livingston – Page 8 – Rochester Bankruptcy and Debt Relief

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and Purchase of a Vehicle

I frequently meet with debtors who tell me that they are thinking about filing for bankruptcy, but have concerns since they may need a new car in the near future. I am usually asked if a new car or used car should be purchased prior to filing for bankruptcy protection. As a bankruptcy lawyer, the current status of the law prevents me from counseling debtors from acquiring more debt prior to filing for bankruptcy. However, if I were in the debtor’s position, I would consider the following.

First, if you planning to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and you will need a different car, you should buy the car since it is easier to buy a car prior to filing for bankruptcy, assuming that your credit allows it. If the car is financed, the loan will have to be reaffirmed, and assuming that the amount of equity does not exceed you New York exemption for a vehicle, you will be able to keep your vehicle. At the same time, a financed vehicle on your credit report will help you rebuild credit after filing for bankruptcy.

If you are filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and decide to buy the car before filing, you will be able to keep the car and payments on the loan will be a part of your repayment plan. If anything, since in Chapter 13 bankruptcy the bankruptcy court allows only a certain amount of interest to be paid on secured loans, it is possible that your monthly payments may be reduced. The situation becomes more complicated if the debtor suddenly needs a car after filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy. In order to obtain new debt, the debtor would need the bankruptcy’s court’s permission to take on a car loan. This is likely to require a motion to amend the plan that was previously approved by the bankruptcy court. If the court approves the purchase, that may change the monthly payments made by the debtor. A potential benefit to the debtor is that if the payments are made on time, this is likely to improve debtor’s credit.

If you contemplating filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, or are dealing with debt problems in Western New York, including Rochester, Canandaigua, Brighton, Pittsford, Penfield, Perinton, Fairport, Webster, Victor, Farmington, Greece, Gates, Hilton, Parma, Brockport, Spencerport, LeRoy, Chili, Churchville, Monroe County, Ontario County, Wayne County, Orleans County, Livingston County, and being harassed by bill collectors, and would like to know more about how bankruptcy may be able to help you, contact me today by phone or email to schedule a FREE initial consultation with a Rochester, NY, bankruptcy lawyer.

Bankruptcy, Bad Checks, Discharge and Criminal Liability

A bad check, hot check, NSF check, returned check, rubber check, worthless check, or whatever you want to call it, is a check which the bank will not pay because there is either no such checking account or insufficient funds in the account to pay the check. In Texas, writing a bad check is a misdemeanor or can be a felony depending on the amount of the bad check and the circumstances of the issuance of the check. No matter how nominal you think the check is, you can still get you charged with a crime. If you file for bankruptcy and have hot checks outstanding it might make your bankruptcy case a bit more complicated. For the most part, bad check debt is dischargeable in bankruptcy, but since each case is unique, you should obtain legal advice on your bad checks before filing bankruptcy.

If you live in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or anywhere in the State of Texas and need to file for bankruptcy & have bad checks, contact the Texas Bankruptcy Attorneys at The Law Offices Of R.J.Atkinson for a free initial consultation to determine the best option to deal with your bad checks in bankruptcy.

Keep in mind that every bad check and bankruptcy situation is different, so it is important to obtain legal advice for your particular case. The following are some frequently asked questions about bankruptcy and bad checks.

1. If I file for Bankruptcy, will it stop “Prosecution for my Bad Check?”

No. If the prosecution is by a District Attorney, Attorney General, or any law enforcement authority of the State for a criminal action, then it will not stop prosecution for a bad check. When you file a bankruptcy case, there is a stay against any attempts to collect a debt from you which extends to creditors holding or collecting on Bad Checks, Hot Checks, Dishonored Checks, NSF Checks, Bounced Checks, Worthless Checks, Rubber Checks, or whatever you choose to call them.

When a bankruptcy petition is filed, Bankruptcy Law imposes “the automatic stay” which is an injunction on all collection actions and which prohibit further collection efforts on debts that came about prior to the bankruptcy filing. This “automatic stay” is one of the primary reasons many people file for bankruptcy. Although the “automatic stay” is a very powerful part of Federal Bankruptcy Law, the “automatic stay” does not extend to proceedings by the State or any Federal governmental agency pursuant to its police powers. More specifically, any criminal prosecutions which enforce criminal laws are not subject to the automatic stay of bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Court treats prosecutions of bad checks as criminal proceedings and not attempts to collect debt as long as the actual purpose of a bad check prosecution is to enforce criminal bad check laws. Since a bad check prosecution isn’t meant to pressure the debtor into paying a debt that could otherwise be discharged in a bankruptcy the automatic stay of bankruptcy will have no effect on bad check prosecutions which enforce criminal law.

2. I have written postdated checks to several payday loan companies over the last year. I have to file for Bankruptcy; can they come after me criminally for the “Bad Checks” or sue me?

No. The payday loan company doesn’t have the authority to charge you with a crime. Only the District attorney, Attorney General, or the State or any Federal governmental agency with police powers can charge you criminally. They can however, make a recommendation to the District attorney, Attorney General, or governmental agency with police powers that criminal charges should be brought against you. Whether or not that happens depends on the particular facts of your case. As for filing suit, they could file a lawsuit against you in the Bankruptcy Court as an “adversary proceeding” if the want to attempt to lift the stay. They would have to file a special motion in the bankruptcy Court to lift the “automatic stay”. In thousands of cases, this law firm has never seen this happen. Whether they file suit this way will depend on the facts of the case, I.E. how much is owed, how they are treated in your bankruptcy, when you wrote the checks, etc…

3. I wrote a postdated check to a payday loan company, if I file bankruptcy can they still deposit the check after I file?

Yes, but if they deposit the check after they receive notice of the bankruptcy filing, it could be construed as a violation of the automatic stay. It’s not uncommon for checks to be processed after a bankruptcy filing. Many auto drafts and other similar ACH debits can still go through if the money is there. You should address your bank accounts accordingly, and if you do file for bankruptcy, it’s important that all of your creditors receive proper notice of the filing. Despite the fact that the automatic stay stops collection actions, your bank account can still be debited and outstanding checks can still go through if creditors aren’t properly noticed. Although you may get the money back at some point if the creditor wrongfully takes the money from you, it will still take some time. Whenever you post date a check you are in essence representing that the check will be good on that date. If you write a post dated check to a payday loan company or anyone for that matter, and then later file for bankruptcy, it will ultimately end up in the bankruptcy court if that debt is included in the bankruptcy.

The bankruptcy court will have to sort through the facts and then consider whether there was an agreement between you and the payday loan company or other party to hold the postdated check. The bankruptcy court will also consider other factors, but primarily, whether or not you ever intended to pay on the postdated check. Obviously if the day or weeks before filing bankruptcy you went on a check writing spree to payday loan companies, knowing that there were no funds in your account and that you would be filing for bankruptcy, then the bankruptcy court could get the impression that you never “intended” to make good on the checks. Generally, it all comes down to intent and representation. If your intent was to make good on a postdated check when you issued it, then it may be difficult for a payday loan company to prove you never intended to pay. This is especially true if you previously had an ongoing relationship, or have gotten caught up in the payday loan cycle for the months or years preceding a bankruptcy filing. The whole payday loan business is predicated on postdated checks, so they have the burden as potential creditors in your bankruptcy case to prove your intent. As for representation, if you misrepresent or fraudulently make statements to induce a party to accept your postdated check, then you could have problems discharging the debt in bankruptcy. Everyone’s situation is unique so it is always good advice to seek competent legal counsel.

4. If I file for Bankruptcy, can I discharge the debts owed for bad checks?

It depends. Every case is different, so the facts of each case will dictate if a bad check will be treated as dischargeable or nondischargeable. Generally, so long as there wasn’t any fraud, false pretenses, or material misrepresentations made or conveyed in the actual writing of the check or checks, then the “debt” component from the bad check(s) is quite often dischargeable. That being stated, going on a bad check writing spree days or weeks before filing for bankruptcy filing could make it difficult to discharge such debt.

The Bankruptcy Code doesn’t allow you discharge and debts incurred or obtained by fraud, misrepresentation, or false pretenses. Where Bad Checks, Hot Checks, Dishonored Checks, NSF Checks, or Bounced Checks are concerned, it depends on the circumstances. Obviously if, for example, you had been doing business with a payday loan company for the 6 months prior to bankruptcy and you didn’t have money in your account for 3 months, then wrote a check for $1000.00, and filed bankruptcy the next week, it would be tough to prove that your actions weren’t fraudulent. Therefore, when an irate creditor comes to bankruptcy court in a chapter 7, 13 or 11 case where the creditor is holding the check issued by the debtor that was dishonored, the expectation may be that the debt is not dischargeable. Unfortunately, debt based on a bad check is not automatically and not even usually held to be non-dischargeable.

To succeed in getting a bankruptcy court to find a bad check debt is non-dischargeable, the creditor has the burden of proof to show fraud or false representation by the debtor.

5. How will the Bankruptcy Court decide if the Bad Checks I include in a Bankruptcy will be discharged?

Since every situation is different, there is no way to determine what the Bankruptcy Court will do to interpret the facts of any issue. However, Bankruptcy Courts have examined various things in prior cases to determine whether a bad check is dischargeable or not. Some of the things the Bankruptcy Courts have examined to determine bad check dischargeability are as follows:

Whether there was an agreement to hold a post-dated check.

The time between delivery of the check and the bankruptcy filing.

Did the person issuing the check obtain legal advice from an attorney about bankruptcy before writing the check.

How many bad checks were written and included in the bankruptcy.

The amount or amounts of the bad checks.

The debtor’s financial condition at delivery of the check.

Whether multiple checks were delivered the same day

Whether the person filing was employed when the bad check was written.

Whether the check was written on a closed account.

The financial sophistication of the debtor.

Whether life necessities or luxury items were purchased.

6. I wrote a hot check for $35.00 to the convenience store. Can they do anything if I file bankruptcy?

Sure they can. They can contact the district attorney and file a criminal complaint against you. However, having handled almost two thousand cases, my clients have rarely had problems with bad checks less than $300. That’s probably due to the length of time and hassle involved with pursuing criminal charges, especially when the person who wrote the bad check just filed bankruptcy. I have seen very angry holders of bad checks occasionally show up at creditors meetings and have received calls from a few district attorneys in other states wanting to work out a payment plans, but not for nominal amounts. Since writing a bad check in any amount is a crime, I advise all on my bankruptcy clients to pay anyone who may be holding a bad check.

7. I have to file Chapter 13 Bankruptcy to stop foreclosure, but I have about $1000.00 in hot checks out. Can I repay the checks in my bankruptcy and avoid criminal charges?

There is no way to know for sure. It may be possible to include repayment for the hot checks in your Chapter 13 Bankruptcy but its up to the district attorney as to whether you will be charged with a crime whether you include it in a Chapter 13 plan or not.

When you file bankruptcy, your creditors, which include any parties holding a bad check, are prevented from taking any attempts to collect from you. The Automatic Stay of bankruptcy automatically stops most legal actions against you, but filing bankruptcy will not stop criminal prosecutions against you. So, if you have written bad checks, the party to whom you wrote a bad check to could request to have you arrested and criminally prosecuted for a bad check. When a person who has written a Bad Check files for bankruptcy under any chapter under the Bankruptcy Code, it will not protect them from criminal prosecution and will not discharge their criminal liability for any restitution, costs and fines associated with the criminal prosecution & restitution.

At The Law Offices Of R.J.Atkinson we generally recommend that if at all possible you should attempt make bad checks good prior to your filing for Bankruptcy in order to avoid criminal prosecution on the checks. It isn’t always possible to take care of a Bad Check prior to filing for Bankruptcy since you may be facing a foreclosure, repossession, or other urgent motivating factor, but when the only option is to file Bankruptcy before taking care of a Bad Check, you should be aware that filing for bankruptcy will not stop criminal prosecution for a Bad Check.

If you have bad checks, hot checks, rubber checks, NSF checks, bounced checks, dishonored checks, or worthless checks and live in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or anywhere in the State of Texas and need to file for bankruptcy, contact the Texas Bankruptcy Attorneys at The Law Offices Of R.J.Atkinson for a free initial consultation. We may be able to help you with the bad checks before you file for bankruptcy and can help you determine how to deal with your bad checks in bankruptcy if the Texas Bankruptcy Means Test provides you are eligible to file.

What happens if prior to filing for bankruptcy, the debtor gives a bad check to someone? A bad check, Not Sufficient Funds check, or a bounced check, is usually a check which the bank will not pay because there is either no such checking account or there are insufficient funds in the account to pay the check. In New York, writing a bad check is a misdemeanor, punishable up to 90 days in jail for the first offense. To be charged criminally for issuing a bad check usually means that the check was issued with knowledge that it would not be paid by the bank. If you file for bankruptcy and have bad checks outstanding it might make your bankruptcy case more complicated. For the most part, bad check debts are dischargeable in bankruptcy, but each case is unique.

Sometimes, while the debt may be listed in the bankruptcy petition, the debtor may be charged criminally. The bankruptcy filing, and the automatic stay associated with it, will not stop a criminal prosecution. The automatic stay prevents any attempts to collect a debt from you which extends to creditors holding or collecting on that check. Although the automatic stay blocks all collection actions by the creditors, it does not extend to proceedings by the State or any Federal governmental agency pursuant to its police powers. More specifically, any criminal prosecutions which enforce criminal laws are not subject to the automatic stay of bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Court treats prosecutions of bad checks as criminal proceedings and not attempts to collect debt as long as the actual purpose of a bad check prosecution is to enforce criminal bad check laws. Since a bad check prosecution isn’t meant to pressure the debtor into paying a debt that could otherwise be discharged in a bankruptcy the automatic stay of bankruptcy will have no effect on bad check prosecutions which enforce criminal law. If the debtor is found guilty of a crime of passing a bad check, the debtor may be liable for civil restitution, which is not likely to be found dischargeable by the bankruptcy court.

If no criminal charges are filed, the situation becomes clearer. The debt associated with a bad check is likely to be dischargeable, but its dischargeability will depend on whether there was any fraud, false pretenses, or material misrepresentations made in the actual writing of the check. If there was no fraud or misrepresentations involved, then the debt from the bad check is usually dischargeable.

Automatic Stay and Proceedings in New York Family Court

I have previously written about automatic stay in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, and divorce, and domestic support obligations. While divorce is handled in the New York State Supreme Court, once in a while, a family court petition seeking child support or spousal support is filed against one of my bankruptcy clients in New York State Family Court. When this happens, usually I am asked whether the automatic stay prevent the filing or continuation of the family court proceedings. My answer to that question will depend on the type of bankruptcy filed.

While the debtors tend to believe that the automatic stay prevents creditors from proceeding with collection activities, it does not stop most family court matters. The Automatic Stay, in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, which is governed by §362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, will terminate any collection activities. However, one of the exemption included in §362(b) allows for actions in Family Court matters and also in Supreme Court involving domestic support obligations.

Specifically, Bankruptcy Code §362(b)(2)(A)(ii) provides:

The Automatic Stay created by a bankruptcy filing bars the commencement or continuation of most legal proceedings, but it has no effect on a proceeding for –

the establishment of paternity,

the establishment or modification of an order for a Domestic Support Obligation such as child support,

the determination of child custody or visitation issues, or

the dissolution of marriage, except to the extent that such proceeding may seek to determine a division of marital property in which the bankruptcy estate also has an interest.

While the divorce can be granted in Supreme Court without first obtaining relief from the Automatic Stay, the marital property cannot be divided without obtaining such relief. The Automatic Stay also does not prevent the post-petition collection of Domestic Support Obligations such as alimony or child support.

from any property belonging to the debtor, providing that the bankruptcy estate does not also have an interest in said property,

from automatic wage deduction orders created by a statute or judicial or administrative order,

from the interception of debtor’s federal or state income tax refunds, or

from the withholding, suspension or restriction of a debtor’s driver’s license or professional or occupational license.

Thus, there is no protection in bankruptcy court from the obligations imposed by a Domestic Support Obligation which can be brought in either the Family Court or Supreme Court. The above is true with respect to Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, however, in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy the answer is not the same.

The reason for this is the way Chapter 13 Bankruptcy treats debtor’s earnings after the filing of the bankruptcy petition. The property of the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy estate, which is broadly defined, specifically includes “earnings”. See 11 U.S.C. §541 [a] [6]; §1306 [a]. Because payments to creditors must come from the debtor’s post-petition earnings, those earning are property of the Chapter 13 estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §1306 [a] [2]. Thus, the claimant seeking to collect arrearages in support obligations is not free to pursue the Chapter 13 debtor’s post-petition earnings in Family Court.

Filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Keeping Your Bank Accounts

One of the most common questions I hear from clients is whether they are able to keep their bank accounts while they are in bankruptcy, or to open new accounts after bankruptcy. My usual answer to that question is that there is nothing under bankruptcy code that would prevent a debtor from having or keeping bank accounts. While there is nothing under the bankruptcy law that prohibits it, there are may be some practical complications.

As I have discussed previously, a typical bankruptcy requires planning and preparation. One of the possible situations I prepare my clients for is a possibility that their bank may close their bank accounts or withdraw money from their accounts. If the debtor has a bank account with a bank or credit union that has also loaned him or her money, that bank has the right of set-off. That is the bank has the right to set-off the money in the debtor’s account against any debt owed to the bank. This is true even if the debt was not delinquent and the funds would be protected by the debtor’s cash exemption. Under a typical lending agreement, a bank or a credit union is usually cross-collateralized. That means that any assets you have securing the loan, including any accounts you may have at that institution, secure all of debtor’s debts with that bank or credit union. If the debtor files for bankruptcy, the bank may take any funds and apply them to any outstanding loan. Even if the debtor is planning to continue to pay on the loan, and sign a reaffirmation agreement, the funds may be frozen or suddenly become unavailable. It is usually my advice to open a back-up account elsewhere, at an institution where the debtor didn’t borrow any money.

If the debtor has accounts which might be subject to set off, there is no need to close such accounts. If there is a small amount of money left in the account, those issue can be resolved after the bankruptcy filing. With respect to opening bank accounts after bankruptcy, the debtor may run into some problems with the Chex Systems which is utilized by most banks. Chex Systems operates similarly to credit bureaus and receives reports from its member institutions.

Eviction, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

I often receive phone calls from people in Rochester and elsewhere in Western New York who are facing a potential eviction involving a commercial or residential lease. Usually the debtors do not know what their bankruptcy options are and are seeking advice how to proceed.

A bankruptcy filing by the tenant, either residential or commercial, immediately stops any pending eviction proceedings as a result of an “automatic stay.” Automatic stay, as I have written previously, is a mandatory injunction that arises by operation of law without the need for a hearing or order of the Bankruptcy Court. The automatic stay stops all of creditor’s efforts to pursue collections, litigation or judgment enforcement. The automatic stay protect the debtor and the property of the debtor’s bankruptcy estate. However, with respect to leases, it is critical to know at what stage the eviction proceedings are.

In the case of a lease, whether commercial or residential, the critical issue is whether a writ of eviction has already been issued from the landlord-tenant court. There is a significant body of case law holding that once a writ of eviction has issued from the landlord-tenant court the interest of the tenant in the lease has terminated. As result, if the lease is considered to be terminated by the bankruptcy court, the tenant can be evicted and the automatic stay will not stop the eviction. Thus, if a bankruptcy is being considered to prevent to postpone the eviction, it is critical for the debtor to contact a bankruptcy lawyer as soon as the eviction petition is served.

For a tenant who files for bankruptcy, the available options depend upon what chapter (type) of bankruptcy the debtor may be filing.

If the debtor is filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy, it may provide a delay in being evicted, and discharge the tenant from any liability under the lease. At the same time, the filing will not allow the debtor to either cure the default or give extra time to make payments under the lease.

For an individual debtor who has a lease, and has not kept up with the payments, Chapter 13 bankruptcy can provide the opportunity to cure the arrears (past due rent) over time. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the arrears can be paid over a 5 year period, depending on the terms of the plan. If the tenant doesn’t stay current with post-bankruptcy rent, the landlord can seek “relief from the automatic stay” from the Bankruptcy Court to permit the landlord to move forward to evict the tenant in state court.

Do Debtors Meet Bankruptcy Judge During Their Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

I am often asked whether the debtors here in Rochester will get to meet the Bankruptcy Court Judge during their 341 meeting, otherwise known as the meeting of the creditors. My usual response to this question is no, since the bankruptcy court judges are barred by law from attending the meeting of the creditors.

While the meeting of creditors is open and the public can attend it, the bankruptcy judge assigned to the case may not do so. While it seems counterintuitive, the reasons for this is to avoid any perception of bias on the part of the judge. Prior to 1979, when the current version of the bankruptcy code became effective, a bankruptcy court judge was able to attend the meeting of creditors. However, the Congress decided that it was necessary to prohibit judges from attending the meeting.

Accordingly, Bankruptcy Code section 341(c) provides that “the court may not preside at, and may not attend, any meeting under this section.” Although the local meeting of creditors is held in the Rochester Federal Courthouse, it is not a court hearing and the trustee presiding over the meeting is not a judicial officer. I tell the debtors that in most Chapter 7 consumer bankruptcy cases, the debtor will never appear before the judge assigned to the case.

If I am asked the same question about the Chapter 13 bankruptcy case, my answer will be the opposite since as a part of any Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the debtors will have to attend a confirmation hearing which, in Rochester, will be presided by Judge Ninfo.

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Recent Move by the Debtor and Applicable State Exemptions

Periodically, I see debtors who have moved recently to Rochester, New York, or nearby, from another state who wish to file either Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The critical issue in those situations is to determine what state’s bankruptcy exemption laws, if any, will apply.

Under BAPCPA, which passed in 2005, the initial question is how long the debtor has resided in the present state of residence. If the debtor has lived in the same state for the two years prior to filing, then New York’s exemptions will apply. However, if the debtor has moved to New York from another state during the prior two years, then the following rules will apply.

If the debtor resided in the same state for at least 730 calendar days continuously (two years) prior to the filing of the bankruptcy petition, then the debtor can use that state’s exemptions. If the debtor did not live in the current state continuously for at least 730 days, then the debtor must pick the state in which he lived most of the time during the 180 days prior to the 730 days. In other words, the state that must be selected is where the debtor lived most of the time between 2 and 2 ½ years before filing.

If no state qualifies using the above rules (i.e., the debtor has lived in abroad) or if the 180-day state requires current residency or being a domiciliary to use its exemptions, then the debtor must use the federal exemptions. The default rule will only apply if the debtor did not live in any state during the 180 day period that began 730 days before filing, or if the state requires current residency or domiciliary. Under some circumstances, it is advantageous to the debtor to use the federal exemptions since they are typically more generous than New York’s exemptions.

Mistakes to Avoid When Filing For Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in New York

While bankruptcy appears to be a straight forward process, there are many pitfalls for the unwary. Some actions taken by the debtor before filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy in New York, may result in serious consequences. Here are some areas where mistakes are commonly made

1. Debts owed to family and friends. I would strongly recommend that you don’t try to pay back the debts owed to family and friends in anticipation of your bankruptcy filing. A trustee in a bankruptcy case can reach back and undo any such transactions that took place within one year prior to your bankruptcy filing. The concept is known as preference. It is intended to prevent debtors from favoring some creditors over other creditors by transferring assets to a third party and then claiming they have nothing left. While you may not be aware of preference, and your actions are responsible and just, they are likely to be undone by the bankruptcy trustee.

2. Disclose your financial affairs to your bankruptcy lawyer. Always be honest with your lawyer about your assets and your financial transactions. I am on your side and am able to help you, but I need to know everything that has taken place in order to take full benefit of the bankruptcy law. I can’t do that unless I have all the information available. Also, if I am not aware of certain facts, and if they come to light during the case or even after your discharge that you’ve withheld information or hid assets, you’ll not only lose the assets that were hidden, but the entire discharge can be undone. This means all of the bankruptcy protection created by your bankruptcy is lost and creditors can once again pursue you.

3. Don’t withdraw your retirement money. Sometimes, this is the easy route out of financial difficulties since the debtor may think that he or she may need more cash on hand if you’re getting ready to file for bankruptcy. However, since retirement plans such as IRAs and your 401(k) are actually protected from creditors by bankruptcy exemptions in New York. If you take the cash out and try to keep it, it will become part of the debtor’s estate. Additionally, you’ll owe pay taxes on the money you withdraw.

4. Don’t disregard pending lawsuits against you. While the automatic stay will protect you from any pending actions, once the bankruptcy is filed, any lawsuits pending prior to the filing should not be allowed to go into default. Lawsuits, if permitted to go into default have consequences and may result in adverse finding that may be difficult to undo during the bankruptcy. Do not treat law suits the same way as creditors. While the creditors will primarily call you and send you letters, lawsuits can have serious consequences that can be implemented before you file. Therefore, make sure that you, or your attorney, respond to any pending actions.

Of course, the most important step in all of this is to make sure you’re working with a knowledgeable, experienced and trustworthy bankruptcy lawyer. A good bankruptcy lawyer will help you successfully navigate the bankruptcy process and help ensure that you avoid all of the potential problems.

If you are dealing with debt problems in Western New York, including Rochester, Canandaigua, Brighton, Pittsford, Penfield, Perinton, Fairport, Webster, Victor, Farmington, Greece, Gates, Hilton, Parma, Brockport, Spencerport, LeRoy, Chili, Churchville, Monroe County, Ontario County, Wayne County, Orleans County, Livingston County, and being harassed by bill collectors, and would like to know more about how bankruptcy may be able to help you, contact me today by phone or email to schedule a FREE initial consultation with a New York bankruptcy lawyer.

Reviewing Your Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Petition – A Critical Part of Your Bankruptcy Process

I spend a fair amount of time in 341 hearings. While waiting for my bankruptcy cases to be called, I listen to the trustee asking debtors and their lawyers questions about bankruptcy petitions. In my experience, one thing that always that gets bankruptcy trustee worked up, are incomplete or inaccurate bankruptcy petitions. Because the bankruptcy petition is signed by the debtors who, by signing it, certify its accuracy, debtors’ failure to read their bankruptcy petitions and lack of awareness of factual errors or omissions that they contain may cause significant problems.

While a completed bankruptcy petition usually runs between 30 and 40 pages, it is not an exciting read, and contains plenty of legalese, as well as recitals of the debtors’ financial assets, income, expenses,a a list of all the creditors. However, by signing it, the debtor certifies that he/she not only read it, but that all information contained in the petition is true and correct, just as if the debtor testified to that information under oath. At the beginning of every 341 hearing, the trustee asking the debtor if he/she read the bankruptcy petition before having signed it, reviewed it with his/her bankruptcy attorney, and if everything in the petition is true and correct.

Trustees get very upset at debtors because their petitions weren’t accurate or complete. A typical debtor would tell the trustee, “I didn’t notice a mistake or omission and it needs to be corrected,” but later admit they did not read the petition carefully. When the bankruptcy petition is missing important information and that information could have been easily corrected by the debtor, the debtor’s credibility is greatly reduced. If the petition is completely inaccurate, the trustee can allege that the debtor was engaging in fraudulent and deceptive conduct.

In my practice, I insist that my clients read every page of their petition and review it with me before they sign it. Even if the client want to rely on my work, the petition has to be read by every client who must understand its contents.

Small Business and Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

In the last few months, I have received a number of calls from owners of small businesses who want to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, primarily due to credit card debt, but want to continue to operate their businesses. In most of these cases, the business owner have used personal credit cards to fund business operations. Since the time the credit cards were used, the business improved, and is now profitable or would be profitable where it not for the payments on credit card debt.

Unfortunately, in this type of situation, filing bankruptcy comes with a price. If you own a small business and are incorporated, the shares of that business are assets of the bankruptcy estate. Further, any accounts receivable of the business are an asset of the business that belong to the shareholder. Thus, if the shareholder files Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee will treat the shares in the business, value them, and will try to sell them

Except in the case of a personal service business that has no significant inventory, receivables or any valuable assets, other than the experience and labor of its owner, the bankruptcy trustee will demand that the owner cease operating the business, and produce its records, value its assets and disclose other information related to the business to the trustee. As a result, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing is likely to result in the business being shut down, and its owner being forced to start over. Once the bankruptcy is completed, a new corporate entity can be formed and, assuming that the owner is able to resume operations and the business can be profitable, operations can be restarted.

Besides Chapter 7 bankruptcy, there are other options. Under appropriate circumstances, an owner of a small business can file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy assuming that the business is being operated as a sole proprietorship, and, if the business is large enough, Chapter 11 bankruptcy may be an option. In a Chapter 13 filing, it is usually difficult to predict what the cash flow of the business will be like and, therefore, it is difficult to come up with a bankruptcy payment plan.