About The Consumer Law Office of Steve Hofer

Steve Hofer has been practicing consumer law in Indiana for more than 20 years. He is a former Indiana State Chairperson of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, a national organization of attorneys striving for fairness in the consumer marketplace. Contact me by phone at 317-662-4529 or via email at hoferlawindyATgmail.com. You can also leave a message through my website at www.hoferlawindy.com.

Monday, June 21, 2021

Dealerfloorplandefense.com website is online

 Our website, dealerfloorplandefense.com is up and running.  The floorplan part of this blog will eventually migrate there.  Check out the website and let me know what you think.  


Bankruptcy Courts Differ on whether Unpaid Floorplan Balances can be Discharged

 When floorplan lenders sue, generally they claim "conversion" for inventory sold "out of trust".  The lenders also either threaten to or actually do object to the discharge of these debts in bankruptcy. The courts are all over the map in how they treat these cases. Knowing this affects how we defend conversion cases by floorplan lenders.  Fundamentally, we have found during the initial lawsuit, it is crucial to raise a defense to a conversion claim to keep the creditor from getting a default judgment for conversion.  Next, it is best if a settlement can be arranged that gets rid of the conversion claim as well as the breach of contract claim.  If no settlement can be reached, our next approach is to make sure the creditor gets a judgment for breach of contract only, and not for conversion.  

Even if they just get a judgment for breach of contract, that doesn't mean that they can't still object to discharge in bankruptcy. If they do though, it is important for your bankruptcy attorney to fight back. If the creditor meets resistance, they will probably cut a deal.  This means that you need to save some money for the fight in bankruptcy court, and you need to find a bankruptcy attorney who handles contested "adversary" cases.  

The bottom line, if you as a businessperson are sued by a floorplan lender, call us. Keith Hagan and I have handled hundreds of floorplan cases over the last four years, and settled a good portion of them, even some cases that didn't seem capable of being settled at first.  We can only litigate the case in Indiana, but no matter where you are located in the United States, and whichever lender we may be able to negotiate on your behalf.  

Here's a comment on the subject from another law firm, Severson.com.  https://www.severson.com/consumer-finance/bankruptcy-courts-reach-different-conclusions-on-whether-floorplan-lenders-loans-were-dischargeable-when-debtor-converted-funds-and-went-out-of-trust/





Have you received a medical bill for services relating to a workers compensation covered injury? (in Indiana)

 If you live in Indiana and have received a bill for medical services relating to an injury covered by workers compensation, please call me.  Legally you should not be getting this type of bill.  (Unfortunately, we can't do cases for people outside of Indiana.)