Donald H. Steckroth

How Judge Steckroth rules, drawn from 13 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Judge Steckroth 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 New Jersey
Position
bankruptcy
Status
Retired 2015
Served
2001–2015
Commissioned
2001-01-01
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D. with honors
Signed orders read
13

How Judge Steckroth decides

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

What persuades

The real-estate reorganization ruling favored preserving transaction value where creditors could be paid and the counterparty would receive its bargain.

“I find that the Debtor’s Motion to Assume and Assign was timely filed, is properly before the Court, and should be granted.”

Procedural preferences

The court authorized a trustee's targeted inspection and seizure request while separately adjudicating the debtor's suppression objection.

“the order to show cause filed by Catherine E. Youngman, as Chapter 7 Trustee for the Debtor (hereinafter ‘Trustee’) is hereby granted”

Cautions

The proposed dismissal and settlement in Biolitec was rejected, but conversion was also denied without prejudice so the trustee could choose the statutory liquidation route.

“The Non-Debtor Affiliates’ Cross-Motion to convert the case to chapter 7 is denied without prejudice so that the Trustee may determine whether the case should be converted to chapter 7 under § 1112(b) or liquidated pursuant to § 1129.”

Signed rulings

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

In re Wesley
· 2011-08-10
Motion to reclassify secured tax penalty claim (Debtors) Denied

“Accordingly, the Debtors’ motion is denied.”

In re McWilliams
· 2008-04-02
Motion for turnover of unemployment benefits (Debtors) Denied

“For the reasons set forth above, the Debtors’ motion requesting turnover of unemployment benefits is denied.”

In re Rockaway Bedding, Inc.
· 2011-06-30
Motion to compel disgorgement of professional fees (Post-Confirmation Plan Trustee) Denied

“For the foregoing reasons, the motion is denied.”

In re Hannah
· 2004-09-30
Cross motion to reclassify mortgage claim (Debtor) Denied

“Accordingly, the Debtor’s cross-motion to reclassify the claim of Chase is denied.”

In re Askew
· 2004-07-15
Motion to reopen case and void tax foreclosure judgment (Chase Manhattan Bank) Denied

“Thus, for the reasons expressed above, Chase’s motion seeking an order from this Court ‘reopening and reinstating case number 01-38147(DHS), voiding tax foreclosure judgment, and reinstating [Chase’s] sheriffs sale’ is hereby denied.”

In re Interstate Grocery Distribution System, Inc.
· 2001-10-04
Motion for relief from turnover order under rule 60b (Chance Container Freight Station, Inc.) Denied

“For all of the above reasons, Chance’s motion seeking relief from the July 25, 2000 turnover order under Rule 60(b) and for payment of an administrative expense claim is DENIED.”

Request for chapter 7 administrative expense (Chance Container Freight Station, Inc.) Denied
In re Walden Ridge Development, LLC
· 2003-04-28
Motion to dismiss chapter 11 case (Nicholas Rizzo) Denied

“For the reasons that follow, the motion to dismiss and vacate the stay is DENIED and the motion to allow assumption and assignment is GRANTED.”

Motion for relief from automatic stay (Nicholas Rizzo) Denied

“It is clear from the facts before the Court that Debtor does have equity in the Property and thus the motion to vacate the stay under § 362(d)(2) is denied.”

Motion to assume option and assign purchase contract (Debtor) Granted

“I find that the Debtor’s Motion to Assume and Assign was timely filed, is properly before the Court, and should be granted.”

Youngman v. Bursztyn (In re Bursztyn)
· 2007-04-10
Request for preliminary injunction authorizing search and seizure (Chapter 7 Trustee) Granted

“the order to show cause filed by Catherine E. Youngman, as Chapter 7 Trustee for the Debtor (hereinafter ‘Trustee’) is hereby granted”

Application to suppress evidence (Debtor) Denied

“the Debtor’s application to suppress the ‘evidence’ obtained by the Trustee during her search of the Debtor’s residence is denied.”

United States v. Eleazar (In re Eleazar)
· 2001-12-12
Motion for summary judgment on tax nondischargeability claims (United States) Granted

“The debtor’s tax liabilities for the years in issue are nondischargeable under the Bankruptcy Code.”

Motion for summary judgment to dismiss counterclaim count i (United States) Denied

“The IRS motion for summary judgment seeking to dismiss Count I of the debtor’s counterclaim is denied.”

Motion for summary judgment to dismiss counterclaim count ii (United States) Granted

“Thus, the claim for an accounting has been satisfied and summary judgment is granted to the IRS as to Count II of the Counterclaim.”

In re Biolitec, Inc.
· 2014-12-17
Motion to dismiss chapter 11 case and approve settlement (Chapter 11 Trustee) Denied

“For the reasons stated above, the Trustee’s Motion is denied.”

Cross motion to convert to chapter 7 (Non-Debtor Affiliates) Denied

“The Non-Debtor Affiliates’ Cross-Motion to convert the case to chapter 7 is denied without prejudice so that the Trustee may determine whether the case should be converted to chapter 7 under § 1112(b) or liquidated pursuant to § 1129.”

In re 710 Long Ridge Road Operating Co.
· 2014-02-06
Request for wage priority status for back pay claims (Claimants) Denied

“The Court finds that the Back Pay Claims are not entitled to wage claim priority status under 11 U.S.C. § 507(a)(4) or 11 U.S.C. § 507(a)(5) and are classified as general unsecured claims, if and when awarded in an NLRB proceeding.”

Request for administrative expense status for first period claims (Claimants) Granted

“are entitled to administrative expense status under 11 U.S.C. § 503(b).”

Objection to second and third period claims (Debtors) Granted

“The Claims that relate to the Second and Third Periods following the Debtors’ Filing Date are hereby expunged in their entirety.”

In re 710 Long Ridge Road Operating Co.
· 2014-02-03
Motion to reject expired collective bargaining terms and implement proposal (Debtors) Granted

“For the above reasons, the Debtors’ Motion is granted.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

All five sampled matters were terminated; their filing-to-termination durations were 104, 302, 679, 903, and 1,389 days.

A historical record

Judge Steckroth 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.