By: Derek Hawkins//February 6, 2017//
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Case Name: Patti Lardas v. Slavko Grcic, et al; Danny Christofalos v. Joseph E. Cohen; John Laurenc eKienlen v. Danny Christofalos; Patti Lardas & Danny Christofalos v. Slavko Grcic, et al
Case No.: 15-1685; 15-1685; 15-1704; 16-2913; 16-4210
Officials: WOOD, Chief Judge, and EASTERBROOK and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges
Focus: Bankruptcy – Diversity Jurisdiction
These four related appeals arise from a long‐running and acrimonious business dispute between appellants Patti Lardas and her nephew Danny Christofalos on one side and appellees Slavko Grcic and associates on the other. Appeal Nos. 15‐1685 (Lardas I) and 15‐1704 (Co‐ hen) were consolidated for oral argument, which took place on October 28, 2015. Appeal No. 16‐4210 (Lardas II) concerns the district court’s denial of a motion by Christofalos to re‐ open proceedings in Lardas I, and we treat it as a successive appeal. Appeal No. 16‐2913 (Kienlen) is also successive to the earlier consolidated appeals. We can decide Kienlen and Lardas II without further oral argument. The briefs and record adequately present the facts and legal issues, and oral argument would not significantly aid our decision‐making process. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2)(C). We affirm the judgments and orders on appeal in Lardas I, Lardas II, and Kienlen, and we dismiss the appeal in Cohen as moot.
Affirmed as to Lardas I, Lardas II & Kienlen
Dismissed as to Cohen