When it comes to matters of the heart, bankruptcy usually coincides with divorce. Sometimes, though, it affects couples who are about to get married. Given that it lasts longer, a chapter 13 bankruptcy is more likely to have greater ramifications with a new marriage. Chapter 7, however, can create obstacles too. One notable way is …
Engagement Rings and Other Conditional Gifts in New York Bankruptcy Read More »
In New York it’s common practice for people leasing property to require lessees to pay them security deposits before allowing them access to the property. Most commonly this occurs with rental apartments, but sometimes it can happen with storage space, rented vehicles, etc. For rented properties that the tenant-debtor has little intention of turning over …
What Happens to a (Refundable) Security Deposit in Bankruptcy? Read More »
Most of the time, a New York bankruptcy will involve at most only one property, but it’s not unusual for debtors to own more. I’ve touched on the topic of investment properties before, but the topic of second homes or vacation homes is a little different because it’s more personal. So, what happens to them? …
There are times in which a trustee’s doggedness in hunting down evidence of bankruptcy fraud should serve as a warning to debtors of the consequences of such actions. A particularly tenacious trustee in a Minnesota bankruptcy provides a striking example, as reported by the Star Tribune. Daniel Rohricht operated two jewelry stores until 2011 when …
Jeweler a Clear Example of Bankruptcy Fraud—and Trustee Tenacity Read More »
As Americans age, they sometimes accumulate substantial assets, such as pension rights, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 401(k) pension accounts. They can also accumulate substantial debts, so the question becomes, how are these retirement savings treated in New York bankruptcy? The short answer is, quite charitably. But first let me establish some important points. One, …
What Happens to Retirement Accounts in Bankruptcy? Read More »
In New York bankruptcy, debtor homeowners can benefit from a fairly generous homestead exemption. Real property located in the counties in New York City, Long Island, as well as Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam counties, get a $150,000 exemption. The exemption in Dutchess, Albany, Columbia, Orange, Saratoga, and Ulster counties is $125,000. Finally, homeowners elsewhere in …
Moving to New York for Its Homestead Exemption Is Not a Good Idea Read More »
Given that debtors in chapter 13 New York bankruptcy can keep their assets, it’s unsurprising that one would think that exemptions play no role in such cases. In chapter 7, it’s clear: The exemptions reduce the size of the bankruptcy estate to ensure that debtors can keep a reasonable amount of their property. But exemptions …
Most of the time when the term “avoid” comes up in New York bankruptcy it’s used in the context of preferential transfers to creditors. That is, the debtor transfers money to a creditor he or she likes more than the others, such as a relative, and the trustee chooses to nullify (“avoid”) the transfer. The …
Nearly a year ago, a case raised the question of whether a rent-stabilized apartment is an asset in New York bankruptcy. The short answer is no; rent-stabilization leases are “public assistance benefits” that are exempt assets under New York creditor and debtor law and therefore beyond the reach of a bankruptcy trustee. The case involved …
Rent-Stabilized Apartments Are Protected in New York Bankruptcy Read More »
If it was unclear whether an inherited individual retirement account (IRA) could be excluded from a New York bankruptcy, the U.S. Supreme Court has settled the issue. The topic came up late last year when the Court decided to hear the case. The lawsuit was between the bankruptcy petitioners, Heidi Heffron-Clark and Brandon Clark, and …
Supreme Court Holds Inherited IRAs Not (Directly) Exempt in Bankruptcy Read More »
no cost, 30 minute consultations in brooklyn, ny or melville, li
26 Court St # 2211
Brooklyn, NY 11242,USA
phone: (718) 855-6840
toll free:(800) 297-6840
fax: (718) 625-1966
68 south service road, suite 100
melville, ny 11747
phone: (631) 454-5248
by appointment only
