Tag: Chapter 13

It’s never too late

in Bankruptcy

Timing

Did I wait too long? 

Oh no, I didn’t mess this up did I?

What am I going to do?

Sound familiar? It does to us. If you’ve put off filing bankruptcy because you were hanging on for a miracle that didn’t come through or you thought it would just go away just know that miracles, at least in the harsh world of finance, almost never happen and I can assure you, if someone has gone to the trouble to serve you with suit papers, they aren’t just going to go away.  

But is it too late? Has time truly run out on you?

No, it hasn’t.  Bankruptcy can pull your bacon out of the fire at just about any point in the collections process.  Should you have filed sooner. Yeah, you should have, but you didn’t.

We don’t recommend that you procrastinate.  In fact, people need to stop waiting till the last second to get in touch with a bankruptcy attorney.  Bankruptcy shouldn’t be a last resort.  

Suit papers

When a summons and a complaint is served to you, the clock starts running.  You only have a certain amount of time to answer the complaint.  If you don’t answer the complaint, whoever is suing you gets whatever they asked for. 

Guess what?

You don’t have to answer the complaint if you file bankruptcy.  

Bankruptcy stops the complaint and the lawsuit dead in its tracks.  That’s the beauty of the automatic stay.  Federal law supersedes state law and the state court must then all action in the case and the creditor must withdraw the suit. Additionally, at the end of your bankruptcy, the amount that you supposedly owed, is discharged.

Remember, It’s not too late.

You get sued and lose, is it too late?

You lost.  Losing stinks, especially in court, or so we’ve heard. 

Now you have a judgement against you. 

Just because a judge has ruled in favor of your creditor, bankruptcy can still help.  The debt can probably still be discharged in bankruptcy.  The only time a debt can’t be discharged is if you are being sued over family support obligations, very recent tax debts, criminal fines or debts created through fraud.

If you’re sued by your every day average credit card, someone with a personal loan of any kind of medical debt, you can wipe it out.  Even after a judgement has been entered. 

The only problem with all this is, Chapter 13 has limits on how much debt you can have and still qualify.  Once a creditor has the judgement against you the debt is fixed.  If this debt is too large, it can put you over the debt limits for a 13. 

One more problem is the fact that waiting until a judgement is on the books could also mean that a court found that you committed fraud. In that case, the bankruptcy court may find the same problem and then the debt would be excluded from discharge.

All that said, it’s still not too late. 

A creditor gets a lien, is it too late?

Bankruptcy isn’t a silver bullet, but it does change the balance of power.  If you got sued, and lost, and the creditor has perfected a lien against an asset it’s probably still not too late.

But that depends.

One of the things about bankruptcy is that it generally eliminates your personal liability for a debt.  However, some liens can survive bankruptcy once they’re attached to certain assets. 

There’s hope though.  You are allowed to avoid a judgement lien if it interferes with your exemptions.  It doesn’t matter how old a lien is, if it interferes with an exemption you can claim on an asset, you can avoid it. 

Bankruptcy can change the balance of power even if you’ve waited til the creditor with a judgment has perfected a judgment lien against your assets.  How much change is possible depends on the exemptions available when you file bankruptcy. Avoiding a lien isn’t automatic and you have to file a motion but even if you forget you can reopen your case in the future and file that motion. 

Again, in almost every circumstance, it’s not too late.

You’re being garnished, is it too late?

If you’re being threatened with a garnishment, your creditor has already obtained a judgement from a court.  That judgement can then be used to collect that debt. 

Just like every other situation I’ve discussed, a bankruptcy stops a garnishment dead in its tracks. Your creditor may end up being able to keep the money they collected before you filed, but from then on, all your money is yours. 

In certain cases, bankruptcy law allows you to recover money your creditor got from you before you filed, but you need to talk to your attorney about what that entails.

Because of the effect bankruptcy has on garnishments, it’s not too late.

When you do it is up to you

At virtually any point during a collection action, filing bankruptcy can put the brakes on a bad situation and give you the ability to eliminate your debt. Once it’s discharged, it’s gone for good and is henceforth, uncollectable.

There are some situations bankruptcy can’t undo.  If you take out a second mortgage or do a cash out refinance to “consolidate” your debt or you raid your 401k to pay back debts you could have otherwise dismissed in bankruptcy, that money is gone and we can’t undo that.  

That’s why it’s always better to plan early rather than wait. 

The attorneys at Harmon and Gorove are ready when you are.  We provide free consultations and seek to give you the best advice, regardless of whether we make money or not.  If you’d like to speak with one of our award winning attorneys, click here to schedule a consultation today. 

The “Last Resort”

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

last resort

If you find yourself in a financial pickle, there are three times when it makes sense to look at bankruptcy.  The first is in a crisis, the second is when you’re looking at the totality of your financial situation and the third is when you’re so worried about your finances that you’re literally making yourself sick. If you’ll notice however, none of those are called, “last resort.”

All of the financial gurus out there, and I mean all of them, love to sit around and talk about how bankruptcy should only be a last resort.  While I enjoy listening to some of these “gurus” I prefer to take some of their advice with a grain of salt.  Using bankruptcy as a last resort often keeps people from getting the help they need, when they need it.  It can often lead to people throwing good money after bad by trying to repay debts when it’s obvious you can’t.  That kind of thinking delays the inevitable, costs you more and absolutely makes you more stressed. 

That said, let’s talk about when it’s a good time to file bankruptcy.  Remember, none of these situations are a “last resort.”

1.  You’re in crisis

You just got a notice that your car is going to be repossessed, you were told at work about a garnishment that would hit soon or you got a foreclosure notice in the mail from your mortgage lender.  Without a roof over your head, your whole paycheck or a car under your rear end, you’re going to have a hard time making day to day living manageable.  It’s going to threaten the whole foundation of your financial house.

Filing bankruptcy can stop all of those actions dead in their tracks.  It can allow you to keep assets that you may otherwise lose to creditors without bankruptcy.  It gives you a chance to reassess your situation, effectively calling a timeout on collection efforts while you sort through what you need to do to survive. 

Remember, bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay and that’s like pulling the emergency brake on a train.  Everything comes to a screeching halt. It stops all collection actions against you including suits.  

Lawsuits aren’t automatically a crisis, even though it seems like one at the time.  It’s more of a wakeup call that your finances are not in a good place and you need to do something to get your finances back in order. Remember, the lawsuit is just one creditor knocking at your door.  If you’ve got one that’s upset, chances are there are more and they can sue you too. 

Bankruptcy gives you a time out to breathe, assess and figure out where to go from here.  Not to mention that it wipes out many of your unsecured debts.

2.  You finally see the forest through the trees

It doesn’t necessarily take a crisis for you to take a look at your balance sheet and realize that you’ve dug yourself into a hole you aren’t likely to get out of. Making decades of minimum payments just to keep creditors away isn’t a way to live and it certainly isn’t a way to get out of debt.  I know you see the part of your credit card bill that tells you when you’ll get out of debt if you only make your minimums AND don’t spend anymore money.  It’s a long time, even for small debts.  

Having a healthy financial situation includes having an emergency reserve and a good chunk of change saved for your retirement. If you keep throwing all your money at Discover and American Express, you’ll be eating dog food when you turn 75. 

Lawmakers created bankruptcy because they understood that the economy is better when people are able to be self sufficient.  It doesn’t matter how you got into debt, you’re not a bad person.  Most bankruptcies result from things that are out of our control. Job losses, illness, divorce, death of a loved one and the list goes on and on.  Whether you are in a bad financial situation because of bad luck or bad choices, getting the fresh start you need can certainly be a refreshing thought. 

3.  You’re killing yourself with stress

Stress is a major driver of physical and mental health issues in our country.  It is unfortunate that we tend to deify those people who struggle to pay off their debts.  While that’s all well and good, we truly need to remember one thing.  Stress kills.  Stress makes us less likely to be able to make good decisions and forces us into choices that can have ramifications for years to come. 

When money worries have an impact on your ability to sleep, work, or have healthy relationships, it’s worth looking at bankruptcy as an option.  Even for people who are older and protected from collection by exemptions, you may look into bankruptcy for the sake of your heirs even if you won’t do it for the sake of your health. 

These reasons for seeking help via bankruptcy often overlap but the idea that bankruptcy should only be a last resort is just patently untrue.  Filing bankruptcy shouldn’t be taken lightly but it also shouldn’t be the last option.  The sooner you examine your situation the sooner you can start looking at getting the help you need before you go out and do something crazy like borrow against your house or your retirement savings to pay off some dischargeable debt. 

When you’ve determined that you need to seek help, call the attorneys at Harmon and Gorove.  We have helped thousands of people escape the burdens of debt and get a fresh start.  We offer 100% free consultations and will always tell you the best course of action, even if it doesn’t make us a dime.  

Garnishment Survival Guide

in Bankruptcy

“Your wages are subject to garnishment,”

That’s the first line in your most recent letter from HR. 

If You Do nothing 25% percent of your net earnings will be sent to whatever creditor has a judgement against you. 

Do something:  keep reading this if you live in Georgia and are subject to a wage garnishment.

I have three points to make here:

  • What to do in the short term,
  • What to do in the medium term, and
  • in the long run, what can we do to keep this from happening again. 

 

What is Wage garnishment 

A wage garnishment is an order from a judge, obtained after a judgement is secured against you, that allows a creditor to take money directly out of your check to satisfy the judgement they obtained.  

The fact that you are getting garnished means that a judgement has already been obtained by a creditor  and a judge has agreed that you are liable for an amount of money you owe to the creditor.  If everything happened the way it was supposed to, you should have gotten a copy of the complaint that was filed against you.  Due process requires that before the hearing to determine whether and how much you owe, you’re served with the complaint and have a chance to defend yourself against the complaint in court. That doesn’t always happen like it’s supposed to and we’ll discuss that later.

Georgia allows creditors, once they have a judgement, to take your wages directly from the source, your job, to collect on a judgement.  Your wages are protected to an extent by state and federal laws.  The cap is currently 25%. 

In this article we are going to look at the judgments you’re most likely to face.  Judgments for unpaid medical bills and credit cards.  There are a number of other judgments that we won’t worry about today.  

1.  Protect Your Paycheck 

The garnishment allows the creditor to take 25% of your paycheck, but that’s the max and that’s after other deductions are subtracted. 

There are a number of other exemptions under Georgia Law and you need to review them to find out if any of them apply to your situation. If you don’t fall under those exemptions there isn’t much you can do to stop a garnishment outside of bankruptcy.  

Notify your payroll department of your exemptions

If you pay falls under the scope of the exemption you need to make sure that your payroll is aware of it.  Theoretically, they should be aware of it as it is their job to follow the law, however, it’s always best to remind them of their duties and that you believe your income to be exempt from the garnishment. 

2.  Attack The Judgment

Your wages can only be garnished if a court has determined that you actually owe the money your creditor says you owe.  If you were at the hearing and lost, it is your job to appeal.  If you didn’t appeal, the matter is close and the judgement stands..  

However, If the judgement was a complete surprise to you (in other words, you weren’t properly served) you may have a chance to fight back.  This is a procedural attack on the judgement not one attacking the merit of the creditor’s claim. Attacking claims are hard though and will usually require the assistance of an attorney.  There are some legal aid societies that may be willing to help, but if you don’t qualify you’re on your own to either figure it out or hire an attorney. This is only a good thing to do if procedure truly wasn’t followed AND you have a good defense.  You don’t want to go to the trouble and potential expense of fighting the claim if you’re just going to lose anyways. 

3. Completely examine your finances. 

Your time is precious and limited.  Before you try to really hunker down and try to fight this, you need to take a look at your entire financial picture.  You need to ask yourself a question and it’s very important for you to reflect on it:

“If I handle this debt, will I still be able to pay all my other debts?”

If the answer is yes, there are a number of reputable credit counselors and social workers who can help people develop budgets.  Some organizations like the Salvation Army help people create budgets that, if adhered to, can help people to live within their means. 

If the answer is no, you need to look at other options, primarily bankruptcy.  There are tons of debt settlement companies out there and most of them are either outright scams or they don’t offer real, lasting solutions to your problems.

Bankruptcy attorneys are well versed in analyzing finances and determining whether or not you are able to get out of your financial troubles without the help of Bankruptcy. 

If you’re facing a garnishment, reach out to the attorneys at Harmon and Gorove.  They offer a free, no obligation consultation to help you decide your best course of action.

Foreclosure Plan B

in Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy stops foreclosures, that’s a given.  Thanks to the automatic stay, a bankruptcy stops foreclosures dead in their tracks. 

Bankruptcy is the silver bullet to stop a scheduled foreclosure sale, guaranteed. 

There’s only one problem though, and it is the single biggest reason why people are unable to stop a foreclosure and it’s something that we’re all guilty of at one time or another.  Procrastination. 

Procrastination hampers your ability to save your home when all else fails.  The moment you get a foreclosure notice, you should start interviewing bankruptcy lawyers, even if you think you can work something out with the mortgage company.  

There are a lot of ways that you can try to stop a foreclosure but those other ways usually involve liquidating assets or making some kind of deal with your existing lender or a new lender to save your bacon.  The problem with those outcomes is, the other party has a choice in the matter.  No matter what you do, they can choose to go back on what you discussed or not discuss anything with you at all.  

In the last few months we have seen a number of clients with mortgage forbearance that will come due all at once.  Meaning those payments you missed in March, April, May and June are all going to be due at one time.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough money laying around to make 3-5 months worth of mortgage payments all at one time.  What we are seeing is that people are expecting to be able to refinance or get a mortgage modification.  The problem with all of that is, the lenders have a choice and they may choose to deny those, especially if you’ve suffered a recent job loss. More often than not, mortgage mods don’t go through and people are often left looking for a bankruptcy lawyer with only hours to spare before their house is sold on the courthouse steps. 

Last minute foreclosure defense

Filing bankruptcy, even just a skeletal one, is time consuming.  To file bankruptcy, you have to do things in a certain order.  You meet with an attorney, you take the credit counseling class, you pay your filing fees and then your case can be filed.  All of that takes time and if you skip a step, it can throw the whole case into limbo. Another thing you need to take time to decide is what chapter is best for me to file.  Beyond all of these other challenges, you’ve got to come up with the paperwork necessary to file bankruptcy.  You need to be able to put your hands on bills, pay stubs and tax returns at a minimum.  Like I said, the automatic stay puts a stop to all collection activities against you but once you’ve stopped it, then what?

What is the next step I need to take in order to save my home.  That’s where an experienced bankruptcy lawyer comes in.  They’ll figure out if you qualify for a Chapter 7 or 13.  They’ll help you figure out if you can afford the house going forward and they will provide you with an honest assessment of your situation so you can make an informed decision that can help you get the best outcome for your particular situation. 

Last lawyer on the bench

Here is where procrastination comes back to bite you.  If you wait until the last minute to file, you’re left with a lot fewer choices when it comes to an attorney.  Generally speaking, same day appointments aren’t going to be available for the best bankruptcy lawyers so you’ll be stuck with someone who may not be as reputable or frankly has no clue what they’re doing.  

Is that the person you want holding the fate of your single biggest asset in the palm of their hand.  A guy whose most appealing quality is the fact that they have some free time on their hands? The reality is, the best lawyers are going to be busy.  They’ve got other cases to work on and they frankly may not be willing or able to drop everything to handle your case.  

Line up help ahead of time

If you’re working on solutions to avoid foreclosure, whether that be a refinance or a mortgage modification, you need to be shopping around for a bankruptcy lawyer at the same time.  

You need to interview your lawyer and know what each of them will need to file your case (HINT: what they should need should pretty much be the same if they’re being honest with you). You need to understand your options and know how your choice will impact your overall financial picture.

If everything goes as planned you won’t need bankruptcy.  However, if something goes wrong at the last minute, you have a plan B.  If you find yourself needing to discuss your options, contact the caring attorneys at Harmon and Gorove today for a free, no obligation consultation to learn how bankruptcy can help you with your foreclosure issues. 

Collection Threats: What’s real?

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

When you think about debt collectors, you usually think of someone that isn’t very nice.  They call, they harass and they threaten.  In reality though, what threats to take seriously and what threats to ignore is something most people don’t understand.

The reality is, most of them are empty threats.  

  1. You’re not going to jail.  Debtors prisons are a relic of the distant past.  
  2. They’re not going to send people to pick you up.  That’s kidnapping and that’s illegal. 
  3. Chances are, they’re not going to “ruin” your credit. 
  4. So what if they, “refer it to an attorney to look at.”

 

The three threats with teeth

There are only three things you really need to be concerned about.

  1. They have a court judgement against you and they know where you work.  They can then file a garnishment and take your pay. 
  2. There is a lien against your house by your Homeowners Association or your  mortgage lender and they are threatening to foreclose on your house.  You need to be concerned about that and you need to take action to stop it.
  3. You’re behind on your car and they’re threatening to repossess it.

 

That’s what you need to be concerned with.  The rest, well, is just crap. Let’s be honest, the lender would really just rather make a deal. It’s cheaper, cleaner and keeps everyone happy.  

The debt collector who is legitimate will reach out to you in writing or dials you from a number that is from a real debt company. That said, just because they are from a “real company” doesn’t mean they won’t lie to you, call you at work, tell your loved ones about your debt or do other illegal things. 

If you find yourself drowning in debt and being harassed by legitimate debt collectors, reach out to us at Harmon and Gorove.  We can help you get your finances in order and bring some peace to your life.  Contact us today to learn how bankruptcy can help you achieve financial freedom and peace. 

Credit score increases rapidly after bankruptcy, says by the CFPB.

in Bankruptcy, Credit and Credit Cards

Our clients are often so very concerned about their credit score.  That’s natural, and frankly, we are too.  I check my credit score at least once every two weeks.  It’s a point of pride for many people.  For others however, it can be the difference in being able to get ahead in life or not being able to afford those things we need. 

We have some very good news to report for people who are worried about the impact that bankruptcy will have on their credit score. The good news is, and I say it boldly;

AFTER BANKRUPTCY, CREDIT SCORES GO STEADILY UP

That’s right.  All these years you’ve been lied to by people who have no idea what they’re talking about.  Telling you that if you file bankruptcy your finances are toast and you’re dead in the water. You’ll never get another loan again.  We’ve all heard it and it’s usually coming from the slime ball that charged you 97% interest on a $2,500 car loan.

We didn’t just make this up either, although we already knew this to be true, this is a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  The study, which you can read here is completely legitimate and has been researched over the last 17 years. Another finding from the study is 

A PERSON’S CREDIT SCORES START IMPROVING THE SAME YEAR AS YOUR BANKRUPTCY FILING

Take a minute and absorb that.

How Creditors Use Fear

Creditors and all their hack buddies scream from the rooftops about bankruptcy trashing your credit score.  The data shows just the opposite.  In fact, there’s usually no dip in your score after filing.  The overwhelming amount of people who file bankruptcy see an IMMEDIATE increase in their score. Don’t believe us, just read what the CFPB says: 

Median credit scores increase steadily from year-to-year after consumers file a bankruptcy petition.

Median scores for Chapter 7 filers recover more quickly than those for Chapter 13 filers possibly due to the much quicker and more likely discharge of Chapter 7 filings.  

Bankruptcy improves your Financial Health

When it comes to your financial health, let’s get one thing straight. Your credit score is a vastly inadequate indicator of your financial health.  What really matters is your balance sheet.

A credit score is a distraction

In the grand scheme of loans and credit, lenders look at your balance sheet as much or more than your credit score.  In essence, they look at your net worth which is comprised of assets minus liabilities.  If you eliminate the liabilities you have via bankruptcy, your net worth looks even better. 

A credit score is just a number, most banks prefer a measure called the Debt to Income ratio or DTI.  If you wipe out unsecured debts, your DTI goes down as well, improving your likelihood of getting approved for a loan.  

Boost your credit score

You can take actions that can boost your score.  One of the best ways to do that is to check your credit report.  Not just your score, but what’s listed on your report.  When you look into credit reports, you’ll find that credit reports are notoriously inaccurate. Nearly 1 in 4 credit reports had factual inaccuracies that could negatively impact your credit score. That’s why its very important to check your credit report often, even more so than your score itself.  

Is bankruptcy right for me?

Just because you can file bankruptcy, doesn’t mean you should. It’s just one of the things you should consider if you find yourself needing to file.  Lots of different factors influence whether you should file bankruptcy.  We discuss those factors in one of our recent blog posts

If you’re ready to discuss filing bankruptcy with an experienced bankruptcy attorney, contact our office today for a free, no obligation consultation.