(a) Definitions in the Bankruptcy Code and Bankruptcy Rules. The definitions of words and phrases in Bankruptcy Rule 9001(b) and in §§ 101, 902, 1101, 1182, and 1502 and the rules of construction in § 102 apply in these rules.
(b) In These Local Rules. In these rules, the following words and phrases have these meanings:
(1) “Appearance counsel” means an attorney who is not (a) the attorney who filed the debtor’s petition or later filed a notice of appearance on the debtor’s behalf in the case, or (b) a partner, member, or regular associate of the firm of the attorney who filed the debtor’s petition or later filed a notice of appearance on the debtor’s behalf in the case.
(2) “BNC” means the Bankruptcy Noticing Center, a centralized noticing service authorized by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts and contracted to an entity that provides service of notices on behalf of the United States bankruptcy courts.
(3) “Business day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.
(4) “CM/ECF” means the Case Management/Electronic Case Files system used in this court.
(5) “Chapter 13 consent calendar” means a hearing in a chapter 13 case at which motions, objections, applications, confirmation of chapter 13 plans, and other matters may be announced on the record as resolved by consent or lack of objection, without the judge present in the courtroom.
(6) “DeBN” means Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing, which permits a debtor to receive clerk-served notices and orders electronically via the BNC instead of by mail.
(7) “Digital signature” means a type of electronic signature that uses cryptographic methods to ensure the authenticity and integrity of a message or document.
(8) “EBN” means Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing, which permits a creditor to receive clerk-served notices and orders electronically via the BNC instead of by mail.
(9) “Electronic signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record. A scanned copy of a wet ink signature can constitute an electronic signature.
(10) “ESI” means electronically stored information.
(11) “MMM” means the Mortgage Modification Mediation program established under Administrative Order 14-03, as amended.
(12) “NCRS” means the National Creditor Registration Service, a non-fee registration service provided by the BNC that allows bankruptcy court notices to be transmitted electronically to parties in a case and which maintains preferred mailing address lists for creditors under § 342(f).
(13) “NEF” means Notice of Electronic Filing, which is an electronic notice generated automatically by the CM/ECF system upon the electronic filing of a document in a case or the docketing of a virtual docket entry.
(14) “Negative notice” means notice that – after the specified period stated in the notice – the relief requested may be granted without further motion, notice, or hearing, if no party served with the notice timely objects.
(15) “Registered user” means an attorney or trustee who has been granted access to electronically file documents through CM/ECF.
(16) “Settlement judge” means a judge of the court other than the judge to whom a case or adversary proceeding is assigned, whom parties select under Local Rule 9019-2(c) to preside over a judicial settlement conference.
(17) “Wet ink signature” means a signature that is physically handwritten in ink by an individual on a hard copy of a document.