Bankruptcy Essential Info
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy forgives some or all of your debts so you can start fresh. Debts that can be forgiven include credit cards, medical bills, judgments, even some home mortgages if they exceed the value of your home! You have to qualify to have your debts forgiven and start fresh. Basically, if you are unable to pay your bills in a timely manner and have not filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the prior eight years, you may qualify to have your debts forgiven and start fresh provided you earn less than the median income* in your area.
*Median Incomes in the Southern District of California
Family Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
Monthly Income $4,099 $5,425 $5,890 $6,664 $7,239 $7,814 $8,389 |
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is a form of interest-free debt consolidation where you pay the bankruptcy trustee every month for three to five years and he pays your creditors some percentage of what you owe them. At the end of the term of the rest of your remaining debts are forgiven It is appropriate for debtors who have non- exempt assets they wish to keep, or exempt assets for which the payments are in arrears, or who earn at least the median income. Another benefit of Chapter 13 is the opportunity to pay considerably less than what you currently owe for a vehicle you have owned for at least 2-1/2 years - you only have to pay the current fair market value of the vehicle,. The rest of what you owe is unsecured debt ... and like your credit cards, forgiven.
