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Debts Sold or Assigned to Collection Agencies

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What happens if you list a creditor in your bankruptcy case but, unknown to you, it sold the debt to a collection agency that you don’t list? 

 

Our blog post two weeks ago was about needing to list all your debts in a bankruptcy case in order to write them off. This is part of a series of blog posts about debts that may not get discharged (written off) in bankruptcy. The law says that bankruptcy does not discharge debts that are “neither listed nor scheduled” in the bankruptcy documents. Section 523(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code.

Special Scenarios

This raises some practical questions, including the following:

  1. Is a debt covered if you don’t list it but the creditor still learns about your bankruptcy case?
  2. What happens if you list the creditor but it had previously sold the debt to a collection agency?
  3. What do you do if you don’t know all of your debts because you’ve moved or lost track of them for some other reason?

We addressed the first of these last week, and discuss the second one today.

Debts Listed but Sold to Collection Agency

So you list the creditor on your bankruptcy schedules but after filing learn it sold the debt to another entity. Let’s assume you know the name and address of the new creditor or collection agency.

Debts Sold Before Your Bankruptcy Filing

Let’s start with the situation that the debt was sold to the new entity before you filed the bankruptcy case. You only find out about it after your filing. You either receive a new notice about it or dig up an older one you hadn’t found earlier.  What should you do?

There’s a decent chance that when the creditor you listed gets the bankruptcy notice it will forward it to the new owner of the debt. That would seem to be the sensible and business-like thing for it to do. Then the new owner would learn about your case even without being listed on your bankruptcy schedules. It would be covered by your bankruptcy case and the debt would likely get discharged. (See our last blog post about the creditor’s “actual knowledge” exception.)

Three Problems

There are three problems with this.

First, the listed creditor may simply not bother to pass on your bankruptcy notice to the new debt holder. The creditor no longer has any interest in the debt. It doesn’t owe you any favors. Why shouldn’t it just throw away the bankruptcy notice, and not inform the new debt holder? Then this new debt holder—the creditor you actually owe—may well never find out about your bankruptcy. You could easily continue owing the debt. It’s not safe to rely on the listed creditor to tell the new debt holder. It’s way too risky.

Second, even if the listed creditor does pass on the bankruptcy notice the new debt holder may not receive it. Or that debt holder may simply say it never received it. Good luck getting proof that it did. Collection agencies sometimes attempt to collect debts (purposely or inadvertently) that a bankruptcy has legally discharged. Without proof that the collection agency received notice of your bankruptcy filing you may still owe the debt. At the very least you’d have a much harder time getting them to stop trying to collect on the debt.

Third, even if the new debt holder does receive notice about your bankruptcy filing, it may not happen fast enough. You have no control when your listed creditor would get around to passing on information about your filing. There would be some delay between the time the creditor receives the bankruptcy notice and when it forwards it. In some situations the timing when the new debt holder receives the bankruptcy information is crucial. See our last blog post for a discussion about this timing issue.

Formally Adding Creditors to Your Schedules After Filing

So instead of relying on your listed creditor to inform the new debt holder it’s better to take the initiative.

First, you can formally add the new debt holder to your bankruptcy schedules, after your original filing. Your lawyer does this through an “amended schedule.” This is generally the safest option. Here’s one local bankruptcy court’s information about this procedure.

You do have to pay a modest additional filing fee (currently $31—see item #4 in the court fee schedule).  Plus your lawyer might charge you for the extra service (although not necessarily).  

Another option may be to contact the debt holder—either yourself or your lawyer—without using an “amended schedule.” This contact may fulfil the requirements of the “actual knowledge” exception. What’s critical is to have appropriate evidence of this contact in case you need proof of it later. There may be timing considerations. Also, you may be required to use an “amended schedule” based on local bankruptcy rules.

 Don’t decide this on your own. Talk with your bankruptcy lawyer for advice about resolving the situation the safest and most cost-effective way.

Debts Sold After Your Bankruptcy Filing

Creditors should not sell or assign your debt after they get notice of your bankruptcy case. At least they shouldn’t without informing the new debt holder about your bankruptcy case.

But sometimes they do sell the debt after getting notice about your bankruptcy case, whether intentionally or out of carelessness. Then the discussion above applies. If your bankruptcy case is still active, your lawyer should probably file an “amended schedule” adding the new debt holder.

The creditor’s sale or assignment of the debt can also occur between the time you file bankruptcy and the time the creditor receives notice of it. It may sell or assign the debt after you file bankruptcy but before it knows about your filing.

Again, the discussion above applies. You could hope that when this creditor gets notice of your bankruptcy filing it will inform the new debt owner. There’s a decent chance that it would do so, since the sale had just happened. Its file on you may still be open or would have just been closed a short time earlier. But again, your listed creditor may still not bother to inform the new debt holder. So, talk with your bankruptcy lawyer as soon as you find out about new debt holder. Remember that timing can be extremely important. In most situations filing an “amended schedule to add the new debt holder is the appropriate solution.

 

Creditor Not Listed But Knows about Your Case

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Usually if you don’t list a debt, it doesn’t get discharged.  An exception is if the creditor still learns about your case, on time. 

 

Last week’s blog post was about the importance of listing all debts in a bankruptcy case to write them off. Debts “neither listed nor scheduled” in the bankruptcy documents are not discharged (legally written off). Section 523(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code.

Special Scenarios

This rule raises a number of practical questions. Here are some common situations:

  1. You don’t list a debt but the creditor finds out about your bankruptcy some other way.
  2. Your debt has been sold or assigned to a collection agency without your knowledge
  3. You don’t have good records of your debts and you may not know some of their names and addresses.

Today we address the first of these.

Creditor Knows About Your Bankruptcy Case

If you don’t list a debt it’s still covered by your bankruptcy case if that creditor knows about the case. The Bankruptcy Code says a debt is not discharged “unless such creditor had notice or actual knowledge of the case.”  Section 523(a)(3)(A) and (B). 

This doesn’t mean that you can avoid listing a creditor on your debt schedules because you know it will find out about your case some other way.

First, what if the creditor doesn’t actually find out or claims that it didn’t? You could end up owing the debt. It’s much safer to list the debt in your bankruptcy documents.

Second, you are required to list all your debts. Bankruptcy is not just about you and that one creditor.  If you want the benefits of bankruptcy you must play by the rules, which include listing all your debts.

If you have any reason for not wanting to list a debt, talk with your bankruptcy lawyer. There is usually a workable solution to your concerns.

Must Know about Your Case “In Time”

There’s an important condition to this “notice or actual knowledge” exception. Your creditor needs to learn about your case in time to participate in it.

So what’s the deadline for your creditor to learn about your case if you don’t list its debt?

There are 3 possible different deadlines for 3 different kinds of cases.

1. Proof of Claim Deadline

First, some bankruptcy cases give creditors the opportunity to file a “proof of claim.” That’s a document a creditor files at bankruptcy court documenting what it believes you owe. In Chapter 13 “adjustment of debts” cases creditors file proofs of claim to receive any money through your payment plan. In “straight bankruptcy” Chapter 7 “asset” cases creditors file proofs of claim to possibly share in the liquidation of any non-exempt (unprotected) assets. In these cases the bankruptcy court mails out a formal notice giving a strict deadline to file proofs of claim. 

In these cases your unlisted creditor must learn about your case in time to be able to file a proof of claim. Section 523(a)(3)(A).

2.  Creditor Objection Deadline

Second, sometimes a creditor has grounds to object to the discharge of its debt on the basis of your fraud or similar bad action in the incurring of the debt. This can happen in either a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case.  In all cases the bankruptcy court mails creditors a notice of the strict deadline to file an objection. 

In these cases your creditor must learn about your case in time to be able to file such an objection. Section 523(a)(3)(B).

3. Possibly No Deadline

Third, in other bankruptcy cases neither of the two situations above applies. In fact that covers most Chapter 7 cases. Most have no assets to distribute because everything the debtor owns is exempt, or protected. The case is a “no asset” case. With nothing to distribute, the court does not ask creditors to file proofs of claim. So there’s no deadline to do so. Also, most creditors have no grounds based on fraud or similar bad actions to object to the discharge of its debt. So any deadline to file such an objection doesn’t apply. So what’s the deadline for an unlisted creditor to learn about your case so that its debt is discharged?

In some parts of the country there is essentially no deadline in these kinds of cases. If you find out at any time about a debt you didn’t list in a “no asset” Chapter 7 case, you or your lawyer may be able to simply inform the creditor and the debt is covered in your case. The debt is then included in the discharge of debts that you received in your case. That may be true even if your case is already completed.

But because the statute does not directly address this situation, your local court may interpret it differently. You might still owe the debt because you didn’t give the creditor notice about your bankruptcy. Again, talk with your bankruptcy lawyer as soon as you learn about a debt that you forgot to include for advice about your specific options.

 

Debts You Don’t List in Your Bankruptcy Case

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If you don’t list a debt in your bankruptcy case, and don’t add it in on time, it may not be written off.  So carefully include all debts. 

 

Supposed to List All Creditors 

You can’t pick and choose which debts to include in your bankruptcy case. The U.S. Bankruptcy Code says that the first duty of a bankruptcy debtor is to provide “a list of creditors.” Section 521(a)(1) of Bankruptcy Code. That list includes secured, priority, and unsecured debts, which you put on Schedules D, E and F, respectively. As these Official Forms state clearly, you must

  • “List All Secured Claims”
  • “List All of Your Priority Unsecured Claims”
  • “List All of Your Nonpriority Unsecured Claims”

In the Declarations page you declare “Under penalty of perjury” that the “schedules filed with this declaration… are true and correct.” That page includes the very stern warning that “Making a false statement … can result in fines up to $250,000, in imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both.”

Truthfully, that is an overly stern warning because penalties like that simply don’t happen in the consumer bankruptcy context. Not for not including a debt!

The point is that it’s a federal crime to intentionally lie on your bankruptcy documents. So you need to list all your debts. Talk with you bankruptcy lawyer if you believe you have a reason for not listing a debt. There’s usually a practical solution to your concerns.

Unlisted Debts Not Written Off

Today’s blog post is not so much about intentionally not listing a debt but doing so inadvertently. If somehow you don’t include a debt in your bankruptcy schedules you risk owing that debt after your case is over.

In the last 5 weeks we’ve covered the following categories of debts not written off in bankruptcy:

  • Criminal fines and restitution
  • Income taxes
  • Child and spousal support
  • Student loans
  • Damages arising from driving intoxicated

Debts “neither listed nor scheduled” in a debtor’s bankruptcy documents are another category of debts not written off. Section 523(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code.

If You Forgot a Debt

If you didn’t include a debt in the schedules filed by your bankruptcy lawyer, you can often add it later. But you may need to act quickly.

Figuring out your deadline to add a missing creditor is somewhat tricky. It depends on the nature of the debt and the nature of your case.

The Deadline(s) to Add a Debt

First, if the debt is of the kind that the creditor could object to the writing off of the debt based on certain bad actions by you (for example, lying about your financial situation to acquire the debt), then there is a short, strict deadline. You have to add the debt to the case in time for the creditor to have time to object.  The objection deadline is usually about 3 months after you file your case. So you’d have to add the debt a bit before that. Section 523(a)(3)(B) of the Bankruptcy Code.

Second, if your case gives the creditors the opportunity to get paid something through your bankruptcy case, you have a different deadline to add a debt. Most Chapter 7 “straight bankruptcy” cases don’t give most creditors the right to receive anything from the case. There are no assets to distribute to creditors (when all a debtor’s assets are “exempt,” or protected). If there ARE assets to distribute (because some asset(s) are not exempt), the bankruptcy clerk sends out a notice providing a deadline for creditors to ask for a share of the assets. Creditors do so by filing a “proof of claim” documenting their debt. So in this situation you have to add a debt a bit before that deadline. Section 523(a)(3)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code.

In Chapter 13 “adjustment of debts” cases usually the debtor pays some portion of most or debts. Within a couple of weeks after you file a Chapter 13 case the clerk sends out a notice giving creditors a deadline to file proofs of claim. You have to add a debt a bit before that deadline.

Other Scenarios

What if you may owe a debt but don’t know that you may? For example, someone thinks you’ve caused them some injury or damages but hasn’t told you yet.

Or what if you’ve lost track of a debt or debts because you’ve moved and lost your records? If the debt is not on your credit report, you may have no way to recall and list the debt. Can you write off this debt?

Also, does it matter if a creditor has somehow found out about your case even though you neglected to list the debt?

Finally, what if the debt has been sold from one debt collector to another without your knowledge? How can you list a debt in order to successfully write if off if you don’t know who you owe?

We’ll cover these other scenarios next week.

 

Bankruptcy Writes Off Vehicle Accident Claims, Unless Intoxicated

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Bankruptcy writes off claims against you from a vehicle accident for personal injuries and property damage, IF you weren’t intoxicated. 

 

Vehicle Accident Claims

If you had a vehicle accident, you could owe many kinds of debts from it.  You could be liable for any injured party’s current and future medical bills, loss of wages, pain and suffering, and other forms of damages. You could owe for property damage to vehicles and also to any building or traffic barriers or signs.

Your insurance may cover all of these obligations. Of course if you have no insurance, it’s all on you. More likely you have insurance but not enough. Especially if you have only the legal minimum coverage, a major accident and/or one with multiple vehicles could easily result in damages more than your insurance limits.  Then you’d be on the hook for everything insurance doesn’t cover. That could amount to tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.  

Bankruptcy would usually write off (“discharge”) whatever you’d owe.

Accident Claims of Unknown Amounts

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how much you’ll owe. Often you don’t until many months or sometimes even years after the accident. As long as you file bankruptcy after the accident, all claims from the accident are covered by your bankruptcy case.  

Bankruptcy law makes that clear.

Bankruptcy discharges most debts. The U.S. Bankruptcy Code defines a “debt” as a “liability on a claim.”  In other words, you have some legal obligation to somebody.

But that legal obligation does not need to be reduced to a fixed dollar amount. A “claim” is defined as a “right to payment, whether or not… liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed… 

“Unliquidated” means that the amount of the claim is unknown. For example, medical expenses are still accruing. “Contingent” means that the event that triggers whether or not you are liable has not yet happened. For example, a dispute about whether somebody else’s insurance covers the claim has not yet been resolved. “Disputed” means that a question remains whether the claim against you is legally valid. For example, the cause of the accident is still being litigated.

In all these non-fixed-debt situations, bankruptcy would still usually discharge any debts related to claims arising out of the accident.

The Intoxication Exception

However, bankruptcy does not write off accident claims if you were driving intoxicated.

Specifically, regular Chapter 7 bankruptcy “does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt… for death or personal injury caused by the debtor’s operation of a motor vehicle… if such operation was unlawful because the debtor was intoxicated from using alcohol, a drug, or another substance.” Section 523(a)(9) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

This applies just as much to Chapter 13 “adjustment of debts” because it incorporates the same language. Section 1328(a)(2) of Bankruptcy Code.

3 Practical Twists

1) Only Applies to Unlawful Operation

Notice that this exception only applies if your alleged intoxication made your “operation of a motor vehicle… unlawful.” So this raises some questions if you were arguably intoxicated but weren’t so charged. Your bankruptcy lawyer could argue your operation of your vehicle was not “unlawful.” So the resulting accident claims should be written off in bankruptcy.

On the other hand, there may be circumstances in which a person isn’t charged but was still intoxicated under the law. The accident may have happened in an isolated place and the police didn’t arrive until hours later. Even if you weren’t cited, the injured party could still try to bring evidence that you were driving unlawfully. For example, there could be convincing evidence based on how much you drank and when.

2) Property Damage

The Bankruptcy Code language that creates this exception to discharge refers only to debts “for death or personal injury.” This language does not cover property damage. So can you discharge property damage debts from an intoxicated accident?

Maybe. But there is another exception to discharge that does apply to property damages. Bankruptcy law excludes from discharge any debt “for willful and malicious injury by the debtor to another entity or to the property of another entity.” Section 523(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code.

But if you have an accident while intoxicated the injuries caused weren’t intentional. So they weren’t willful, right?

It may depend on your specific facts, and especially on how the bankruptcy courts interpret the law locally. Bankruptcy is federal law but on close questions could be applied differently in different regions of the country. If you have any debts from any accident make sure you have a particularly experienced bankruptcy lawyer representing you. He or she will advise you about the law in your bankruptcy court.

3) Boating and Flying Accidents

We’ve been discussing driving while intoxicated but the discharge exception also applies to intoxicated boating and flying.

Bankruptcy does not “discharge an individual debtor from any debt. .. for death or personal injury caused by the debtor’s operation of a… vessel, or aircraft… if such operation was unlawful because the debtor was intoxicated from using alcohol, a drug, or another substance.”

Boating and flying are covered by completely different laws, so what’s unlawful is completely different. In state boating laws the blood alcohol concentration amounts may be different, as well of the effect of the operator’s age. Under federal aviation law it is illegal to operate an aircraft:

  • “within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage”
  • with “an alcohol concentration of 0.04% or or greater in a blood or breath specimen”
  • “while using any drug that affects the person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety”

Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, Section 91.17

 

Bankruptcy Can Write Off a Student Loan, IF it Causes Undue Hardship

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Writing off student loans is not easy. You must convincingly show that paying the loan causes you undue hardship, a tough condition to prove. 

 

 

Criminal fines and restitution and child and spousal support are types of debts that bankruptcy essentially never discharges. Income taxes can be discharged but only after meeting certain conditions. We’ve covered these in our last few blog posts. Today we cover student loans.

Student loans are more like income taxes than criminal or support debts in that they CAN get discharged in bankruptcy. Like an income tax, a student loan just needs to meet certain conditions.

But unlike an income tax debt, the conditions for discharge of a student loan are much vaguer. Most of the income tax conditions are clear. These conditions require a precise understanding of the law and a thorough knowledge of the facts of your case. But if you and your bankruptcy lawyer are careful, you should know before you file your bankruptcy whether you can discharge a tax debt.

Discharging student loans, in contrast, require meeting an ambiguous condition called “undue hardship.” Its ambiguity means that it’s much harder to predict whether or not a student loan will be discharged in bankruptcy.

Furthermore, because of this vague condition it’s possible to get a partial discharge. You may continue to owe some but not all of a particular student loan debt. Or if you have multiple student loans you may discharge some but not all of them.

“Undue Hardship”

Bankruptcy law states that an educational loan or benefit overpayment is not discharged in bankruptcy unless it “would impose an undue hardship on [you or your] dependents.” Section 523(a)(8) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Can you show the bankruptcy court that paying a student loan causes you “undue hardship”? If so bankruptcy can forever discharge that debt.

A More Precise Meaning of “Undue Hardship”

How does your bankruptcy court decide whether or not a student loan causes you a hardship?  

How bad does a hardship need to be to qualify as an undue hardship?

In most parts of the country “undue hardship” requires you to establish all three of the following:

1. You currently cannot maintain even a minimal standard of living (for yourself and any dependents) if you pay the student loan.

2. This present financial situation is realistically anticipated to continue through the loan’s term of repayment.

3. You have acted responsibly in the past regarding the student loan, by making a serious effort to pay it and/or to attempt to qualify for any of the available programs to reduce or manage the loan.  

The Student Loan Survives Unless You Establish “Undue Hardship”

It can be difficult to meet all three of these. If you don’t, you continue to owe the student loan.

Furthermore, the student loan creditor does not have to take any action itself. You and your lawyer have to raise the issue yourself. It’s up to you to start the ball rolling.

Generally you do so by filing an “adversary proceeding” during your bankruptcy case. This is a legal proceeding focusing exclusively on whether you qualify for a “hardship discharge” of the student loan.

If you believe you qualify, you could file a Chapter 7 “straight bankruptcy” case. Then your lawyer would file an adversary proceeding during the 3-4 months a basic Chapter 7 case usually lasts.  The student loan creditor would most likely object. There would then be a trial with evidence on whether you meet the necessary factors to show undue hardship. There’s no jury—the bankruptcy judge decides.

You can do the same thing within a Chapter 13 “adjustment of debts.” Because this kind of bankruptcy usually lasts 3 to 5 years, it gives you more timing options. Chapter 13 would usually allow you to avoid making student loan payments at least temporarily. Then once you think you qualify for undue hardship your lawyer would file the adversary proceeding. This could be especially helpful if you have a deteriorating medical condition or an anticipated reduction in income.

Summary

Student loans are dischargeable in bankruptcy, but undue hardship is an ambiguous and often tough condition to prove. The law of undue hardship as interpreted by the courts is constantly adjusting, and can be slightly different in different bankruptcy courts. So it’s crucial to get highly competent legal advice about what’s best for you.

 

Bankruptcy Does Not Write Off Child or Spousal Support Debts

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Child support and spousal support debts cannot get written off in bankruptcy. But is your specific divorce debt legally considered support? 

 

We’re in a series of blog posts about special kinds of debt which bankruptcy may not discharge—write off.  So far we’ve covered criminal fines and restitution, and income taxes.

Child and spousal support are more like criminal debts than like income taxes. Bankruptcy simply does not discharge a criminal debt, as long as it really is a criminal, not civil, obligation.  Bankruptcy does discharge income tax debts that meet certain conditions. Bankruptcy simply does not discharge child and spousal support, IF it fits bankruptcy’s definition of support.

No Discharge of Support

Bankruptcy law is clear that neither Chapter 7 “straight bankruptcy” nor Chapter 13 “adjustment of debts” discharges support debts.

Section 523 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code lists the “Exceptions to discharge.” It includes that “A discharge under [Chapter 7] does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt—(5) for a domestic support obligation… “ Section 523(a)(5).

Chapter 13 says the same thing by incorporating this Chapter 7 exception to discharge in its own list of exceptions.  Section 1328(a)(2).

What’s Considered Support in Bankruptcy?

So if you owe a “domestic support obligation,” you’re not getting out of it through bankruptcy. But what does that phrase mean? What does it include and what might if not include?

The Bankruptcy Code’s definition of “domestic support obligation” is 221 words long, containing 10 clauses. Section 101(14) of the Bankruptcy Code.  It appears to be a broad definition, covering anything that would sensibly be considered child or spousal support. For example, the debt could be owed not just to your ex-spouse or your child, but also to a current spouse (through a separation agreement) or to the parent, legal guardian, or responsible relative of a child (based on a court order of support, even if not biologically your child). In other circumstances, to be considered support the debt does not necessarily need to be based on a court order. It can be based on a separation agreement or “a determination made in accordance with applicable nonbankruptcy law by a governmental unit.”

Yet there are some limitations. For example, support obligations are often assigned for collection to someone other than the ex-spouse or child. Usually it’s assigned to a state or county support enforcement agency—then it’s still considered support. However, a support obligation that was “assigned to a nongovernmental entity” for collection is no longer considered support in bankruptcy. That is, it isn’t “unless that obligation [was] assigned voluntarily by the spouse, former spouse, child of the debtor, or such child’s parent, legal guardian, or responsible relative for the purpose of collecting the debt.” Section 101(14)(D).

Obligations “In the Nature of” Child or Spousal Support

Sometimes a domestic relations court will call something support that really isn’t.  The bankruptcy court does not have to accept what your divorce court labeled as support.

The definition of a “domestic support obligation” (that is, support) includes the requirement that it really be “in the nature of alimony, maintenance, or support” on behalf of the pertinent person. Section 101(14)(B). If it’s not, the debt may be dischargeable.

“Support” That Might Be Dischargeable in Bankruptcy

For example, a debt that’s labeled as support might not really be “in the nature” of support if it’s actually a “property settlement” obligation that’s mislabeled as spousal or child support.

A property settlement obligation involves the resolution of a marital asset or debt. For example, you may owe money to your ex-spouse in return for receiving more than your share of marital assets. Or you may owe in return for your ex-spouse taking on what had been a joint debt. If a divorce judge requires you to pay “support” for what is really a property settlement, it may be discharged in bankruptcy.

The Difference This Can Make

Chapter 7 discharges neither support nor property settlement debts.  But Chapter 13 can discharge property settlement debts.

So if you have obligations called “support” but which are not “in the nature of support,” a Chapter 13 is worth looking into. Chapter 13 may especially be worthwhile if the debt at issue  is large.

Conclusion

If you owe a debt labeled as support by your divorce court, most of the time it will indeed be “in the nature of” support. But not always.

You can see that the interplay between divorce law and bankruptcy can get complicated. Talk with your bankruptcy lawyer about all of your divorce obligations to get all the relief you’re entitled to.

 

Bankruptcy Writes Off (Some) Income Taxes

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Bankruptcy permanently writes off income taxes, as long as the tax meets certain conditions. For some taxes the conditions are easy to meet. 

 

Bankruptcy DOES Write Off Income Taxes

There are certain very special debts that bankruptcy never writes off. Child and spousal support is a good example. See Sections 523(a)(5) and 101(14A) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Income taxes are different. Income taxes CAN be written off, as long as you meet a few conditions. These conditions mostly tie in to timing—when the tax was due and when (and whether) you filed its tax return.

The Two Timing Conditions

In most people meeting these conditions is straightforward. You essentially have to file your tax returns and wait long enough to comply with for the following two conditions:

  1. You submitted the pertinent tax return to the IRS/state and did so more than 2 years before filing your bankruptcy case. Section 523(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Bankruptcy Code.
  2. The legal due date for that tax return was more than 3 years before filing your bankruptcy case. Section 507(a)(8) of the Bankruptcy Code.

For example, assume you owe the IRS $5,000 for the 2014 tax year, and you submitted its tax return a full year late—in April 2016. It’s been more than 2 years since that so you meet the first condition. The legal due date for that tax return was in April 2015, which is more than 3 years ago. So you also meet the second condition. So in most situations bankruptcy would write off that 2014 income tax debt of $5,000.

A Few Important Twists about the Timing

Keep three practical considerations in mind about these two time periods:

  1. The 3-year period only starts to run when the tax return was “last due, including extensions.” Section 523(a)(1)(B)(ii). The 3 years only begins at the extended due date. It’s absolutely crucial that your bankruptcy lawyer gets the correct information from you about whether you got an extension that year.
  2. If you’re cutting it close (because you’re in a big hurry to file), the precise tax return due date can be crucial. Remember that taxes are not always due on April 15 and October 15 (for extensions). Weekends and holidays can push the due date out even several days. That means you may have to wait some extra days to file your bankruptcy case to be able to write off that tax debt.
  3. Careful about making a mistake about whether and when you actually submitted your tax return. It may be worth finding out directly from the IRS/state to avoid getting a rude surprise after filing your bankruptcy case.

Other Uncommon Conditions

There are two other conditions that might possibly apply, in more complicated situations.

  1. More than 240 days must pass from when the IRS/state assessed the income tax to when filing your bankruptcy case. Assessment usually happens within a few weeks after you get your tax returns in to the IRS/state. So usually this condition is easily met. It only tends to apply if assessment gets delayed with a tax audit, litigation in Tax Court, a tax appeal, offer in compromise, and other complications.
  2. Regardless of all these timing rules, you can never write off an income tax based on a fraudulent tax return or if you intentionally evade a tax. This is uncommon. It tends to only come up if you were significantly dishonest with the tax authorities.

Conclusion

In most situations you can write off the tax if you filed your pertinent tax return and both the 2-year and 3-year periods have passed. But the intersection between bankruptcy and income taxes is definitely complicated. Be sure to see a competent bankruptcy lawyer if you owe taxes so that you get the full benefit of the law.

 

Criminal Fines and Restitution Not Written Off in Bankruptcy

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Bankruptcy does not write off criminal fines or restitution. But it can help by writing off other debts so you can pay crucial expenses.

 

If you owe criminal fines, penalties, forfeiture, or restitution, bankruptcy does not help you directly with those debts. But bankruptcy can still provide you essential help in paying for essential expenses, including criminal related ones.

The Criminal Fines and Restitution Exception

Neither Chapter 7 “straight bankruptcy” nor Chapter 13 “adjustment of debts” writes off criminal fines, penalties, forfeiture, or restitution.

Under Chapter 7 any “fine, penalty, or forfeiture” owed to “a governmental unit” is excluded from discharge (bankruptcy write-off). Section 523(a)(7) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

(The only exceptions are if the debt is “compensation for actual pecuniary loss” or certain tax penalties. These are narrow exceptions that are beyond what this blog post covers.)

Criminal restitution is also not written off in Chapter 7. Excluded are debts “for any payment of an order of restitution issued under title 18, United States Code.” Title 18 is the main criminal code for the federal government. Courts have extended this to include state criminal restitution as well.

Chapter 13 excludes from write off “any debt… for restitution, or a criminal fine, included in a sentence on the debtor’s conviction of a crime.”  Section 1328(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code.  (In the past Chapter 13 did allow some criminal debts to be written off. But about 25 years ago Congress changed the law.)

Bankruptcy May Still Provide Crucial Help

Even if filing bankruptcy would not write off your criminal debt(s), doing so may still be very worthwhile. Bankruptcy may in fact be an indispensable tool for dealing with your situation. If you’ve been criminally charged, here are two ways filing bankruptcy could significantly help.

1) Write Off Your Other Debts

If you’ve been charged with a serious crime you need to intensely focus your financial resources to deal with it. You need to fixate on how to pay for your defense—for an experienced criminal attorney and other related costs. If you’re like most people, you’ll need to consider whether to stop paying many or even all of your debts.

Often the best way to eliminate or greatly reduce your debt payments is by filing bankruptcy. Doing so allows you to immediately stop paying many or most of your debts.

If your criminal case has already finished, bankruptcy can also be extremely effective. You presumably have financial obligations to the criminal justice system that you absolutely must pay. These obligations may include criminal fines, restitution payments, probation or supervision fees, treatment costs, community service fees, and/or drug and electronic monitoring charges. If you don’t pay these the consequences can be catastrophic, including incarceration and other harsh penalties.  Writing off your other debts through bankruptcy can enable you to pay your court-required obligations.

2) Deal with Related Non-Criminal Liability

If the criminal allegations against you involve a victim, you may end up owing that person a debt. This debt would—unlike the criminal debts owed to the court—likely be civil damages that you may be able to write off in bankruptcy.

The truth is that there are other exceptions that may prevent you from writing off even civil damages. However, your filing of bankruptcy may persuade that person not to sue you. Or, if you’ve already been sued, it could lead to a better settlement for you.

That’s because:

  • You disclose the details of your financial distress in your bankruptcy documents, under oath. That may well quickly and convincingly show your adversary that pursuing you is not financially worthwhile.
  • Even if a civil claim against you might not be discharged in bankruptcy, it might be. You are putting up another hurdle for your adversary. He or she has to seriously consider whether it’s worth more money, time, and emotional effort to pursue you.
  • Filing bankruptcy can sometimes speed up the litigation process. Bankruptcy court litigation tends to be more streamlined and efficient than in state court, often much more so. Faster procedures lead to a quicker settlement or court decision. That saves you money, potentially a lot of money.
  • Almost always your adversary has to act very quickly to preserve the claim. If he or she fails to act, the civil claim will simply be written off.

 

Debts Not Written Off in Bankruptcy

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Most debts get written off—discharged—in bankruptcy. The only ones that aren’t are specifically listed in the Bankruptcy Code. 

 

Debts Covered by the Discharge

The basic rule is that all your debts get discharged in bankruptcy unless a particular debt fits a listed exception.

Focusing on Chapter 7 “straight bankruptcy,” you will likely receive an Order of Discharge within about 4 months of filing the case. The heart of this court order simply states that “A discharge…  is granted to [the debtor].”

So what are the listed exceptions—what debts are NOT discharged through the Order of Discharge?

Exceptions to Discharge

 Section 523 of the Bankruptcy Code covers “Exceptions to discharge.” There are two categories of exceptions:

1) debts which will still be discharged unless the creditor objects and prevails in that objection, and

2) debts which do not require objection by a creditor.

1) Debts Requiring Successful Creditor Objection

In this first category, “the debtor shall be discharged for [the] debt of a kind specified” “unless, on request of the creditor… , the [bankruptcy] court determines such debt to be excepted from discharge… .” Section 523(c)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code.

In other words, these kinds of debts DO get discharged unless ALL of the following are true:

  • the debt is “of a kind specified”
  • the creditor  requests a court determination
  • the court determines in favor of the creditor that the debt should be “excepted from discharge”

There are 3 kinds of debts of this sort in which a creditor can ask for a court determination about discharge of the debt:

  1. Fraud Debts: incurred when a debtor makes a misrepresentation or commits fraud to get a loan or credit. Section 523(a)(2).
  2. Theft, Embezzlement, Fraud in a Trust Relationship: stealing from anyone, such as an employer or business partner, and especially from someone in a fiduciary relationship. 523(a)(4).
  3. Willful and Malicious Injury: intentionally and maliciously harming a person or business, and/or property. 523(a)(6).

Timely and Successful Objection

How does a creditor ask for a court determination that a debt falls within one of these 3 kinds? It files a formal “adversary proceeding”—a type of limited lawsuit—in the bankruptcy court. It has to file this within a strict deadline—usually within 60 days after a scheduled meeting of creditors. If the creditor received appropriate notice of the bankruptcy case but doesn’t object by this deadline, the debt is discharged forever.

And if a creditor does timely object, how does the bankruptcy court decide whether a debt should get discharged? Unlike most lawsuits on a debt, the court does NOT need to determine whether the debtor owes the debt. THAT’s generally assumed. Rather the question is whether the facts support the narrow grounds of fraud and such which make the debt not dischargeable. If the creditor cannot prove the necessary facts, the debt will still be discharged.

2) Debts Not Requiring Creditor Objection

The kinds of debts that are discharged unless a creditor objects generally involve some bad action by a debtor towards the creditor. The general idea is that if a creditor cares about being wronged it will raise an objection to the discharge.

But in a second category of not-discharged debts the creditors do not need to object. That’s because the kinds of debts in this category are not dischargeable simply because of the nature of the debt. There doesn’t need to be a court determination. It’s usually quite straightforward whether or not the debt belongs to these nondischargeable types of debt.

Here’s a list of debts that don’t get discharged even without creditor objection:

  1. Criminal fines, fees, and restitution
  2. Income taxes, and other forms of taxes, under certain conditions
  3. Child and spousal support
  4. Student loans that don’t cause an “undue hardship”
  5. Claims for bodily injury or death from driving while intoxicated
  6. Debts not listed in your bankruptcy schedules, under certain conditions

There ARE occasionally questions about whether the debt at issue fits the not-discharged definition. But it’s usually clear whether a debt is, for example, a criminal fine or child support. Our next 6 blog posts will go through each of these types, focusing on situations where there may be some ambiguity.

Note: Today’s blog post was about the discharge of debts in a Chapter 7 case. The debts discharged in a Chapter 13 case are slightly broader. We’ll address the difference in an upcoming blog post.  

Writing Off Debts with Bankruptcy

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Bankruptcy is about writing off or “discharging” debts. The timing of discharge is quite different in Chapter 7 and 13; both are permanent.  


The main goal of most consumer bankruptcy cases is to get a fresh financial start through writing off debts.  In bankruptcy the legal term for write-off is “discharge.”

In virtually all successful Chapter 7 “straight bankruptcy” and Chapter 13 “adjustment of debts” cases there will be a discharge of some or all of your debt.

In Chapter 7

People file Chapter 7 cases mostly to get a quick discharge of their debts. That is, the discharge of those debts that can be discharged, and that they want discharged.

Most debts qualify for discharge. We’ll dig into those that don’t next week.  In the meantime Section 523 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code covers “Exceptions to discharge.”

You may not want to discharge certain select debts that are secured by something you want to keep. Possible examples are your vehicle loan and home mortgage. You may want to formally “reaffirm” such debts—agree to continue to be liable in return for keeping the collateral. See Section 524(c) of the Bankruptcy Code. You definitely want to discuss thoroughly whether you should reaffirm any of your debts with your bankruptcy lawyer.

The big benefit of Chapter 7 is speed. Most cases finish within 4 months of filing, and do so with a court order discharging your debts. Rarely, the debtor has to give up some asset(s) to get the discharge. Here is an official Chapter 7 Order of Discharge that would come at the end of the case.

In Chapter 13

The road to discharge is much longer under Chapter 13. Plus most, though not all, cases require paying something to your creditors before discharge.

Whether and how much you pay depends on a bunch of circumstances. Chapter 13 involves proposing and getting bankruptcy court approval of an official plan of payments. That plan usually gives you 3 to 5 years to do what you need to do. Often that includes paying special debts such as “secured” and “priority” ones that handles for you much better than under Chapter 7. The “general unsecured” debts usually only get paid any money that’s left over. (See our last blog post for descriptions of these 3 main categories of debt.)

Only after your successful completion of this payment plan do you get a discharge of all or most of your remaining debts. Here is an official Chapter 13 Order of Discharge that would come at the end of the case.

What Is the Exact Legal Effect of the Discharge of Debts?

If you look at either the Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Order of Discharge linked to above you’ll notice in both the pertinent language is extremely short and sweet:

IT IS ORDERED: A discharge under [the pertinent section of the Bankruptcy Code] is granted to [the debtor].

The legal effect of this discharge is described in Section 524(a)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code as follows:

“A discharge… operates as an injunction against the commencement or continuation of an action, the employment of process, or an act, to collect, recover or offset any such debt as a personal liability of the debtor…  .”

What does this mean? There’s a short Explanation of Bankruptcy Discharge in the two Orders of Discharge linked to above, with both containing the following language:

Creditors cannot collect discharged debts

This order means that no one may make any attempt to collect a discharged debt from the debtors personally. For example, creditors cannot sue, garnish wages, assert a deficiency, or otherwise try to collect from the debtors personally on discharged debts. Creditors cannot contact the debtors by mail, phone, or otherwise in any attempt to collect the debt personally. Creditors who violate this order can be required to pay debtors damages and attorney’s fees.

The discharge court order is permanent, and the injunction that flows from it is permanent. Because of the penalties, most creditors are careful to comply. If you have any indication that any of your creditors is not complying, tell your bankruptcy lawyer.

 

Our next blog post will get into the special kinds of debts that may not get discharged.

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Attorney Robert Firth works with clients throughout the Coachella Valley and all courts throughout Riverside & San Bernardino Counties. We regularly work with clients in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Desert Hot Springs, Yucca Valley, El Centro and Imperial County.

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