- What is Chapter 13?
Chapter 13 is a type of bankruptcy in which a debt repayment plan is used to consolidate debts and make payments on your debt over a three to five-year plan. You file a plan with the Bankruptcy Court in which you make payments to a Chapter 13 Trustee, based upon your ability to pay. There is no requirement that unsecured creditors be paid anything in a Chapter 13. Unsecured debts usually stop accruing interest during the life of your plan. Chapter 13 is also called the "wage earner" bankruptcy and requires that you have a steady source of income, such as wages, self-employment income, unemployment income or social security income to be eligible.
- My house is being foreclosed or my car is being repossessed. How can Chapter 13 help me?
Usually the filing of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy will immediately stop any foreclosure proceedings or repossession actions. The new Bankruptcy Code has created some exceptions to the automatic stay, mostly if you have filed bankruptcy previously. In Chapter 13, you will be able to catch up the mortgage or car loan arrears over the life of your Chapter 13 plan. You must continue to make your regular, on-going mortgage payments after you file bankruptcy in order to keep your house. Vanden Bos & Chapman, LLP can design a repayment plan for those debts with your help.
- Can I just refinance my home to save it from foreclosure?
If you have equity in your home, you may be able to refinance in order to save your house. However, refinancing or taking a second mortgage will just create an additional mortgage payment that you may not be able to afford. A refinance may effectively eliminate your equity and any value in your homestead exemption. You should consult with an attorney before refinancing to pay off debt because you may be putting yourself in a worse position in the long run. All of the costs associated with closing a new loan, such as points, fees, title costs and appraisals, could add as much as $10,000 to the new loan. Curing the arrearage through a Chapter 13 will protect your equity and will buy you the necessary time to make an educated decision about what your best options are.
- I owe taxes to the IRS and/or state of Oregon. How does Chapter 13 help me?
Most types of taxes are usually not dischargeable in a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, though certain taxes are dischargeable. There is a complicated formula involving when the taxes were due, when the IRS/ODR assessed the taxes, when you actually filed the returns and many other factors that determine whether taxes are dischargeable in bankruptcy. Vanden Bos & Chapman, LLP can meet with you and review your tax debt to determine if the taxes are dischargeable in a Chapter 13.
If the taxes are not dischargeable, Chapter 13 will allow you to repay the taxes through your Chapter 13 Plan. Penalties and interest on your unpaid unsecured taxes will stop accruing on the date you file your bankruptcy, provided you had filed your tax returns prior to your petition date.
- Who can qualify for Chapter 13?
Chapter 13 is only available to individuals. If you run a business as a sole proprietorship, you can file Chapter 13 to include the business assets and debts. However, in order to be eligible for Chapter 13, there are limits to the amount of unsecured debt and secured debt that you can owe at the time of filing. If you operate a small business as a corporation or LLC, Vanden Bos & Chapman, LLP may be able help you restructure your business and debts in order to qualify for Chapter 13.
- Can I obtain credit while I am in Chapter 13?
You will need approval from the Chapter 13 Trustee first, which the Trustee will usually grant in routine situations. We have assisted many clients with the purchase of cars while they were in Chapter 13. The Trustee will usually approve use of a credit card if the card is used for business purposes and your employer reimburses you for the charges. Otherwise, regular consumer use of credit cards is prohibited while you are in Chapter 13.
- Can Chapter 13 change my mortgage loan or house payments?
No. A loan that is secured only by your personal residence generally cannot be changed or modified in bankruptcy. However, the Chapter 13 can give you time to catch up the missed back payments. If you intend to keep your home, you will need to make your regular monthly house payment as it becomes due after the filing of your bankruptcy. In most cases, if you are in foreclosure and the lender has accelerated the loan (acceleration means that the lender has declared that the entire amount of the loan is immediately due), you can get up to 3-5 years to cure the delinquent payments and force the lender to accept a repayment plan.
- Can Chapter 13 change my car loan or car payments?
Yes. Chapter 13 can help you if you are behind on your car payments or if the lender is threatening to repossess your car. However, even if you are not behind on your car payments and purchased your car more than 910 days prior to the date of your bankruptcy, Chapter 13 can modify your car payments with what is called a "cram down." A cram down is where you pay the lender only what the vehicle is worth, not the amount that you owe for the car. This is helpful where the car is worth less than what is owed. For example, we have had some clients whose car was worth $8,000 but the debt was $19,000. In a Chapter 13, this client may get to keep the car by paying $8,000 for it. The remaining balance of $11,000 is wiped out. Vanden Bos & Chapman, LLP can design a Chapter 13 Plan, with your help, that will correctly value your vehicle and propose a reasonable payment for that vehicle. Please be aware that you cannot reduce the car debt to the car value unless you purchased your car more than 910 days before your bankruptcy petition date or the vehicle was purchased for business use regardless of the purchase date.
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