Creditors will be a little less likely to challenge the writing off of recent uses of credit.
Federal Exemptions of Property Increasing
The federal exemptions are nudging up about 3%. But that only matters if you are allowed to use them, and are higher than your state ones.
Higher Bankruptcy Dollar Amounts Effective April 1
Here are the rest of the important changes affecting Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases filed on or after April 1, 2016.
New Dollar Amounts in the Bankruptcy Statutes Effective Soon
Every 3 years many of the dollar amounts in the bankruptcy statutes are adjusted for inflation. Here’s a summary of the important changes.
Protecting Yourself from Your Co-Signer
Through bankruptcy, you may be able to and want to pay a co-signed debt. If not, you need protection from that debt and from your co-signer.
Protecting Your Co-Signer Better through Chapter 13
The “co-debtor stay,” available only under Chapter 13, is a creative tool for protecting your co-signer from being forced to pay your debt.
Protecting Your Co-Signer through Chapter 7
Bankruptcy may give a fresh start not just to you, but also to your relationship with your co-signer.
The Best Way to Deal with an Income Tax Lien Partly Encumbering Your Home Equity
Chapter 13 handles a tax lien on a home especially well when the home has enough equity to cover some but not all of the tax lien amount.
A Fresh Start for Your Home Equity Encumbered by a Tax Lien
Chapter 13 takes away the danger of a tax lien encumbering the equity in your home. If the IRS or your state tax collector records an income tax lien against your home, and you want to keep the home, sometimes through bankruptcy you don’t have to pay the tax. If there’s no equity at all in the home to … Read More
A Fresh Start on the Income Tax Lien against Your Home
If the IRS or state has recorded a tax lien on your home, sometimes a Chapter 13 “adjustment of debts” can get rid of both the tax and the lien. Income Taxes that Can Be “Discharged” (Legally Written Off) If you owe an income tax debt, it can be discharged like most other debts. The tax debt just needs to meet … Read More
A Fresh Start on a Child or Spousal Support Lien
If you have a child or spousal support lien on your home because you’re behind on support payments, with Chapter 13 you can safely protect the home. If you are behind on your support payments, your ex-spouse and support enforcement agencies have tremendous tools to use against you to try to force you to catch up. And if you own a … Read More
A Fresh Start on Unpaid Property Taxes
Having unpaid property taxes is dangerous, and violates the contract with your mortgage lender. Bankruptcy addresses both issues. Is Chapter 7 “Straight Bankruptcy” Enough Help? It possibly can give you enough of a fresh start with your other debts so that you can catch up on your property taxes. But doing so while keeping your mortgage lender also satisfied is difficult to pull … Read More
Judgment Liens that Can Be “Avoided”
Bankruptcy can’t get rid of most creditor liens on what you own. But judgment liens that can be “avoided” on your home are an exception. Our last blog post was about judgment liens, why they are so dangerous, and how both Chapter 7 and 13 types of bankruptcy can deal with them. Today’s blog post explains what determines whether a … Read More