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Chapter 13

What Is an ‘Individual With a Regular Income’ in Chapter 13?

People who are interested in filing chapter 13 New York bankruptcy will obviously want to know if they meet all the chapter’s requirements, which are stricter than chapter 7’s. For example, it has debt limits, above which debtors must file in chapter 7 or chapter 11, but Section 109(e) also restricts chapter 13 to “individuals …

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Student Loans As a ‘Special Circumstance’ to Stay in Chapter 7

It’s widely acknowledged that student loans are an obstacle in New York bankruptcy, but there are unusual times when student loan debts can help debtors choose the chapter they wish to file in. For higher-income debtors it’s usually harder to file in chapter 7 because their incomes exceed the median for families in their state, …

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What to Do If a Creditor Doesn’t File a Proof of Claim

In chapter 13 New York bankruptcy, creditors usually promptly file proofs of claim with the bankruptcy court. If they don’t do so, they might not receive a disbursement from the bankruptcy estate. Nevertheless, sometimes a creditor might neglect to file a proof of claim but a debtor might want it to do so. Why would …

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Reasons to Be Cautious About Filing ‘Chapter 20’ Bankruptcy

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, …

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When Should You Try to Obtain a ‘Hardship Discharge’ in Chapter 13?

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 …

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How Does Assuming a Lease Differ From Reaffirming a Debt?

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 …

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Chapter 13 ‘Step Plans’ Can Help Debtors Accommodate Life Events

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 …

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What Chapter Is Best for a New York Business Bankruptcy?

“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 …

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