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News & Announcements
04/15/2024
Attached here are proposed amendments to two local rules. LBR 3011-1 on Unclaimed Funds is amended to require a notarized signature of the original payee on an assignment to the assignee and to require an application for payment of unclaimed funds to be submitted on paper, not filed electronically...
03/27/2024
Motions and other matters without testimony and presentation of evidence have been accessible with a remote audio connection. Effective April 1, 2024, a video connection will also be an option if there is no live testimony. The courtroom cameras will show the bench and the lectern. Remote...
02/06/2024
The Office of the United States Trustee in Honolulu, Hawaii, has a vacancy for a paralegal specialist. Click here for application details.
01/30/2024
The Ninth Circuit is now accepting essay and video entries for its 2024 Civics Contest, which is open to high school students in the western United States, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands. Click here for contest rules and information about this year's topic: 70 Years Later - The Legacy of Brown...
01/22/2024
The court has issued an order adopting an amendment to LBR 2083-1 regarding Chapter 13 procedures. Subdivision (c) of the rule now permits court approval of certain sales of personal property to be obtained without notice and a hearing if the trustee approves.
01/09/2024
On December 19, 2023, the court issued an order adopting amendments to the local bankruptcy rules effective January 1, 2024. The amendments included new LBR 2083-2 governing sales of real property by Chapter 13 debtors and requires use of several new forms. Although this rule supersedes LBR 2083-1(...
01/08/2024
Proposed amendments to federal bankruptcy rules and forms have been posted for public comment and may be viewed here. If approved, these rules and forms will go into effect in December 2025. Comments are due February 16, 2024. Instructions on submitting written comments are posted at the Judiciary'...
01/02/2024
Local Bankruptcy Rule 3015-1(h) provides that the Clerk set in January and July of each year a standard interest rate applicable to plan distributions on secured claims governed by § 1325(a)(5)(B)(ii). This rate may be used to determine the present value of a secured claim to be paid in deferred...
12/14/2023
In addition to the legal holidays scheduled for December 25, 2023, and January 1, 2024, the court will close at 12 Noon on Friday, December 22, and Friday, December 29, 2023. Documents may be filed in CM/ECF and viewed in PACER without interruption.
12/04/2023
Proposed amendments to the Local Bankruptcy Rules may be viewed here. Current versions of the rules are in the left column, with proposed changes in the right column. Comments may be emailed to michael_dowling@hib.uscourts.gov by December 18, 2023.
11/09/2023
Effective December 1, 2023, certain fees in the Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (Appendix to 28 U.S.C. § 1930) will be increased. Click here to view the revised fee schedule.
11/07/2023
Absent contrary action by Congress, amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure will become effective December 1, 2023, for these rules: 3011, 8003, 9006, and new Rule 9038. In addition, the following forms are being amended: Official Form 410A (Proof of Claim Attachment), Official Form...
09/28/2023
A symposium on Insolvency Law and Reform in the Aftermath of the Global Pandemic: Recent Developments in Hawaii, the US, and Asia is being presented by the Institute of Asian-Pacific Business Law and the Hawaii Bankruptcy Bar Association on October 26 and 27, 2023, at the Halekulani Hotel. Click...
07/24/2023
CM/ECF filers should be aware of the potential to inadvertently share restricted documents when using third-party services or software.
Sharing your PACER account credentials with a third-party service provider or designating that provider as a secondary recipient of a Notice of Electronic Filing (...
07/10/2023
As recently announced, the U.S. Trustee Program will continue conducting meetings of creditors using Zoom video. Consequently, please note the following.
Effective with petitions filed in July, meetings will no longer be scheduled by county. Pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 2003(a), § 341 meetings in...
07/05/2023
The U.S. Trustee Program is implementing virtual § 341 meetings of creditors in chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases in the District of Hawaii for § 341 meetings to be held on or after August 10, 2023. The new information will be reflected on the Notice of Bankruptcy Case in the § 341 meeting notice section...
07/03/2023
Local Bankruptcy Rule 3015-1(h) provides that the Clerk set on January 1 and July 1 of each year a standard interest rate applicable to plan distributions on secured claims governed by § 1325(a)(5)(B)(ii). This rate may be used to determine the present value of a secured claim to be paid in...
04/25/2023
CM/ECF and PACER for electronic filing and viewing of court documents for Hawaii Bankruptcy will be unavailable starting Friday, April 28, at 6:00 PM. The system maintenance should be completed by 6:00 AM Monday, May 1.
01/06/2023
Section 603 of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 provides for random audits of consumer bankruptcy cases to determine the accuracy, veracity, and completeness of information provided by the debtor under sections 521 and 1322 of the Bankruptcy Code. These audits...
01/05/2023
Local Bankruptcy Rule 3015-1(h) provides that the Clerk set on January 1 and July 1 of each year a standard interest rate applicable to plan distributions on secured claims governed by § 1325(a)(5)(B)(ii). This rate may be used to determine the present value of a secured claim to be paid in...
11/28/2022
An order has been issued adopting amendments to the local bankruptcy rules effective December 1, 2022. Please note that there are also amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure that become effective on that date, absent any contrary action by Congress. For details, refer to the news...
11/23/2022
Future trials and evidentiary hearings will require use of digital exhibits, i.e. PDFs of documents to be displayed on courtroom monitors. Unless the court orders otherwise, no binders of paper exhibits will be used for witness examinations. Attorneys will be responsible for displaying exhibits...
11/17/2022
An updated website calendar for court hearings and meetings of creditors is now available. Click here for details.
10/24/2022
Please see the attached table of proposed amendments to the local bankruptcy rules. Comments may be emailed to the clerk at michael_dowling@hib.uscourts.gov. Comments are due Friday, November 18, 2022.
Also attached for reference are amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure that will...
08/15/2022
Effective immediately, LBR 5005-4 is amended to permit an ECF User to file online the Declaration re: Electronic Filing. Registered attorneys may scan the originally signed Declaration and upload it in CM/ECF, selecting the event Miscellaneous: Declaration Re Electronic Filing. Filers will be...
07/25/2022
Please review the attached proposed amendment to LBR 5005-4(f) regarding electronic filing. The proposed change permits an ECF User to file a digital copy of the Declaration re: Electronic Filing signed by the debtor. The declaration will no longer need to be submitted to the court on paper with a...
07/14/2022
The United States Trustee's Office is moving from its location at 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 602, to the Prince Kuhio Federal Building. As of August 1, 2022, the new address will be: United States Trustee's Office, District of Hawaii, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 4108, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850. ...
06/20/2022
The court has adopted new rules 1019-5, 2015-2, and 7017-1, and amendments to rules 2016-1, 2083-1, 3015-1, and 3070-2, effective July 1, 2022. The Chapter 13 Attorney Fee Guidelines have also been amended, together with revisions to related local forms: Chapter 13 Rights, Responsibilities and Fee...
06/01/2022
Local Bankruptcy Rule 3015-1(g) provides that, except for interest on tax claims and on administrative expenses governed by 11 U.S.C. § 511, the Clerk set on June 1 and December 1 of each year a standard interest rate to be used in payments on secured and other claims under a confirmed Chapter 13...
05/23/2022
Attached are proposals for new and amended local bankruptcy rules (1019-5, 1074-1, 2015-2, 2016-1, 2083-1, 3015-1,3070-2, and 7017-1), together with an amended Chapter 13 Attorney Fee Guidelines and related forms. Changes to the rules are shown in a table to compare the current and proposed...
03/24/2022
Effective March 26, 2022, certain restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic will be lifted. Face coverings will no longer be mandatory in the Clerk's Office and courtroom. Trials and evidentiary hearings scheduled after May 1, 2022 will resume in-person, although the court will consider...
03/08/2022
On April 1, 2022, adjustments to the dollar amounts stated in various provisions of the Bankruptcy Code will go into effect for cases filed on and after that date. The adjustments' timing and calculation are codified in 11 U.S.C. § 104. Click here for a table of the changes.
03/08/2022
Automatic adjustments will be made on April 1, 2022, to dollar amounts stated in various provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, one provision in Title 28, seven Official Bankruptcy Forms which contain adjusted dollar amounts, the Instructions for Indivdual and Non-Individual Debtors, two Director's...
03/07/2022
The court's form order confirming a chapter 13 plan has been revised to clarify a party's responsibility regarding satisfaction of a lien that has been avoided or stripped. An added section states: "A debtor who seeks release of a lien may request an order declaring lien satisfied under Bankruptcy...
01/17/2022
Free virtual programs on consumer and commercial bankruptcy topics may be accessed at the website of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, www.ncbj.org. The programs are free but pre-registration is required and there may be a maximum attendance. Recordings of some past panel discussions...
12/07/2021
Due to inclement weather conditions and power outages, the court has issued an emergency order extending any deadlines for filing documents in the bankruptcy court that were set for Tuesday, December 7, 2021, to Thursday, December 9.
12/02/2021
In City of Chicago v. Fulton, 141 S. Ct. 585 (2021), the Supreme Court held that a creditor had no affirmative duty to turn over a vehicle impounded prepetition. A concurring opinion noted that a turnover request may require an adversary proceeding but that bankruptcy courts may find it prudent to...
12/01/2021
Local Bankruptcy Rule 3015-1(g) provides that, except for interest on tax claims and on administrative expenses governed by 11 U.S.C. § 511, the Clerk set on June 1 and December 1 of each year a standard interest rate to be used in payments on secured and other claims under a confirmed Chapter 13...
11/23/2021
Absent congressional action, amendments to several Bankruptcy Rules will become effective December 1, 2021. For details on the amendments, click here for (i) a copy of the affected rules incorporating the amendments and committee notes, (ii) a blackline version of the same, (iii) an excerpt from a...
11/22/2021
On November 30, 2021, The U.S. Trustee Program will post on its website updated versions of the data-embedded, uniform reports that must be filed in chapter 11 cases: UST Form 11-MOR (Monthly Operating Report) and UST Form 11-PCR (Post-confirmation Report). The updated forms should be filed for all...
11/22/2021
On December 1, 2021, amended Bankruptcy Rule 9036 will make Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (EBN) mandatory for high-volume paper notice recipients, i.e. recipients who receive 100 or more paper notices monthly. All notice recipients who would potentially be impacted by this rule should have been...
11/10/2021
Unless the court directs otherwise, court hearings will continue to be held remotely. However, effective December 1, 2021, hearings will be conducted using Zoomgov.com - audio only. The AT&T teleconference line will longer be used to connect to the courtroom after Novermber 30. Parties may...
10/20/2021
Court hearings currently are conducted using an AT&T toll-free teleconference number. However, recent testing has shown that use of Zoom for Government results in a better quality audio connection and recording. On or about December 1, 2021, the court will transition to Zoom audio (no video)...
10/13/2021
The bankruptcy court is seeking applicants for a full-time Case Administrator position. The Case Administrator is responsible for maintaining and processing case information and managing the progression of cases from opening to final disposition. Click here for the detailed vacancy announcement.
10/05/2021
The United States Trustee Program is disseminating information about Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) programs that may be available to debtors in bankruptcy. According to the Director of the USTP, Congress has appropriated more than $46 billion in ERA funding and most of these appropriated funds...
09/30/2021
Starting with section 341 meetings of creditors in Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 cases on December 8, 2021 and thereafter, the Notice of Chapter 7/13 Bankruptcy Case will no longer provide for zoom telephonic appearances as an option. Debtors and their counsel should appear by zoom video for the meetings...
09/21/2021
The office of Chapter 13 Trustee Nima Ghazvini will be relocating the weekend of September 25, 2021. This will impact operations starting at 4:30 PM on Friday, September 24, until regular operations are expected to resume on Wednesday, September 29. For urgent matters, please email info@hi13trustee...
09/09/2021
Absent contrary action by Congress, several amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure will become effective December 1, 2021. A copy of the amendments to Rules 2005, 3007, 7007.1, and 9036, together with the accompanying committee notes, a blackline version, and excerpts from related...
09/06/2021
The NextGen installation has been completed and NextGen CM/ECF and PACER are operational. Documents may be filed online in NextGen CM/ECF and viewed online in PACER. IMPORTANT! - Prior to filing, you must link your upgraded PACER account with your legacy CM/ECF account. After linking these accounts...
08/01/2021
The United States Trustee has appointed Nima Ghazvini as the successor Chapter 13 Standing Trustee effective August 1, 2021. Mr. Ghazvini previously served as the staff attorney in the Chapter 13 Trustee's office in the Oakland Division of the Northern District of California.
Mr. Ghazvini succeeds...
07/12/2021
The court has issued an order adopting amendments to LBR 3070-2 on Chapter 13 distributions. Subdisvion (c) of the rule has been amended and a new paragraph (4) has been added to subdivision (j) of the rule. The order may be viewed here.
06/28/2021
This link to the IRS website has useful information about the types of tax transcripts that are available and how to request them.
06/17/2021
In observance of the new federal holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day, the bankruptcy court will be closed Friday, June 18, 2021. Documents may be filed and viewed online in the CM/ECF and PACER systems.
06/14/2021
Local Bankruptcy Rule 3015-1(g) provides that, except for interest on tax claims and on administrative expenses governed by 11 U.S.C. § 511, the Clerk set on June 1 and December 1 of each year a standard interest rate to be used in payments on secured and other claims under a confirmed Chapter 13...
06/14/2021
Effective June 21, 2021, a nationwide rule promulgated by the U.S. Trustee Program requires the use of uniform periodic reports in chapter 11 non-small business cases: Monthly Operating Reports and Post-Confirmation Reports. To be consistent with this requirement, the court has issued a general...
05/19/2021
Section 341 meetings of creditors will be conducted by Zoom - in Chapter 7 cases starting on July 20, 2021 and in Chapter 13 cases starting on August 6, 2021. Click here for more information from the U.S. Trustee regarding the procedures.
04/22/2021
Part 2 of the Appendix to Chapter 13 Attorney Fee Guidelines has been amended as follows: Motions to Modify Confirmed Plan: All services related to preparing, filing, and prosecuting a motion to modify a confirmed plan (including all amendments to such a motion) that is filed more than one year...
04/19/2021
Section 2.3 of the Chapter 13 form plan has been amended to provide a choice of whether or not to commit income tax refunds as supplemental plan payments during the plan term. This provision does not serve to change the terms of any previously confirmed plan - a motion to modify a confirmed plan...
04/02/2021
The CARES Act of 2020 created a new subdivision (d) of 11 U.S.C. § 1329 regarding modification of a chapter 13 plan. This provision was scheduled to sunset on March 27, 2021. However, the COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act of 2021 was enacted on March 27, 2021 and extended that provision for...
03/31/2021
Amendments are proposed for the following items:
Chapter 13 Attorney Fee Guideleines: Fee amount for motions to file a confirmed plan
Chapter 13 Plan: Provision regarding submission of income tax refunds
LBR 3070-2 - Distributions:
Subdivision (c) regarding payment of untimely claims
New...
03/08/2021
The Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules has approved a new Director’s Form 4100S (Supplemental Proof of Claim for CARES Forbearance Claim) in response to the Consolidation Appropriations Act (CAA), Section 1001(d) of Title X. This new form is effective now through December 27, 2021. The event “...
01/28/2021
The 2021 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest will be accepting entries beginning February 1, 2021. The deadline for entries is March 17, 2021. The 2021 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest will award a total of $7,000 in cash prizes. The top three winners in both the essay and video competition at the circuit...
01/25/2021
Effective immediately, parties who wish to file what are considered "highly sensitive documents" are responsible for submitting these documents on paper, together with a motion requesting that the subject documents not be included in the court's online records (PACER). Highly sensitive documents...
01/22/2021
On January 12, 2021, the chapter 11 quarterly fee schedule established by 28 U.S.C.§ 1930(a)(6) was changed by the Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2020 (the Act), Pub. L. No. 116-325. The Act makes the new fee schedule effective on the first day of the first quarter after its enactment...
01/16/2021
CHAP Support has announced that ChapMobile App 1.1.4 is now available in the Apple and Google App Stores as of Saturday, January 16, 2021. Users will receive the update via their devices. The 1.1.4 update includes a fix for an issue affecting the display of Hearing and 341 Calendars for the...
01/15/2021
A recent change on Google servers has affected the display of Hearing and 341 calendars in the ChapMobile App. Although the main display for these hearings will not produce data, the Search functions within these areas will produce results. An updated ChapMobile App will be released to the Apple...
01/13/2021
An updated form Motion to Modify Confirmed Plan Under 11 U.S.C. § 1329(a) has been posted at the court website. In addition, please note that unless legislation further extends § 1329(d), providing for an additional 2 years to complete a plan due to financial hardship caused by the pandemic, that...