Mississippi Bankruptcy

Can I get back wages that were garnished if I file bankruptcy?

Published on: November 14, 2016 | Frank Coxwell

Yes! You can get back money that was garnished from your wages (if the debt is dischargeable) if you file bankruptcy. In Mississippi, you can only recover garnished wages were taken within 90 days of your filing for bankruptcy and the amount taken was more than $600. You are not entitled to recover everything that’s been garnished if you’ve been garnished more than 90 days before you file bankruptcy; just the 90 day portion they took right before you filed bankruptcy. ***Keep in mind that filing bankruptcy STOPS a garnishment the moment the case is filed!

Depending on which kind of bankruptcy case you file and the amount, the money may go back to you or it may go to the Trustee. But either way, it’s beneficial to you. How would it be beneficial for it to go to the Trustee? Keep reading. I’ll explain!

Example #1: You have been garnished for the past 2 months for a total of $800 and you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy tomorrow. The first two criteria are met (within 90 days and over $600) so you stand to regain all $800.

Example #2: You have been getting garnished for 6 months for a total of $1,500 and you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy tomorrow. You’re qualifying but only the portion taken within 90 days will be eligible – which lets say totals $700. The creditor is entitled to keep the other portion ($800).

Can I Get Credit After Bankruptcy?

Published on: July 8, 2014 | Frank Coxwell

Can you get credit after filing bankruptcy? Absolutely. Will you have to wait for ten years to get a house or a car? Absolutely not.

Credit card companies will pack your mailbox with offers of credit. They want you back in the system using credit cards and carrying a large balance. It’s a temptation that few can resist. These cards and offers will be from lenders that will charge high interest rates. The same goes for cars and trucks. There are numerous companies that will be glad to give you credit. For a while, the question will be about how much interest they will charge you for that credit, which will be high until you’ve regained your footing.

Now, you shouldn’t run out and start charging up credit bills again, but if you need a vehicle or furniture and appliances you will be able to get credit. National creditors see people who file bankruptcy as a good credit risk since all their debts were wiped out, they can’t file Chapter 7 again for eight years and they have money to spend. Many Mississippi bankruptcy filers are able to reestablish their credit within one year of their bankruptcy discharge.

NACBA 20th Annual Convention: San Antonio, TX

Published on: June 23, 2013 | Frank Coxwell

I have been a member of NACBA (National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys) for quite some time and was able to attend the 20th annual convention this year which was held in beautiful San Antonio, TX. I would strongly suggest that you bookmark the NACBA site as a resource for consumer bankruptcy matters. Congress, their staff, the media, and the Judicial Branch all recognize NACBA as the lead voice in America regarding consumer bankruptcy law. The Association & it’s member attorneys put their expertise to work by frequently testifying before judicial and legislative bodies against any anti-debtor legislation introduced by an aggressive consumer credit industry. NACBA continues to play a significant role in forming the outcome of policy-related discussion and debates regarding consumer bankruptcy practices. It truly lives up to it’s goal

To ensure that the voices of consumer debtors and their attorneys are heard in the halls of Congress, the Judiciary and other arenas affecting consumer debtors; and to help consumer bankruptcy attorneys represent their clients more effectively.

Bottom line, attending NACBA conventions provide a wealth of education and keep attorneys up to date on the latest in bankruptcy law – which is a must if you are going to provide the best protection for your clients. Multiple vendors also attend the conference, educating us on the latest available debt counseling programs and a host of other items designed to help consumers before, during, and after bankruptcy. I’ll be blogging about some of the gems pulled from this conference a little later, so stay tuned! In the meantime, here are some pictures from the convention this past weekend…and yes – I’m the one in the toe shoes speaking with a good friend of mine, Mississippi NACBA State Chair, attorney Pat Sheehan.

MPB Money Talks discusses Bankruptcy Chapters and Recovery

Published on: June 19, 2013 | Frank Coxwell

Frank Coxwell explains bankruptcy chapters & how to recover from bankruptcy.

To listen to the program, click here

I joined the Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) show – Money Talks – on June 18, 2013 to discuss the topic of bankruptcy, what the different chapters have to offer consumers, and how to recover from filing bankruptcy. We covered a lot of really good information and were able to take a lot of calls from listeners with great questions. If you are contemplating bankruptcy or even just interested in what it has to offer, I highly recommend you click above and listen to our discussion.

Will my job, my family, or my friends know that I filed bankruptcy?

Published on: June 13, 2013 | Frank Coxwell

No. Although a bankruptcy case is a public record, it is not that easy to find. Bankruptcy information is not published in any Mississippi newspaper that I am aware of. Yes, one of your nosey neighbors could go to the bankruptcy court and ask but that is a lot of effort and most people will not go that far. The bankruptcy court does not contact your employer and neither will your lawyer.

Now there are several situations where you may need your job, friends, or family to be contacted.

If you owe money to your employer, your friends, or family members, then they may be one of your creditors and they will be notified of the bankruptcy.

Can I Walk Away From My Rental Property?

Published on: January 31, 2013 | Frank Coxwell

Thinking about walking away from your rental property? You are not alone. Over 11 million people are upside down on the house they live in. The same conditions affect your investment property. To make things worse, when tenants can’t pay their rent, you must still come up with the monthly note. Being a landlord is hard work when times are good. Tenants who can’t pay or empty rental homes will jeopardize your own home and financial security. Filing bankruptcy allows you to give the property back to the mortgage company without having to pay for the property.

Can I File My Own Bankruptcy?

Published on: January 30, 2013 | Frank Coxwell

Of course you can. Just like you can set your own broken leg, deliver your own baby and rebuild the engine in your own car. You can do these things, but do you really want to? Do you have time? Do you have the proper tools, information and knowledge to get it done right?

Bankruptcy laws are complicated and full of traps. Mistakes and errors can cost you your property and your discharge. Misrepresentation and dishonesty can land you in jail. Let me tell you about preparing and filing a bankruptcy case.

Attorney’s all use software to prepare and print the 50 plus pages that make up a bankruptcy filing just like your tax guy uses a tax program and just like your doctor uses a program to keep up with your visits and medical records. Bankruptcy lawyers put your information into a program that prints the forms and files the papers with the court. This seems simple enough. But once the papers are filed the U.S. Trustee, the case trustee and the court clerks all start going over your papers to see how they can kick you out, deny your discharge or disqualify you from the benefits of bankruptcy. Do you know how to defend your position? Provide responses to any filed objections?

8 Things To Think About Before You File Bankruptcy

Published on: January 29, 2013 | Frank Coxwell

Here are some things to consider before you file bankruptcy so you don’t make a mistake that could get you in trouble or cost you a discharge.

1. Talk to a bankruptcy attorney sooner rather than later. Find out right now how bankruptcy can benefit you. Most people who file should have been in to see a bankruptcy lawyer six months to a year before they made the appointment. Instead they struggled and fought to survive, draining all their savings and retirement, doing everything they could to keep from getting information that could have led to their financial recovery and a new life.

2. Don’t use your credit cards. Some credit card charges may have to be paid if they are made right before you file.

Can mortgage company foreclose while reviewing for modification?

Published on: December 18, 2012 | Frank Coxwell

At least twice a month I receive calls from homeowners who are in the middle of the modification process with their mortgage company and they get notice of a foreclosure. Over and over they had been told the modification was still being reviewed. In some cases they were told they’d been approved. But all of a sudden they find their home is being advertised in the newspaper and a sale date is set at the courthouse. Mortgage companies review loans for modification and try to foreclosure at the same time. This is known as “dual tracking”. They don’t stop the foreclosure process when a mortgage is considered for a modification. If you are in the modification process with your mortgage company you can never assume that it will be approved or they won’t foreclose. The foreclosure process in Mississippi is quick, so you can’t trust anything they tell you over the phone. If you become aware your home is in foreclosure, contact our office immediately. We can stop the foreclosure sale through filing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy and you can still follow-up with a modification, if needed. You never want to be in a position of trying to get your home back after the foreclosure. Better to be safe than sorry and stop the foreclosure before it happens.

How is the value of what I own determined in bankruptcy?

Published on: December 14, 2012 | Frank Coxwell

Bankruptcy Courts use “replacement value” when determining the value of your assets. Replacement value is defined in the Bankruptcy Code as the price that a retail merchant would charge for property of the same kind, considering the age and condition of the property at the time its value is determined.

This is not the cost to replace the item with a new one or what you could sell the item for; it is the cost that a retailer would sell the used item for in the condition it’s in now.

In cases such as used clothing, furniture, computers, TV, etc. it would be the value of the items if you had a yard sale or placed them on eBay.