Free Consultation
The office is open as per the NYS Covid-19 guidelines. We are now doing both in-person and telephone consultations. Please call the office at 718-855-6840 to schedule a time to speak with one of our experienced bankruptcy attorneys.

THE SMALL BUSINESS REORGANIZATION ACT OF 2019, PLUS THE CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS BILL, MAKE IT EASIER FOR CONSUMERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY

The Small Business Reorganization Act, signed into law by President Trump in August 2019, became effective on February 19, 2020, shortly before the coronavirus struck hard in the U.S.

By the end of March 2020, Congress had enacted, and President Trump had signed, the $2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act” (CARES Act), providing financially distressed consumers and small businesses with greater access to bankruptcy relief.

Before SBRA, struggling businesses had two bankruptcy options: chapter 7 or chapter 11. A business that chose chapter 7 could liquidate its assets, but it could not retain control of its operations — nor was the business likely to be able to afford the costs of a chapter 11 bankruptcy, or to be able to pursue chapter 11’s time-consuming reorganization.

The aim of the SBRA was to expedite the reorganization of “small business debtors” — that is, businesses with debts totaling not more than $2,725,625.

The CARES Act amends the SBRA to increase the eligibility threshold for businesses filing under the new subchapter V of chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code from $2,725,625 of debt to $7,500,000. The eligibility threshold will return to $2,725,625 after one year.

The CARES Act amends the definition of “income” in the Bankruptcy Code for chapters 7 and 13 to exclude coronavirus-related payments from the federal government from being treated as “income” for purposes of filing bankruptcy.

It clarifies that the calculation of disposable income for purposes of confirming a chapter 13 plan shall not include coronavirus-related payments.

It explicitly permits individuals and families currently in chapter 13 to seek payment plan modifications if they are experiencing a material financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, including extending their payments for up to seven years after their initial plan payment was due.

The bankruptcy provisions of the CARES Act listed above will sunset within a year of the legislation’s enactment.

If you have questions about bankruptcy, please contact experienced Brooklyn bankruptcy attorney Bruce Weiner, for a free initial consultation.

Rosenberg, Musso & Weiner, L.L.P
26 Court St # 2211
Brooklyn, NY 11242, USA
718-855-6840
http://nybankruptcy.net/

Recent Posts

Beware Grace Periods, Debtors

Too often, debtors see grace periods offered by lenders as free benefits. “Grace” makes it sound so innocent. However, debtors who routinely rely on grace periods when making payments will find themselves facing financial difficulties that might lead to bankruptcy. The reason is that although creditors offer grace periods to debtors, they also use them

Read More »

Bankruptcy May Not Rescue You From Vicious Personal Disputes

Bankruptcy is a technical process that assumes everyone working within it is mostly rational. To the extent that it expects parties to deviate from irrational behavior, the Bankruptcy Code and its accompanying rules include incentives to keep parties in line. Creditors are usually large and impersonal, and they rarely care if their debtors file bankruptcy.

Read More »

Non-Lawyers’ Explanations of Bankruptcy May Be Wrong

Do you have financial problems? Do you tend to ask your friends for advice? Is one of your friends an experienced New York bankruptcy lawyer who will explain the process for you? Are your friends otherwise knowledgeable people? The answer to these questions may be, “Yes but you don’t know it.” Although many bankruptcy lawyers

Read More »

6 Steps to Take Before Filing Bankruptcy

Leaving your case to an experienced New York bankruptcy lawyer is not the only step on the to-do list before filing bankruptcy. There are many things debtors should do (and not do) before they file, and the more organized and mindful debtors are, the easier the process will be and the more effective the result.

Read More »

Social Security Number Not Necessary for Bankruptcy

A question that’s commonly asked about New York bankruptcy is whether a debtor needs a Social Security number to file. Debtors ask because they sometimes run across the bankruptcy form title, “Your Statement About Your Social Security Numbers” (B 121), which asks debtors to list their current and prior Social Security numbers. The new bankruptcy

Read More »

How Can a Debtor (or Creditor) Get a New Trustee?

The trustee in a New York bankruptcy case is usually not the debtor’s ally. His or her purpose is mainly to administer the bankruptcy estate or ensure the debtor’s repayment plan goes according to plan. Trustees pursue preference payments, fraudulent conveyances, and other malfeasance committed by debtors. They frequently initiate adversary proceedings against debtors. In

Read More »
Scroll to Top