What Happens If Bankruptcy Is Not Discharged
The end goal in personal bankruptcy is to be discharged from it. Not being discharged from bankruptcy puts you in a vulnerable legal and financial situation. Until the discharge has been handled appropriately, all of your finances are essentially at a standstill.
to learn if you can file for bankruptcy online in Canada.
For starters, your ability to take out a loan will be limited. Without a formal bankruptcy discharge on file, you wont be allowed to borrow any more than $1,000 without notifying the lender that you are bankrupt. If you attempt to take out a loan for more than that amount and fail to disclose your bankruptcy to the lender, you would be in violation of the law.
You could also find yourself scrambling and paying to find a new trustee if the one who was originally appointed applies for discharge. If you dont complete the process and fail to get discharged, you may find yourself having to hire a new trustee, which will cost you more money and waste a lot of time.
Once your trustee is discharged, your creditors may come back at you for the money you owe them on. Not only will they demand the original loan amount, they will likely charge you interest on monies owed. They may even choose to take you to court to get what is rightfully theirs.
Read this to discover some ways of rebuilding your credit after a bankruptcy.
How To Get A Debt Discharge
Filing for bankruptcy is not an easy decision to make, but sometimes it’s necessary. You can start the process by asking an attorney what property is excluded in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and what could be included. They can tell you what a creditor might come after and how to legally and effectively stop them.
Can A Debtor Be Discharged In A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
In a chapter 7 case, however, a discharge is only available to individual debtors, not to partnerships or corporations. 11 U.S.C. § 727. Although an individual chapter 7 case usually results in a discharge of debts, the right to a discharge is not absolute, and some types of debts are not discharged.
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Purpose And Objectives Of The Bankruptcy Process
The purpose of the bankruptcy process is to introduce a legislative mechanism that would provide a fair and peaceful resolution of financial conflict between debtors and creditors, creditors competing among themselves for recovery of their loans and balance public interest in protecting financial security of creditors on one hand and public interest in allowing an insolvent individual to make a fresh start. Generally, the objectives of the bankruptcy process can be summarized as follows:
Can A Judgement Be Discharged In Bankruptcy
You may be able to discharge a judgement by filing bankruptcy.
If the lawsuit was filed by a creditor over unpaid dischargeable debts and they have not yet placed a lien on your property, filing bankruptcy may remove it.
If they have placed a lien, then they cannot pursue collection, but will be paid from the proceeds of selling the asset.
If the debt is nondischargeable, filing bankruptcy will not affect it.
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When Does A Bankruptcy Discharge Happen
The average Chapter 7 case lasts from four to six months. The timeline begins with the date its filed to the date a court issues a discharge.
Once a bankruptcy petition is filed, the petitioner is required to attend the 341 meeting of creditors between 20 to 40 days later. During the session, the petitioner answers routine questions about their debt. If the petitioners answers create more issues, they may be asked to provide additional documents or clarify their statements.
On average, the meeting lasts 10 minutes.
But before the case can be discharged, the petitioner must complete a mandatory financial management course. The course must be completed within 60 days after the 341 meeting of creditors.
In most clear-cut cases, a bankruptcy discharge is issued around 60 days after the hearing, assuming the course is completed and no further litigation is filed.
A bankruptcy discharge date officially determines the end of a case.
What Does Receivership Mean Summary
I hope that you found this what does receivership mean Brandon Blog helpful in describing the role of a privately appointed receiver especially in opposing the discharge of the bankrupt guarantor of the companys secured debt. Problems will arise when you are cash-starved and in debt. There are several insolvency processes available to a person or company with too much debt. You may not need to file for bankruptcy.
If you are concerned because you or your business are dealing with substantial debt challenges, you need debt help and you assume bankruptcy is your only option, call me.
It is not your fault that you remain in this way. You have actually been only shown the old ways to try to deal with financial issues. These old ways do not work anymore.
The Ira Smith Team utilizes new modern-day ways to get you out of your debt difficulties with debt relief options as analternative to bankruptcy. We can get you the relief you need and so deserve. Our professional advice will create for you a personalized debt-free plan for you or your company during our no-cost initial consultation.
The tension put upon you is big. We know your discomfort factors. We will check out your entire situation and design a new approach that is as unique as you and your problems financial and emotional. We will take the weight off of your shoulders and blow away the dark cloud hanging over you. We will design a debt settlement strategy for you. We know that we can help you now.
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Your Bankruptcy Case Ends When The Court Closes It Not When You Get A Discharge
Updated By Cara O’Neill, Attorney
Getting a discharge of your debts is a significant step in your bankruptcy, but it is not the end of your case. Your case ends when the court enters an order closing it. In this article, you’ll learn:
- when a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case closes
- why the court will reopen a Chapter 7 case, and
- when the court will revoke a Chapter 7 or 13 discharge.
Find out more about the differences between Chapters 7 and 13.
Will The Order List Discharged Debts
Noand many find this fact surprising. Instead of listing the wiped out debt, the order will provide general information about debt categories that don’t go away in bankruptcy . For instance, it will explain that you’ll likely remain responsible for paying:
- domestic support obligations
- most student loans and tax debt
- accounts that the court decides you can’t discharge
- most fines, penalties, and criminal restitution
- some debts that you failed to list correctly
- particular loans owed to a retirement plan
- money owed as a result of injuring someone while operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and
- liabilities covered by a reaffirmation agreement .
For certain other debts, the creditor must file a lawsuit within the bankruptcy case asking the judge to declare that the bankruptcy will not discharge the debt. Debts that arise out of fraud committed by the debtor, or for personal injury caused by the debtor while intoxicated, are debts that the court might declare are nondischargeable.
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Liens Or In Rem Liability
Even though personal liability is discharged, most liens, the liability of an item of property for a debt secured by that property, pass unchanged through bankruptcy unless a court order modifies or voids them. See what debts are secured by liens?
So, after a bankruptcy discharge, a voluntary lien, like a mortgage, may remain a charge on an asset the debtor owned when the case was commenced.
Involuntary liens, like judgment liens or tax liens, remain a charge on assets that the debtor owned when the bankruptcy case was filed, but dont attach to assets that the debtor acquires after the bankruptcy discharge.
First And Second Bankruptcy
This timeline extends significantly for subsequent bankruptcies.
24 months For bankruptcies not requiring income payments into the bankruptcy estate and where the bankrupt individual attends their two mandatory counselling sessions and no party opposes.
36 months For bankruptcies requiring income payments into the bankruptcy estate and where each of the other conditions are satisfied.
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Order Of Conditional Discharge
The court may rule that, as a bankrupt, you need to satisfy one or more conditions before you can be released from your debts. The condition might be to make certain additional payments over a specified time frame, or complete some duties you did not finish.
While absolute and conditional discharges have their differences, they aim to achieve the same result. The goal is to relieve the individual of bankruptcy and help them begin a new debt-free start.
While an absolute discharge produces that outcome immediately, a conditional discharge postpones that result until specific terms are met.
Can A Debt Be Discharged Under Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
Under Chapter 13, you can receive discharge for the remainder of unsecured debts after youve completed your repayment plan. However, some debts cannot be discharged under Chapter 13 bankruptcy including the following: Child support and alimony. Certain fines, penalties, and restitution resulting from criminal activity.
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What Debts Can Be Discharged
Once a debtor has filed for bankruptcy and met the requirements outlined in the chapter under which they filed, they may be eligible to have some of their debts discharged. While not all debts fall into this category, the following are examples of debts that may be discharged.
- Loans from family or friends
- Business debt
- Debts incurred as a result of your willful or malicious injury of an entity
- Attorney fees
- Certain tax debts
How Is Bankruptcy Discharged
Discharge from bankruptcy usually occurs automatically after the completion of the bankruptcy term. After discharge, the individual is no longer subject to many of the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act, but does still have some ongoing obligations to assist the trustee.
Automatic discharge only occurs when you have abided by your obligations under the Bankruptcy Act, and your trustee hasnt filed any objections to discharge.
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Debt Discharge Comes After Selling Off Assets
Chapter 7 bankruptcy often involves the liquidation of assets in order to pay past debts. Only after this process is completed can you have qualifying debts discharged. Some property is protected from liquidation by federal or state bankruptcy exemptions. In fact, many people who file for Chapter 7 can keep a majority of their property. It will be up to your attorney and bankruptcy trustee to decide what you can keep, what deals you can make with the creditor, and what you need to give up in your bankruptcy case.
Once assets are liquidated, the courts tend to discharge debts right away. In the whole Chapter 7 bankruptcy process, this happens about four months after you first file in bankruptcy court. Keep in mind you need to complete educational classes on debt management in between filing and receiving the discharge, or the judge may dent your debt discharge.
Discharge And Your Assets
Any assets that the Official Receiver or the trustee held or claimed during your bankruptcy remain under the control of the Official Receiver or the trustee.
They are not returned to you on discharge. It may be some time after your discharge before all your assets are dealt with. If your home has not been dealt with in a certain period, usually three years from the date of the bankruptcy order, your interest in it may be returned to you.
Find out more by reading our guidance publication, What will happen to your home?
If you are making payments under an income payments order or agreement you must continue to make these payments even after the date of your discharge.
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What Is Dismissal In Bankruptcy
A dismissal in bankruptcy means that the bankruptcy court has stopped all proceedings in the main bankruptcy case and in all adversary proceedings related to the bankruptcy case and that the bankruptcy court has not entered a discharge order in the case.
A bankruptcy court may choose to order dismissal of a case on its own, such as when the debtor commits misconduct in connection with the bankruptcy proceeding , or if the judge deems the filing abusive.
The bankruptcy trustee, the US Bankruptcy Administrator, or a creditor may file a motion for dismissal of a bankruptcy case. Occasionally a Motion to Dismiss may seek a bar to refiling for a period of time.
A debtor may file a motion to voluntarily dismiss their bankruptcy case, which the bankruptcy court may grant if it finds the debtor meets the requirements for voluntary dismissal. However, voluntarily dismissing your own bankruptcy case can negatively impact your options for filing for bankruptcy in the future or the right to an automatic stay in a future bankruptcy case.
How Can The Debtor Obtain Another Copy Of The Discharge Order
If the debtor loses or misplaces the discharge order, another copy can be obtained by contacting the clerk of the bankruptcy court that entered the order. The clerk will charge a fee for searching the court records and there will be additional fees for making and certifying copies. If the case has been closed and archived there will also be a retrieval fee, and obtaining the copy will take longer.
The discharge order may be available electronically. The PACER system provides the public with electronic access to selected case information through a personal computer located in many clerk’s offices. The debtor can also access PACER. Users must set up an account to acquire access to PACER, and must pay a per-page fee to download and copy documents filed electronically.
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Chapter 13 And Student Loans
A case under chapter 13 is often called reorganization. In a chapter 13 case, you submit a plan to repay your creditors over time, usually from future income. These plans allow you to get caught up on mortgages or car loans and other secured debts. If you cannot discharge your student loans based on undue hardship in either a chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy, there are still certain advantages to filing a chapter 13 bankruptcy. One advantage is that your chapter 13 plan, not your loan holder will determine the size of your student loan payments. You will make these court-determined payments while you are in the Chapter 13 plan, usually for three to five years. You will still owe the remainder of your student loans when you come out of bankruptcy, but you can try at this point to discharge the remainder based on undue hardship. While you are repaying through the bankruptcy court, there will be no collection actions taken against you. You may have other options, depending on how judges decide these cases in your judicial district. For example, some judges allow student loan borrowers to give priority to their student loans during the Chapter 13 plan.
What Is A Bankruptcy Discharge Date
Your bankruptcy discharge date is the time when you are officially released from your personal liability and are no longer legally obligated to repay any discharged debts.
The process takes at least 9 months to complete. In fact, you can be automatically discharged 9 months after filing for bankruptcy if this is your first time and if youve attended at least two financial counselling sessions. If youve filed for bankruptcy more than once, your discharge wont happen until at least 24 months following your bankruptcy filing.
Your bankruptcy may be extended for other reasons as well, such as if you have surplus income, which is an income level established by the government. If your income exceeds this predetermined level, youll have to make additional payments to your trustee throughout your bankruptcy. In this case, your bankruptcy can be extended, even if this is your first time filing for bankruptcy.
Keep in mind, there could be other reasons why you may not be eligible for an automatic discharge from bankruptcy:
You didnt fulfill all of your duties If you failed to complete all of the tasks assigned to you during your bankruptcy, you could find yourself with an extended discharge date. Your trustee needs a number of things from you, such as your:
- Income information
- Payments
- Attendance at counselling sessions
If you do not provide your trustee with any of these, you could be denied an automatic discharge.
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Bankruptcy Dismissed: Now What
If you have obtained a voluntary dismissal of your bankruptcy case after a Motion for Relief from Stay was filed, your option to refile in the next six months may be limited.
If the court has dismissed your case or if the bankruptcy trustee or a creditor successfully moved to dismiss the case, the dismissal of your case may be designated as without prejudice or with prejudice. If your case is dismissed without prejudice, you have the option to file a new bankruptcy petition immediately. If the case is dismissed with prejudice, then you are not permitted to file bankruptcy for 180 days. Even if the prior case was dismissed without prejudice there may be limitations on the automatic stay in the next case.
When your bankruptcy case is dismissed under whatever circumstances, you will still have a notation on your credit report of your bankruptcy filing. Because dismissal means the end of the automatic stay, creditors can immediately recommence trying to collect your debts, including resuming contacting you regarding your debts and resuming repossession, garnishment, or foreclosure efforts.
