If behind on property taxes on property that isn’t your home, either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 may buy you the time to save this property.
A Simple Chapter 7 Asset Case
Chapter 7 “asset” cases may sound scary. They needn’t be. We walk you through a very straightforward example to demystify this.
An Asset Chapter 7 Case
Most Chapter 7 cases are “no-asset” ones. So, what’s an “asset case,” and is it good or bad for you?
Reasons a Chapter 7 Trustee May Not Take Your Non-Exempt Property
Just because you own something that isn’t exempt does not necessarily mean that your Chapter 7 trustee will liquidate it. Maybe not.
Your No-Asset Chapter 7 Case
Most individual consumer Chapter 7 cases are “no asset” ones. This means that the Chapter 7 trustee doesn’t liquidate any debtor assets.
Treatment of Proceeds, Rents, and Profits under Chapter 7
Assets acquired after filing under Chapter 7, such as wages, can’s be reached by the trustee. But watch out for proceeds, rents and profits.
Treatment of Death Benefits in Chapter 7
The 180-day rule applicable to life insurance proceeds also applies to death benefits overall. Death benefits may also often be exempt.
Protecting Life Insurance Proceeds
The 180-day rule applies to life insurance proceeds in a Chapter 7 case. But life insurance proceeds are often exempt, or protected.
Your Property of the Bankruptcy Estate Excludes a Power of Attorney
If you have a power of attorney over someone’s assets, or any similar power, those assets are not affected by your bankruptcy case.
5 More Essentials about Protecting Your Property with Exemptions
There’s a lot more to using property exemptions than just matching them to your assets. There are benefits worth taking advantage of.
The 5 Essentials about Protecting Your Property with Exemptions
Most of the time you get to keep everything you own when you file bankruptcy. It’s all covered by property exemptions. But not always.
Use the Property Exemptions You Qualify For
Usually you use the property exemptions available for the residents of your state. But not if you haven’t lived there long enough.
Your Chapter 7 Trustee Disputing an Asset’s Value
What happens when your bankruptcy trustee thinks you undervalued an asset? How does the trustee determine what you own and its value?
An Asset Unprotected
Usually everything you own is exempt (protected). But what happens if you own an asset that is not exempt? What does the trustee do? Chapter 7 is the “liquidation” form of bankruptcy. But in our last blog post we introduced the bankruptcy trustee as an only sometimes liquidator. That’s because in most Chapter 7 cases nothing gets liquidated. Nothing … Read More
Your Assets and the Timing of Filing a Chapter 7 Case
Pre-petition assets are “property of the bankruptcy estate,” part of your Chapter 7 case. Post-petition assets are not.