Category: Chapter 7

Chapter 7 bankruptcy information, for lower-income people with no ability to repay debt, involving liquidation of assets

Amending exemptions or schedules in a reopened case is not allowed in some courts

Amend Exemption in Reopened Bankruptcy? The Three Approaches

Posted by Hale Andrew Antico on

Amend Exemption in Reopened Bankruptcy? The Three Approaches

In a bankruptcy case where you already got the order of discharge and has been closed, can you go back and reopen the case to amend the exemptions to protect an asset? The answer is (say it with me): it depends.

The Scenario: Need to Reopen & and Amend Schedules

If you practice bankruptcy long enough, you know the situation. Debtor files bankruptcy, and somehow forgets that they had a cause of action and (potential) lawsuit against someone, and doesn’t disclose the potential asset.

Years later, defendant finds out about the bankruptcy, considers judicial estoppel, and for good measure, notifies the old bankruptcy trustee about the asset in the closed bankruptcy case.

Debtor then reopens the bankruptcy case, and amends the schedule of assets and exemptions and all is forgiven. No harm, no foul.

Of course, this can also happen when you want to avoid the lien of a home with no equity at the time of an old case, using Section 522(f). This would lead to the need to reopen and amend Schedule C with a de minimis amount to show that the lien is impairing an exemption.  In re Higgins, 201 BR 965 (9th Cir BAP 1996)

The Problem: Can you Amend Exemptions after a Bankruptcy is Closed?

We start with one potential issue:  Rule 1009(a) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedures says when a case can be amended. “A voluntary petition, list, schedule, or statement may be amended by the debtor as a matter of course at any time before the case is closed.”

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Chapter 7 reaffirmation agreement

Chapter 7 Reaffirmation Agreement

Posted by Hale Andrew Antico on

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Chapter 7 Reaffirmation Agreement

What is a reaffirmation agreement in Chapter 7

A Chapter 7 reaffirmation agreement is where the evil creditor is trying to get you to owe money after the bankruptcy is over. This is of course a bad thing. But there’s one problem: in some cases, you have to sign the reaffirmation agreement. Note: one advantage of Chapter 13 bankruptcy is no need to reaffirm debts.

[/vc_column_text][vc_message]2023 Update: Ride-through is back in California bankruptcy, which significantly impacts the requirement to sign a reaffirmation agreement. This is due to the passage of SB 1099, which has a number of changes in California law to help debtors filing bankruptcy.[/vc_message][vc_column_text]

What does it mean to reaffirm a debt?

To reaffirm a debt is to agree with the lender that you’ll continue owing a debt. You’re basically saying, “I’m good for it.” You’re giving the creditor the power to maybe take things from you and sue you if you ever break the agreement.

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The 1215-day rule is unsettled about residency vs ownership in California

1215-day rule: Is Residency Needed, or Merely Ownership in Calif

Posted by Hale Andrew Antico on

1215-day rule: Is Residency Needed, or Merely Ownership in California?

A look at how closing the Mansion Loophole could lose your home in bankruptcy

Does the 1215-day rule for the homestead require occupancy as a domicile, or merely ownership? This is a new issue here for bankruptcy attorneys in California. It matters to you, too, if you own a home in California and are thinking of filing bankruptcy. This is because the homestead exemption amount until 1/2021 was always below the 522 number.  Let’s break this apart in plain English a little bit so we can understand what’s at stake.

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California Homestead and Reside Away from Home and State presents challenges

California Homestead: Intent to Reside and the Out-of-State Home

Posted by Hale Andrew Antico on

California Homestead: Intent to Reside and the Out-of-State Home

A bankruptcy attorney colleague recently asked, does the California homestead exemption protect you if you don’t reside in the house?  Are you required to live in the home? For how long? Who qualifies? Does the homestead exemption protect the home if the house isn’t in California? The answer, like most things in law, is: “it depends.”

Dual residency in two states and and claim homestead in both?

No, there is no dual residency in multiple states for the purposes of homestead. As you’ll read below, a homestead is the place in which you primarily live. You can’t primarily live in two places. So, the determination is where you primarily reside, which state law applies, and is the house protected by the California homestead exemption.

Let’s look at these “away from home” situations one at a time.

The California homestead and intent to reside

california homestead away from home
California homestead is challenged if away from home, and the intent to actually live there is unclear

First, can someone claim the California homestead exemption if they live in the house on the date the petition is filed, but move out after? What if they move out after the Chapter 7 bankruptcy is filed, but it’s just a temporary relocation?  Or what if the debtor who filed bankruptcy really has no intention to return?

The result is very fact-specific, and has had bankruptcy courts and appellate courts carefully examining the particulars for the debtor before filed, on the date the case was filed, and then after the case was filed. Let’s review a few significant cases in the Ninth Circuit to see how the courts have ruled.

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bankruptcy debt limits

Is There a Debt Limit to Chapter 7

Posted by Hale Andrew Antico on

Is there a debt limit to Chapter 7?

One question people ask is, “How much do you have to be in debt to file Chapter 7.” Unlike Chapter 13 bankruptcy, there is no debt limit to Chapter 7. It just becomes a matter of practicality. There are financial benefits to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, but these must be weighed against the costs, monetary and otherwise..

Too little debt for Chapter 7

The Bankruptcy Code has no lower limit to file bankruptcy under Chapter 7. The only limit is common sense. One the one hand, if you owed someone a dollar, and the Chapter 7 filing fee is $335, most people would just pay the dollar. No brainer. Another example: if you owed someone $1000, the debt is greater than the filing fee, but now there are other costs you’d weigh, like the hit on your credit. Is it worth it to discharge $1,000 of debt but have a bankruptcy on your credit report? Most would say no. Each individual weighs their own personal limit line differently. Many people would agree that $20,000 or $30,000 of debt is a lot to ditch in a bankruptcy discharge. A debt amount that high may outweigh the cost of the bankruptcy filing fee, paying a bankruptcy attorney, and the credit report ding. While there’s no debt limit to Chapter 7, we bankruptcy lawyers do see a typical range of debt.

Too much debt for Chapter 7?

On the other hand, there’s nothing written in the law that has a specific dollar amount that becomes too much debt to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy (note: this is in contrast to Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which has a maximum debt limit set by law in 11 USC 109(e), which periodically adjusts, so check current chapter 13 debt limits).

There are other factors though that can stop a bankruptcy with too much debt. Firstly, the government looks at whether the debt was obtained in good faith. If someone unemployed for years has $250,000 of credit card debt, were they really intending to pay it back? Secondly, they look at the nature of the debts: were they luxuries like travel? Another factor is if the debts or discharge was obtained by fraud. Too much debt is situation specific. It may make sense for a business owner to have a lot of debt, but maybe not so much for a retired grandma.

Summing up the Debt Limit for Chapter 7

In short, there is no debt limit to file Chapter 7. Common sense factors would make it not worthwhile to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy for some. There is an upper limit that will get you on the trustee’s radar, though it’s not sure exactly what that number is. Like most things, if it’s reasonable it should work, though your mileage may vary.