Source: http://plano.rjabankruptcy.com/articles/chapter13individualdebtadj.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 22:51:00+00:00

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If you’re behind on your bills and overwhelmed with Debt, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy or Individual Debt Adjustment may be an option to deal with your debts. If you reside in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, or Dallas and have questions about filing for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy please contact The Law Offices of R.J.Atkinson,LLC to discuss your legal options. We have helped over 1000 people and families to address their debt through Bankruptcy. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy can put you back in control of your finances and force creditors to accept repayment on your terms. Don’t lose everything!!!
A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy (personal reorganization) is essentially consolidating your debt into one payment. It is most often used by debtors who are attempting to stop foreclosure of a home or repossession of an automobile. Chapter 13 allows you to "catch up."
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is about forcing creditors to negotiate with you subject to a bankruptcy trustee's approval. Often times, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy forces creditors to settle for pennies on the dollar. Once again, you take control and you set forth a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy plan that you can work with. Chapter 13 Consumer Bankruptcy applies when your income exceeds your monthly personal overhead to some extent such that you are able repay some portion of the debt back. Once again, however, recognize Chapter 13 Consumer Bankruptcy is about putting you back in control.
A chapter 13 bankruptcy is also called a wage earner's plan. It enables individuals with regular income to develop a plan to repay all or part of their debts. Under this chapter, debtors propose a repayment plan to make installments to creditors over three to five years. If the debtor's current monthly income is less than the applicable state median, the plan will be for three years unless the court approves a longer period "for cause." (1) If the debtor's current monthly income is greater than the applicable state median, the plan generally must be for five years. In no case may a plan provide for payments over a period longer than five years. 11 U.S.C. §1322(d). During this time the law forbids creditors from starting or continuing collection efforts.
Any individual, even if self-employed or operating an unincorporated business, is eligible for chapter 13 relief as long as the individual's unsecured debts are less than $336,900 and secured debts are less than $1,010,650. 11 U.S.C. § 109(e). These amounts are adjusted periodically to reflect changes in the consumer price index. A corporation or partnership may not be a chapter 13 debtor. Id.
The courts must charge a $235 case filing fee and a $39 miscellaneous administrative fee. Normally the fees must be paid to the clerk of the court upon filing. With the court's permission, however, they may be paid in installments. 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8. The number of installments is limited to four, and the debtor must make the final installment no later than 120 days after filing the petition. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b). For cause shown, the court may extend the time of any installment, as long as the last installment is paid no later than 180 days after filing the petition. Id. The debtor may also pay the $39 administrative fee in installments. If a joint petition is filed, only one filing fee and one administrative fee are charged. Debtors should be aware that failure to pay these fees may result in dismissal of the case. 11 U.S.C. § 1307(c)(2).
Between 20 and 50 days after the debtor files the chapter 13 petition, the chapter 13 trustee will hold a meeting of creditors. If the U.S. trustee or bankruptcy administrator schedules the meeting at a place that does not have regular U.S. trustee or bankruptcy administrator staffing, the meeting may be held no more than 60 days after the debtor files. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a). During this meeting, the trustee places the debtor under oath, and both the trustee and creditors may ask questions. The debtor must attend the meeting and answer questions regarding his or her financial affairs and the proposed terms of the plan.11 U.S.C. § 343. If a husband and wife file a joint petition, they both must attend the creditors' meeting and answer questions. In order to preserve their independent judgment, bankruptcy judges are prohibited from attending the creditors' meeting. 11 U.S.C. § 341(c). The parties typically resolve problems with the plan either during or shortly after the creditors' meeting. Generally, the debtor can avoid problems by making sure that the petition and plan are complete and accurate, and by consulting with the trustee prior to the meeting.
Unless the court grants an extension, the debtor must file a repayment plan with the petition or within 15 days after the petition is filed. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3015. A plan must be submitted for court approval and must provide for payments of fixed amounts to the trustee on a regular basis, typically biweekly or monthly. The trustee then distributes the funds to creditors according to the terms of the plan, which may offer creditors less than full payment on their claims. There are three types of claims: priority, secured, and unsecured. Priority claims are those granted special status by the bankruptcy law, such as most taxes and the costs of bankruptcy proceeding. (3) Secured claims are those for which the creditor has the right take back certain property (i.e., the collateral) if the debtor does not pay the underlying debt. In contrast to secured claims, unsecured claims are generally those for which the creditor has no special rights to collect against particular property owned by the debtor.
No later than 45 days after the meeting of creditors, the bankruptcy judge must hold a confirmation hearing and decide whether the plan is feasible and meets the standards for confirmation set forth in the Bankruptcy Code. 11 U.S.C. §§ 1324, 1325. Creditors will receive 25 days' notice of the hearing and may object to confirmation. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2002(b). While a variety of objections may be made, the most frequent ones are that payments offered under the plan are less than creditors would receive if the debtor's assets were liquidated or that the debtor's plan does not commit all of the debtor's projected disposable income for the three or five year applicable commitment period.
The bankruptcy law regarding the scope of the chapter 13 discharge is complex and has recently undergone major changes. Therefore, debtors should consult competent legal counsel prior to filing regarding the scope of the chapter 13 discharge. A chapter 13 debtor is entitled to a discharge upon completion of all payments under the chapter 13 plan so long as the debtor: (1) certifies (if applicable) that all domestic support obligations that came due prior to making such certification have been paid; (2) has not received a discharge in a prior case filed within a certain time frame (two years for prior chapter 13 cases and four years for prior chapter 7, 11 and 12 cases); and (3) has completed an approved course in financial management (if the U.S. trustee or bankruptcy administrator for the debtor's district has determined that such courses are available to the debtor). 11 U.S.C. § 1328. The court will not enter the discharge, however, until it determines, after notice and a hearing, that there is no reason to believe there is any pending proceeding that might give rise to a limitation on the debtor's homestead exemption. 11 U.S.C. § 1328(h).
If you have questions about filing for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy please contact The Law Offices of R.J.Atkinson,LLC at 469-429-0418 for a free initial consultation to discuss your legal options. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy can put you back in control of your finances and force creditors to accept repayment on your terms. Don’t lose everything!!! With locations in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas The Law Offices of R.J.Atkinson,LLC is a Texas Debt Relief Agency and helps people file for Bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Code.

References: §1322
 § 109
 § 1930
 § 1307
 § 343
 § 341
 § 1328
 § 1328