Procedure – Page 5 – Rochester Bankruptcy and Debt Relief

Changes to New York’s Bankruptcy Exemptions

Back in July I have written about a pending bill which would have changed New York’s bankruptcy exemptions and allowed debtors to use the current federal exemptions or the exemptions in New York Law. At the time, it was impossible to predict whether the bill would ever become law.

On December 23, 2010, the bill was signed into law and will become effective in 30 days. This is the biggest change in New York’s bankruptcy exemptions in years, and will make a tremendous impact on the debtors filing both Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.

Homestead Exemption Increases to $75,000 per person for those in Rochester and Western New York

Right now each homeowner can protect only $50,000 worth of equity in a house. However, for those living in Rochester and Western New York Counties, that amount will increase to $75,000. Since a married couple can combine their exemptions, that means that a couple will be able to protect a$150,000 worth of equity in their home.

This will enable almost any typical Rochester middle class family to file bankruptcy to eliminate their credit card debts while protecting their home. In my Rochester, New York, bankruptcy practice, I periodically meet with homeowners who are forced to file for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy instead of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy because they have too much equity in their homes. Now, almost everyone will be able to seek Chapter 7 Bankruptcy relief and keep and protect their homes.

Amounts for Almost All Other New York’s Exemptions Categories Are Being Increased and New Categories Are Being Added

The new law also increases the exemptions for many other assets such as cars, and adds some new categories like home computers and vehicles for the handicapped.

Comparison of New York’s Old and New, 2011 Bankruptcy Exemption Statutes

Existing New York State Bankruptcy Exemptions

NEW New York State Bankruptcy Exemptions

Homestead Exemption (note: this can be combined for married couples filing jointly, who own the real estate together)

$50,000

Homestead Exemption (note: this can be combined for married couples filing jointly, who own the real estate together)

$150,000 for property in the downstate New York (Counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Kings, Queens, Bronx, Richmond, Rockland, Westchester and Putnam)

$125,000 for property in the Counties of Dutchess, Albany, Columbia, Orange, Saratoga and Ulster

$75,000 for all other counties

Motor Vehicle

$2,400

Motor Vehicle

$4,000

Motor Vehicle equipped for use by a disabled person (new category)

$10,000

Cash Exemption if Homestead Exemption is taken

None

Cash Exemption if Homestead Exemption is taken

$1,000. (Note: New exemption. Can also be used for personal property. However, the Federal Exemption is much greater and allows debtors to protect much more in appropriate situations.)

Jewelry and Art

a wedding ring

a watch worth up to $35

Jewelry and Art

a wedding ring

a watch, jewelry and art worth up to a total of $1,000 (Notes: New exemption. This will make it much more difficult for trustees to seek payment for engagement rings)

Tools of Trade (these are the working tools and implements that are necessary to carry on one’s business)

$600

Tools of Trade (these are the working tools and implements that are necessary to carry on one’s business)

$3,000

Aggregate Individual Bankruptcy Exemption for Cash, Household Goods and Clothing

$5,000

Aggregate Individual Bankruptcy Exemption for Cash, Household Goods and Clothing

$10,000

The New and Increased Exemptions Will Benefit Future Bankruptcy Debtors

Not only will more consumers be able to file for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, but it will also help those debtors filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy since they may be paying substantially less through their monthly Chapter 13 plan. In addition, existing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy debtors may be able to convert their cases to Chapter 7 and eliminate all future monthly payments.

I have attached a copy of the actual bill here.

If you are contemplating filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, or are dealing with debt problems in Western New York, including Rochester, New York, 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.

What Does Debtor Need to Bring to the Meeting of the Creditors?

I have previously written about the meeting of the creditors otherwise known as the 341 meeting. Among things that the debtors must have a the meeting are their identification and proof of social security number, as well as their original signed bankruptcy petition.

In addition, debtors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy cases are required to provide to the bankruptcy trustee certain documents prior to the meeting. They usually include the following documents: copy of the petition, copies of counseling certificates, copies of paystubs, copies of deed, mortgage and appraisal if the debtors own a home, a copy of the title and appraisal for any vehicle owned by the debtors, and a copy of last year’s tax return.

In addition, Bankruptcy Rule 4002 requires debtors to bring to the meeting of creditors their bank and other financial account statements showing the balances in the accounts on the date the bankruptcy petition was filed. If the debtors have not brought their statements to the meeting, their attorney will be required to send them to the bankruptcy trustee.

Here in Rochester, and elsewhere, bankruptcy attorneys must bring the original bankruptcy petition to the meeting so that the trustee can compare the signatures on the petition and debtors’s identification documents.

One final procedural item that will take place at the meeting of the creditors is that the debtors will have to sign declaration of electronic filing which certifies that the bankruptcy case was filed electronically. In vast majority of all consumer bankruptcy cases, petitions are filed electronically.

Does the Debtor Need to Be Employed to File Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

It is not necessary to have a job to file for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. In fact, the filing of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is probably one of the few instances in the debtor’s life where it helps the debtor not to be working.

One of the basic requirements of the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is that the debtor must show that he or she does not sufficient income available to pay their creditors any money under Chapter 13. Whether the debtor has sufficient income that would require him to be in a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy or in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is determined though by the “Means Test.”

A simple explanation of the Means Test is as follows. The Means Test takes the debtor’s income for the six month before the filing of a bankruptcy and compares that income to the average income for a person in the debtor’s state with the same family size. As an example, in New York, where I practice, if a single debtor makes $46,320.00 per year or less, he qualifies to be in a Chapter 7 Bakruptcy. So someone who is not working can file under Chapter 7.

The above is only a part of the Means Tests requirements since the amount of income is only a beginning when the means test calculations are done. Other factors and calculations also have to be considered when making a decision under which Chapter of the Bankruptcy Code the debtor should file .

Sometimes, the debtor can benefit from a loss of a job, usually in a situation where he earns more than the median income for his State, after the loss of the job, once a sufficient period of time passes, the debtor’s average monthly income will be reduced and the debtor will qualify for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.

The only time the debtor needs a job to file for bankruptcy is when he is filing for a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.

Paying For a Bankruptcy

If you are thinking about filing bankruptcy, you are likely having serious financial problems. Eventually, you decide that you decide to have a consultation with a consumer bankruptcy attorney. During your consultation, you and the bankruptcy lawyer discuss the positives and negatives of filing bankruptcy and decide that you will be filing either Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. Then you ask the final question, how much will it cost me to file my bankruptcy case?

The attorney will tell you about his attorney’s fee and disbursements for filing fee, credit counselling and debtor education. Then you are likely to ask the following question: where can I get the money and when do I have to pay it?

Initially, lets talk about where that money can come from.

If you are filing a bankruptcy under either Chapter of the Bankruptcy Code, you are generally advised to stop making any payments on unsecured debt, such as credit cards, bank loans, past due medical bills, etc. Debtors are often advised to continue making payments for any asset that they are keeping, such as a car, house, pension loans, rent, etc. As a result, this is likely to improve their cash flow by freeing up the money that was being paid to the unsecured creditors.

If you are not working, or already stopped all payments to creditors, you may need to ask relatives or friends for partial or full payment of the fees and disbursements required in a bankruptcy. While those loans would generally be dischargeable, they can be repaid after the bankruptcy.

Most bankruptcy lawyers offer payment plans. On average, a bankruptcy takes several weeks to prepare and the payments can be spread over that period. Alternatively, you can request additional time prior to the filing while the bankruptcy petition is being prepared.

Paying for bankruptcy is also different depending on whether you are filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.

In Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, I cannot collect any money from the client against fees or disbursements after the filing of the bankruptcy. It is prohibited by the Bankruptcy Code. Therefore, all fees and disbursments must be paid prior to the filing of the petition.

In a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, which results in a repayment plan, with payments of part or all of the debts paid through the bankruptcy court, a portion of the fee can be put into the Chapter 13 plan payment, making it easier on the client and expediting the filing of the bankruptcy petition.

Upcoming Changes to New York’s Bankruptcy Exemptions

As readers of this blog know, if a debtor is filing for either Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in New York, New York’s bankruptcy exemptions will apply. Unfortunately, those exemptions have not been updated in quite some time and are very limited as far as the values of protected assets is concerned.

There is a bill pending in New York State’s legislature that would substantially change the value of assets that could be protected in bankruptcy by changing the figures included in the Debtor and Creditor Law and CPLR which are the basis of those exemptions.

Specifically, this bill would increase the level of certain exemptions from the satisfaction of a money judgment. In addition to the increases, it would add one computer, one cell phone and one motor vehicle worth up to $4,000 to the list. If such vehicle was equipped for use by a disabled person, the limit would be $10,000. The money judgment exemption for the motor vehicle would not apply if the debt enforced is for child support, spousal support, maintenance or alimony.

It would increase the homestead exemption value of a home under Section 5206 of the CPLR from $50,000 to: $150,000 for the counties of Kings, New York, Queens, Bronx, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam; $125,000 for the counties of Dutchess, Albany, Columbia, Orange, Saratoga, and Ulster; $75,000 for the remaining counties in the state.

It would also amend Subdivision I of Section 282 of the Debtor and Creditor Law to increase from $2,400 to $4,000 the exemption for one motor vehicle in bankruptcy. If such vehicle was equipped for use by a disabled person, the limit would be $10,000 in bankruptcy. The bill would amend section 283 of the debtor and creditor law to increase the amount of the aggregate individual bankruptcy exemption from $5,000 to $10,000.

The bill would add a new section 285 to the Debtor and Creditor Law to permit debtors to choose either the current federal exemptions or the exemptions in New York Law. The New York State exemptions are listed in Debtor Creditor Law Art 10-A, Sections 282 and 283. Federal exemptions are enumerated in 11 U.S.C. 522(d). It will apply a Cost of Living Adjustment to be published by the New York Banking Department for the applicable exemptions in sections 5205 and 5206 of the CPLR and Section 282 and 283 of the Debtor and Creditor Law.

If those proposed amendments pass into law, the debtors living in Rochester, and Western New York, would be able to protect an additional $25,000 in home equity per filer and also benefit from an increase in the value of vehicle exemption.

More significantly, the debtors will be able to chose between the New York exemptions or the Federal exemption limits. At this time, New York does not allow debtors to make this choice. The ability to utilize federal exemptions will help those debtors who do not own a home more than anything else, because there is a wildcard exemption under Federal Rules. The wildcard exemption, 11 U.S.C. 522(d)(5), typically allows the debtor to exempt a substantial amount of cash, which is presently limited under New York’s exemptions to $2,500.

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and Immigration Status

Can my bankruptcy filing affect my immigration status? This is a question periodically asked by my clients. The answer to that question is actually depends on the particular circumstances of each case, but here are some of the issues that may be relevant.

There is no immigration law, statute, or regulation that specifically forbids individuals who have filed for bankruptcy from applying for naturalization. Additionally, there is no specific question on Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, related to bankruptcy. However, the debtor’s immigration status can be affected if he has not filed required tax returns or if he owes money to the IRS.

While reviewing immigration-related applications, the INS is usually checking to see if an individual seeking naturalization has evidence of “poor moral character” which could be grounds to deny an application. The filing of a bankruptcy petition as a consequence of financial hardship clearly does not rise to the level of “poor moral character.”

However, if you are facing any type of immigration issue and are about to file for either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, you should disclose that fact to your bankruptcy lawyer at your initial consultation as well as discuss your potential bankruptcy filing with your immigration attorney.

If you contemplating filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, or are dealing with debt problems in Western New York, including Rochester, New York, 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.

Can You Be Fired For Filing Bankruptcy?

Many people who file for bankruptcy in New York have fears about their relatives, friends, neighbors and employers discovering that they have filed for bankruptcy. They try to hide this fact from everyone. Many people who would greatly benefit from filing for bankruptcy under either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 are reluctant to do so is because the perception among some people is that it is shameful to file for bankruptcy. I spend a considerable amount of time explaining to my clients that there is nothing shameful about filing for bankruptcy.

A lot of people are scared that their employers would find out that they filed for bankruptcy. They are afraid that their employers might fire them from their jobs if employers find out about their bankruptcy filing. They try as much as possible to hide their filing for bankruptcy because of this sense of insecurity.

The debtors should not be concerned since federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against them or from terminating their employment solely because of the debtor’s bankruptcy filing. Specifically, the bankruptcy code’s non-discrimination provision, 11 U.S.C. section 525(b), states as follows:

No private employer may terminate the employment of, or discriminate with respect to employment against, an individual who is or has been a debtor under this title … solely because such debtor … is or has been a debtor under this title…. 11 U.S.C. sec. 525(b).

One caveat to the above provision is that the Bankruptcy Code prohibits discrimination solely on the basis of the bankruptcy filing. It will not protect an employee who is having other employment-related problems.

The reality now is that a great number of people in Rochester, New York, or elsewhere in Western New York, have filed or are filing for bankruptcy. For a business having employees who file for bankruptcy is simply a fact of life. In many respects, it is better for the employer to have an employee file for bankruptcy, so that the employee is not spending time answering phone calls from the debt collectors, or that employer does not have to waste time garnishing employer’s wages. In today’s economy, bankruptcy is a reality that everyone is facing, and so companies would rather not do anything that would appear to be a form of discrimination against their employees.

Should You Hire a Bankruptcy Lawyer?

Some of the major reasons why people who know they need to file for bankruptcy, but postpone doing so, is fears about filing either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, and concern about paying the legal fees.

Some debtors consider filing bankruptcy on their own. However, this can be a major mistake and can create additional problems. As I have written about previously, bankruptcy involves a number of procedural and substantive steps and tests that have to be satisfied before the bankruptcy court can grant a discharge.

In both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, the debtor must appear before a court-appointed trustee for a 341 hearing. The bankruptcy trustee who conducts the hearing is not someone who is there to help the debtor. His role is just the opposite. The trustee is charged with investigating the debtor and his financial circumstances to determine if there are any assets available for thee benefit of creditors. Meeting with an experienced bankruptcy attorney will enable the debtor to have his or her financial situation reviewed and assets protected in advance to the extent possible.

What debtors may not realize is that certain types of financial transactions that may have taken place years before filing can have a major impact on the debtor’s bankruptcy. For example, if any significant assets were given away or if real estate was transferred, this may amount to what is known as a fraudulent conveyance or a preference, and may result in significant litigation in the bankruptcy case. Usually, a bankruptcy lawyer will review these issues before a bankruptcy petition is filed in order to mitigate the risk.

While the bankruptcy petition is written in plain English, it is a difficult document to prepare for someone who is not familiar with the Bankruptcy Code. A complete petition in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in New York, including all of the various forms and schedules runs in excess of 40 pages. The petition requires preparing numerous schedules and budgets. The debtor must list appropriate information about his debts, assets, income and expenses.

The Statement of Financial Affairs includes numerous questions that must be answered. All of the debtor’s creditors must be listed not only in a schedule of debts (segregated in three separate categories) but also in a special format called a Matrix. Such listing must include creditors’ names, addresses, account numbers, dates when any debts were incurred and their purpose.

When Congress passed BAPCPA in 2005, it imposed many new requirements. The most significant of those requirements is a complex and complicated means test, as well as the requirement for mandatory credit counseling. The Chapter 7 trustee as well as the Office of the U.S. Trustee reviews each and every petition to make sure all of the requirements under the new law are properly met. The means test is complicated, and the debtor’s failure to properly prepare the bankruptcy means test can create significant problems as the United States Trustee can seek to have the bankruptcy case dismissed.

The debtor must also choose which Chapter of bankruptcy to file. If a debtor is seeking to stop foreclosure and cure mortgage arrears, a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy filing won’t be helpful. At the same time, a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy filing is likely to result in a 3-5 years payment plan.

There are self-help books that explain how a debtor can prepare and file his petition and complete the process. However, there are many traps for the unwary that even attorneys who do not regularly practice bankruptcy often create problems for their clients.

Every bankruptcy trustee I know in Rochester, New York, has expressed concern about those debtors who file bankruptcy without an attorney because these debtors often make serious procedural and substantive mistakes. Self-representation by pro-se debtors in bankruptcy matters can end up being a mistake, and result in further financial problems for the debtor.

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and Projected Disposable Income

In order to confirm a plan in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, unless creditors are paid in full, the debtor must pay to unsecured creditors his or her “projected disposable income” expected to be received in an “applicable commitment period”, either 36 or 60 months depending on the Chapter 13 plan. Since the enactment of 2005 BAPCPA, there has been a dispute over what “projected disposable income” meant. A recent decision of the United States Supreme Court has resolved that issue, at least partially.

In Hamilton v. Lanning, decided on June 7, 2010, the Supreme Court held that “when a bankruptcy court calculates a debtor’s projected disposable income, the court may account for changes in the debtor’s income or expenses that are known or virtually certain at the time of confirmation.” In other words, rather than simply applying the calculation of “current monthly income,” which looks at the debtor’s income for the 6 calendar months before the filing of the petition, the court may consider changes in income that have occurred, or are expected to occur, or virtually certain to occur at the time of confirmation.

In Lanning, the debtor had received a termination buyout from her former employer which, when included in “current monthly income,” dramatically increased her income over what she was really making, and the mechanical application of current monthly income approach would have resulted in her having to pay more into the plan than she possibly could afford. Because after the buyout she was making wages well below the state median income, the Supreme Court held that this change in income could be considered in calculating her “projected disposable income.”

While being practical and understandable, this “forward looking” approach should not give the bankruptcy court or the bankruptcy trustee, or the debtor, an opportunity to make unsubstantiated claims. The Supreme Court stated that “a court taking the forward-looking approach should begin by calculating disposable income, and in most cases, nothing more is required. It is only in unusual cases that a court may go further and take into account other known or virtually certain information about the debtor’s future income or expenses.”

While the debtor’s expenses as included in the “projected disposable income” were not specifically before the Court, the opinion stated that the court may consider changes in income or expenses when calculating projected disposable income. In Lanning, the Supreme Court stated that what is required is a “change” in income or expenses, not a discrepancy between the expenses allowed on the “means test” and the debtor’s actual expenses. As I previously discussed, debtors whose “current monthly income” is above the state median, many expenses are determined based on fixed allowances, not on what the debtor’s actual expenses are. For example, the food and related items allowance (set by the IRS) is $1,000 for the debtor’s household size, but the debtor only spends $500 on these items, he or she can claim the full allowance in calculating “projected disposable income.” Under the statute, the bankruptcy trustee is not be allowed to recapture that difference, and require that it be paid to creditors. Conversely, if the debtor spends $2,000, he can still only claim the allowance. As a result, for many debtors, the fixed “means test” numbers result in a more favorable result than their real expenses as stated on Schedules I and J. Because the difference between the means test expenses and expenses reported on Schedule J, Lanning does not change the existing differences between them.

At the same time, under Lanning, the debtor may be disadvantages if the debtor is disallowed a deduction for secured debt payments where property is being surrendered or perhaps where liens are being stripped down or off. Under Lanning, such change in the debt payments may be seen as “change” in expenses. However, unless there is a “change” in those secured debt expenses that are allowed as real figures on the means test, the means test expenses will remain the same.

Bankruptcy and Repayment of Debts Owed to Relatives

Occasionally there is a need to borrow money from relatives. Regardless of the size of the loan, the obligation to repay the debt to a family member is usually pretty powerful. Most people try to repay those debts first, before paying their other creditors. However, if you are experiencing financial problems, repaying your relatives prior to filing bankruptcy is not a good idea. As discussed below, any such loans can be repaid, but they should be repaid after the bankruptcy is filed.

The reason that the debtor should not repay debts owed to relatives prior to the filing is because of the “insider” problem. Your relatives, especially close ones, are considered to be “insiders” under the Bankruptcy Code’s definition of an insider, which includes a “relative of the debtor.” 11 U.S.C. § 101(31).

Because they are related to you, any payments to insiders within the applicable period are treated as preferences. The Bankruptcy Code states that a “preference” occurs when:

the debtor transfers something “to or for the benefit of a creditor;”
for a debt “owed by the debtor before [the] transfer was made;”
“made while the debtor was insolvent” (that is, the debtor’s debts were greater than his assets);
made within 90 days of bankruptcy, or, if an insider receives the transfer, within one year of bankruptcy; and
and the transfer “enables [the] creditor to receive more than [the] creditor would have received” (1) in a Chapter 7 case, (2) than “if the transfer had not been made,” and (3) “the creditor received payment of such debt to the extent provided in the [Bankruptcy Code].”

Generally, according to the Bankruptcy Code, creditors of the same type, called “class” should be treated the same. Because of this, the Bankruptcy Code looks back anywhere from 90 days to one year for preferential transfers or “preferences.” The Code presumes, not incorrectly, that a debtor would rather pay a relative rather than other creditors like credit card issuers.

As a result, the bankruptcy trustee will examine any debts repaid during the preference period. If the trustee believes a preference occurred and there are no defenses, the trustee can sue the person or entity who received the payments.

Because of these rules, you should hold making payments to the relatives prior to the filing. You can always pay back those debts after your bankruptcy case is over.

If you’ve already paid your relatives back during the one-year preference period, there are some solutions. First, if the payments are under $600, the trustee can’t sue your relative for the payments, since the preference falls within the “small preference” exception. Also, if the payments are $600 or more, but not that much–say not more than $1,000, the trustee still might decide not to bother with the transfer since the cost of recovery and administrative costs would reduce the benefit to the bankruptcy estate. Trustees don’t like administering bankruptcy estates where the asset values don’t justify the cost and effort of administration.

Another defense is that those payments may be “ordinary course” payments. In other words, it may be normal in both the relative’s financial affairs and the debtor’s for borrow and repay money, and the money was paid back in accordance with agreed upon terms. This is called the “ordinary course of business” defense.

The third available defense is that the relative gave “new value” in exchange for the payment. For example, the relative made another loan or gave you something else of value in return.

Fourth approach to addressing this problem, if the preference occurred close to a year prior to the time in which you plan on filing your bankruptcy, you can simply wait out the year.

Finally, the transfer can be undone by having the relative refund the money. Unfortunately, this may create another problem which relates to the availability of cash exemption in the bankruptcy filing. If you can exempt the refunded money, you may repay the debt after your case is over.

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.