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Credit Counseling Introduction

2005 Bankruptcy Act Credit Counseling.

The 2005 Bankruptcy Act requires all individual debtors who file bankruptcy on or after October 17, 2005, to undergo credit counseling within six months before filing for bankruptcy relief and to complete a financial management instructional course after filing bankruptcy.

2005 Bankruptcy Act Means Test.

Under the 2005 Bankruptcy Act your income and expenses will be analyzed to determine if you qualify to file a Chapter 7 or if you must file Chapter 13. To apply the means test, the courts will look at your average income for the 6 months prior to filing and compare it to the median income for florida. if the income is below the median, then you may choose chapter 7. if your income exceeds the median, the remaining parts of the means test will be applied to determine if you can file chapter 7 or if you must file chapter 13. (see florida means test)

One of the primary purposes of bankruptcy is to discharge certain debts to give an honest individual debtor a "fresh start." The debtor has no liability for discharged debts. In a chapter 7 case, however, a discharge is only available to individual debtors, not to partnerships or corporations. 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(1). Although an individual chapter 7 case usually results in a discharge of debts, the right to a discharge is not absolute, and some types of debts are not discharged. Moreover, a bankruptcy discharge does not extinguish a lien on property.

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How Chapter 7 Works

A chapter 7 bankruptcy case does not involve the filing of a plan of repayment as in chapter 13. Instead, the bankruptcy trustee gathers and sells the debtor's nonexempt assets and uses the proceeds of such assets to pay holders of claims (creditors) in accordance with the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. Part of the debtor's property may be subject to liens and mortgages that pledge the property to other creditors. In addition, the Bankruptcy Code will allow the debtor to keep certain "exempt" property; but a trustee will liquidate the debtor's remaining assets. Accordingly, potential debtors should realize that the filing of a petition under chapter 7 may result in the loss of property.

To qualify for relief under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, the debtor may be an individual, a partnership, or a corporation or other business entity. 11 U.S.C. §§ 101(41), 109(b). Subject to the means test described above for individual debtors, relief is available under chapter 7 irrespective of the amount of the debtor's debts or whether the debtor is solvent or insolvent. An individual cannot file under chapter 7 or any other chapter, however, if during the preceding 180 days a prior bankruptcy petition was dismissed due to the debtor's willful failure to appear before the court or comply with orders of the court, or the debtor voluntarily dismissed the previous case after creditors sought relief from the bankruptcy court to recover property upon which they hold liens. 11 U.S.C. §§ 109(g), 362(d) and (e). In addition, no individual may be a debtor under chapter 7 or any chapter of the Bankruptcy Code unless he or she has, within 180 days before filing, received credit counseling from an approved credit counseling agency either in an individual or group briefing. 11 U.S.C. §§ 109, 111. There are exceptions in emergency situations or where the U.S. trustee (or bankruptcy administrator) has determined that there are insufficient approved agencies to provide the required counseling. If a debt management plan is developed during required credit counseling, it must be filed with the court.

A chapter 7 case begins with the debtor filing a petition with the bankruptcy court serving the area where the individual lives or where the business debtor is organized or has its principal place of business or principal assets. (3) In addition to the petition, the debtor must also file with the court: (1) schedules of assets and liabilities; (2) a schedule of current income and expenditures; (3) a statement of financial affairs; and (4) a schedule of executory contracts and unexpired leases. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b). Debtors must also provide the assigned case trustee with a copy of the tax return or transcripts for the most recent tax year as well as tax returns filed during the case (including tax returns for prior years that had not been filed when the case began). 11 U.S.C. § 521. Individual debtors with primarily consumer debts have additional document filing requirements. If the debtor's income is less than 150% of the poverty level (as defined in the Bankruptcy Code), and the debtor is unable to pay the chapter 7 fees even in installments, the court may waive the requirement that the fees be paid. 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f).

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Chapter13 – Repayment Plan

Under a chapter 13 bankruptcy, a debtor proposes a 3-5 year repayment plan to the creditors offering to pay off all or part of the debts from the debtor’s future income. You can use Chapter 13 to prevent a house foreclosure; make up missed car or mortgage payments; pay back taxes; stop interest from accruing on your tax debt (local, Florida state, or federal); keep valuable non-exempt property (see Florida exemptions); and more. If you can stick to the terms of your repayment agreement, all your remaining dischargeable debt will be released at the end of the plan (typically three to five years). The amount to be repaid is determined by several factors including the debtor’s disposable income as is usually determined as part of the Florida Means Test. In addition, the total amount paid to creditors under the Chapter 13 plan must also be at least as much as creditors would have received if the debtor filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. To file Chapter 13 bankruptcy you must have a “regular source of income” and have some disposable income to apply towards your Chapter 13 payment plan.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is generally used by debtors who want to keep secured assets, such as a home or car, when they have more equity in the secured assets than they can protect with their Florida bankruptcy exemptions. Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a reorganization whereas Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a liquidation.

A chapter 13 bankruptcy allows them to make up their overdue payments over time and to reinstate the original agreement. Where a debtor has valuable nonexempt property and wants to keep it, a chapter 13 may be a better option. However, for the vast majority of individuals who simply want to eliminate their heavy debt burden without paying any of it back, Chapter 7 provides the most attractive choice.

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Mortgage Modification Mediation Program

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida issued Administrative Order 14-03 “Adoption of Mortgage Modification Mediation Program and Status of Loss Mitigation Mediation Program Adopted Under AO 13-01” was entered on July 24, 2014. This Order implements the Mortgage Modification Mediation Program (MMM Program) which will replace the Loss Mitigation Mediation Program. MMM will be available to individual debtors with cases filed under any chapter on or after August 1, 2014

This MMM program is:

"designed to function as a forum for individual debtors to explore mortgage modification options with their lenders for real property in which the debtors have an interest or are obligated on the promissory note or mortgage. The goal of MMM is to facilitate communication and exchange of information in a confidential setting and encourage the parties to finalize a feasible and beneficial agreement with the assistance and supervision of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. Mortgage Modification Mediation options include modification of a mortgage or surrender of real property owned by an individual debtor(s)."

Mortgage Modification Mediation Program Procedures [Effective July 9, 2015]

Administrative Order 15-01 - Amendments to MMM procedures and MMM forms

Required MMM Plan Language

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