What Can I Keep in a Bankruptcy - thoughts of an attorney serving Wellsboro, Tioga County, PA 16901

In Chapter 7 bankruptcy, exemptions determine what you can keep.  These include your home, car, personal belongings, bank accounts, cash on hand, investment accounts, 401(k) guns, four wheelers, tools of the trade – and the list goes on. If your property is exempt, you may keep it. If property is nonexempt, the trustee may sell it to pay your unsecured creditors. That is why it is important to hire a bankruptcy attorney who understand exemptions and how to protect everything that you have. 

Each state has its own bankruptcy exemptions.  If you live in Wellsboro, Tioga County, PA 16901, for example, the state bankruptcy exemptions available to you will be different from those if you lived in New York.  Some states require that you use the state exemptions.  Some states, however, such as Pennsylvania allow your bankruptcy lawyer to use federal exemptions that differ from the state exemptions.  In Pennsylvania, the state exemptions are very stingy so almost universally your attorney will use the more generous federal exemptions.

How Bankruptcy Exemptions Work

Exemptions set a dollar amount for certain classes of property that are protected.  If the equity in that asset is worth less than that, then you can keep that piece of property. For example, if your car is worth $3,000 and your state has a vehicle exemption of $4,000, then you will be able to keep the vehicle under a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy regardless of whether you live in Wellsboro, Tioga or anywhere in Tioga County or the State of Pennsylvania.  

Determining Your Exemptions  

To determine what property you will get to keep if you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, start by making an inventory of your property and each piece of property’s replacement value. Then compare the value to your state’s exemption, if any, for that type of property. If your state offers a choice between systems, do this for each system to determine which one allows you to keep the property that matters to you.

If you are facing something you cannot handle by yourself or you are ready to quit.  If you are facing a mountain of debt you cannot pay, don't give up.  Call our attorneys.  We  serve Wellsboro, Mansfield and all of Tioga County PA.  We will help you figure out how to get out from the medical bills, loans, credit cards, business debts or whatever the debt is.  Our bankruptcy attorneys care passionately about helping people to be debt free.  Let our bankruptcy attorneys work for you!

If you need help in other areas of the law, our firm handles injury cases, bankruptcy, general litigation, and family law.

When you need help, you can count on us.  Call our debt relief and bankruptcy attorneys if you live in Williamsport, PA 17701, Wellsboro, Tioga County, PA 16901, Potter County 16915 or Bradford, Smethport, Port Allegany or elsewhere in McKean County.  We offer appointments in person and by telephone.   

We do not charge for car accident consultation or for a bankruptcy evaluation. We take most injury cases on a contingency basis, which mean that you will not owe us anything unless we get money for you.  Leave our office armed with powerful information about your rights.  For Lycoming, Clinton, and Tioga Counties reach us at (570) 309-6690.  For help in McKean and Potter County 16915, call us at  (814) 274-8612. 

For more information on bankruptcy in general, click here!

In Williamsport?  Click here!

In Potter, McKean or Cameron Counties?   Click here!

* Federal law requires the following disclosure: We are a debt relief agency helping people file for relief through bankruptcy under the bankruptcy code.
***Legal Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice.  No lawyer-client relationship exists until one of our attorneys meets with you and agrees to accept you as a client.

Common Injuries in a Car Crash - Potter County, PA injury attorney

Whether you’re a new driver or have been driving for decades, being in a car accident is a traumatic, anxiety-filled experience. 

I should know. 

Since acquiring a driver’s license about twenty-seven years ago, I have had more than my fair share of car wrecks.  Many of them, I can’t deny, were my own fault.  My mom likes to pick on me for that time when I was seventeen and begged her to let me take the family minivan to drive myself and a bunch of friends despite her objection that I wasn’t “used to driving” it.  She insisted that I drive it to and from school a few times first to see how I handled it.  No problem.  I dropped my younger brother off at his school, and in doing so, had to pull into a parking space.  Well, in the two minutes I was there someone erected a telephone pole behind me, which of course, I backed into.  (I stand by that version of events.).  Others were not my fault, such as when someone pulled out in front of me.  Or when I hit a patch of black ice and ran off the road - a common occurrence in Potter County, Pennsylvania 16915, where I now practice law.

One thing these all have in common is that they were frightening.  (Well, the minivan incident was mostly frightening for how it bruised my pride and meant having to tell my parents I had backed into something . . . again.)  Thankfully, I was not injured in most of these collisions, but a few times I was.  Once my airbag deployed, and that left me with painful bruises and even a couple of burns.  Another time, I pulled something in my neck as my head hit the driver’s side window.  It turns out all of these are among the most common car accident injuries.  The symptoms I suffered - soreness, headaches, bruising, stiffness - these are the most common car accident injuries.  But, while they are common, they should not be ignored.

Below are six symptoms that should never be ignored if they occur after a car accident, even if they don’t arise until a few days or even weeks after the crash:

• Headache - this can be a sign of a concussion, whiplash, brain injury, or even a blood clot.

• Neck and Shoulder Pain - these can indicate whiplash, pulled or torn ligaments, or a spinal injury.

• Abdominal Pain - a potentially serious symptom that can be an indicator of internal bleeding.

• Back Pain - like neck and shoulder pain, this can be a symptom of whiplash, spinal injury, or ligament injury.

• Numbing and Bruising - can indicate a herniated disk or other spinal injury.

• Emotional Distress - this can signal post-traumatic stress disorder, concussion, or brain injury.

These common car accident injury symptoms need to be evaluated by a doctor. 

If you aren’t sure what your next steps should be, our Coudersport, Potter County, Pennsylvania 16915 personal injury attorneys can help you.  Unfortunately, we can’t make your car accident less painful, but we can make sure the aftermath is pain free.

In my opinion, debt negotiation or debt consolidation companies are not what they claim to be. Based upon my observations in handling volumes of bankruptcy cases as a consumer bankruptcy attorney, the debt consolidation industry preys on consumers when they are at their lowest point – when they owe money, are receiving incessant phone calls from collection agencies, and generally are desperate to make the overwhelming pressure of it all go away.    

Have you heard the ads from these debt relief companies or seen the commercials of seemingly overjoyed people leaping and jumping about their new found freedom?

In my opinion, the image they portray is a lie and not just a little white lie.  These companies want to be your new debt masters.  That makes you their slave.  They will make you sign a contract with them and make money off of you for as long as they can.  Read the disclaimers on the web sites.  They don’t guarantee anything!  My experience is that in many cases they pay off a few of the dates while making money off of you and when one or more of the companies sues you, then they tell you there is nothing they can do.  You are left worse off than when you started years before!  My advice without qualification or hesitation is do not fall for it: if you are even remotely tempted to hire a debt negotiation or consolidation company.......

DON'T DO IT!!!

And why would you ?  These debt plans go on for years.  Did you know that with a chapter 7 bankruptcy your debts will be discharged in as little as 4 months without paying the unsecured creditors back!  So armed with this information, you can make an informed choice – enter into a repayment program that lasts years and costs thousands and thousands of dollars – or have the debt discharged in 4 months.

So, our position is that you should stop whatever you are doing, turn around, and run the other direction.  Don’t fall for the slick advertising and false promises.

Just say no. When you and I chat, I can explain why I believe debt reduction or debt consolidation companies are the worst possible place to spend your money when you have debt issues.  Oh and remember, we do not charge you anything for a consultation.  That’s how much we believe in what we do!

If you are facing something you cannot handle by yourself or you are ready to quit.  If you are facing a mountain of debt you cannot pay, don't give up.  Call our Williamsport and Lycoming County 17701lawyers.  We will help you figure out how to get out from the medical bills, loans, credit cards, business debts or whatever the debt is.  Our bankruptcy attorneys care passionately about helping people to be debt free.  Let our bankruptcy attorneys work for you!

If you need help in other areas of the law, our firm handles injury cases, bankruptcy, general litigation, and family law.

When you need help, you can count on us.  Call our attorneys if you live in Williamsport, PA 17701, Wellsboro, Tioga County, PA 16901, Potter County 16915 or McKean County.  We offer appointments in person and by telephone.   

We do not charge for car accident consultation or for a bankruptcy evaluation. We take most injury cases on a contingency basis, which mean that you will not owe us anything unless we get money for you.  Leave our office armed with powerful information about your rights.  For Lycoming, Clinton, and Tioga Counties reach us at (570) 309-6690.  For help in McKean and Potter County 16915, call us at  (814) 274-8612

You are likely considering bankruptcy because you need relief from overwhelming debt. This includes immediate things like relief from collections and long-term relief from crushing debts that you simply cannot pay back no matter how long you had to do so. Bankruptcy provides both immediate and long-term debt relief.

Beyond the basic relief you expect, bankruptcy can provide same extraordinary benefits that you would never expect. In this blog post from your Lycoming County, Tioga County and Potter County bankruptcy lawyers, will give you details these unexpected benefits of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy:

1. Undo Judgment Liens on Your Home

Through judgment lien “avoidance” you can often permanently remove a judgment lien.  This will allow you to sell or refinance your home without having to pay off the judgment.  

2. Get Back Your Driver’s License after an Unpaid Judgment

You can reinstate your license lost because you did not pay a debt from an uninsured or underinsured motor vehicle accident.

3. Reinstate Your Driver’s License from Failing to Pay Tickets

Reinstate your license when suspension is for unpaid traffic infractions.

4. Get Out of an Unaffordable Payment Plan with the IRS/State

Bankruptcy may allow you to deal with an IRS payment plan that you can not handle and provide other tax relief.

5. Prevent Debt Collections from Re-Starting after Being “Stayed”

Bankruptcy doesn’t just stop debt collection temporarily.   It will permanently deal with your debt.

6. Bankruptcy Can Often Reduce Some or All of a Tax Lien’s Financial Impact

In some situations, a tax lien can be made either wholly or partially ineffective. Besides saving you lots of money you get the peace of mind that your home is not at risk.

7. Avoid Paying Your Ex-Spouse Most of Your Property Settlement Debts

Chapter 13 allows you to discharge—write-off—some or all non-support obligations of your divorce.

8. Get Out of Your Vehicle Lease through Bankruptcy

If you want out of your lease – great news.  You can surrender the vehicle and be done with the monthly obligation.

If you are facing something you cannot handle by yourself or you are ready to quit.  If you are facing a mountain of debt you cannot pay, don't give up.  Call our Coudersport and Potter County 16915 lawyers.  We will help you figure out how to get out from the medical bills, loans, credit cards, business debts or whatever the debt is.  Our bankruptcy attorneys care passionately about helping people to be debt free.  Let our bankruptcy attorneys work for you!

If you need help in other areas of the law, our firm handles injury cases, bankruptcy, general litigation, and family law.

When you need help, you can count on us.  Call our attorneys if you live in Williamsport, PA 17701, Wellsboro, Tioga County, PA 16901, Potter County 16915 or McKean County.  We offer appointments in person and by telephone.   

We do not charge for car accident consultation or for a bankruptcy evaluation. We take most injury cases on a contingency basis, which mean that you will not owe us anything unless we get money for you.  Leave our office armed with powerful information about your rights.  For Lycoming, Clinton, and Tioga Counties reach us at (570) 309-6690.  For help in McKean and Potter County 16915, call us at  (814) 274-8612. 

I admit it.  I am a bit of a WWII buff.  That period reveals the best and worst of humanity.  I am particularly partial to Winston Churchill's optimism, which I think springs from his determination to persevere.  Never give in - never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.  Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

I don't care who you are, how powerful you are, or how much money you have - life inevitably throws something at you that looks insurmountable.  Every one of us faces the decision of whether to give up or to carry on.  Today I want to encourage you to keep going.  Keep trying.  Keep believing in yourself.  Don't look at the mountain and say I cannot go over it.  Instead, take one more step and then one more step.  If you cannot go over the mountain, you will go under it or through it.  The journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.  Keep on keeping on step after step.  

Remember too that, as I have written so many times before, that you are not alone.  There is always someone who will help you along the way.  

If you re facing something you cannot handle by yourself or you are ready to quit.  If you are facing a mountain of debt you cannot pay, don't give up.  Call our Williamsport and Lycoming County 17701lawyers.  We will help you figure out how to get out from the medical bills, loans, credit cards, business debts or whatever the debt is.  Our bankruptcy attorneys care passionately about helping people to be debt free.  Let our bankruptcy attorneys work for you!

If you need help in other areas of the law, our firm handles injury cases, bankruptcy, general litigation, and family law.

When you need help, you can count on us.  Call our attorneys if you live in Williamsport, PA 17701, Wellsboro, Tioga County, PA 16901, Potter County 16915 or McKean County.  We offer appointments in person and by telephone.   

 

We do not charge for car accident consultation or for a bankruptcy evaluation. We take most injury cases on a contingency basis, which mean that you will not owe us anything unless we get money for you.  Leave our office armed with powerful information about your rights.  For Lycoming and Tioga Counties reach us at (570) 309-6690.  For help in McKean and Potter County 16915, call us at  (814) 274-8612.

There are upwards of 5 million auto accidents a year with approxiately 30,000 of them involving fatalities and over 2 million involving injuries.  While the government and car manufacturers have taken steps to decrease the number of accidents, if you have been injured in a car crash, then you know that one crash is one too many.  As attorneys who have handled way too many car accidents in Wellsboro, Pa 16901, Coudersport and Potter County 16915, Bradford, PA and McKean County and in other states, we have seen the absolute havoc that an accident can cause.  In short, it willl change or end your life.

So here are some thougths from our accident lawyers about avoiding and coping with accidents and the effects of a truck or car crash.

1. The best advice is to avoid an accident in the first place.  Practice defensive driving.  Avoid distactions like your phone, and assume that others are distracted and pay attention to what they are doing.

2. Accidents often are not avoidable.  Think safety first after an accident.  Be careful as other drivers will be distracted by the crash scene.  Make sure you are in a safe place so something else doesn't happen.

3. Get as much information as you can about the other party, names of witnesses, photos.  This information will be very useful later if you can get it.  We recently had a case where the driver denied backing into a pedestrian.  We tracked down a witness who said the driver was waiving at a blonde woman walking down the street while backing up.  No wonder he didn't want to admit it!  As you can imagine the matter resolved after we found the witness.

4. See an attorney early.  There is no substitute for early assistance.

5. Take care of your body.  That means seeking appropriate treatment and following through with the treatment advice.  As an personal injury lawyer, I do not have the ability to heal you.  Failing to get treatment will keep you from getting better and hurt your legal claim.

When you need help, you can count on us.  Call our attorneys if you live in Williamsport, PA 17701, Wellsboro, Tioga County, PA 16901, Potter County 16915 or McKean County.  We offer appointments in person and by telephone.     

We do not charge for car accident consultation or for a bankruptcy evaluation. We take most injury cases on a contingency basis, which mean that you will not owe us anything unless we get money for you.  Leave our office armed with
powerful information about your rights.  For Lycoming and Tioga Counties reach us at (570) 309-6690.  For help in McKean and Potter County 16915, call us at  (814) 274-8612. 

If you need help in other areas of the law, our firm handles injury cases, bankrupty, general litigation, and family law.

Today's post is about the Meeting of Creditors in a Bankruptcy Case. Our firm handles cases in Lycoming, Tioga, Potter, McKean, Elk and Cameron Counties. If you have looked into Bankruptcy, then you have probably come across something talking about a 341 Meeting of Creditors. But what is the purpose of the meeting and what happens there? The meeting of creditors gets its name from section 341 of the Bankruptcy Code. The 341 meeting of creditors is, in my opinion, a misnomer in as much as creditors very, very rarely come to the meeting. That is good news. It means that you will not have to worry about seeing a representative of the bank, or hospital, or credit card company. The primary purpose of the meeting is so that the attorney serving as a Trustee in the bankruptcy case can verify under oath and by reviewing documents who you are and also to ask you questions about the bankruptcy petition that you filed. The Trustee will ask you if you read the Petition and signed it. He will ask you if you read and understood the bankruptcy information sheet provided by the Office of the Trustee. He might then ask you specific questions about your Petition such as "How did you determine the value of your home?" The meeting does allow creditors to attend. Out of all of the filings that I have done, I have had a creditor attend one time. In that case, it was because the debtor was surrendering a tractor-trailer and the creditor wanted to know where the truck was located. Most 341 meetings last ten minutes or less, and if you have been honest in your Petition and the Petition was prepared by a competent attorney, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. When you are ready to file for bankruptcy, you can count on us. Call our bankruptcy attorneys if you live in Williamsport, PA 17701 or the surrounding areas. We offer appointments in person and by telephone. If you are in trouble, pick up the phone. Come see us. We do not charge for an initial bankruptcy appointment. Leave our office armed with powerful information about your true choices. (570) 309-6690. In addition to family law, personal injury and car accident cases, our lawyers file bankruptcy for people in Williamsport, PA 17701, 17702 and for people in McKean County, Tioga County, and Potter County 16915 (814) 274-8612.

It is important that we do not face the perilous seas of life alone.  Yet, many of us are lone because we have been hurt by others or do not know how to be trusting.  The cornerstone of any relationship is trust.  As an attorney with bankruptcy and family law practice in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, it is sad to see that so many people are unable to communicate with others and the breakdown of trust that occurs in important relationships. So many of life's nasty disputes could be resolved if only others were trustworthy or if we ourselves could learn to be trusting.

I associate the word trust most with the words: love, respect, comfort, and safety.  Having trust means that you have someone with whom feel safe physically and emotionally. Trust is the basis around which all human relationships are built. Without trust there can be no relationship. Trust leads to connection with others.  It allows you to be available to other people and it allows you to be available to them.  In a way, trust is loyalty. Trust involves respect for a person, their abilities, and acceptance of their faults along with their strengths.  Trust allows us to forge relationships and to accomplish things that we cannot do by ourselves. 

There is power in trust and in unity and connection with others that you simply cannot find outside of a trusting relationship.  One of the reasons that our law firm is so successful is that we have all learned to work as a team, trust each other, and build on each other's strengths.

Let me encourage you to find people that you can trust to counsel you, to console you, and to be there for you.  You can do that, in part, by listening to others before you seek to be heard yourself, by making yourself available to others, by being loyal, and by yourself being trustworthy.  

If you find yourself in need of someone to talk to about a legal problem, you can trust our staff and attorneys.  We understand trust and loyalty and practice it every day with our clients and between our attorneys and staff.  We want to hear and to understand your problems, and our Coudersport, Potter County lawyers have the experience to help with Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and many other legal problems, which include, debt solutions, medical bills, credit card debt, debt defense, car accidents and personal injury, adoptions, family law, and violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

You can count on us.  Call our attorneys if you live in Coudersport, PA 16915 or Smethport or McKean County.  We offer appointments in person and by telephone.   

If you are in trouble, pick up the phone.   Come see us.  We do not charge for an initial bankruptcy or personal injury appointment.  Leave our office armed withpowerful information about your true choices.  In Lycoming and Tioga Counties call (570) 309-6690. 

If you live in Potter or McKean Counties, please call (814) 274-8612.

 

A friend of mine wrote about her strengths recently and lamented that sometimes they become a problem.  My Dad used to say that your biggest strength is your greatest weakness.  It took me a while to understand, but I now recognize the wisdom in what he said.

We all have gifts - unique gifts to share with the world.  Some people are great communicators.  Some people have energy and can get things done.  Some people are visionaries that have world transforming ideas.  Some people have the gift of empathy and are great listeners.  Some people are strong.

But regardless of the gift, for most of us, our strength is often our greatest weakness if we do not learn how to expand ourselves beyond our strengths or how to control the use of our gift.   Here are some example of what I am talking about:

If you like to control everything, learn to delegate and trust others.

If you listen well but don't talk much - try expressing yourself.

If you are a visionary, couple your vision with concrete plans.  Learn to not only see the future but to bring it to pass.

If you are a great organizer, you're too inflexible.  Learn to relax.  You don't have to control everything.

If you are a great talker, remember to listen.  You'll learn a lot.

Take your gifts.  Give them to the world, but remember to expand and change.  You can do more than you think if you develop beyond your natural strength, learn balance, and learn to see the gifts in others.

Our lawyers love the opportunity to tell you to leave your problems with us.

_________________________________________________________________________

If you are in trouble, pick up the phone.   Come see us.  We do not charge for an initial bankruptcy appointment.  Leave our office armed with
powerful information about your true choices.  (570) 309-6690. 

In addition to family law, personal injury and car accident cases, our lawyers file bankruptcy for people in Williamsport, PA 17701, 17702 and
for people in McKean County, Tioga County, and Potter County 16915  (814) 274-8612. 

As I sit here, it is one day past the Fall Back time of year when we all set our clocks back an hour, and it seemed like a good opportunity to talk about the time benefits of a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.  In today's post, we will talk about gaining time in order to sell your home.  In a future post, we will talk about gaining time to pay off arrears on your mortgage.

So here's the scenario.  You are behind on your mortgage.  You have significant equity in your home that will be lost if the bank forecloses, which will leave you will little or nothing.  You have talked to the bank, but they will not give you the time required to sell your home.  It looks like game over.  Do not pass go.  Do not collect $200.00.  You think the bank has all the power, and you will be out on the street.

Then you come to our office, and you learn that there is something that you can do.  Together, we can force the bank to stop foreclosing and give you time to sell the home.  Here's how it works.  Bankruptcy is kinda like a life hack under the right circumstances.  No time.  No problem.  Bankruptcy includes an automatic stay on collection activity.  That means that a federal judge will order the bank that they may not take any steps to collect its debt when you file for bankruptcy.  The automatic stay remains in place until dissolved by the Judge.  

In this fact pattern, we would file a chapter 13 bankruptcy, which stops the threatened foreclosure.  Then we would likely propose a plan under which you pay off the mortgage arrears through the sale of the home.  The bankruptcy will stop the foreclosure and likely give you enough time to find a buyer for the property.  Problem solved.

Our lawyers love the opportunity to tell you to leave your problems with us.

If you are in trouble, pick up the phone.   Come see us.  We do not charge for an initial bankruptcy appointment.  Leave our office armed with powerful information about your true choices. Wellsboro and Tioga County (570) 309-6690.  Bradford, Coudersport, Smethport (814) 274-8612

In addition to family law, personal injury and car accident cases, our lawyers file bankruptcy for people in Williamsport, PA 17701, 17702 and for people in McKean County, Wellsboro, zip code 16901 Tioga County, and Potter County.