The first of two credit card reforms went into effect earlier this week. The other reform will not be effective until July 2010. Together, the new laws should provide considerable help to you and other consumers by eliminating some of the worst practices of the credit card companies. The new laws will make the following changes: First, the credit card company [...]
Peter Orville, Binghamton Bankruptcy Lawyer
You can still get the tax credit for buying a new home, but time is running out. The much heralded tax credit for new home buyers was extended in November 2009. The tax credit is available to both first-time home buyers and homeowners who have owned their home for five years. First-time homeowners will receive [...]
Before you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy – or even under Chapter 13 – you must first determine if you are above the “median income”. The median income test is based on the average income earned your state and is calculated each year by the U.S. Census Bureau. The “income” you must consider is not necessarily [...]
If you are lucky enough to get your mortgage company to offer a meaningful modification of your mortgage while you are in a Chapter 13, you probably can get the Trustee and the Court to agree to allow it. There are a number of issues, however, that need to be addressed. Before modifying your mortgage [...]
You may or may not lose your rental property if you file bankruptcy. The two most important issues are whether the property is producing a positive income and whether the property has any equity, as well as which chapter of bankruptcy you file. Maintaining a rental property is not without its costs. At a minimum, [...]
Mortgage companies often fail to discharge a mortgage, even in the face of a Court order directing them to do so. When you file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you often can get rid of your second mortgage if the balance of the first mortgage is greater than your home’s value. If this is the case, [...]
