, LLC) Denied

“an Order shall be entered denying the motion to dismiss.”

A historical record

Judge Keir no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.