Home 2009 Archives for December 2009

Archives for December 2009

Out of Date Means Test Guidelines

Posted on December 31, 2009 Written by

Out of Date Means Test Income Guidelines

New Income Guidelines After Halloween

Here are the new Kansas means test income figures for cases filed on or after November 1, 2009:

  1. one earner household $41,357 (up $353)
  2. two person household $57,767 (up $1621)
  3. three person household $63,438 (up $193)
  4. four person household $72,610 (down $2016)
  5. add $6900 for each individual in the household in excess of four.

Income Guidelines for Cases Filed on or after March 15, 2009, through October 31, 2009

The Kansas median income has increased giving debtors a raise on the bankruptcy means test for cases filed on or after March 15, 2009.  The new figures by family size are:

  • one earner    $41,004
  • two people    $56,146
  • three people $63,245
  • four people   $74,626

* Add $6,900 for each individual in excess of 4.

Guidelines for Cases File on or after October 1, 2008, but before March 15, 2009, see below

Here are the bankruptcy income guidelines that went into effect October 1, 2008:

  • 1 earner                       $39,488
  • 2-person families    $54,070
  • 3-person families    $60,906
  • 4-person families    $71,867
  • 5-person families    $68,548
  • 6-person families    $63,075
  • Add $6,900 for each additional individual
    • Filed Under: Means Test

    Who Are Creditors in Bankruptcy?

    Posted on December 30, 2009 Written by

    Creditor: The person or organization to whom the debtor owes money or has some other form of legal obligation.

    Filed Under: Filing Bankruptcy

    What is Bankruptcy Conversion?

    Posted on December 29, 2009 Written by

    Conversion: Cases under the Code may be converted from one chapter to another chapter; for example, a Chapter 7 case may be converted to a case under Chapter 13 if the debtor is eligible for Chapter 13. Even though the chapter of the Code which governs it changes, it remains the same case as originally filed.

    Filed Under: Chapter 13, Chapter 7, Conversion

    What is a Contingent Debt?

    Posted on December 28, 2009 Written by

    Contingent: Used to describe debts that are not fixed in right at the time, but are dependent on some other event happening to fix the liability.

    Filed Under: Chapter 13, Filing Bankruptcy

    What Is Consumer Debt in Bankruptcy?

    Posted on December 27, 2009 Written by

    Consumer Debt:  Debts incurred by an individual for personal, family or household purposes. Taxes are not consumer debts; neither are business loans. The means test only applies to those with primarily consumer debt.

    Filed Under: Filing Bankruptcy

    Timeshare Debt Allowed on Means Test, Adult Child Disallowed

    Posted on December 26, 2009 Written by

    MORE LINE BY LINES OF B22C
    In re Hays, Case No 07-41285
    April, 2008, Judge Karlin

    13 Trustee objections to debtor’s attempts to claim living expenses for non-dependent debtors as well as for secured debt on a timeshare. Court followed Law and disallowed adult child expenses. The Court allowed the debt on the timeshare to be deducted. The decision is very thorough and is a recommended read.

    Digest by:  Jan Hamilton, Trustee

    Filed Under: Chapter 13, Court Rulings, Means Test Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    What Is Confirmation in Bankruptcy?

    Posted on December 26, 2009 Written by

    Confirmation: The court order which makes the terms of the plan for repayment of debts in a Chapter 11, 12 or 13 binding. The terms of the confirmed plan replace the prepetition rights of the debtor and creditor.

    Filed Under: Business Bankruptcy, Chapter 13

    Local Bankruptcy Rules Changes Proposed

    Posted on December 25, 2009 Written by

    The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas is taking written comments on Proposed Local Rules of Practice and Procedure until January 1, 2010.

    Interested persons, whether or not members of the bar, may submit comments on the Proposed Local Rules addressed to the Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas at 401 N. Market, Room 167, Wichita, Kansas 67202.  Proposed Changes to Local Bankruptcy Rules

    Filed Under: Bankruptcy News Tagged: , , , , , ,

    Bankruptcy Time Counting Rules Changed

    Posted on December 25, 2009 Written by
    Among the time-computation amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure that will take effect on December 1, 2009, are changes to 12 rules that will result in a reduction by one day (from 15 to 14 days) of the time to take action. The affected rules are Bankruptcy Rules 1007, 1019, 1020, 2015, 2015.1, 2016, 3015, 4001, 4002, 6004, 6007, and 8009. Please take note of these changes and particularly of the new 14-day deadline for filing schedules, statements, and other documents under Rule 1007(c); for filing a chapter 13 plan under Rule 3015(b); and for filing appellate briefs under Rule 8009(a).  U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas
    Filed Under: Bankruptcy News Tagged: , , , , ,

    Nonworking Adult Son Not Counted in Household

    Posted on December 25, 2009 Written by

    B22C CASE, LINE BY LINE…
    In re Law, Case No. 07-40863
    April 2008, Judge Karlin

    Court sustained 13 Trustee’s objection to confirmation as debtor included: adult son in household size, tax levy on Line 33 and duplicated it on Line 49 and unencumbered vehicle on line 28. The decision is a good analysis of the status of B22C case law as of the date of the decision.

    Digest by:  Jan Hamilton, Trustee

    Filed Under: Chapter 13, Court Rulings, Means Test Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    What Is Collateral in Bankruptcy?

    Posted on December 25, 2009 Written by

    Collateral: The property that is subject to a lien. A creditor with rights in collateral is a secured creditor and has additional protections in the Bankruptcy Code for the claim secured by collateral. The measure of the secured claim is the value of the collateral available to secure the claim: it is possible to have a lien on property that is subject to a senior lien or liens such that the security available to pay the claim is really without value to the junior creditor. The general rule with respect to liens is “First in time, first in right.” More on Secured Debts.

    Filed Under: Mortgages, Vehicles

    Deduct Full Secured Debt on Bankruptcy Means Test

    Posted on December 24, 2009 Written by

    OK FOR CHAPTER 13 DEBTORS TO TAKE B22C DEDUCTION FOR FULL PAYMENT
    RATHER THAN CRAM DOWN AMOUNT
    In re Allen, Case No. 07-41327
    February 2008, Judge Karlin

    Objected to confirmation on the basis that Debtor’s means test calculations erroneously included the full amount of the pre-petition car payments rather than the reduced or  crammed-down amounts. In analyzing 1325(b)(1), the Court found that 707(b)(2)(A)(iii) applies and that Debtors need not only list the amounts they will actually pay through the plan. There is a split of authority on this important issue. This case was not appealed so no appellate decision is in the immediate future for the 10th Circuit.  See the Hoss and Arroyo decision by Judge Nugent for the opposite result.

    Digest by:  Jan Hamilton, Trustee

    Filed Under: Chapter 13, Court Rulings, Means Test Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

    What Does Charged Off Mean?

    Posted on December 24, 2009 Written by

    Charged Off: This is an accounting term that means the creditor does not expect to collect on the debt. It relates to the creditor’s taxes. It starts time periods under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It does not mean that the debt is no longer legally enforceable.

    Filed Under: Discharge, Financial Help

    Don’t Be Fooled by False Letter that Says Your Bankruptcy is Dismissed – Your Stay Still in Effect

    Posted on December 24, 2009 Written by

    A Florida debt adjuster sent letters to Chapter 13 bankruptcy debtors in Kansas falsely telling them that their bankruptcy cases were dismissed and to call right away “to discuss the terms of your dismissal.”  What a scam!

    These letters from First American Debt Solutions are absolutely FALSE! The bankruptcy cases are NOT DISMISSED! These letters are outrageous!  They frighten vulnerable consumer debtors and cause panic.  Debtors are tricked into thinking they are no longer protected by the bankruptcy stay against collection.

    If you receive one of these outrageous letters, call your bankruptcy attorney right away.  She can assure you the letter is false, your case is active and you are still protected by the automatic stay.  She will want the letter and mailer to save as evidence against this company.  This fraudulent activity have been reported to the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee, the U.S. Trustee and the Office of the Kansas Bank Commissioner.

    Here is part of  one letter two clients got this week: [Read more…]

    Filed Under: Bankruptcy News, Chapter 13 Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Car Deduction Allowed on Means Test, Reversed by District Court

    Posted on December 23, 2009 Written by

    CAR DEDUCTIONS ALLOWED EVEN THOUGH NO LIEN
    In re Thomas, Case No 06-21108
    In re Camacho, Case No. 06-20729
    October 2007,  Judge Berger

    UST Motion To Dismiss under 707(b) for presumed abuse based upon totality of circumstances was denied. The Court concluded that the debtors are entitled to claim vehicle ownership for expenses, even though debtors did not have liens or leases on the vehicles. (See In Re Howell, 06-11652 for opposing view from Judge Nugent.). Judge Lungstrum subsequently reversed and remanded Thomas, 382 B.R. 793 (D. Kan. 2008).

    Digest by:  Jan Hamilton, Trustee

    Filed Under: Chapter 13, Court Rulings, Means Test Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

    What Does Confirmed Mean?

    Posted on December 23, 2009 Written by

    Confirmed: A plan of reorganization in Chapter 11, 12 or 13 approved by the court and binding on the parties is said to be confirmed.

    Filed Under: Business Bankruptcy, Chapter 13
    Next Page »
    Verified by MonsterInsights