California has a program to refund a portion of property taxes to qualifying seniors, including those who rent. The deadline for applying for this year’s refund is October 15. To qualify, you must be 62 years of age or older; owned or rented in 2006, and have an annual income less than $42,770 in 2006. […]
Lingering effect of allowed claim in bankruptcy
My colleague at the Bankruptcy Law Network Karen Oakes talks about some reasons a debtor in bankruptcy may want to object to a claim filed in the case. There is another, a real bombshell, arising out of a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals case Siegel 143 F.3d 525. Siegel addressed a post bankruptcy dispute between […]
When to make your move
My colleague Susanne Robicsek wrote about the implications of a state to state move on filing bankruptcy. Where you live and how long you have lived there drive where you file and what exemptions are available. A different issue arises when you contemplate moving from a house that’s been foreclosed to rental housing in the […]
Financial worries can make you fat
I wrote earlier that stress is a real and serious threat to physical health that needs to be factored in to the discussion about bankruptcy and the alternatives. Recent studies suggest that stress may also lead to obesity. Individuals in debt tend to see their debts as a financial problem, when those debts are also […]
Should I file bankruptcy: hanging on too long
My colleague Brett Weiss echoes my experience with those in financial trouble: they wait far to long to see a bankruptcy attorney. Many have long since passed the point where they can hope to pay off their debt. They have invaded or neglected their retirement savings in a futile struggle to keep up with their […]
Taking my own advice Part Three
I can report that the “do not contact” letter works, at least with my creditor, ATT. I wrote earlier about my billing dispute with ATT and how I sent a letter citing California’s Rosenthal Act to ATT telling them not to contact me at home. California’s Rosenthal Act gives consumers many of the rights they […]
Loan hype debases the language
My blood boils when I read tripe like this pitch from a lender promoting a debt consolidation loan: it’s not a loan, says the headline, it’s a way out of debt. I’m sorry, but that’s baloney. About sixth grade, I learned that 3+7 and 5+5 both equaled 10. No matter what order the numbers came […]
More seniors file bankruptcy
The elderly are a growing percentage of bankruptcy filers. The reasons are myriad: health care costs, inadequate retirement savings, and financial entanglements with family. The trend to market home equity loans as a way to live better makes it less likely the mortgage is paid off when retirement arrives. The question, “Should I file bankruptcy?” […]
Incorrect credit reports can coerce payment of discharged debt
Jay Fleischman discusses whether the failure to correct a credit report after a bankruptcy discharge is really a violation of the discharge injunction. I have experienced two very real examples of how the continued reporting of discharged debt shadows a debtor’s fresh start. The first is in the insidious use of credit scores for pricing […]
Taking my own advice Part Two
The return receipt on my “do not contact” letter to ATT arrived at my office showing receipt on July 6th. Between July 7 and July 10, we got seven calls at home about the disputed account; on July 12th, we got a call from NCO who announce that the account has been turned over to […]
