Ala. county files for largest municipal bankruptcy

Bankruptcy

Alabama’s most populous county filed what became the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history in an effort to retake control of its beleaguered sewer system and wipe away as much of its whopping $4.15 billion in debt as possible.

Jefferson County’s Chapter 9 filing on Wednesday gives it protection from creditors while it develops and negotiates a plan for adjusting its debts. It could accomplish that by extending debt maturities, reducing the amount of principal or interest, or refinancing the debt by obtaining a new loan.

Perhaps the biggest is the potential impact on the county’s 658,000 residents, who could be asked to pay higher sewer rates. Officials say it’s too early to assess the full impact, though bankruptcy filings can lead to layoffs, tax increases, pension reductions for public workers, and spending cuts on things like schools and roads.

Related listings

  • MF Global faces class-action suits after bankruptcy

    MF Global faces class-action suits after bankruptcy

    Bankruptcy 11/06/2011

    Two class-action lawsuits have been filed against bankrupt brokerage MF Global as customers struggle to recover funds from the first major US casualty of the European debt crisis. On Saturday, Seattle-based Hagens Berman said it was "investigating wh...

  • Debt-crippled Pa. capital files for bankruptcy

    Debt-crippled Pa. capital files for bankruptcy

    Bankruptcy 10/13/2011

    Pennsylvania's distressed capital city filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, citing "imminent jeopardy" from lawsuits related to a debt-saddled municipal incinerator and setting up a power struggle between the mayor and City Council. The federal petition f...

  • Bankruptcy judges asking $100 to cover Kagan talk

    Bankruptcy judges asking $100 to cover Kagan talk

    Bankruptcy 10/05/2011

    The national organization of bankruptcy judges says reporters are welcome to cover Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan's talk at its convention in mid-October, if they pay $100. Groups sometimes close their events to the press or allow reporters in wit...

Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC

A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party

Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party

However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.

Business News

New York & New Jersey Family Law Matters We represent our clients in all types of proceedings that include termination of parental rights. >> read