Tag: bankruptcy petition
Parking Tickets and Bankruptcy – Discharged?
Parking tickets – one of the nightmares of having a car in the city. People filing chapter 7 bankruptcies find tickets can be like a bad movie, they just won’t go away. Here’s the problem: The U.S. Congress enacted the bankruptcy code, so we can’t be surprised that the law […]
Bankruptcy Exemptions: Why You Need Them
Like an iron gate protecting an entrance, bankruptcy exemptions protect a debtor’s property against loss in bankruptcy. Theory of Bankruptcy Exemptions In the old days when a person filed bankruptcy, the story goes, their property was taken and sold or ‘liquidated’, the proceeds then divided among creditors. Any remaining debt […]
BANKRUPTCY PETITION PREPARERS
Bankruptcy petition preparers offer an option sort of like a guy in a trench coat selling wrist watches. Bankruptcy petition preparers are not attorneys but offer ‘document preparation services’. With a word processor and a computer, pretty much anyone can create a pile of paper. But a troublesome issue looms […]
Debt Collectors and Bankruptcy Violations
Debt collectors must stop after a bankruptcy filing or they commit one of several bankruptcy violations. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a chapter 7, chapter 13 or other chapter. The filing of a bankruptcy creates what is called an automatic stay. Collection stops because the U.S. Bankruptcy Code imposes the automatic stay with […]
Bankruptcy Schedules Focus on Key Categories of Filer’s Finances
Bankruptcy schedules, filed with the bankruptcy petition, each focus on one aspect of the filer’s personal finances. There are 10 schedules, each designated with a letter, from A through J. Schedule A – Real Estate Schedule A requires listing of all real estate owned on the date of filing. This […]
Bankruptcy: Student Loan Debt Crisis
Student Loan debt in the United States, now at $1 Trillion Dollars, is called “the next debt bomb” for the U.S. Economy. Total U.S. student loan debt now exceeds the volume of credit card and auto loan debt combined according to the Associated Press. The head of the National Association […]
Bankruptcy Basics: Chapter 7, Chapter 13
There are two basic types of consumer bankruptcy, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7 cancels or “discharges” many types of debt. Most credit card, medical, and other unsecured debts are discharged, as are most court judgments and loans. Many filers find all of their debts discharged. Debts not discharged […]
Credit Counseling: Bankruptcy Requirement
Bankruptcy filings require preparation. Bankruptcy law makes credit counseling one step in the process. You can’t file a valid chapter 7 or chapter 13 without completing credit counseling, earning this step the name ‘Ticket In’ to bankruptcy. Credit Counseling: “The Ticket In” Under bankruptcy law people, not businesses, must take credit counseling before filing under Chapter 7 or 13. Credit counseling can […]
Should I File Bankruptcy? What Basics Should be Considered?
Should I file bankruptcy? Just the thought can overwhelm. Mountains of debt, collections and other pressing issues bring the issue into view, requiring a look at pros and cons. First, calculate how long it will take to pay off your debts. Throw all credit cards in a drawer. Figure how […]