Bankruptcy and Helping People Save Their Houses
When Consumer Bankruptcy is the Next Logical Thing to Consider
Chapter 7
If you simply cannot pay your debts within your current budget, then you may have the legal right to have most if not all of your debts vanish in bankruptcy. That is not taking the “weak” or “dishonest” way out. That is an option that the law has provided you because it is not fair for someone be enslaved for the rest of their lives trying to do the impossible, and it is helpful to the economy in general to have people play their role in it without being enslaved.
Chapter 13
SAVE YOUR HOUSE
If you are behind in mortgage or car payments and you want to keep the house or car to which the loans relate, then Chapter 13 may be a way for you to do this even if the bank no longer wants to work with you. This usually works best when the reason why you fell behind is gone, whether the reason was decreased income, increased expenses, illness, divorce or, frankly, insufficient attention to the account. Whether the “fault” was yours or not is irrelevant. All that is important is that now you can start making the payments again (plus a little to catch up), but the bank is no longer listening and wants the house or car.
If you can keep (or start) making the regular loan payments and can afford to catch up on the overdue payments in five years, then Chapter 13 is a good way to make the bank accept this solution against its will. It is the Court, not the bank, that gets to decide whether your “Chapter 13 Plan” is acceptable. I file Chapter 13 cases for people and I show the Court that their Plans are acceptable.
You can use Chapter 13 Plans to make it possible for you to pay other forms of debt as well, including delinquent taxes. Depending on your income and how much equity in property you have (value of the property minus the liens against it), you may be able to get rid of some debt in the Chapter 13 just like in the Chapter 7.
Both Chapters
Filing bankruptcy can also provide psychological relief for some people. The instant you file, no one can attempt any debt collection against you. Collection calls and letters must stop. No property can be taken at that time. You have a moment to breathe in peace without having to fend off people attacking you. You get a chance to think and plan and begin to function with a sense of happiness and self-respect.
I represent homeowners and other consumer clients in bankruptcy cases to get rid of debt that cannot be paid back and/or to restructure debt such as mortgages, vehicle liens, and tax accounts, so that they can be caught up and repaid within a client’s means. As I reached 60 years of age in 2019, I looked back at years during which I myself had to struggle through lean financial times, sometimes with help and sometimes not. I see no difference between myself and those in need of legal services. I respect them as I respect myself, and I say this with regarding each area of law in which I practice.
As for those people who do look down on others who choose to file for bankruptcy, they often change their view when it is them coming in to file.
No one in the court system looks down on people who choose to file for bankruptcy. The lawyers and Judges you will encounter are respectful and their only concern is that you follow the bankruptcy laws, which is what I can help you do.
Looking for a bankruptcy attorney you can trust in York and Harrisburg, PA? Contact me today.
“We are debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under Title 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.”