Some of the Top Reasons to Avoid Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

by Mike on June 20, 2009

When you first read about the provisions of Chapter 13 bankruptcies, it seems like an attractive debt management choice. Nonetheless, one of the best reasons to stay away from Chapter 13 is that it sets out of reach goals for the debtor. To start with, you need to be familiar with what chapter 13 truley is.

While weighing the options that the various types of bankruptcies can present, know that debt counselors will propose Chapter 13 to anyone who owns any asset, such as a home. In addition, for a debtor with back taxes or assets that have a lower worth that what is owing against them, Chapter 13 will also be the path of choice. Usually, Chapter 13 allows the debtor to pay back a portion of the debt, instead of the debt in full, provided the debtor can demonstrate satisfactorily that he cannot pay back the full amount.

Chapter 13 allows debtors to keep an asset that does not come under exemption. In reply, you have to come up with an satisfactory debt repayment plan that aims to pay back loans by means of your income.

It is in force for a period of three to five years, during which you must make recurring payments for clearing the debt. Creditors must forfeit the outstanding amount once chapter 13 payment plan ends. Until chapter 13 is in force, your creditors cannot hike interest rates. Sounds too good to be true? It probably is.

One of the top reasons to avoid Chapter 13 is that debtors must meet particular eligibility requirements. This begins with having a stable income, which excludes people who might really benefit but who are at this time unemployed and having difficulty making ends meet. Often, people with this type of debt problem had arrived there as a result of the lack of income.

The irony is that most debtors with a steady income would have repaid the debt in full. More interesting is that the Chapter 13 means test requires that a debtor’s income exceed certain thresholds in order to be eligible for this option. Go figure.

Another one of the chief reasons to avoid Chapter 13 is that it requires adherence to the court’s approved plan. Although surrendering to such demands might seem like a small trade-off for the amount of debt that gets cleared, many debtors feel just as trapped as they would with a traditional budget.

Not only that, It is considered a public record, meaning that unlike a traditional do-it-yourself budget plan, anyone can look into the debtor’s financial affairs. In fact, the courts can even order changes if the debtor’s circumstances improve.

To clear the loan from your income you will need to forfeit any unexpected profits that come your way during the time chapter 13 is in force. Suppose you are gifted or willed a new car or make unexpected profits from a side business, the asset might be forfeited toward payment of your loan. Top reasons to avoid chapter 13 also includes the fact that your spouse may also be asked to provide detailed reports of their assets, income, and expenses, even if you don’t file for bankruptcy jointly.

Rather than filing Chapter 13, debtors with the means to repay their debt should consider creating their own repayment plan and sticking to it. This provides a level of privacy by keeping the bankruptcy out of the public domain and allows debtors to improve their credit in the meantime rather than ruin it.

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