Louis H. Kornreich

How Judge Kornreich rules, drawn from 14 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Judge Kornreich 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 Maine
Position
bankruptcy
Status
Retired 2015
Served
2001–2015
Commissioned
2001
Signed orders read
14

How Judge Kornreich decides

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

What persuades

A student-loan hardship showing may rest on the debtors' full financial outlook, necessary expenses, age, and persistent health limitations.

“Having weighed the debtors’ past, present and future financial resources, their reasonable necessary living expenses, and other relevant facts and circumstances, particularly the debtors’ age and current health issues, I conclude that excepting their educational loans from discharge would impose an undue hardship on them.”

The statutory limitations period was applied from the trustee's appointment under the provision named in the statute, allowing the timely avoidance action to proceed.

“This action was commenced exactly one year after the Trustee became the first trustee under § 702. Therefore, this action is timely, and the Defendants’ motion is denied.”

Procedural preferences

A request for abstention should be supported by a developed evidentiary record rather than broad assertions about the parties' interests.

“The request for abstention will be denied because it lacks a proper evidentiary basis.”

For replacement-value evidence, retail listings were materially more useful than trade-in figures.

“Had Bradley used Kelley retail listings as the source of his opinions, they would have been acceptable evidence of replacement value.”

Cautions

An attorney-client relationship alone did not establish the technical trust required for a fiduciary-capacity discharge exception.

“No property was entrusted to Ingeneri. Thus, there was no technical trust and no fraud or defalcation with respect to property.”

Reconsideration requires more than disagreement where the governing law permits competing approaches and no controlling authority resolves the choice.

“In the absence of a decision from the First Circuit, or compelling reasons, choosing one path over the other is not manifest error.”

Signed rulings

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

Anderson v. Ingeneri (In re Ingeneri)
· 2005-03-15
Exception to discharge claim (Anderson) Denied

“Anderson has failed to establish that Ingeneri engaged in fraud or defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity.”

In re Dilley
· 2005-09-15
Summary judgment (Jon F. Dilley and the Estate of Sarah Murray) Granted

“The motion for summary judgment will be granted.”

Request for abstention (Jon F. Dilley and the Estate of Sarah Murray) Denied

“The request for abstention will be denied.”

Turner v. Bolduc (In re Crowe Rope Industries, LLC)
· 2004-03-10
Motion to strike jury demand (J.P. Bolduc and JPB Enterprises, Inc.) Granted

“Federal courts are nearly unanimous in holding that a breach of fiduciary duty claim is an action in equity, to which no jury right attaches.”

Motion to dismiss alter ego claim (J.P. Bolduc) Granted

“For the above reasons the alter ego claim is not property of the estate. Count Y shall be dismissed.”

Winslow v. Salem Five Mortgage Co. (In re Winslow)
· 2008-07-30
Claim for violation of discharge injunction (Kristy J. Curtis) Granted

“Therefore, judgment shall enter for Curtis and she shall be awarded damages in the amount of $39,384.80.”

In re McDonald
· 2007-08-17
Objection to plan confirmation (National City Mortgage) Granted

“Therefore, National’s objection to confirmation is sustained. Confirmation is denied without prejudice.”

Bache-Wiig v. Fournier (In re Bache-Wiig)
· 2003-09-17
Motion to avoid judgment lien (Carl J. Bache-Wiig) Granted

“The judgment lien is avoidable under § 522(f)(1)(A).”

Request to treat mortgage claim as unsecured (Carl J. Bache-Wiig) Denied

“The Defendant has an allowed fully secured claim in the amount of $4,597.73 plus interest at the statutory judgment rate from the date of bankruptcy, and fees in the amount of $5,538.30.”

Young v. Camelot Homes, Inc. (In re Young)
· 2008-07-02
Summary judgment (Bradley and Denise Young) Granted in part

“Partial summary judgment shall be granted to the debtors as follows:”

In re MacLeod
· 2003-07-02
Trustee objection to residence exemption (Chapter 13 Trustee) Granted

“For the reasons which follow, the Trustee’s objection is sustained and Diane’s claim is allowed in full.”

Debtor objection to claim (Wendell I. MacLeod) Denied
In re Dilley
· 2007-11-08
Objection to abandonment (Donald J. Gasink and Nancy Metz) Denied

“The objections of Gasink and Metz are overruled and the abandonment will be approved.”

In re Davenport
· 2011-01-12
Objection to residence exemption (Estate of Wendy Hosford) Denied

“Both of Hosford’s objections are denied.”

Objection to lien avoidance (Estate of Wendy Hosford) Denied
Motion to avoid judicial lien (Donald Davenport) Granted

“On that basis Hosford’s lien shall be avoided completely even if her claim is not discharged.”

Ackley v. Sallie Mae Student Loans (In re Ackley)
· 2011-12-23
Student loan dischargeability claim (Kathleen and Terry Ackley) Granted

“Thus it is my conclusion that all of the student loan obligations shall be discharged.”

Turner v. J.P. Bolduc & JPB Enterprises, Inc. (In re Crowe Rope Industries, LLC)
· 2004-06-29
Motion to dismiss as time barred (J.P. Bolduc and JPB Enterprises, Inc.) Denied

“Therefore, this action is timely, and the Defendants’ motion is denied.”

A historical record

Judge Kornreich 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.