Matt Leichter, Author at Bankruptcy Attorney in Brooklyn, New York

U.S. Trustee Program Announces $50 Million Bankruptcy Settlement With JPMorgan Chase

Bankruptcy, Creditors, Foreclosure, Mortgage / By Matt Leichter

You may recall the “robo-signing” scandal that erupted in 2010. Banks’ employees and contractors were improperly signing false mortgage or foreclosure documents and then executing them on homeowners. Apparently, some of these documents found their way into bankruptcy courts, meaning the lenders committed perjury as well. The U.S. Trustee Program, which among other responsibilities helps …

U.S. Trustee Program Announces $50 Million Bankruptcy Settlement With JPMorgan Chase Read More »

Bankruptcy When You Are Expecting

Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Debt, Means Test / By Matt Leichter

Most people don’t think about growing their families when filing New York bankruptcy, but bringing a child into your family can add a few wrinkles to a filing that debtors might want to know about, particularly when a pregnancy happens by accident. Probably the most common place where a new child will (or won’t) affect …

Bankruptcy When You Are Expecting Read More »

Taxes and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Creditors, Debt / By Matt Leichter

There’s more to taxes in chapter 13 bankruptcy attorney Brooklyn NY than what I’ve written about already, tax refunds and deductions, so now is as good a time as any to discuss some of the other major topics. First on the list is how do you file your taxes while in bankruptcy? The answer for …

Taxes and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Read More »

Bankruptcy Courts Becoming Less Forgiving of Late Tax Returns

Bankruptcy, Creditors, Debt, Legislation / By Matt Leichter

It’s not a phenomenon that’s affected people filing New York bankruptcy yet, but it might become one in the not-so-distant future: Some federal courts in other states are ruling that tax debts that would otherwise be dischargeable are in fact not. Here’s the background. Typically, discharging a tax debt requires the debtor to meet three …

Bankruptcy Courts Becoming Less Forgiving of Late Tax Returns Read More »

CFPB Reports on Homeowners’ Reverse Mortgage Complaints

Bankruptcy, Creditors, Debt, Foreclosure, Mortgage, Scams / By Matt Leichter

In discussing reverse mortgages and New York bankruptcy, I demurred on whether they “work as intended.” As a brief reintroduction, a reverse mortgage gives the homeowner equity payouts over time rather than the homeowner “purchasing” equity with monthly payments. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued a report that addressed the effectiveness of reverse …

CFPB Reports on Homeowners’ Reverse Mortgage Complaints Read More »

Student Loan Defaults Mounting Despite Income-Based Repayment Programs

Bankruptcy, Debt / By Matt Leichter

There’s a lot of bad reporting on student loans out there. Frequently, you will hear about how student loans aren’t a problem because the people with high balances are a tiny minority of all student loan debtors, or that higher debts tend to coincide with higher incomes. The issue isn’t that these points are strictly …

Student Loan Defaults Mounting Despite Income-Based Repayment Programs Read More »

Reverse Mortgages and New York Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy, Creditors, Debt, Foreclosure, Mortgage, Scams / By Matt Leichter

A reverse mortgage is when a homeowner who owns a property free of any other mortgages and is at least 62 years old borrows money against the home’s equity. It’s “reverse” in the sense that the home’s equity decreases as the money is paid out to the homeowner instead of rising with each mortgage payment. …

Reverse Mortgages and New York Bankruptcy Read More »

4 Reasons ‘Walking Away’ From an Underwater Home Is a Bad Idea

Creditors, Debt, Foreclosure, Mortgage / By Matt Leichter

You may have heard stories of underwater homeowners walking away from their homes and allowing the banks to foreclose on them without a contest. This might not sound so awful if you think you have no hope of catching up on mortgage payments, but it’s a very bad idea for multiple reasons. (1) Until the …

4 Reasons ‘Walking Away’ From an Underwater Home Is a Bad Idea Read More »

Save Money in Chapter 13 by Ferreting Out Tax Deductions From Payments

Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Creditors, Debt, Mortgage / By Matt Leichter

Usually debtors in chapter 13 New York bankruptcy concern themselves with what happens to their tax refunds, which trustees will keep for the creditors, but there’s another way the tax code intersects with bankruptcy—but this time to the advantage of debtors: deductions. The reason tax deductions can make a difference for debtors in chapter 13 …

Save Money in Chapter 13 by Ferreting Out Tax Deductions From Payments Read More »

5 Advantages Chapter 13 Provides to Homeowners

Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Debt, Foreclosure, Mortgage / By Matt Leichter

So there’s research showing that filing chapter 13 New York bankruptcy may reduce mortality rates and delay or prevent foreclosure. How exactly does it accomplish this, and how can it best be used to debtors’ advantages? First of all, like other chapters, upon filing chapter 13 bankruptcy, a debtor is immediately protected by the automatic …

5 Advantages Chapter 13 Provides to Homeowners Read More »

Free Consultation

(718) 855-6840

The office is open as per the NYS Covid-19 guidelines. We are now doing both in-person and telephone consultations. Please call the office at 718-855-6840 to schedule a time to speak with one of our experienced bankruptcy attorneys.

Matt Leichter