Bankruptcy is not instituted solely for individuals and businesses. As Northern Californians know too well, there are circumstances in which cities may also file for bankruptcy. In July 2013, Detroit filed its petition for bankruptcy—the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. When a city files for bankruptcy, the adverse effects on its citizens are sometimes…
We previously posted about the California High Speed Rail Authority’s (“CHSRA”) intention to break ground this July, but with summer almost gone, rail officials are finally admitting it will be a “few months” before construction begins. The recent delay has been attributed to, among other things, a ruling last month from Sacramento County Judge Michael…
On June 5, 2013, the court ordered Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) to pay $278,825.25 to reimburse our client, the property owner, for the amount he had to spend on attorney’s and expert’s fees. The court found that SAFCA had been unreasonable in making a final settlement offer, while our client’s attempt to settle…
DNLC is pleased to announce that on February 5, 2013 after a 10 day trial the jury reached a verdict in at 98% of the owner’s expert’s opinion of just compensation. In the eminent domain case, filed by Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, the expert for our client testified that the total amount of just…
The Sacramento Bee is reporting, on March 18, 2013, the El Dorado County’s Transportation Division will host a public meeting concerning the Diamond Springs Parkway Project. Altogether, the plans for the project call for a divided parkway connecting Missouri Flat to Highway 49. The Bee reports that completion of the first phase is scheduled for…
The Joint Powers Authority (JPA), an organization formed in 2006 by Elk Grove, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and El Dorado and Sacramento Counties, is hitting a critical stage of the planning process to build the Capital SouthEast Connector. What is described as the largest road project the Sacramento region has seen in decades, the Connector is currently…
A debtor has the duty to list all property and assets he or she owns. Even if one believes that there may be money or assets due to him or her in the near future, it should be disclosed; this includes but is not limited to inheritance, trust funds, tax refunds, pensions, and judgment from…
Last month, the state’s Public Works Board finally gave approval for the California High-Speed Rail Authority (“CHSRA”) to start buying up land in Fresno and Madera counties. The approval allows for the CHSRA to begin negotiating with Fresno and Madera property owners to buy 356 parcels for high speed rail tracks and/or related construction needs….
Several months ago we posted about a radical proposal calling for local governments to sue in eminent domain to seize distress mortgages. Following up in the new year, it still remains to be seen whether the proposal has reached a dead end in California, or has simply hit “a bump in the road”? A Joint…
1. I will lose all my property if I file bankruptcy. It is true that in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy (liquidation bankruptcy), a trustee is appointed to administer property of value for the benefit of creditors. However, exemptions are available to individual debtors under State and Federal law that protect certain assets….
