People in dire financial straits will often see New York bankruptcy as an unacceptable last resort. Instead, they may try to hire any number of outfits promising to help them get on top of their debts but instead charging high prices for little benefit, if any. One species of this kind of fraud—and it is …
Bankruptcy lawyers frequently tout the potential benefits of filing “chapter 20” New York bankruptcy. There isn’t a chapter 20 in the Bankruptcy Code. It’s in quotation marks because it’s a chapter 13 bankruptcy filed after a chapter 7; seven plus thirteen equals twenty. A junior mortgage that’s completely underwater can be discharged in chapter 7, …
Reasons to Be Cautious About Filing ‘Chapter 20’ Bankruptcy Read More »
Non-mortgage debt (like credit cards, auto loans, student loans, and other types) commonly leads to New York bankruptcy filings. As a result, it’s important to track information about Americans’ debt levels. In late July, the Urban Institute did just that by publishing a study that revealed some disturbing facts about Americans’ non-mortgage debt. A whopping …
New York Ranks 37th for Share of Non-Mortgage Debt in Collections Read More »
A few weeks ago, I brought up the question of why a debtor in chapter 13 New York bankruptcy would want to convert his or her case to chapter 7. One reason given was that a “hardship discharge” wasn’t available to the debtor. A hardship discharge is a special discharge available to chapter 13 debtors …
When Should You Try to Obtain a ‘Hardship Discharge’ in Chapter 13? Read More »
There are times in New York bankruptcy when the debtor wants to continue paying a creditor to keep a piece of property. (In some chapter 13 cases, the trustee wants to do the same thing.) The debtor usually has two options: “assumption” or “reaffirmation.” What is the difference between these two doctrines? Assumption: Assumption is …
How Does Assuming a Lease Differ From Reaffirming a Debt? Read More »
Debt-settlement companies are frequently scams that can send people into New York bankruptcy. They’ve appeared on this blog before (here and here), but now it appears they’re moving from credit card and mortgage relief into a new territory: student loans. On Friday, July 18, Marketplace, a publication run by American Public Media, published an article …
Debtors considering chapter 13 New York bankruptcy sometimes wonder how to craft their repayment plans when they anticipate significant events that are nearly certain to reduce or increase their incomes. For example, sometimes debtors know that a pregnant spouse will not be working for the beginning portion of the repayment plan but will be able …
Chapter 13 ‘Step Plans’ Can Help Debtors Accommodate Life Events Read More »
The big news in the education world is that Corinthian Colleges, a publicly traded company that owns three for-profit colleges, is in deep financial trouble. On June 19, 2014, the Department of Education believed that Corinthian was “falsifying job placement data used in marketing claims to prospective students, and [allegedly] altered grades and attendance.” As …
Beleaguered College Shows the Value of the ‘Closed School Discharge’ Read More »
File under non-bankruptcy options: What are some ways to pay down those credit card debts, stay out of New York bankruptcy, and possibly raise your credit score? Here are some answers: (1) Obtain your credit report. By federal law, you’re entitled to up to three free credit reports from the three credit reporting bureaus for …
Seven Tips for Paying Down Credit Card Debt and Raising Credit Scores Read More »
“Business bankruptcy” isn’t a legal term as there’s no designated chapter for businesses or businesspeople to file bankruptcy in. Thus, the correct question is which chapter is best for businesses and their principals to file in. The answer depends on the structure of the business and the principals’ goals for running it. For sole proprietorships …
What Chapter Is Best for a New York Business Bankruptcy? Read More »
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