Sears Bankruptcy Judge Asked to Allow Lawn Tractor Settlement

Representatives of plaintiffs who are suing Sears in a class action for negligently selling and manufacturing allegedly defective Craftsman® riding lawn tractors have asked the bankruptcy court to lift the automatic stay.

They want permission from Judge Robert D. Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to seek district court approval of a settlement in their case.

Sears consents to this request, the representatives said in court documents.

Sears will benefit from lifting the automatic stay because the settlement agreement resolves the lawn tractor plaintiffs’ claims and reduces Sears’ pool of unsecured creditors ...