Successfully Completing a Chapter 7 Case
Most bankruptcy cases are completed successfully. But you need to pay attention to a few crucial steps to make that happen.
You’ve filed a Chapter 7 “straight bankruptcy” case, which stopped all creditor collections actions against you. About a month later you’ve gone through the Meeting of Creditors with the Chapter 7 trustee. Now within two more months you will very likely finish the case and get a discharge of your debts. “Discharge” is the legal and permanent write-off of most or all of your debts. You’re getting close. But now there are 5 things you need to watch out for to get that discharge and finish your Chapter 7 case successfully. We cover the first 3 of these today, and then the other 2 in our next blog post.
1) “Debtor Education”
You completed a “credit counseling” class before filing bankruptcy, usually online but sometimes by phone. Similarly, after filing you must also complete a “debtor education” class. Or as the U.S. Bankruptcy Code calls it, “an instructional course concerning personal financial management.” See Sections 111 and 727(a)(11) of the Bankruptcy Code.
This is also usually done online, by phone or even, rarely, in person). The procedure is similar to the earlier “credit counseling” you did before filing the Chapter 7 case. The information provided in “debtor education” may actually be helpful to you and your financial life going forward.
No matter whether or not it is helpful, it’s mandatory. The law clearly says that if you don’t complete this requirement the court does not discharge your debts. It’s easy to forget; be sure not to.
2) Keep/Surrender Collateral
If you have any secured debts, you need to deal with the collateral. Your Chapter 7 documents included a Statement of Intention stating what you intended to do with the collateral securing each secured debt. You sign this document under penalty of perjury, and your lawyer sends a copy to every affected creditor. It gives you the following options:
surrender the collateral
keep it and “reaffirm” the debt,
keep it by “redeeming” the collateral
retain it some other way
It’s very important that you follow up on these intentions, especially if you want to keep the collateral. By law you have 30 days after the Meeting of Creditors to “perform [your] intentions with respect to such property.” Section 521(a)(2)(B) of the Bankruptcy Code. If that 30 days passes without you “perform[ing your] intentions,” the creditor can repossess or otherwise take back the collateral.
3) Address a “Dischargeability” Complaint
Most debts get discharged as long as they don’t fit some very specific categories. Examples of nondischargeable debts include child and spousal support and criminal debts. Others, such as income taxes and student loans, may get discharged depending on the circumstances. See Section 523 of the Bankruptcy Code for “Exceptions to discharge.”
As for debts that don’t fall within such non-dischargeable categories, creditors can still object to the discharge of the debt. Each creditor has until 60 days after the Meeting of Creditors to do so. Section 523(c)(1). Otherwise it forever loses its right to object.
A creditor objects by filing a formal complaint at the bankruptcy court. These complaints are not very common. That’s because the law allows such creditor complaints only on some relatively narrow grounds. Generally, a creditor must prove that the debt was incurred through your fraud or misrepresentation, or involves your “willful and malicious injury” of a person or property. Subsections 523(a)(2)(4)(6). If the creditor does not file a complaint within the 60-day period, then your debts are usually discharged immediately thereafter.
Next time we’ll cover the two other steps you need to be aware of to complete your Chapter 7 case successfully.