chapter 13

Here’s a relatively simple, but common,  question I was asked by email this past week. The writer makes payments on his daughter’s car titled in his daughter’s name. The writer (the parent) wants to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy and asks whether his monthly payment for his daughter’s car can be included in his expenses so as to reduce the amount of his monthly Chapter 13 plan payment.

The answer depends upon whether the parent signed the loan.

Some people with minimal credit card debt file Chapter 13 bankruptcy primarily to strip a second mortgage. You may be able to accomplish the same result without filing bankruptcy now that banks are becoming somewhat more flexible to work out mortgage solutions on upside down property. I’ve heard of cases where a second mortgage company will substantially reduce a second mortgage balance and permit the debtor to pay off the settlement amount in installments. Here is one real example.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases have claim deadlines by which date the debtor’s creditors are supposed to file claims in order to be included in the roster of creditors entitled to distributions of money out of the Chapter 13 plan. I represent a debtor who prior to filing owed money to a law firm which represented him in a pre-bankruptcy legal matter. Three months after the Chapter 13 claim deadline the law firm filed an unsecured claim.

The first question is whether or not the debtor cares if an unsecured creditor files a late claim.