Top 7 Myths About Bankruptcy: Myth No. 2 – I Will Lose my House and my Car

Doghouse foreclosed

By Dave Kelly, Minnesota Bankruptcy Attorney

Introduction

This is the second post in my series about what I consider to be the top seven bankruptcy myths. When a potential client calls me for the first time one of the most common questions I hear is “I’ll lose my house if I file bankruptcy won’t I?” OR “I’ll have to give up my car if I file bankruptcy, right?” The answer to both of these questions is almost always NO, but sometimes I have a hard time convincing the caller. This myth seems to be a very powerful one that many people have been hearing all their lives.

The Debt is Discharged but Not the Lien

In the vast majority of cases my clients get to keep their house, if they have one, and keep their car – unless for some reason they don’t want to keep these things. Please understand that bankruptcy makes the debt go away but in general it does not release the lien of a mortgage or car loan. If there is a mortgage on your house, the house will still have the mortgage when you are done with the bankruptcy. And if there is a loan against your car, properly filed with the state so that is is listed on the car title, the lien from that loan will also still be there after the bankruptcy. Unless the debt is reaffirmed, you will no longer owe personally on the car loan and mortgage. But it is very much like the car still owes the car loan and the house still owes the mortgage.

Protect Your Equity by Claiming it as Exempt

Now if there is equity in the car or house, and there usually is, that equity is an asset in the bankruptcy case. By equity I mean the difference between what is owed and what the asset is worth, assuming it is a positive number. When a straight Chapter 7 bankruptcy is filed, a trustee is appointed by the court. The trustee’s job is to find assets that can be seized and divided among the creditors. My job, however, is to prevent that from happening. With houses and cars it is usually fairly easy. The way to keep the trustee from taking an asset is to claim it as exempt. There is usually enough exemption to cover the equity in a car; and there is almost always enough Minnesota exemption to cover the equity in a house.

In Minnesota we get to choose between two exemption lists – either the state exemptions or the federal exemptions. Under the state exemptions a debtor is allowed an exemption of up to $480,000 of equity in a homestead and up to $5,200 or equity in a motor vehicle. The federal exemptions are not so good for protecting a homestead, but for a car they protect up to $4,450 of equity in a motor vehicle. The federal exemptions also contain a wile card of more than $15,000, under which anything not otherwise exempt can still be claimed as exempt. If there’s a lot of equity in a car, the wild card can be very handy to protect whatever is not covered by the automobile exemption.

Bottom Line

In the vast majority of cases, Minnesota residents who file bankruptcy are able to keep their vehicles and keep their homes. Those who tell you otherwise are perpetuating a common myth.

Big Bump in Median Incomes April 2023

Increasing median incomes

By Dave Kelly, Minnesota Bankruptcy Attorney

Qualifying for a Straight Bankruptcy

The most common type of bankruptcy is Chapter 7. It also tends to be the most desirable form of bankruptcy. Often it is referred to as “straight bankruptcy.” It is the type of bankruptcy where usually you can get rid of all your unsecured debt in just a few months with minimal cost. There is typically no payment plan, just relief from your debt.

The best way to qualify for a Chapter 7 is to have annual income below the median for your household size in your state. If your income is a bit higher than that, you might still be able to qualify by passing a means test; but the means test is not all that easy. I would prefer to have your income below the median if we are going to do a Chapter 7. If it is much above the median, I would probably suggest a Chapter 13.

Meidan Income – A Moving Target

The US Trustee’s office has just announced the biggest increase in Minnesota median incomes for bankruptcy purposes that I can remember seeing. I calculate that the increases are around 8% for all the household sizes between one and four. Since these increases are supposedly based on a six month period, they seem to be thinking that median incomes in Minnesota have been increasing by 16% on an annual basis. I find that hard to believe, but I won’t complain.

Most years the median income numbers are adjusted on April 1st and again on November 1st. Sometimes they all go up, sometimes they all go down, sometimes the ups and downs are mixed, and sometimes they don’t change at all. Every state is different and is assigned their own set of numbers.

Latest Numbers for Minnesota

Here’s the exact Minnesota numbers as of the recent update copied from my Chapter 7 page:

One person: $  71,643

Two people: $  90,946

Three people: $ 114,267

Four people: $ 141,324

Add $9,900 for each individual in excess of4

For a household of one the increase is $5,309 per year. For a household of two it’s a $6,739 per year increase. It’s $8,467 for a household of three, and $$10, 472 for a household of four. If you thought you didn’t qualify for a Chapter 7 before, take another look. These numbers could make a big difference.

Call or text me at 952-544-6356. We can set up a time for a free telephone consultation to talk over the details of your case.

Hearings Never Going Back to the Way They Were

Lawyer wingtip shoes

By Dave Kelly, Minnesota Bankruptcy Lawyer

What Happens at the Meeting of Creditor Hearing

About a month after a personal bankruptcy is filed, whether it’s a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13, there is a hearing they call the “First Meeting of Creditors.” Most of the time I just call it the “hearing”, although the official name is “First Meeting of Creditors.” I think “hearing” is a more accurate term because for one thing, in the vast majority of cases, the last thing you will ever see at one of these events is a creditor. The creditors are invited to appear, but they know it’s a waste of their time and almost never show up.

“Hearing” is also a good way to describe what happens. The process is presided over by either the bankruptcy Trustee or a lawyer on the staff of the bankruptcy Trustee. This Trustee is not a judge, but from my perspective he or she might was well be. Nobody has more power or influence over how the case goes than the Trustee. The person who filed the bankruptcy is put under oath and asked a series of questions. Depending on the answers, things can expand into even more questions. In a simple case it might only take ten minutes. But I have seen complicated cases where it has taken over an hour; and in those more complicated cases it can easily take more than one sitting.

Traditionally these hearings/Meetings of Creditors always took place at a federal courthouse or some other location like a federal courthouse, depending on the county in which the Debtor lived. I would put on my traditional lawyer outfit, including my lawyer shoes, and head for the designated location. I had it down to a science. I knew where I wanted to park and where I wanted to meet my clients before the hearing. It was usually kind of fun, because I would see my lawyer friends there. This was the norm. It was how things were done.

Covid Hit and Everything Changed

In early 2020 when Covid hit the whole process changed dramatically. The Trustees started conducting these hearings remotely by Zoom or some similar method. Everyone assumed this change was temporary and we’d be back to the courthouses when the virus passed. It never occurred to any of us that the change might become permanent. There may have been jokes about it becoming permanent, but nobody considered it a serious possibility – at first.

But I did start noticing that not going downtown saved time, and grief and parking money. People including the Trustees started to like doing it remotely, so did I. Many of my clients said they didn’t want to go downtown and expressed relief that we were not going to have to. My clients could stay home if they wanted to and do the hearing from there; but it has always been my preference to have them come to my office for the hearing. Even if we are not going down to a courthouse, I still think there is a tremendous benefit to being physically present in the same room with my clients when this hearing takes place. As I have always done, I like to meet early before the hearing with my clients and do preparation. I almost always know approximately what the Trustee will be asking. I want to go over the expected questions with my client and have my client as ready as possible.

When Are We Going Back to In-Person? Never!

Late last year as I usually do I attended the Bankruptcy Institute, a big series of classes and talks put on by Minnesota Continuing Legal Education. I was assuming that one of the things I would learn would be what the plans were for returning to in-person hearings for the Meetings of Creditors. In-person hearings were already taking place before the judges for the more complicated matters such as motions, adversary proceedings and reaffirmation agreements. Instead what I heard was that the switch to remote for the Meetings of Creditors was going to be made permanent. A nationwide protocol for doing it by Zoom on a permanent basis was going to be promulgated some time in 2023.

My Lawyer Shoes Continue to Gather Dust

Usually I manage to avoid those in-person hearings in front of the judges. Those tend to only be required if something has gone wrong with the case. If the case is put together well, we should be able to stay away from the judges. So these days I am only dressing like a lawyer from the waist up. It may be a long time if ever that I again have to wear the pants that come with my suit. The same goes for my lawyer wingtip shoes, which have been gathering dust in the corner of my bedroom. Maybe I’ll just have to wear the pants and the shoes some time for the heck of it.

Call Dave at 952-544-6356

November 1st Median Income Surprises

I just received word that the US Trustee’s office has again released new median income numbers for Minnesota.  If you want to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, it is best if your household income is below these medians for your household size.  

​The new number for a household of one is $66,334 per year.  For a household of two it’s $84,207; for a household of three $105,800; and for a household of four is up to $130,852.

The numbers are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.  The figures have increased for a household of one and for a household of four, but have gone down for households of two and three. The increase for a household of one was about $800 per year, and for a household of four it was about $5,000 per year.  But for a household of two it has gone down by $645 and for a household of three it’s down by $2,151. Certainly it’s a mixed bag this time. If you thought you might not be eligible for Chapter 7, look again. The history here seems to be that every time they do an update, the numbers go up at least a little bit; although that was not the case in all categories this time.. 

​People who were not eligible before for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy might be eligible now.  I do free telephone consultations.  952-544-6356.  Wouldn’t hurt to check with me to see if you qualify.

Children’s Bank Accounts At Risk in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Kid's savings accounts

By Dave Kelly, Minnesota Bankruptcy Lawyer

Recently a potential client made a hasty exit from my office after I explained that the accounts that had been set up for the children could be at risk in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. What kind of account you set up for your children, how much you put in it and when can all make a big difference. I feel a blog post on this subject coming on. At least one post, maybe two. If you have bank accounts for your children, be sure you tell your lawyer about them.

Please note that in this article I am talking only about Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a whole other topic. Some of the problems described here could be more easily resolved in a Chapter 13.

529 College Savings Accounts

A 529 savings account may be the safest way to save money for your children’s college. Much like a 401K, the money you put in should be tax deductible. Such accounts are not always protected when you file bankruptcy. You have to look at how much you deposited and how long ago that was.

Any amount deposited more than two years before filing the bankruptcy should be protected. Funds that were deposited between two years and one year before the filing date are protected up to $6,425. Any more than that belongs to the bankruptcy estate and probably will be claimed by the bankruptcy trustee. AND any amount deposited within one year before filing the bankruptcy is not protected at all. Again, that amount will be claimed by the bankruptcy trustee.

Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA) Accounts

These are accounts set up under state law. The account is in the child’s name and is held under the child’s social security number. In your bankruptcy papers it would typically be listed under property held for another. The law requires, however, that an adult be named as the custodian of the account. The adult will manage the account until the child turns 18, then the money can be claimed by the child. How safe or unsafe the money in one of these accounts is depends on when the money was put in and by whom.

As a general rule, if the money in the account came from Grandma or some other third party, it should be safe. Because it never was your money. It would be best if you had records that can prove it never was your money. If you put the money in and now you want to file a bankruptcy, there could be a problem. Minnesota has a fraudulent conveyance statute that has a six year look back period. If that was money that you could have used to pay your debts but you put it in the child’s account instead, the bankruptcy trustee might be able to claw it back out of that account.

Joint Savings Account with Your Child

Of the accounts I am talking about here, this could be the most difficult kind. Your name is on the account along with the child, so how do your prove it’s not yours. For one thing it has to be listed in the bankruptcy petition along with all the other accounts your name is on. If the money did come from you, there is the same “fraudulent conveyance” problem I mentioned above. If the money came from a third party, however, like Grandma, I hope you have good records to prove that. Minnesota does have a statute that says money in a joint account belongs to the person who deposited it. If the money never was yours and you can prove it, the account is probably safe. It would help if the amount is relatively small. The larger the balance, the more likely it is that the trustee would try to make an attempt to grab it.

What if the Money in the Account is from Social Security?

Some children receive a Social Security benefit because their parent has died or or disabled. This money, however, is supposed to be available to the child’s custodian to pay for the child’s living expenses. Social Security money is generally exempt and can’t be touched. But it better be in an account where you can prove that’s what it is. Assuming you are the child’s custodian, it would be best if you were using at least some of it for the child’s expenses. If you just bank the whole thing and never touch any of it, you could appear to not be making your best efforts to avoid bankruptcy. The trustee might not be able to touch the money, but I fear the trustee could object that the case is not being filed in good faith. No such objection has ever happened in any case of mine, but I can’t promise it would never happen if the facts were lined up as I just described.

Conclusion

I have had many cases involving children’s savings accounts fly through with no problem. But as you can see, there are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes concerning these accounts. Don’t assume you know what to do or how to handle these. You need to have the accounts reviewed by an experienced lawyer well in advance of any bankruptcy filing.

Better call Dave. 952-544-6356.

Welcome to My Youtube Channel

welcome to Dave's bankruptcy Youtube channel

By Dave Kelly, Minnesota Bankruptcy Attorney

Youtube recommends that every channel should have a welcome video. The video designated as the welcome video will be the first thing a person sees when they go to a particular channel. The video should be a short statement of what the channel is about and what information can be found there. My channel has videos going back to 2007; but until now there was no welcome video. I just uploaded it a few days ago, and here it is:

Information you can find on my Youtube channel includes but is not limited to the following:

Going to jail for debt
Bank accounts – which ones should be closed
Questions to expect at the hearing
Documents you will be required to produce
What about rental properties in bankruptcy
Property that is exempt
What does bankruptcy cost
Debt settlement programs
7 things to not do before bankruptcy
7 things you should consider doing before bankruptcy

You will also find a lot of information about how to qualify for bankruptcy and what kind of bankruptcy you might qualify for.

It looks like my videos are attracting quite a bit of traffic. Youtube is peppering my videos with all sorts of commercials over which I have no control and from which I don’t get a cent. In order to get paid anything at all from the advertising revenue, they require a lot more subscribers than I currently have. So please do me a favor. If you find my channel helpful at all, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE.

Fresh Increases in Minnesota State Exemptions

Exempt property claim form

By Dave Kelly, Minnesota Bankruptcy Lawyer

In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy if you want to keep your assets and belongings, they have to be claimed as exempt under an applicable exemption law. In Minnesota there are two exemption laws to choose from, the federal list and the state list. I have written a lot elsewhere about why one would choose one list or the other. That is not my topic here. I just want to talk about how most of the state exemptions are going up in a few days. The federal exemptions were increased on April 1st this year. I covered that in a recent blog post.

On July 1st in even numbered years, certain parts of the Minnesota state exemptions are updated to keep up with inflation. Since this year is even numbered, we are about to have another update. I am glad to see that all the numbers which can be changed are going up.

Summary of Minnesota Exemption Increases

  • Household furniture, household goods increased from $11,250.00 to $11,700.00.
  • Wedding rings increased from $3,062.50 to $3,185.00.
  • Tools of the trade increased from $12,500.00 to $13,000.00.
  • Life insurance benefits increased from $50,000.00 to $52,000.00.
  • Additional dependent insurance benefits increased from $12,500.00 to $13,000.00.
  • Motor vehicle increased from $5,000.00 to $5,200.00.
  • Insurance policies increased from $10,000.00 to $10,400.00.
  • Employee benefits (retirement accounts) increased from $75,000.00 to $78,000.00.
  • Homestead (limited to 160 acres) increased from $450,000.00 to $480,000.00.
  • Homestead used primarily for agriculture increased from $1,125,000.00 to $1,200,000.00.

Our Minnesota State Exemptions Remain Far from Perfect

For a more complete rundown on how this all works, take a look at my exemptions page. These state exemptions leave a lot to be desired. They have a lot of gaps which seem to always allow the bankruptcy trustees to require my clients to buy back some of their stuff. Most jewelry is not exempt. Most electronics are not exempt. There is no exemption that covers tax refunds, and there are issues with money in bank accounts. I have ranted about this on this blog before. The legislature needs to fix it but they don’t.

The Minnesota state exemptions are primarily good for one thing. They allow you to protect lots of equity in your homestead, unlike the federal exemptions which are very limited in that area. I don’t think any of the increases here have kept up with the real rate of inflation; so in fact we seem to be loosing ground.

If you don’t properly claim any asset as exempt, you risk losing it to the trustee. It’s tricky and risky and should not be attempted without a lawyer.

Qualifying For Chapter 7 and Protecting Assets now Easier

By David Kelly, Minnesota Bankruptcy Attorney

Easier Qualifying for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Minnesota

The primary requirement for being able to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is to have your income below a certain level. Stated most simply, to qualify for Chapter 7 you want your income to be lower than the median income for your household size in your state. These levels are set by the Department of Justice, US Trustee’s Office; and new, higher numbers came out recently on April 1st. If your income is slightly above the median, there is a means test that you might be able to pass which would allow you to still file a Chapter 7. Doing the means test, however, can sometimes be an invitation to a close scrutiny of the case. Being below the median is best. Here are the April 2022 numbers and how much they just went up.

Minnesota Median Household Income April 2022

One person:    $  65,514 — Up $2,490

Two people:    $  86,358 — Up $3,875

Three people:  $ 106,445 — Up $4,776

Four people:   $ 125,753 — Up $5,533

Five people:   $ 135,653 — Up $6,543

Six people:    $ 145,553 — Up $7,443

More information at https://mn-bankruptcy.com/chapter7.html

Easier Protection for Your Stuff in Minnesota Chapter 7

As soon as you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the court appoints a trustee whose job it is to find assets that can be used to pay all or part of your debt. You really want the trustee to not be able to find any assets, or certainly not much for assets. The way to keep your assets away from the trustee is to claim them as exempt. What you can claim as exempt and how much is obviously very important. In Minnesota you have a choice between a state exemption list and a federal exemption list. In this post I am only talking about the federal list. The federal exemptions just went up in every category. Here are a few typical items and how much they went up. These are just a few examples. It is not anywhere near a complete list.

April 2022 Federal Exemptions

Household goods  $14,875  -  Up $1,475

Car              $ 4,450  -  Up $  450

Tools of Trade   $ 2,800  -  Up $  175

Cash value of
Life Insurance   $14,875  -  Up $1,475

Catch-all        $15,425  -  Up $1,525

More information at https://mn-bankruptcy.com/exemptions.html

There is now word on the street that a round of increases to the Minnesota state exemption list is being contemplated for July 1, 2022. Watch my blog for news about that.

Top 7 TO DO’s Before Bankruptcy: Item 4 – Retain an Attorney

Real Bankruptcy Lawyer

By David J. Kelly, Minnesota Bankruptcy Attorney

Get Professional Advice

Filing a bankruptcy is a big step. You don’t want to do much or go very far before you consult a lawyer. In preparing to file your case, there may be some financial moves you should make. I cannot emphasize more strongly that you should not make any major changes of any kind without consulting a lawyer first. Be sure that the lawyer knows bankruptcy law – many do not. I often suggest that whoever you talk with should belong to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) . Any attorney who is serious about learning what they are doing in the field of consumer bankruptcy would be a member. You need someone to consult. You need somebody to plan with. You can’t afford to make a mistake at this phase of things. It’s time for you to hire (“retain”) a bankruptcy lawyer.

Things You Can’t Do Without Retaining an Attorney First

Once you retain a lawyer, that is once the attorney-client relationship is brought into existence by means of a retainer agreement, you have the ability to do several things you could not do before.

For one thing, you can refer calls from bill collectors to you lawyer. I like to keep the bill collectors in the dark about what we are up to. But sometimes they may start calling your mother, or one of your children, or your place of employment. Sometimes they manage to be such a nuisance that you really need them to stop. Once your case is filed they will be under a court order to stop. But what can you do before the case is filed? Here’s what. Answer the phone. Tell whoever it is that you have retained an attorney to do a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy and you have been advised to not speak with them. But then you give them your lawyer’s name and phone number and say they should call your lawyer. Normally that will be the last you hear from those people.

For another thing, you can set up a payment plan with the lawyer so you can get the attorney fee paid by the time the bankruptcy is ready to file. In Chapter 7 cases your attorney has to be paid before the case is filed. After the case is filed, if you owe money to your lawyer he or she is just another creditor who is forbidden from trying to collect from you. Since it usually takes a few weeks if not longer to prepare a case for filing, this is the perfect time to make payment arrangements for the attorney fee, court filing fee and perhaps also the credit report fee. In Chapter 13 cases the attorney fee can be paid as part of the Chapter 13 plan, but most attorneys still like to have a good part of their fee and costs paid before the case is filed.

And of course hiring a lawyer means you now have somebody to consult with and plan with as you go about the difficult job of planning and putting together your bankruptcy case.

Disclaimer

I am a debt relief agency. I help people file for bankruptcy relief under the federal bankruptcy code. This post is for general information purposes only and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is not legal advice. Seek the advice of the attorney of your choice concerning the details of your case.

Call Dave at 952-544-6356

close
Facebook IconYouTube IconTwitter Icon