There’s nothing typical about Maryland bankruptcy cases. Each case is different based upon the client’s income, expenses, assets and debts. Many people have defaulted on their bills for months or even years before they file for bankruptcy. Others struggle from month to month making mimimum payments and have credit scores in the 700s. Whether you’re […]
Trustee Scrutinizing Bankruptcy Case When my clients ask, “Why is the trustee looking so closely at my bankruptcy case?” I tell them about trustee appointments. Chapter 7 trustees are private attorneys appointed to a panel by the Department of Justice. Trustees are paid only $65.00 per case according to statute and that is the full […]
Michael Brown did not seem to be a good candidate for bankruptcy. A prominent Houston hand surgeon, he invented a surgical technique to treat carpal tunnel syndrome and franchised 6 surgical centers in the southwest. His Brown Medical Centers had earned between $25 million to $30 million a year. However, while trying to divorce his […]
Courts around the country continue to refuse Chapter 13 debtors the right to make payroll contributions into their 401(k) plans at the expense of creditors.Two recent cases have continued this trend:In re Parks, No. 11-1366 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. August 6, 2012), and In re Jenkins, No. 11-16960 (Bankr. E.D. Tenn. July 5, 2012). The rationale behind these decisions (notwithstanding a […]
The bankruptcy process is filed with obstacles and milestones: hiring an attorney, filling out complicated forms and pulling the trigger to file the case itself. On top of all this is at least one public appearance: meeting with the trustee. In Chapter 7 the trustee’s meeting should follow careful planning and execution. In Chapters 11 […]
The classic silent film Metropolis by director Fritz Lang thrilled audiences in the 1920s by depicting a fantastic Art Deco image of a future civilization. Only four posters from that landmark film survive and one of them found its way into the hands of collector Kenneth Schacter, according to this article from Blastr.com. Schacter apparently […]
It’s that second mortgage that’s causing all the problems. Values have taken a nosedive in the last 5 years and many of those junior liens are now completely underwater. Say the home is worth $250,000, the first mortgage is $300,000 and the second mortgage, maybe a home equity line of credit (HELOC) is $75,000. The […]
Sometimes, there’s a reason to hurry up the bankruptcy filing. This usually happens when the client really needs protection from creditors. Trying to stop an impending foreclosure sale, Sheriff Levy, wage garnishment, or seizure of a bank account are all very good reasons to get that bankruptcy case filed. When the creditors are moving to […]
