The Federal Trade Commission received 69,204 complaints in 2006 about third-party debt collectors, more than against any other specific industry and nearly triple what it handled in 2000. This according to a story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Many consumer find themselves the victim of debt collector harassment. A vast majority – especially those who are [...]
August 2007
Many realtors talk about “short sales” to aid a homeowner who can’t get enough money out of the sale of their home in today’s market to pay the liens. A “short sale” is an arrangement made with a mortgage company to take less than what is actually owed. Thus, if a home has, for example, [...]
People in financial distress often think that bankruptcy is something they need to consider. I often get calls from people asking specifically about Chapter 11 bankruptcy, wondering if they need to consider it. The answer to this question from most individuals is “No”. Most consumers don’t need to even think about 11, since Chapter 7 [...]
As a consumer bankruptcy attorney, I often meet with potential bankruptcy clients who have outstanding medical bills from a personal injury case. These people are on the brink of bankruptcy, their credit reports are getting hammered from all the late bills, and they may not be able to work due to their injuries. So, they [...]
When you read about the bankruptcy means test, it is easy to get scared. Nobody likes taking tests. But for a lot of people, there’s a secret way to help pass it: Take care of yourself first. If your income is high enough, there may not be a way to avoid “failing” the means test. [...]
Kansas debtors defeated the bankruptcy trustee in a battle over their income tax refund recently. “It was creative bankruptcy planning by debtors and their counsel to assign their income tax refund pre-petition to pay their attorney’s flat fee retainer,” the U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the 10th Circuit ruled last week in In Re Miller, [...]
