What You Can Keep After Filing for Bankruptcy

 

Many people believe that they will lose everything they own if they file for bankruptcy. Not true. In fact, most people who file for bankruptcy do not lose anything they own at all.

How can that be?

Well, the secret lies in…

Exemptions.

Most consumers file for Chapter 7 (or “liquidation”) bankruptcy. In a Chapter 7, exemptions determine what property you get to keep. If your property is exempt, whether it is your home, your car, your pensions, furniture, your clothes, etc., you can keep it during and after the bankruptcy. Exemptions protect your property and put it beyond the reach of the bankruptcy trustee (“trustee”).

If the property is nonexempt, then the trustee is entitled to sell it to pay your unsecured creditors.

In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it is the exemptions that determine how much you will have to pay to nonpriority, unsecured creditors.

If you are considering bankruptcy in Oregon or Washington, it’s important for you to understand how exemptions work and to know what property is exempt in those states. We can help. We have offices in Tigard, Salem, Albany, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, Bend, and several other cities in Oregon. We also have offices in Vancouver and Tri-Cities in Washington.

A Little More About Exemptions.

Every state has its own set of bankruptcy exemptions and most states require that you use the state exemptions only. However, some states allow a debtor to choose whether to use state exemptions or federal bankruptcy exemptions. Like all states, Oregon has its own set of bankruptcy exemptions. But in Oregon, if you file for bankruptcy you can elect to use the federal bankruptcy exemptions instead of the Oregon state exemptions. In Washington, you can use either the federal exemptions or the state exemptions.

How Exemptions Work.

There is a lot to know about exemptions, but briefly, this is how it works: if you have property that is worth a certain dollar amount that is equal to or less than the exemption, you will be allowed to keep the property. If, on the other hand, the property’s value exceeds the exemption, it is highly likely that the trustee will sell that property and use it to pay your unsecured creditors. Why? Because the federal government assumes that honest debtors try to pay off their debts. So, if a debtor has excessive property, the federal government believes it should be sold to pay those debts. On the other hand, the bankruptcy laws are designed to give debtors a “fresh start” —– not to leave them destitute. As a result of these dual concepts, both state and federal bankruptcy laws provide debtors with property exemptions.  Generally, Chapter 7 exemptions are far lower, stricter and are less flexible than Chapter 13 exemptions.

 We Can Guide You Through It.

If you are considering bankruptcy and want to know what property exemptions you would be entitled to, contact us. We have offices throughout Oregon and in Washington, and we offer free consultations.

 

 

What is Bankruptcy Exemption Planning?

 

The main purposes of the bankruptcy laws are to:

  • Give an honest debtor a “fresh start” by relieving the debtor of most debts, and
  • Repay creditors in an orderly manner to the extent that the debtor has property available to do so.

One of the primary ways that the bankruptcy law attains its goal of providing debtors with a “fresh start,” is by providing debtors with certain “exemptions” that protect their property from creditors and put it beyond the reach of the bankruptcy trustee.

Bankruptcy exemption planning is the process of making deliberate choices concerning a debtor’s property before filing bankruptcy, to maximize the exemption protections provided by the bankruptcy law.

Warning: Bankruptcy Exemption Planning Can Be Dangerous.

Most people who file for bankruptcy do not lose anything they own because they often file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and everything they own is “exempt.” Or, if they have non-exempt property, they file a Chapter 13 and are able to use its “adjustment of debts” option to protect their “non-exempt” assets. But bankruptcy is not a “one size fits all” proposition, so this isn’t always the case. Sometimes a debtor may have assets that are not exempt, but cannot be protected well through a Chapter 13. That’s when exemption planning can be very beneficial.

That is not to say that exemption planning is simple. It isn’t. It consists of developing strategies for managing and positioning your assets before you file for bankruptcy so those assets are protected once you do file. Those strategies may better enable you to pay certain creditors that you want to pay, or need to pay, over others that you don’t. But there are risks associated with exemption planning. Because of the dangers associated with exemption planning, especially over-aggressive planning, bankruptcy exemption planning should always be undertaken with the assistance of experienced and informed bankruptcy counsel.

As noted above, one of the main tenants of bankruptcy law is that honest debtors should be allowed to discharge their debts, and the law provides exemptions to allow them to do so. On the other hand, bankruptcy is not meant to benefit dishonest debtors. Section 727(a)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code prohibits any debtor who attempts to defraud creditors by transfers of property, from being discharged. Clearly, then, there is a tension in the law with regard to how much you are allowed to sell or transfer before filing for bankruptcy. To properly engage in exemption planning, you will need the advice of an experienced and highly competent bankruptcy attorney to guide you as to the safest way to engage in asset protection and other strategies, and to inform you on which strategies are likely to be safe, and which are risky.

Don’t Go it Alone!

If you have assets that are not exempt but can’t be protected well through Chapter 13, or are simply considering filing bankruptcy, you may well benefit from pre-bankruptcy planning. If you are in Portland, Eugene, Coos Bay, Medford, or any other city in Oregon, we have an office near you, and we provide free initial case consultations. To schedule an appointment, give us a call or send us an email.