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Can I keep my home if I file for bankruptcy in New York?

Yes, you can keep your home if you file for bankruptcy in New York. But it’s not a given.  And depending on your circumstances, there are a few different ways to do it. If you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, then you can keep your home as long as the remaining equity in your home …

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10 Years After Bankruptcy Reform: Means-Testing Doesn’t Work

The 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) changed New York bankruptcy in some dramatic ways, particularly chapter 7. It also changed New York bankruptcy lawyers’ practices: The recently revised bankruptcy forms they complete for clients are an echo of the BAPCPA. Most of the BAPCPA went into effect in October 2005, and …

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The Evidence Is In: The CARD Act Helped Consumers

In 2009, Congress passed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act). Its goal was to prevent banks from taking advantage of credit-card users with excessive fees (mainly over-limit fees and late fees) and other tactics. A few of its notable provisions include setting minimum payment deadlines to 21 days after bills are …

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Do Debtors Think Mandatory Financial Education Works?

That’s the question a pair of researchers raised a few years ago, and the answer might provide insights to debtors in New York bankruptcy. Since the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was passed, debtors have been required to complete a financial education course prior to discharge, which is not to be confused …

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Moving to New York for Its Homestead Exemption Is Not a Good Idea

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 …

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Bankruptcy Courts Becoming Less Forgiving of Late Tax Returns

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 …

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How Can the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Help Debtors?

Supposedly, during the Punic Wars, Roman soldiers were away from homes for so long that their family farms went bankrupt and were bought up by the wealthy. Veterans crowding into Rome led to unrest as well as the failed land-reform proposals by Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. Fortunately, there is a federal law in place to …

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CFPB Calls For Modest Bankruptcy Reform for Private Student Loans

One of the most questionable changes to the Bankruptcy Code in the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) was to extend the “undue hardship” standard to discharging private student loans. For New York bankruptcy, this meant that irrespective of who the lender was student debts were basically permanent. Fortunately, for federal loan …

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