The “means Test” In Bankruptcy (chapter 7) – Part Iii

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Part III of Three Related Articles [See related articles on this blog: The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), “Part I, Rationales”&“Part II, Changes in Bankruptcy Law”] After passage of the BAPCPA in 2005, anyone wanting to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief was faced with the new requirement of having to pass a “means test” to determine their eligibility. The primary purpose of the means test is to help the court determine whether an individual should be allowed to file a petition Read More +

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filings – 770 As Of March, 2018 – Highest In 7 Years

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*** UPDATE *** (See prior article on this blog – “Chapters in Bankruptcy, a Short Primer…”) The number of Chapter 11 (“reorganization” bankruptcy) filings has reached an all-time high since 2011. In that year, there were 789 Chapter 11 filings as the nation was still trying to recover from the “great recession” of 2008 – 2009. According to data from the American Bankruptcy Institute (“ABI”), the year-over-jump (that tracks the number of such filings in comparison to previous reporting periods) was the second highest to be Read More +

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

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Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code allows debtors to have their debts forgiven through liquidation. During this process, nonexempt assets are sold and the proceeds are distributed to creditors. Unlike Chapter 13 bankruptcy, where a debtor retains their property and pays back a portion of their debts, Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharges remaining debts so the debtor does not have to pay them. As the most common form of bankruptcy, Chapter 7 is also known as straight or ordinary bankruptcy. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is usually a Read More +

Chapters In Bankruptcy: A Short Primer

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RE: CHAPTER 7, 11, & 13 BANKRUPTCIES This article is intended to provide background information on, and will discuss three chapters of the United States Bankruptcy Code – Chapter 7 (“liquidation” or “discharge” bankruptcy); Chapter 11 (“reorganization” bankruptcy); and, Chapter 13 (“wage-earner” bankruptcy). Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code provides for the sale of a debtor’s nonexempt property with the proceeds of sale being distributed among the debtor’s creditors. The process is called, “liquidation”. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is also known Read More +

Chapter 9 Bankruptcy – Santa Cruz, Ca & Calpers Pension Crises

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The City of Santa Cruz, CA is one of the latest municipalities to fall into what some have called a “…disturbing trend that will end in a full-fledged pension crisis” across the breadth and width of the nation. Santa Cruz is a California coastal community of 65,000 residents situated some 75 miles southwest of San Francisco. The small city, home to the University of California at Santa Cruz, is heavily dependent upon year-round tourist trade and not much else in the way of economic support. Read More +

Puerto Rico & Bankruptcy

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The island of Puerto Rico is officially a Commonwealth of the United States. Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States who share many of the same rights and benefits of their fellow citizens living on the mainland. Until February, 1898, Puerto Rico had been under the colonial rule of Spain for centuries. In that year and month, Spain granted them a quasi-independent status. The welcome status under the rule of the Spanish Kingdom came with a constitution, voting rights, and a theretofore unknown sense Read More +

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Protection Of Tax Refund The Matter Of In Re Gibson

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In Chapter 13 Bankruptcy the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee will often attempt to seize or attach the tax refund of the Chapter 13 Debtor. The position of the Chapter 13 Trustee is that the tax refund received by the Debtor is additional disposable income that ought to be contributed to the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Plan. Even in jurisdiction in which a tax refund is considered exempt, or for which there are available exemptions to protect the tax refund, the Trustee will likely argue that the Read More +

Creditor Harassment Summary

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OFFENDING PARTY A DEBT COLLECTOR? MUST BE A DEBT COLLECTOR AND NOT ORIGINAL CREDITOR COLLECTING DEBT. DID DEBT COLLECTOR IDENTIFY HIMSELF AS A DEBT COLLECTOR? WAS DEBT A CONSUMER DEBT TRANSACTION? INCLUDES BAD CHECKS, CONDO ASSESSMENT FEES, RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PAYMENTS, MUNICIPAL WATER SERVICE, REPOSSESSIONS EXCLUDES CHILD SUPPORT, TORT CLAIMS, AND PERSONAL TAXES VALIDITY OF DEBT IRRELEVANT FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT – FEDERAL LAW [15 USC 1692]. STRICT LIABILITY STATUTE, STATUTORY DAMAGES UP TO $1,000 PER VIOLATION. ACTUAL DAMAGES ALSO. REASONABLE ATTORNEY FEES. ONE YEAR Read More +

Chapter 9 Bankruptcy: Hartford, Detroit, Et Al

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The mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, Luke Bronin has been intimating for a number of months that the city may need to file Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Chapter 9 bankruptcy is a form of bankruptcy where a municipality can seek to reorganize its debts, and arrange such debts in a reduced payment over a period of years. According to reports, Hartford currently has a $65 million dollar deficit and has problems meeting its obligations, including upcoming shortfalls in revenue of $7 million in November, 2017 and $39.2 Read More +

Ramifications Of The Supreme Court’s Lawless Decision In Bank Of America V Caulkett

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MESSAGE FROM A BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY IN CLEARWATER, FLORIDA PART TWO Jay Weller is a Bankruptcy Attorney in Clearwater, Florida. Jay Weller and Weller Legal Group have Law Offices in Clearwater, Port Richey, and Lakeland, Florida, and have filed over 40,000 Bankruptcies, since 1993. In order to understand this Article, please read Part One. What are the ramifications of the Supreme Court Decision in Bank of America v Caulkett? Why is its construction of the Bankruptcy Code important? Please note that the Supreme Court Decision in Read More +