Four Steps Creditors Must Take in Response to Bankruptcy

 Posted on April 11, 2020 in Bankruptcy

The number of people who have recently become jobless in the U.S. may cause an increase in people who default on their debts. Creditors have several methods of handling a defaulted debt, such as debt collection practices, modifying the debt agreement, or taking the debtor to court. A debtor may try to clear their debts by filing for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy can prevent unsecured creditors from collecting their remaining debt if the bankruptcy filer is allowed to discharge their debts. If your debtor has filed for bankruptcy, there are several steps you must take to have a chance at still receiving the money you are owed:

1. Honor the Automatic Stay for Now: A bankruptcy notice includes an automatic stay on all debt collection activity. You may have a reason to contest the stay or the bankruptcy, but your immediate reaction should be to stop communicating with the debtor or trying to repossess properties. You can be penalized for knowingly violating the automatic stay.
2. Promptly File Your Proof of Claim: In order to receive a portion of the bankruptcy assets, you must file a proof of claim that states what the debtor owes you. The bankruptcy notice should give a deadline by which you need to file your proof of claim. It is imperative that you do not miss that deadline.
3. Take a Closer Look at the Bankruptcy Case: You need to study the details in the bankruptcy claim before the first meeting of creditors. The debtor could be trying to abuse the bankruptcy process by underreporting their debt to you or hiding assets that could be used to repay creditors. You will have the chance to bring up any discrepancies to the bankruptcy trustee during the meeting.
4. Consider a Request to Lift the Automatic Stay: You can continue debt collection efforts during the bankruptcy by petitioning to lift the automatic stay, but the bankruptcy court is unlikely to grant your request if the debt does not involve a secured property. You can argue that you should be allowed to continue foreclosure on a home or repossession of a vehicle if the debtor does not have enough equity in the property to cover the remaining value of the loan.

Contact a Chicago Creditor’s Rights Lawyer

Whether you are repaid at the end of bankruptcy depends on the type of bankruptcy being filed and your priority as a creditor. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, secured creditors and priority unsecured creditors are paid before general unsecured creditors. In Chapter 13 bankruptcy, unsecured creditors have a better chance of receiving some money during the repayment plan. An Illinois creditor’s rights attorney at Dimand Walinski Law Offices, P.C., can explain what you are likely to receive from a bankruptcy case. To schedule a consultation, call 312-704-0771.

Source:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frbp/rule_3002