Choosing to file for bankruptcy is a difficult decision that requires important consideration of all factors of your current financial circumstances. If you choose to file for individual consumer bankruptcy, you likely have no other effective or truly productive way of working out your debts and keeping your quality of life stable. People considering filing for Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pipestone, MN can find legal guidance and protection with the help of an expert Behm Law Group, Ltd. attorney.
When you choose to file for bankruptcy as an individual consumer, you have two primary options available: Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Chapter 13 is a debt reorganization bankruptcy procedure that is highly effective for filers with steady, stable incomes and for those people who may own property that would have more value than their available bankruptcy exemptions would be able to protect and could be liquidated in a Chapter 7 proceeding. On the other hand, Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy is a better option for filers without steady incomes or with properties that have values that are within the limitations of their available bankruptcy exemptions.
While Chapter 7 bankruptcy will liquidate (sell off) some of your non-exempt properties and possessions (properties that have values exceeding the limitations of your available bankruptcy exemptions), there are ways to exempt important items, like your home and primary vehicle. While you’re allotted exemption amounts for properties that will be removed from the liquidation process, there are sometimes nonexempt properties that will still be removed from the bankruptcy process.
Trustee Abandonment of Property
The primary, and for the most part, only reason a trustee will abandon the liquidation of an asset in Chapter 7 bankruptcy is because of its worth. If your property’s current market value is less than the debt you owe on it, it’s not worth the time spent for the trustee administering your case to sell it and return what little value was received to your creditors. This can happen if you continue to default on a debt and the accumulation of interest and late fees increases the debt over time. For example, if you haven’t paid your mortgage in some time, the amount of the mortgage may have increased to well over the market value of your home.
Instead of selling the property, the trustee will allow you to keep it. If you own the property outright (as is often the case with jewelry and other luxury goods that would otherwise be liquidated), you get to keep it without any conditions. If your creditor has secured that property with a loan, you can keep it if you continue making payments on the debt to that creditor. Otherwise, the creditor can choose to employ collection agencies, file lawsuits, foreclose, or seize the property from you.
One other reason a creditor or a bankruptcy trustee might abandon your property is if it will be too difficult to sell due to an obscure market or an oversaturated market.
If you’re considering filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pipestone, MN, and want to learn more about the process or how your properties will be handled, contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. today at (507) 387-7200 or stephen@mankatobankruptcy.com.
