Patricia M. Mayer
How Judge Mayer rules, drawn from 28 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
How Judge Mayer decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On summary judgment, identified factual disputes and a developed record can defeat broad dispositive relief even when a narrower statutory limit resolves part of the case.
“Because genuine disputes exist as to material facts and because equitable tolling applies to all of the Trustee’s claims, I will largely deny summary judgment to the Defendant.”
Fee applications are tested against whether the services were reasonable and necessary, with reductions where the applicant does not carry that burden.
“I find that Counsel failed to meet her burden that many of the services rendered were reasonable and necessary under 11 U.S.C. §330(a).”
In a family-mortgage claim dispute, detailed testimony and corroborated cash, check, and non-monetary contributions carried most of the debtors’ burden despite poor coordinated accounting.
“At bottom I find the Debtors’ account to be more credible.”
Procedural preferences
Statutory filing deadlines are treated as consequential procedural rules even when enforcement forecloses consideration of the merits.
“This unfortunate result reflects the necessary reality that failure to comply with procedural rules can and does affect a party’s substantive rights.”
Cautions
A repeat filing intended to retain property after a tax sale supported dismissal and a 180-day refiling bar, while two filings alone did not establish the scheme required for two-year in-rem stay relief.
“not only is dismissal of his case warranted, but so is a limited restriction on his right to refile.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Further, evidence that the violation indicates a pattern of egregious practice causes this Court to find that both actual and punitive damages are warranted.”
“For these reasons, the Motion will be granted.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the relief requested in Counts I, II, IV, V, and VI will be granted. But the relief requested in Counts III, VII, VIII, and IX will be denied.”
“PPL’s actions caused actual emotional harm to the Debtor, for which he will receive compensation in the amount of $20,000.00. Although the Debtor suffered, the violation was not egregious, intentional, or flagrant. Therefore, punitive damages are not appropriate.”
“Therefore, summary judgment will be entered for the Defendant on all counts.”
“the Swartzs will be allowed to convert their case to one under chapter 13.”
“The Trustee’s Objection rests a heavy weight on paper thin evidence and will, therefore, be overruled.”
After trial, the trustee failed to establish that the challenged transfers were avoidable.
“The statutory deadline will therefore be imposed and the Motion to Dismiss granted with prejudice.”
“For these reasons, the Debtor’s §523(d) motion will be denied.”
After a contested valuation hearing, the court fixed the fair-market value of thirty-seven homes and the amount of the creditor's secured claim.
“Therefore, I will strike as void the Amended Judgment only with regard to the Debtor.”
“Therefore, summary judgment will be granted in part as to Counts III and IV regarding transfers made before October 19, 2018.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
All five sampled matters were terminated between February 2022 and September 2023.
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