Maria Ellena Chavez-Ruark

How Judge Chavez-Ruark rules, drawn from 12 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland
Position
bankruptcy
Commissioned
2020-11-18
Education
B.S., Salisbury University; M.B.A., University of Maryland; J.D., University of Maryland School of Law
Signed orders read
12

How Judge Chavez-Ruark decides

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

What persuades

The court gave substantial weight to avoiding inconsistent judgments and respecting a state court's ability to review its own proceedings.

“The Court finds the risk of inconsistent results and the interest of comity with the State Court to be the most compelling reasons for abstention.”

Procedural preferences

Fraud-based claims must identify supporting facts rather than rely on conclusory allegations.

“The insufficiency of the Complaint’s allegations against Hanrahan is more apparent when considered in the context of Rule 9(b), which requires that Pieterse and Cahall state ‘with particularity’ the circumstances relating to any fraud-based claims.”

Cautions

Allegations of bad faith or misconduct should be supported by evidence before they are presented to the court.

“allegations of bad faith and misconduct are powerful statements and hot button issues for the Court.”

Signed rulings

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

Gaske v. Satellite Restaurants Inc. Crabcake Factory USA
21-00012 (20-19282) · 2021-03-19
Motions to dismiss (Satellite Restaurants Inc. Crabcake Factory USA) Granted

“For the foregoing reasons, the Court will grant the Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss.”

Request for fees and costs (Satellite Restaurants Inc. Crabcake Factory USA) Denied

“Because this is a matter of first impression and there is nothing to indicate the Plaintiffs acted in bad faith in filing the Complaint, the request will be denied.”

Wolff v. Moncada
20-00075 (19-21444) · 2021-04-27
Summary judgment (William Moncada) Granted

“Therefore, the Defendant is entitled to summary judgment on Count I, which seeks avoidance of a fraudulent conveyance. Because the transfer cannot be avoided, the Property or its value cannot be recovered under Section 550 and the Trustee cannot sell the Property under Section 363(h). Thus, the Defendant is also entitled to summary judgment on Counts II and III.”

Pieterse v. Tyler Donegan Duncan Real Estate Services, Inc.
21-00061 (20-17425) · 2021-05-28
Motions to dismiss (John C. Hanrahan) Granted

“Accordingly, the Court will grant the Motion to Dismiss and dismiss the Complaint with prejudice as to Hanrahan.”

Pieterse v. Tyler Donegan Duncan Real Estate Services, Inc.
21-00061 (20-17425) · 2021-05-28

The court abstained to avoid inconsistent results with pending state proceedings and dismissed the remaining complaint without prejudice.

In re Mario Fernando Cisneros
21-12338 · 2021-08-25
Motions to dismiss (MarketPro South, Inc.) Denied

“For the reasons set forth above, the Court will deny the Motion to Dismiss.”

In re Denis Stanton Ibbott
21-15920 · 2022-03-08
Motion to convert or dismiss (Chapter 13 Trustee Rebecca A. Herr) Granted in part

“Therefore, the Court will grant the Trustee’s and Cantwell-Cleary’s Motions subject to further proceedings to determine whether conversion or dismissal is in the best interests of creditors and the estate”

Motion to convert or dismiss (Cantwell-Cleary Co., Inc.) Granted in part
In re Sonia Del Rocio Cruz
22-16947 · 2024-10-10
Motion to determine reasonableness of fees (Sonia Del Rocio Cruz) Denied

“ORDERED, that the Motion is denied as set forth herein;”

In re Jin Woo Kim
21-12870 · 2024-10-15
Fee application (Chapter 7 Trustee Janet M. Nesse) Granted

“For these reasons, the Court will approve the Application and award the Trustee compensation in the amount of $21,423.65 for services rendered and reimbursement of expenses in the amount of $407.00.”

Objection to fee application (United States Trustee) Denied

“the Court will approve the Application, overrule the objections of the U.S. Trustee and Ms. Kim”

Objection to fee application (Sun Kyung Kim) Denied
Tucker v. Brusznicki
21-00247 (21-16213) · 2022-10-01
Summary judgment (Mical R. Tucker) Granted in part

“the Debtor is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Counts I and II of the Complaint”

Summary judgment (Christopher Brusznicki) Granted in part

“the Defendant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Count III.”

In re Barbara Ann Kelly
23-12700 · 2023-12-11
Motion for relief from stay (Naples Property Holding Company, LLC and related entities) Granted

“The Court will enter orders granting the NBC Entities’ Lift Stay Motion”

Motion for relief from automatic and codebtor stays (U.S. Bank National Association) Granted

“The Court will enter orders granting the NBC Entities’ Lift Stay Motion, U.S. Bank’s Lift Stay Motion”

Motions to dismiss (Chapter 13 Trustee Rebecca A. Herr) Granted

“The Court will enter orders granting the NBC Entities’ Lift Stay Motion, U.S. Bank’s Lift Stay Motion, and the Motion to Dismiss.”

In re Robby D. Garner
24-16770 · 2025-09-23
Motion for partial summary judgment (Acting United States Trustee for Region 4) Granted

“the Court concludes that the standard for summary judgment is met because there are no material facts in dispute and the U.S. Trustee is entitled to partial judgment as a matter of law.”

Powder Mill Village v. Zenzi Iyana Miller
24-00222 and 24-00246 (23-19179) · 2025-10-03
Summary judgment (Zenzi Iyana Miller) Denied

“the Court will enter judgment in favor of Powder Mill Village and against the Debtor on all counts of the Debtor’s Counterclaim”

Motions to dismiss (Powder Mill Village) Granted

“Motion to Dismiss, dismiss the Debtor’s Counterclaim”

Motions to remand and abstain (Powder Mill Village) Granted

“grant Powder Mill Village’s Motions to Remand, abstain from exercising jurisdiction over the Eviction Complaints”

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