RCHS alumni argues case before Supreme Court

Rogers City High School can boast some pretty famous alumni.

There is Pulitzer Prize winner Patricia O’Toole, a 1964 grad.

Mark Smolinski is a 1957 graduate, who went on to win a Super Bowl with the New York Jets.

Add Mary K. Viegelahn’s (RCHS Class of 1980)  name to that prestigious list after her appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court, April 1^st.

The daughter of Howard and Kathleen (O’Toole) Viegelahn Mary grew up on a farm outside of Rogers City as the youngest of six children. Her five brothers, John, David, Howard, Ralph and Mark, all reside in Rogers City.

She is a Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 trustee from San Antonio, Texas.  

Late last year, the Supreme Court justices agreed to weigh in on whether undistributed funds held by a Chapter 13 trustee should go to creditors or back to the debtor once the bankruptcy is converted from Chapter 13 to Chapter 7, an issue that has split the 1st Circuit and 5th Circuit Courts of Appeal for the last couple of years and has divided bankruptcy courts for 30 years. 

Charles E. Harris filed for Chapter 13 in 2010 after falling behind on his mortgage and agreed to make payments. He fell behind again with Chase Manhattan. Mary held a portion of the monthly payments and later distributed funds to creditors. Harris sued for the money, and when the courts were divided, he filed a petition with the Supreme Court.