The Bankruptcy Code obligates a debtor to fulfill a number of duties to successfully complete a New York bankruptcy. Failure to do so can result in penalties ranging from dismissal to revocation of a discharge order to criminal penalties for bankruptcy fraud. 28 U.S.C. § 521 divides the debtor’s duties into ten subsections, and most …
What Documents Must Debtors File to Meet Their Duties in Bankruptcy? Read More »
A commonly discussed topic in the news is the rising costs of higher education in the United States. Congress has tried to help parents (and grandparents) pay for their children’s higher educations in two ways. One is by allowing them to pay into a tax-protected entity frequently referred to as a “section 529 college savings …
What Happens to College Savings Plans in Bankruptcy? Read More »
The consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent unanimous ruling in a bankruptcy case aren’t that monumental for debtors considering New York bankruptcy. However, Law v. Siegel illustrates a few important points about exemptions that are worth knowing. Here are the facts: Petitioner Stephen Law (don’t let the surname confuse you) filed chapter 7 bankruptcy …
Supreme Court Forbids Surcharge for Debtor’s Fraudulent Exemption Read More »
Many people who file bankruptcy in New York do not have much cash and often have few assets to exempt. However, sometimes the opposite happens: Debtors will have more cash than they can exempt under either the federal or state cash exemptions, which appeared on this blog when the topic of income tax refunds came …
Use Exemptions and Other Debts to Soak Up Excess Cash Read More »
Unlike civil litigation with its rigid timetables for serving process on parties and pleading requirements, federal law is quite resilient when debtors make mistakes in their New York bankruptcy petitions. Usually, amending a petition is not a problem—and one that doesn’t pop up as much for those who hire experienced bankruptcy lawyers to handle their …
The topic of income tax refunds in bankruptcy has popped up on this blog in the past in the context of whether such a refund would put debtors over the median family income limit for the means test. With the New Year, though, as Americans calculate their incomes before the April 15th income tax deadline, …
Sometimes Debtors Can Keep Income Tax Refunds in New York Bankruptcy Read More »
New York may have better bankruptcy exemptions than most other states, but a New York Times article asks whether one property right is even an asset at all: rent-stabilized apartments. Here’s the background: New York City maintains a set of laws that protect apartment renters from rent price increases. One is “rent control,” which provides …
Is a New York City Rent-Stabilized Apartment an Asset in Bankruptcy? Read More »
One of the quirks of bankruptcy law is that it defers to state governments on a crucial issue: exemptions. People filing New York bankruptcy might be able to keep more of their homes’ values or wages out of the bankruptcy estate (and away from the trustee and creditors) than debtors filing elsewhere. In early October, …
Study Gives New York’s Bankruptcy Exemptions a Solid Grade Read More »
For New Yorkers thinking about a bankruptcy filing, it’s tempting. You have a very valuable asset, perhaps some land or art or a car, and you don’t want to risk losing it to creditors. So you give it away to your brother, a friend, one of your children. Is this kosher under the bankruptcy laws? …
Can I give away property before I file for bankruptcy in New York? Read More »
NY bankruptcy exemptions have gone through some changes this year. And if you’re a potential New York bankruptcy filer with bankruptcy assets to protect, then those changes are mostly for the better. First off, what are exemptions? Exemptions in the bankruptcy context are assets that would normally be part of the bankruptcy estate but which …
NY bankruptcy exemptions and exempt property in bankruptcy Read More »
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