The topic of income tax refunds comes up periodically in New York bankruptcy. It’s important because in chapter 13 cases, New York trustees will demand the full refund to repay the creditors, and in chapter 7 it’s an asset that will be taken by the trustee if the debtor can’t protect it with an exemption. …
4 Debts That Are Subject to Income Tax Refund Offsets Read More »
I recently wrote about priority claims in New York bankruptcy, and notably, the types of claims with the highest priority are called “domestic support obligations.” Readers probably have a fairly good idea of what these might entail, but the role the play in bankruptcy isn’t so obvious. Because bankruptcies often coincide with divorces, they are …
Liens on underwater junior mortgages survive chapter 7 New York bankruptcy, which means homeowners will need to keep paying them to prevent foreclosure. Often, the response is to file a chapter 13 case after the chapter 7 one to strip the lien, but there are reasons to be cautious about taking that course of action. …
Alternatives to Chapter 13 After Discharging an Underwater Mortgage Read More »
New York bankruptcy requires debtors to pay some creditors what they are owed before others. These are called “priority claims” or “priorities” in the Bankruptcy Code. In chapter 13, for instance, creditors with priority claims must be repaid in full. Consequently, it’s important for debtors to have an idea of what these kinds of claims …
Usually when bankruptcy lawyers discuss the benefits of successive New York bankruptcy filings, the “chapter 20” strategy comes up (less so the “reverse chapter 20“). Debtors who discharge an underwater junior mortgage in chapter 7 must continue to make the mortgage payments if they wish to avoid foreclosure. They can file a chapter 13 case …
Supreme Court to Decide Underwater Junior Mortgage Lien-Stripping Case Read More »
Last week I discussed an article in The New York Times‘ Dealbook blog that described banks that were failing to report bankruptcy debtors’ debts as discharged. A minor criticism that wasn’t worth raising at the time was the article’s melodramatic characterization of bankruptcy as taking a “heavy toll” on debtors. Actually, New York bankruptcy isn’t …
There’s sort of a joke in New York bankruptcy referred to as “chapter 20,” which isn’t a real part of the Bankruptcy Code but a chapter 13 filing that follows a chapter 7 discharge, mainly to strip a discharged junior mortgage lien. I’ve discussed “chapter 20” in the past—as well as why it’s not always …
Two Situations in Which ‘Reverse Chapter 20 Bankruptcy’ Is Possible Read More »
Chapter 7 New York bankruptcy is usually used by people with significant unsecured debts and little reliable income to repay them. Homeowners filing chapter 7 usually intend to stay in their homes or at most discharge a mortgage deficiency after selling them. Sometimes a domestic partner is eligible for chapter 7 because he or she …
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, …
Student Loans As a ‘Special Circumstance’ to Stay in Chapter 7 Read More »
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 »
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