by Walter Metzen | Dec 14, 2021 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, disclosing assets in bankruptcy
A client of mine from almost 20 years ago, recently had his Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case reopened on motion of the United States Trustees Office. I’ve only seen this a half dozen times in the almost three decades that I have been practicing consumer bankruptcy law here...
by Walter Metzen | Dec 11, 2021 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Giving a gift to a friend or family member prior to filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy may be a perfectly harmless, routine action to take. It can also be a mistake that endangers your case and causes a lot of trouble for the recipient of the gift. Why is it a problem to...
by Walter Metzen | Oct 6, 2021 | Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a long process for anyone. Generally ranging from 3 to 5 years, a Chapter 13 represents a significant piece of your life wholly dedicated—financially, anyway—to the end-goal of ridding yourself of debt. The good news is that...
by Walter Metzen | Sep 15, 2021 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a “liquidation” bankruptcy. This means that, if you own any property that is worth more than the value of the so-called “bankruptcy exemptions” that can be applied to them in your bankruptcy petition schedules, that property will be...
by Walter Metzen | Sep 3, 2021 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
The US Trustee’s Office is an entity often referenced in blog entries on this site. We mention the US Trustee generally in passing, with the warning that, in any Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it is best not to attract the notice of this office. But who is...
by Walter Metzen | Aug 30, 2021 | Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
It may be counter-intuitive to think that having more debt is better for a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceeding. However, in the case of an automobile lien, this is actually true—within reason. Owning a vehicle free and clear is a righteous path...
