Bankruptcy Code Revisions Designed to Address COVID-19 Challenges

Relief for Debtors Harmed by Response to Corona Virus

Bankruptcy Code amendments respond to Corona Virus

Social distancing is proving to be an effective response to the Corona Virus public health crisis. Unfortunately, those same measures will harm the economy. Most analysts agree that commercial and consumer bankruptcy filings will rise sharply. In response, Congress has acted with temporary Bankruptcy Code revisions. Now, consumer debtors may be able to decrease their monthly payments by extending the terms of their chapter 13 repayment plans. The amendments will also benefit businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendment expands eligibility for the relaxed, “small business debtor” bankruptcy process. The bankruptcy relief provided under the CARES Act could provide meaningful relief to debtors in business and personal bankruptcy cases.

Temporary Revisions to Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code (COVID-19)

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a voluntary “reorganization” bankruptcy for individuals. Ordinarily, chapter 13 debtors cannot extend their plan payments beyond a term of five years. That five-year maximum can prevent struggling families from saving their homes from mortgage foreclosure. Typically, debtors fund their chapter 13 plans from the income they receive during the term of the plan. Thus, plan duration and debtors’ income impose a limit on plan funding. That limit may prevent debtors from curing mortgage delinquencies through a chapter 13 plan. Bankruptcy lawyers call that problem “infeasibility.”

Bankruptcy Code revisions in the CARES Act permit modification of plans, extending up to seven years. Debtors must have court approval to extend their confirmed plans beyond a 60-month term. Debtors must also have experienced a “material financial hardship due.” The hardship must, “directly or indirectly, to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.”

Protections Related to Stimulus Payments

The CARES Act Bankruptcy Code revisions ensure that stimulus payments won’t affect debtors’ “current monthly income” and “disposable income.” Those calculations have important implications to the chapter 13 process. Current monthly income determines whether a plan term may be three years or must extend to five. Disposable income determines whether a debtor meets the “best efforts” requirement for plan confirmation. Chapter 13 debtors often pay unsecured creditors less than 100% of their claims over the life of the plan. However, such debtors must devote all of their “disposable income” to fund the plan. If disposable income increased as result of payments from the government, they could threaten the viability of chapter 13 for some debtors. Congress wisely avoided that potential problem through its Bankruptcy Code revisions.

Small Business Reorganization Streamlined Process

The CARES Act amends Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019, increasing the debt threshold from $2,725,625 to $7.5 million. Considering the advantages offered under the streamlined “Small Business” bankruptcy, that amendment could provide a cost-effective reorganization option to many more companies.

The chapter 11 process for small businesses may be attractive to financially distressed companies, concerned about the potential cost and delay of a traditional chapter 11 filing. The cost-saving features include the elimination of the requirement of payment of quarterly fees to the United States trustee, and the absence of official appointed committees (e.g., a committee of unsecured creditors). Instead, a standing trustee oversees case administration and ensures Bankruptcy Code compliance.

The time saving characteristics of a small business chapter 11 may also be attractive. Small business debtors do not require a hearing on a disclosure statement. Unlike an ordinary chapter 11 case where parties in interest can file a plan after the debtor’s right to exclusivity expires, only the debtor may file a plan in a small business case.

Small Business Bankruptcy – Additional Advantages

Among the most enticing features of the new small business law are its simplified approach to “cramdown” and the “absolute priority rule.” Here, cramdown refers to confirmation of a plan over creditor objections. The small business process eliminates the requirement of an impaired class of creditors who voted in favor of the plan. In simplified terms, the “absolute priority rule” mandates that lower priority interest holders must not receive any value under the plan while any senior creditors have unpaid claims. Since an owner’s interest in a debtor exists at a lower priority than general unsecured claims, some courts have interpreted the absolute priority rule to prevent debtors from discharging debt without affecting ownership interests.

Bankruptcy Amendments Sunset Provisions

The CARES Act Bankruptcy Code revisions diverge from the existing statutory scheme. For that reason, the Bankruptcy Code revisions are temporary and will terminate after one year. The bankruptcy amendments give individuals and small businesses some advantages in their reorganization bankruptcies. However, only time will tell whether those adjustments will be enough to protect those hit hardest by the economic ripple effects of COVID-19.

Contact Robleto Kuruce if you have questions about the COVID-19 amendments, or simply want to learn about your bankruptcy options. Experienced bankruptcy lawyers will give you answers during a no-contact, free consultation.

Call now (412) 925-8194.

Bankruptcy Schedules

What Are the Bankruptcy Schedules, Anyway?

Bankruptcy Schedule CThe bankruptcy schedules are the primary forms that debtors use to reveal their basic financial information.  Disclosure of debtors’ financial condition is an essential condition of relief under the United States Bankruptcy Code.  The bankruptcy schedules, along with the statement of financial affairs are designed to elicit almost every detail of debtors’ financial condition. From a modest consumer debtor in a case under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code with a few thousand dollars in debt to an extraordinarily sophisticated financial services company with liabilities in excess of one billion dollars, all debtors must submit complete and accurate bankruptcy schedules.

“Both business and consumer debtors must submit complete and accurate bankruptcy schedules.”

The following is a concise and plain description of those bankruptcy schedules as they apply to individual debtors in consumer bankruptcy cases.  On December 1, 2015, a new set of forms became effective to all newly filed bankruptcy cases.  Those forms arose from the Judicial Conference Forms Modernization Project.  The new forms track the same information as their predecessors but the design is retouched.  Additionally, the new forms exist in separate sets, applicable to individual debtors and non-individual debtors (think corporations, partnerships and other business organizations).  This review will focus on the new bankruptcy forms schedules A/B, C, D, E, F, H, I and J, as applicable to individual bankruptcy debtors.

Bankruptcy Schedule A/B – Property

Bankruptcy schedule A/B seeks information relevant to a debtor’s interest in property.  Previously, schedule A pertained only to a debtor’s interests in real estate and schedule B sought a listing of all other interests in property that a debtor may have.  Schedule A/B merges those two previously distinct schedules into an integrated, itemized list of various sorts of property.  The first category in schedule A/B is real property (in the parlance of part 1 of bankruptcy schedule A/B, “Each Residence, Building, Land, or Other Real Estate”).  Next, a debtor lists vehicles, followed by personal and household items.  Within those two asset classes, there are further subitems (e.g., electronics, collectables and jewelry).  Next on schedule A/B, a debtor must list all financial assets and business related property.  If a debtor owns farm or commercial fishing-related property, that property must also be detailed on this bankruptcy schedule.  Responses to the specific inquiries on schedule A/B will generally reveal all of a debtor’s property but the final category does not leave the matter to chance and requires a debtor to describe all property not disclosed in response to the prior questions.

Bankruptcy Schedule C – Bankruptcy Exemptions

Bankruptcy schedule C requires that a debtor list all of the property claimed as exempt and therefore unavailable to pay the claims of creditors.  Because Congress left it up to the legislature of the individual states to determine the property that debtors in bankruptcy cases could exempt from creditors, exemption law may vary from state to state.  In many states, a debtor may rely only upon the exemptions available under state law.  In other jurisdictions, a debtor in a bankruptcy case may only apply the “federal” exemptions set out in section 522(d) of the Bankruptcy Code.  The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania permits a debtor to elect the federal exemption scheme or Pennsylvania exemption law.

Depending on the circumstances of any particular case, the decision whether to use the federal or state exemptions may have very serious consequences and may impact a debtor’s right to keep certain assets.  After the selection of the appropriate exemption menu, careful application of each exemption is also very critical.  Misapplication of exemptions to assets could result in a debtor being required to turn over property to a chapter 7 trustee to be liquidated for the benefit of the debtor’s unsecured creditors.  In a chapter 13 case, the same mistake could mean that a debtor would be forced to pay a considerably higher amount of money each month.  When it comes to selection and application of bankruptcy exemptions on schedule C, a highly experienced bankruptcy lawyer will help ensure that a debtor maximizes the value of exemption rights in a bankruptcy case.

Bankruptcy Schedule D – Secured Claims

In schedule D, a debtor is called upon to list all secured creditors.  A secured creditor is one that has recourse to a debtor’s property to protect its right to receive payments.  The two most common kinds of secured creditors for most consumers are mortgagees and vehicle lenders.  However, certain tax claims including real estate taxes may also be secured obligations.  Additionally, a creditor with a judgment against a debtor may also hold a secured claim.  That is so because a judgment acts as an automatic lien on all real property that the judgment debtor owns in the property in which the judgment is entered.  A judgment may also form a lien on other property of the debtor if the judgment creditor has taken the necessary steps to perfect its lien before the filing of the bankruptcy case.

“Ignored secured claims can prevent a debtor from getting a meaningful fresh start even if that debtor receives a discharge.”

 Ignored secured claims can prevent a debtor from getting a meaningful fresh start even if that debtor receives a discharge.  Absent a debtor taking some affirmative measure to avoid or limit a secured claim, a lien will generally survive a bankruptcy case even if a debtor otherwise does everything right and receives a bankruptcy discharge.  As with bankruptcy exemption and selection application, an effective bankruptcy lawyer may prove to be critically important to a debtor developing a strategy for the treatment of secured claims.

Bankruptcy Schedule E/F – Unsecured Claims

The new schedule E/F merges the priority claims together with other general unsecured claims against a debtor.  The Bankruptcy Code gives priority to certain types unsecured claims.  Each priority claim is listed in order such that first priority claims must be paid in full before any second priority claim may be paid.  The priority scheme is designed to provide protection to certain kinds of creditors.  Thus, domestic support obligations, wage claims and certain kinds of taxes are designed priority claims and must be identified that way.  Although the new schedule collapses priority and general unsecured claims onto a single bankruptcy schedule, schedule E/F still requires debtors to list priority claims in a separate section on the schedule and to identify the nature of the claim.  Your Pittsburgh bankruptcy lawyer will help you correctly identify and classify priority claims.

Bankruptcy Schedule G – Executory Contracts and Unexpired Leases

Debtors must also list all “executory” contracts and unexpired leases.  Prior to a bankruptcy case, many people ask:  what is an executory contract?  An executory contract is one that has neither terminated nor expired and upon which substantial performance remains due from both parties.  Just like an unexpired lease, an executory contract is a living, binding legal agreement.  Debtors often face difficult decisions about whether to assume or reject an executory contract or unexpired lease.  A clear explanation of the impact of rejection or assumption from a bankruptcy lawyer can make that difficult decision making process far easier.

Bankruptcy Schedule H – Codebtors

As the instructions on bankruptcy schedule H explain “[c]odebtors are people or entities who are also liable for any debts you may have.”  It is important to list all codebtors with names and addresses and identify the debt upon which each codebtor shares liability.  In many cases, the discharge of indebtedness of a debtor in a bankruptcy case may impact a codebtor’s financial life.  It is important to discuss joint liability during a candid conference with a bankruptcy attorney.

Bankruptcy Schedule I – Income

Bankruptcy Schedules Crunching NumbersDebtors must disclose their income from all sources.  Income information is important and, as entered in the means test, may impact a persons qualification for relief under chapter 7.  A debtor must have a regular source of income in order to qualify as a debtor for a case under chapter 13.  Schedule I is detailed and seeks information about income from all sources and requires information about deductions from payroll.  Additionally, if a debtor has a non-filing spouse, that income must be disclosed too unless they are separated and living apart.  Your bankruptcy lawyer can help you to address the implied problem of having someone else’s income imputed to you (even if it is your spouse).

Bankruptcy Schedule J – Expenses

Bankruptcy Schedule J enumerates almost every typical consumer expense and debtors must honestly report their regular monthly expenses.  Calculation of monthly expenses is an important exercise for the debtor and provides critical information to all parties in interest in the case.  Very often the “monthly net income” calculation reached by subtracting expenses from income gives debtors a sense of how their cash flows on a monthly basis.  Schedule J can also help debtors in chapter 13 cases determine whether they can present a chapter 13 plan that they can pay and is therefore, feasible.

It is important to note that bankruptcy schedules I and J seek the sort of information as does the means test.  However, because the income on the means test is a backward-looking analysis of the six-month period preceding the filing of the bankruptcy case, the income information may diverge from that stated in bankruptcy schedule I.  Similarly, the allowable expenses on the means test of primarily grounded in standard expenses having nothing to do with the actual expenses relevant to the debtor.  Discuss these important distinctions with your bankruptcy lawyers.

Pittsburgh Bankruptcy Lawyers and Important Discussions about Bankruptcy Schedules

Disclosure is of income, expenses, assets and liabilities are a cornerstone of every bankruptcy case.  The bankruptcy schedules are designed to facilitate that disclosure.  Complete and accurate responses to all of the questions in the schedules is vital to the bankruptcy process.  Before you file your bankruptcy case, carefully read and understand the information contained in those schedules.  Candid disclosure is an important step in a bankruptcy process which allows honest but unfortunate debtors some relief from their debts with a fresh start.

 

Bankruptcy May Help Get Your Repossessed Vehicle Back

Was Your Vehicle Repossessed in Pittsburgh Before You Were Able to File for Bankruptcy Relief?

Making ends meet in tough times can be difficult enough even before your vehicle is repossessed.  Without your vehicle, you may find it difficult to get to work or a job interview making your troubled financial condition even worse.  If you have experienced a vehicle repossession in Pittsburgh, you may be able to get your car back for good by filing a voluntary petition for relief under the United States Bankruptcy Code.

car repossession

How Vehicle Repossession Works

Vehicle sales in Pennsylvania are typically financed through a retail sales installment contract.  That contract provides the lender with a security interest in the automobile until the loan is paid off.  If a borrower cannot or does not pay regular monthly payments and falls behind, the lender may exercise the legal right to take possession of their collateral and sell it.  Under the Uniform Commercial Code, lenders are required to send notices to borrowers following repossession, advising them of the disposition of the vehicle and what the borrower must do in order to get the vehicle back.  Borrowers may have the right to cure their loans meaning bring the loan current by paying the current and past due amounts owed along with the costs of repossession.  Other borrowers may find that the only rights listed in the notice they received from their lender is a right to redeem the vehicle meaning payment of the entire amount still owed to the lender.

If the lender sells a repossessed vehicle, it must send the borrower a second notice with information about the sale and whether there was a surplus or if the borrower owes a deficiency to the lender.  The form and content of the notices issued by the lender are very important and the failure of a lender to provide notices as mandated by the statute can give rise to a claim for damages against the lender.

Getting Your Repossessed Automobile Back After Filing Bankruptcy

Vehicle lenders are often familiar with the bankruptcy process and will make arrangements with your bankruptcy lawyer for the prompt return of your vehicle.  In certain cases, your bankruptcy lawyer may need to petition the bankruptcy court for the turnover of your vehicle to you.  You will still be required to pay the amounts due to your lender but you may be able to do that over a period of three to five years in a case under chapter 13.  Additionally, in certain circumstances, you may be able to “cramdown” on lender in a case under chapter 13 and compel it to accept only the value of the vehicle even if you owe considerably more than the vehicle is worth.  In a case under chapter 7, you may also be able to redeem your vehicle for less than the amount you owe.  In Pittsburgh, your bankruptcy lawyer may be able to arrange for you to receive a loan for the value of the vehicle that could save you a considerable amount of money, giving you even more freedom to make the most of your fresh start.

Talk to Your Pittsburgh Bankruptcy Lawyer to Determine if You Can Get Your Repossessed Vehicle Back by Filing a Bankruptcy Case

Whether you can get your vehicle back by filing a bankruptcy case may depend on several factors.  Timing is very important.  The filing of your bankruptcy case will give rise to the “automatic stay” which will prevent the lender from selling your vehicle.  However, if you file your bankruptcy case after your lender has sold your vehicle, you may find that you will be unable to get it back.  If your car is repossessed in Pittsburgh, you should call an experienced bankruptcy lawyer immediately.  Give yourself the best chance to get a fresh start and get back on your feet.  Expert bankruptcy professionals may be able to help you get your car back quickly through a bankruptcy case.