• Click here to tell the ABA Journal if you think the Bankruptcy Bill site (including the Bankruptcy Bill and BAPCPA Man cartoons, bankruptcy haiku and the “Bankruptcy Lover” song) should be included in the Top 100 law blogs:  http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit (Update:  There was a problem with the link but it should work now.)

Note:  If you are viewing this site using Internet Explorer, you may not be able to view items in the sidebar.  Clicking on any page or post will cause sidebar items to appear.

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

For a more in depth explanation of the automatic stay, have a look at the Wikipedia entry.  Also see posts on the topics of automatic stay and debt collection by the following bankruptcy lawyers on their blogs:

Bruce Weiner (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Dealing with debt collector harassment in New York

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• What can I do about debt collector harassment in Las Vegas?
• Creditors giving money to debtors? Punitive damages and the automatic stay

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• How Quick Will Creditors Stop Calling Me If I File Bankruptcy?
• What Are Your Rights If a Creditor Violates the Automatic Bankruptcy Stay?
• More posts on the topic of automatic stay and debt collection by Craig Robins.

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Despite the Debtor’s Mishaps Bankruptcy Court Grants Stay
• Can Bankruptcy Help Stop Repossession?

Click here for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with blogs.

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

BLT (Bankruptcy Lawyer Topics) is a periodic review and comparison of  consumer bankruptcy topics being covered on bankruptcy lawyer blogs.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to bill [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.

Credit cards.  The virtual foundation of our economy.  The evil siren that drags so many people into bankruptcy and financial ruin.  And yet ironically a tool for improving credit scores if used in somewhat counter-intuitive ways.  What do bankruptcy lawyers have to say about them on their blogs?  See below.

TEXAS

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Always Know Your Rights When Negotiating with Credit Card Companies
• Debtor’s Credit Card Debt Ruled Non-Dischargeable

WASHINGTON

Spencer Anderson Buhr PLLC – Seattle Bankruptcy Blog (Seattle, WA)

• House Passes Credit Card Bill

WISCONSIN

Law Office of Gregory A. Holbus, Esq. – Wisconsin Bankruptcy Blog (Green Bay, WI)

Note:  If you are viewing this site using Internet Explorer, you may not be able to view items in the sidebar.  Clicking on any page or post will cause sidebar items to appear.

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

Below are some helpful posts from bankruptcy lawyer blogs on the topics of mortgages, foreclosure, loan modification and the Making Homes Affordable Program.  Go to the BK Lawyer Blogs page on this site to see a full state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyer blogs.  (And get in touch if you have a blog and don’t see it listed.)

Update 9.10.09: There’s a great piece on NPR about foreclosures and the black-box decision making process regarding loan modifications (“Major Banks Still Grappling with Foreclosure“).  At one point, there’s a clip of reporter Chris Arnold in the Bank of America call center, listening over the shoulder of a call center rep who tells a homeowner they’re not eligible for a loan modification.  Arnold questions the rep and receives a not so satisfying explanation.  The issue is raised with the supervisors and it turns out the homeowner was in fact eligible for a loan modification.  How frequently is this scenario replaying itself?

George Haines, Esq. and David Krieger, Esq. (Haines & Krieger) (Las Vegas, NV)

• Do you qualify for a loan modification?
• Should I intentionally miss mortgage payments to qualify for loan modification?
• Loan Modification: The NOT Making Homes Affordable Program
• Nevada has highest foreclosure rate in the U.S. for 31st straight month
• What’s so great about foreclosure mediation?

Bruce Weiner (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• Brooklyn Judge gives New York homeowners a fighting chance against foreclosure
• New York foreclosures likely to continue as ARMs begin to re-set over next 4 years
• Can I keep my home if I file for bankruptcy in New York?
• Subprime loan modification companies

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Why I Won’t Negotiate Loan Modifications
• Many New York Foreclosure Suits Are Dismissed Because They Are Defective
• Is a Short Sale a Reasonable Alternative to Foreclosure on Long Island?

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Loan Modification Myths Busted
• If I Do Not Reaffirm My Mortgage in Chapter 7, Do I Automatically Lose Title to my House?

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Mortgage Modification in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
• Selling Your Home When You’re Broke
• Congress Passes Anti-Foreclosure Bill

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

Note:  If you are viewing this site using Internet Explorer, you may not be able to view items in the sidebar.  Clicking on any page or post will cause sidebar items to appear.

(Click image to see earlier sketch version of cartoon.)

*Correction:  The cartoon previously referred incorrectly to a “Chapter 7 repayment plan.”  Apologies for the confusion.

Below are some helpful posts from bankruptcy lawyer blogs on the topics of unemployment, median income and the means test.  Go to the BK Lawyer Blogs page on this site to see a full state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyer blogs.  (And get in touch if you have a blog and don’t see it listed.)

*Also, for anyone trying to figure out their median income, Best Case has a free on-line median income calculator for any state.

Bruce Weiner (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• The Means Test and the Unemployment Trap

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• The Means Test is Often the Key to a Successful Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Case
• Long Island Economy: Jobs Down; Unemployment Up; Bankruptcy Up

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• The “Means Test” and the Median Income for Nevada

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Chapter 7 and Middle Class Debtors
• How are Year End Bonuses Treated in a Median Income Test Calculation?

Reed Allmand, Esq. (Allmand & Lee) – Reed’s Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX)

• Facing a Job Loss? Don’t Panic!
• Do You Have the Means to File Chapter 7?

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

BLT (Bankruptcy Lawyer Topics) is a periodic review and comparison of  consumer bankruptcy topics being covered on bankruptcy lawyer blogs.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme?  Send an e-mail to bill [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us.
• Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog.  It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.
  

************

TRUSTEE

ARKANSAS

Bankruptcy Savant – Arkansas Bankruptcy News and Info

• New Chapter 13 Trustees

CALIFORNIA

Hale Antico, Esq. – Los Angeles Bankruptcy Blog (Los Angeles, CA)

• Bankruptcy trustee with odd asset
• US Trustee’s Office median income – latest table
• US Trustee: Watchdog or Attack Dog?

Sagaria Law, PC – California Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (San Jose, Freemon, Monterrey, Redwood City, Salinas, Sacramento, CA)

• Redwood City Bankruptcy Attorney Talks About the Different Trustees

COLORADO

James J. Pacifico, Esq. – Denver Colorado Bankruptcy Blog (Denver, CO)

• The United States Trustees’ 707(b) Declination

FLORIDA

Jordan E. Bublick, Esq. – South Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog (Miami, FL)

• Another Court Holds that Trustee Does Not Have the Ability to Administer Exempt Property for DSO Creditors
• Trustee Does Not Have the Ability to Administer Exempt Property for DSO Creditors

GEORGIA

Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. – theBKLaw (Atlanta, GA)

• Will the Trustee Seize 100% of a Tax Refund if Only One Spouse Files Bankruptcy?
• Why Tax Refunds Payable to the Chapter 13 Trustee Will Do Little to Decrease Your Plan Balance
• Most Common Trustee Objections in Chapter 13 Cases – objection 1 – no payroll deduction
• You are Responsible for Your Chapter 13 Trustee Payments
• Trustees May Seize Exempt Property to Pay Domestic Support Obligation Debts
• New “debtor questionaire” form being used by trustees in Chapter 13 341 hearings

**  More posts about trustees after the jump ** (more…)

341 Meeting of Creditors

Here are some blog posts by real bankruptcy lawyers on the topic of the 341 Meeting of Creditors:

Bruce Weiner, Esq. (Rosenberg Musso & Weiner) – NYBankruptcyNet (Brooklyn, NY)

• What will happen at my 341 meeting of creditors in New York? by

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• How Much Should You Say at the Meeting of Creditors in Bankruptcy Court?
• Will Creditors Show Up for My Hearing in Bankruptcy Court?

Law Office of Gregory A. Holbus, Esq. – Wisconsin Bankruptcy Blog (Green Bay, WI)

• What happens if I file?  Do I have to go to Court?

George Haines, Esq. of Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• What happens during a Chapter 13 bankruptcy?

*BAPCPA Man would like to offer a special thanks to Eugene S. Melchionne – Connecticut Bankruptcy (Waterbury, CT) for his recent donation to the site.  Eugene, by the way, is currently serving as President of the Bankruptcy Law Network.

*Click here for  Bankruptcy Bill’s state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with blogs.

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

BLT (Bankruptcy Lawyer Topics) is a periodic review and comparison of  consumer bankruptcy topics being covered on bankruptcy lawyer blogs.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog post you think should be included?  Send an e-mail to bill [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us.

This week’s theme is “discharge,” inspired by an interesting post shared by The Law Office of Elliot S. Schlissel titled “Can A Creditor Pursue a Debtor’s Co-Signor After Discharge?“  (Click here to see the whole post with state-by-state listing of bankruptcy lawyer blog posts on the topic of discharge.)

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Your Bankruptcy Case Is Over … Now What?

NEW YORK

Elliot S. Schlissel, Esq. – The Elliot Schlissel New York Law Blog (Lynbrook, NY)

• Can A Creditor Pursue a Debtor’s Co-Signor After Discharge?

Craig D. Robins, Esq. – Long Island Bankruptcy Blog (Woodbury, NY)

• Three Main Reasons Why Creditors Will Not Object to Your Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Discharge, Even If They Have Grounds To Do So

David S. Hamilton (Dwyer & Associates) (New York, NY)

• Supreme Court to determine if student loan debt is dischargable in Bankruptcy

OKLAHOMA

Law Office of Daniel C. Nunley, Esq.- Oklahoma Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Broken Arrow, OK)

• If I Reaffirm A Debt And Then Change My Mind, Can The Reaffirmation Agreement Be Cancelled?

***More blog entries from different states after the jump.*** (more…)

(Click image to see earlier sketch version on Gideon Kendall’s blog.)

BAPCPA Background

For more background on the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (aka BAPCPA), read Professor Elizabeth Warren’s testimony to Congress (Feb. 10, 2005) and testimony by Professor Todd Zywicki (Feb. 10, 2005).  Also a range of helpful coverage and commentary on the debate, impact and effects of BAPCPA on Creditslips.org along with some of the continued debate between the perspectives of Professor Warren and Professor Zywicki here, here and here.

Bankruptcy Lawyer Blogs on BAPCPA

From the bankruptcy lawyer blog circuit, helpful posts on court interpretations of BAPCPA so far by Jordan E. Bublick, Esq. at South Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog, including a summary of the two schools of thought on BAPCPA by bankruptcy courts.   A post by Craig Robins, Esq. on LongIslandBankruptcyBlog about the evolving criticisms of the new bankruptcy law as of 2006.  Additional commentary on bankruptcy as a social safety net by Bruce Weiner, Esq. of Rosenberg, Musso & Weiner (Brooklyn, NY) on NYBankruptcyNet.  And a reflective look back at the passage of BAPCPA by Dave Krieger, Esq. of Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV).

*Click here for  Bankruptcy Bill’s state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with blogs.

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons, or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by BAPCPA Man’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

Mandatory Credit Counseling

• Here’s Bankruptcy Bill’s take on the mandatory credit counseling requirement.
• For a more detailed explanation of  “mandatory credit counseling“ take a look at the Federal Trade Commission’s page.
• For a good perspective on mandatory credit counseling there’s also a Washington Post article from 2005 titled “Mandatory Counseling, A Good Idea (In Theory).”
• For an explanation that helps clarify some of the confusion, try reading “The Many Meanings of ‘Credit Counseling‘” by bankruptcy law firm Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV).
• And for commentary on the actual value of mandatory pre-bankruptcy credit counseling read a 2006 post, “Credit Counseling Requirement of Bankruptcy Code Generally Viewed as a Waste of Time”, on theBKBlog by Jonathan Ginsberg, Esq. (Atlanta, GA).

Subprime Mortgages

• Here’s the Investopedia entry on subprime mortgages.
• Craig Robins, Esq. has an easy-to-follow explanation of subprime mortgages and the subprime mortgage crisis on his LongIslandBankruptcyBlog (“The Sub-Prime Mortgage Meltdown“).
• And here’s a post on shape-shifting subprime lenders and loan modification companies titled “Subprime Loan Modification Companies“ from NYBankruptcyNet by Bruce Weiner, Esq. of Rosenberg Musso & Weiner (Brooklyn, NY).

*Click here for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with blogs.

*Click here for previous BAPCPA Man cartoons or here for all cartoons on the site relating to consumer bankruptcy.

*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com and gideonkendall.squarespace.com/journal.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets, the wonderfully illustrated children’s book written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by Bankruptcy Bill’s very own Gideon Kendall.

BLT (Bankruptcy Lawyer Topics) is a periodic review and comparison of  consumer bankruptcy topics being covered on bankruptcy lawyer blogs.

• Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
• Have a blog post you think should be included?  Send an e-mail to bill [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us.

On the heels of today’s article in the New York Times (“Online Scammers Prey on Jobless“), it seemed appropriate to see what various bankruptcy lawyer blogs have to say on the topic of scams in world of bankruptcy, debt, mortgages and foreclosure.

WISCONSIN

Law Office of Gregory A. Holbus, Esq. – Wisconsin Bankruptcy Blog (Green Bay, WI)

• Can I max out my credit cards before I file bankruptcy?

TEXAS