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Can You Be Arrested For Not Paying Your Debts?

By Cathy Moran

Despite the story spread all over about federal marshals arresting a man for an unpaid student loan, people aren’t arrested for debt. And Fox News got the story wrong.  The man was not arrested because he owed money he hadn’t paid. He was arrested for blowing off a court order that he appear in court. […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Student loans Tagged With: 2016

Little Time To Spare When Served With A California Lawsuit

By Cathy Moran Leave a Comment

Being served with papers in a California collection suit doesn’t generally help your critical thinking process. In fact, that surge of adrenaline seems to blur the eyes and fog the brain. So when you scan the lawsuit papers and see a date, months down the road, you exhale and set the problem aside for another day. […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: California, collection suit

How to get copies of your bankruptcy papers

By Cathy Moran

get bankruptcy papers

When you need to get copies of your bankruptcy papers, there’s a long line of people ready to rip you off. I mean, really rip you off. I’d list the companies prepared to overcharge you, but I don’t want to give them any more visibility than they already have. You may need to get bankruptcy […]

Filed Under: Featured

Tax Deductions Hidden In Chapter 13

By Cathy Moran 4 Comments

tax deductions bankruptcy

Don’t miss the tax deductions hiding in your Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The same, very important debts that your Chapter 13 plan pays are often tax deductible. And you are still the person who’s paying, even if the trustee writes the check. Don’t miss out on those deductions. Tax deductions in bankruptcy Let’s look at some […]

Filed Under: Chapter 13, Consumer Rights, Taxes

Get Annual Credit Report For Free

By Cathy Moran Leave a Comment

free credit report band

When is FREE not FREE? In a world seemingly driven in all matters by credit reports, getting that report for nothing ought to be a good thing, But the commercial entities beat the federal government to the web address freecreditreport.com. And they also got a better ad agency that wrote catchy tunes promoting their product, […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights Tagged With: free credit report

The Biggest Lie About Bankruptcy

By Cathy Moran

possessions are sold

Read anything about Chapter 7 and you get, “Your possessions are sold in Chapter 7 bankruptcy.“ That is, flat out, the biggest lie about bankruptcy. It’s a liquidation proceeding and your stuff will be sold to pay creditors, the lie goes on. No wonder people are scared off from getting relief from debts they can’t […]

Filed Under: How bankruptcy works

The Worrisome Truth About Silent Second Mortgages

By Bill Purdy

silent mortgages

Like a sleeping bear, long-silent second mortgages hibernate in people’s houses these days.  They are quiet, a snoozing predator, just waiting for spring. And it can be bloody when those sleeping mortgages awaken hungry and look around for something to fill its pocket. Here in California the coming slaughter is particularly noticeable because the value […]

Filed Under: Real property & mortgages Tagged With: 2016, foreclosure, junior lien, second mortgage

Hold Or Fold? How To Decide If Filing Bankruptcy Is Right For You

By Cathy Moran

considering bankruptcy

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em; know when to walk away, know when to run… So goes the gambler’s advice to the young card player in the hit Kenny Rogers song. Hum along as we think about how we play our cards when we’re in debt: the hardest call is […]

Filed Under: Considering Bankruptcy, Featured Tagged With: bankruptcy and poker

How To Wipe Out Tax Penalties In Bankruptcy

By Cathy Moran

tax penalties

Tax penalties seem like a further insult when you’re having trouble paying the tax itself. Everything seems subject to an additional penalty:  failure to file timely;  failure to pre pay sufficiently;  failure to be accurate. They mount up quickly, often equaling the unpaid tax. Bankruptcy can not only eliminate your liability for certain taxes, it […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights

Do I qualify for bankruptcy in the Bay Area?

By Cathy Moran

San Francisco Bay Area

The higher-than-average wages in the Bay Area don’t disqualify you from bankruptcy, despite rampant misinformation about the bankruptcy means test. The means test, added to bankruptcy law in 2005, was (poorly) designed to keep above average earners out of bankruptcy. But it hasn’t worked in the Bay Area, largely because of the cost of housing […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: 2021, Alameda, Bay Area, means test, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz

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About The Soapbox

You've arrived at the Bankruptcy Soapbox, a resource of bankruptcy information and consumer law.

Soapbox is a companion site to Bankruptcy in Brief, where I try to be largely explanatory and even handed (Note I said "try").

Here, I allow myself to tell stories and express strong opinions on how I think law should work for the consumer and small businesses when it comes to debt.

Moran Law Group
Bankruptcy specialists for individuals and small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area

How Bankruptcy Works

The Biggest Lie About Bankruptcy

Read anything about Chapter 7 and you get, "Your possessions are sold in Chapter 7 bankruptcy." That is, flat out, the biggest lie about bankruptcy. It's a liquidation proceeding and your stuff will be sold to pay creditors, the lie goes on. No wonder people are scared off from getting relief from debts … Read more

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