Can they arrest you for not paying a bill? Bill collectors are now outsourced globally just like any other customer service. And since they are not in the United States, they are ignoring standard American bill collection laws, procedure, and protections. What are your greatest fears about bill collectors? There are two illegal tactics and…
Ex husband or wife filed bankruptcy and they were supposed to pay the bills. Now you are being sued, your are wages garnished, or you are suffering a bank attachment or bank garnishment, or all of the above. You need to follow the lead of one of my favorite movies, Blazing Saddles. The sheriff is…
Your bankruptcy case has been closed without a discharge. How did this happen? What do you do now? In their infinite wisdom and as a gift to the credit card lobby Congress created a requirement that you complete a financial management course before you can get a discharge in bankruptcy. This applies in both chapter…
If you received a 1099-C from a creditor, you have had cancellation of debt in the past year. Any unexpected tax form, especially one that adds income like a 1099, is cause for concern. What is a 1099? Basic tax policy is that anytime someone can deduct some amount, for someone else, somewhere it is…
File Bankruptcy and get a new car. Heard it before haven’t you? Doesn’t even sound right, does it? Even worse, you’ve heard about, or you have seen other people who file bankruptcy, and the next thing you know they are tooling around town in a brand new car. How can all this be? They are…
You can discharge property damage claims, even if you were drunk driving! Not only is that true, but it seems that most attorneys don’t believe it. A young lawyer called to me while I was crossing the square on my way to lunch over six months ago. He wanted to know if a lawsuit involving…
Do you have current divorce obligations that you cannot pay? At one time these types of debts, so long as they were not child support, alimony or spousal support were easily discharged in a chapter 7 bankruptcy. In 2001 I filed a bankruptcy for a divorced mother. She received a business in the divorce that…
Are debts left off included in my Bankruptcy? Clients frequently call me sometime after they file for bankruptcy concerned that they left off a bill or two. Bankruptcy is an incredibly paper intensive proceeding. When you first plan to become a client you are instructed on what to bring to my office to prepare your…
Can a Spouse File Bankruptcy, Not The Other? What if one of a married couple needs to file for bankruptcy? Can she? I use the feminine here because in my experience it is often a wife who needs to take this step. Why would one spouse file a bankruptcy and not the other? Common reasons…