Blogs

It’s that time of the year again. Don’t let the government shutdown fool you—the Internal Revenue Service and its computers are up and running.

Whether you’re looking forward to a refund or dreading a tax bill, most of us will be dealing with the IRS in one form or another. No matter which camp you’re in, it’s safe to say that nobody wants to be the subject of a tax audit.

A week ago, one of the members in my family called me to tell me that her mortgage company asked her to stop making her mortgage payments so she could qualify for a specific type of mortgage modification.  She asked me whether she should do that.  The answer is NO.

One of the most common concerns my clients have is whether or not filing a bankruptcy case will affect their job. The short answer is this; no, filing a case should not have any impact.

What is a Bankruptcy Petition, what are the most common types of Bankruptcy and what happens once your case is filed with the Bankruptcy Court?

Here are a few pointers to help you at the start of the Chapter 13 bankruptcy process.

1. Be Patient

When I said bankruptcy “process,” I really meant it’s a process.  Filing for bankruptcy relief is comparable to filing your taxes.

When discussing bankruptcy, you will often hear references to the “trustee of the case.”  The trustee is a court-appointed individual that oversees your bankruptcy case.

While many debtors have an initial fear of the trustee, it is generally unwarranted.  A trustee is not attempting to sabotage your bankruptcy case.  In all likelihood, the trustee would prefer for your case to succeed just as much as you, although your opinions of the most beneficial outcome may differ somewhat.

If you are like me, you love watching HGTV’s “House Hunters”.  It’s fun to see different houses and walk into “the one” and feel at home.  Most Americans dream of being a homeowner.

Chapter 12 of the Bankruptcy Code was developed in the 1980s specifically for family farmers and family fishermen.  In the 1970s, a rise in farm exports, commodity prices, and land values resulted in family farmers opening up larger and more expensive farming operations to keep up with demand.

I get this question a lot from clients.

What Is Overpayment?