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Chapter 7 Bankruptcy -- Who Can File?

The bankruptcy "means test" and other Chapter 7 eligibility rules.

Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy can be a powerful tool for dealing with overwhelming debt. But it isn't available to everyone. There are several situations in which you won't be allowed to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

You Have Enough Income to Repay Your Debts

Under the old bankruptcy rules, the bankruptcy judge had the power to dismiss a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case if he or she thought the debtor had sufficient disposable income to fund a Chapter 13 repayment plan. There were no hard and fast rules dictating when a judge should dismiss a case on these grounds -- it depended on the facts of the case and the attitude of the judge.

Now that the new bankruptcy law has gone into effect, however, there are clear criteria that dictate who will be allowed to stay in Chapter 7 bankruptcy -- and who will be forced to use Chapter 13 bankruptcy if they want to file. Disabled veterans whose debts were incurred during active duty and people whose debts come primarily from the operation of a business get a fast pass to Chapter 7 bankruptcy. All others must meet the requirements set out below.

How High is Your Income?

Under the new rules, the first step in figuring out whether you can file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy is to measure your "current monthly income" against the median income for a family of your size in your state. Your "current monthly income" is your average income over the last six months before you file. If your income is less than or equal to the median, you can file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

If your income is more than the median, however, you must pass "the means test" -- another requirement of the new law -- in order to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Do You Have Enough Disposable Income to Repay Some Debts?

The purpose of the means test is to figure out whether you have enough disposable income, after subtracting certain allowed expenses and required debt payments, to repay at least a portion of your unsecured debts over a five-year repayment period.

You Previously Received a Bankruptcy Discharge

You cannot file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if you obtained a discharge of your debts in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case within the last eight years, or a Chapter 13 case within the last six years.

A Previous Bankruptcy Was Dismissed Within the Previous 180 Days

You cannot file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if a previous Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case was dismissed within the past 180 days because:

• you violated a court order

• the court ruled that your filing was fraudulent or constituted an abuse of the bankruptcy system, or

• you requested the dismissal after a creditor asked for relief from the automatic stay.

You Defrauded Your Creditors

A bankruptcy court may dismiss your case if it thinks you have tried to cheat your creditors or concealed assets so you can keep them for yourself.  Certain activities are red flags to the courts and trustees. If you have engaged in any of them during the past year, your bankruptcy case may be dismissed. These no-nos include:

• unloading assets to your friends or relatives to hide them from creditors or from the bankruptcy court

• running up debts for luxury items when you were clearly broke and had no way to pay them off

• concealing property or money from your spouse during a divorce proceeding, or

• lying about your income or debts on a credit application.

In addition, you must sign your bankruptcy papers under "penalty of perjury" swearing that everything in them is true. If you deliberately fail to disclose property, omit material information about your financial affairs, or use a false Social Security number (to hide your identity as a prior filer), and the court discovers your action, your case will be dismissed and you may be prosecuted for fraud.

The Bankruptcy Means Test: Is Your Income Low Enough for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

A means test calculator can determine whether you qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy -- try one online.

The "means test" is a formula designed to keep filers with higher incomes from filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Only bankruptcy filers with primarily consumer debts, not business debts, need to take the means test. High income filers who fail the means test may use Chapter 13 bankruptcy to repay a portion of their debts, but may not use Chapter 7 bankruptcy to wipe out their debts altogether.

However, having to take the Chapter 7 means test doesn't mean that you must be penniless in order to use Chapter 7 bankruptcy. You can earn significant monthly income and still qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if you have a lot of expenses, such as a high mortgage payment. This article shows you simple ways to determine whether you can pass the means test -- and, therefore, use Chapter 7 -- if you were to file for bankruptcy.

How Does the Chapter 7 Means Test Work?

The means test was designed to limit the use of Chapter 7 bankruptcy to those who truly can't pay their debts. It does this by deducting specific monthly expenses from your "current monthly income" (your average income over the six calendar months before you file for bankruptcy) to arrive at your monthly "disposable income." The higher your disposable income, the more likely you won’t be allowed to use Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

To take the means test, you must first determine whether your income is more or less than the median income in your state. If you earn more than the median, you must figure out whether you would have enough left over, after subtracting certain expenses, to repay some of your debt.

Is Your Income More Than the Median?

The first step is simple: If your current monthly income is less than the median income for a household of your size in for your state, you pass. Period. You're done. You do not need to complete the rest of the means test. You can file for Chapter 7.

Do You Have Enough Disposable Income to Repay Some Debts?

For those whose household income exceeds the state median, the means test computations get significantly more complex. You must determine whether you have enough income left over (called "disposable income"), after paying your "allowed" monthly expenses, to pay off at least a portion of your unsecured debts (such as credit card bills). If your disposable income adds up to more than a certain amount, you fail the means test and cannot file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Median income levels vary by state and household size, and each county and metropolitan region has different allowed amounts for categories of expenses: basic necessities, housing, and transportation. But don't worry: You can get through the math with the help of an online calculator.

Use a Chapter 7 Means Test Online Calculator

When Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Isn't the Right Choice

Chapter 7 bankruptcy may make you sacrifice property, yet not discharge all your debt.

If you are inclined to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, take a moment to decide whether it makes economic sense. You need to consider three questions:

• Are you judgment proof -- that is, are creditors legally barred from taking your property or income even if you don't file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy?

• Will Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge enough of your debts to make it worth your while?

• Will you have to give up property you really want to keep?

Are You Judgment Proof?

Most unsecured creditors are required to obtain a court judgment before they can start collection procedures, such as a wage garnishment or seizure of personal property. (Collections for taxes, child support, and student loans are exceptions to this general rule.)

If your debts are mainly of the type that require a judgment, the next question is whether you have any income or property that your creditors can seize if they go to the trouble of obtaining a judgment. For instance, if all of your income comes from Social Security (which can’t be taken by creditors), and all of your property is exempt, there is nothing your creditors can take from you to satisfy their judgment. That makes you "judgment proof." While you may still wish to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to get a fresh start, nothing bad will happen to you if you don’t file, no matter how much you owe.

Will Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Discharge Enough of Your Debts?

Certain categories of debts cannot be discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It doesn't make much sense to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if your primary goal is to eliminate these nondischargeable debts. The main nondischargeable debts are:

• back child support and alimony obligations

• student loans, unless repayment would cause you undue hardship

• income taxes less than three years past due

• recent debts for luxuries (more than $550 to any one creditor incurred within 90 days before you file for bankruptcy, and cash advances of more than $825 within 70 days before you file), and

• court judgments for injuries or death to someone arising from your intoxicated driving.

The bankruptcy judge may rule some types of debts as nondischargeable if the creditor objects to a discharge in the bankruptcy court. These debts include:

• debts incurred on the basis of fraud, such as lying on a credit application or writing a bad check

• debts from willful or malicious injury to another or another's property

• debts from larceny (theft), breach of trust, or embezzlement, or

• debts arising out of a marital settlement agreement or divorce decree that aren't otherwise automatically nondischargeable as support or alimony.

If the bulk of your indebtedness is from debts that creditors may object to being discharged, it may still make sense to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and hope your creditors don't object.

Codebtors will still be on the hook. If you want to discharge debts for which you have a codebtor (such as someone who cosigned a loan for you, or a business partner who is equally liable for the debt), bankruptcy won't wipe out the debt. If the debt is of a type that can be discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you will no longer be legally responsible for paying it, but your codebtor will.

How Much Property Will You Have to Give Up?

Whether or not you decide to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy may depend on what property of yours will be taken to pay your creditors ("nonexempt" property) and what property you get to keep ("exempt" property).

Certain kinds of property are exempt in almost every state, while others are almost never exempt. The following are items you can typically keep (exempt property):

• motor vehicles, up to a certain value

• reasonably necessary clothing (no mink coats)

• reasonably needed household furnishings and goods (the second TV may have to go)

• household appliances

• jewelry, up to a certain value

• personal effects

• life insurance (cash or loan value, or the proceeds of life insurance), up to a certain value

• pensions

• part of the equity in your home

• tools of your trade or profession, up to a certain value

• a portion of unpaid but earned wages, and

• public benefits (welfare, Social Security, unemployment compensation) accumulated in a bank account.

Items you must typically give up (nonexempt property) include:

• expensive musical instruments (unless you're a professional musician)

• stamp, coin, and other collections

• family heirlooms

• cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and other investments

• a second car or truck, and

• a second or vacation home.

Is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy More Than You Need?

When Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Is Better than Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Chapter 7 bankruptcy has some significant advantages over Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Most people who file for bankruptcy choose Chapter 7 bankruptcy because it's fast, effective, easy to file, and doesn't require payments over time.

Advantages of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

A typical Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is opened and closed within three to six months, and the person filing emerges debt-free except for a mortgage, car payments, and certain types of debts that survive bankruptcy, such as student loans, recent taxes, and unpaid child support.

Although you can lose property in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, most filers don't. Bankruptcy lets you keep most necessities -- if you have little to begin with, chances are good you'll be able to keep all or most of your property (unless you pledged the item as collateral for a loan).

However, not everyone is eligible to use Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If your income is sufficient to fund a Chapter 13 repayment plan, after subtracting what you'll spend on certain allowed expenses and monthly payments for child support, tax debts, secured debts (such as a mortgage or car loan), and a few other types of debts, you won't be allowed to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Drawbacks of Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Probably the main reason most people prefer Chapter 7 bankruptcy is that it doesn't require you to repay any portion of your debts, as Chapter 13 bankruptcy does. And if you use Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must complete the entire three- to five-year repayment plan in order to have your remaining debts discharged (unless the court lets you off the hook early, for hardship reasons). The majority of those who file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy don't complete their plans, so filers run a very real risk that their debts won't ultimately be discharged.

Despite this major potential drawback, there are some good reasons why people who are eligible for both types of bankruptcy choose to use Chapter 13.

What Happens to Your Car in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

by Attorney Stephen R. Elias

Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows you to keep or surrender your car or truck.

People often wonder how Chapter 7 bankruptcy will affect their ability to keep their car. If you aren't making payments on a car, then you'll be able to keep it if its value falls under your state's vehicle exemption amount. However, if you are making payments on your car, it's not so simple. During your bankruptcy, you'll need to decide whether you want to surrender the vehicle or keep it by continuing to make payments. You let the bankruptcy court know what you want to do by filing an official form called the Statement of Intention (SOI) with your other bankruptcy papers, as well as mailing a separate copy of the SOI to your vehicle lender. Similarly, if you are leasing your car, you can either reject the lease on your SOI or can keep the car by assuming the lease.

Walking Away From the Car

If you want to walk away from the car, you list the lender on your SOI and state that you intend to surrender the vehicle -- that is, turn it in to the lender. This will clear you of any further liability on the debt after your bankruptcy. If you are leasing your car, you can get out of the lease by rejecting the lease on your SOI.

Keeping a Car You're Still Paying For

If you want to keep a car you are making payments on, no matter what else is going on in your bankruptcy, you should continue to make your payments as scheduled. You do have a choice, however, on how to keep the car: You can either pay the lender a lump sum to purchase the car at its current value (called redemption ), or enter into a new contract (called a reaffirmation agreement), which lets you keep your car under much the same terms as your original car's promissory note (although this is negotiable).

Sometimes your lender will let you keep the car without entering into a reaffirmation agreement, by simply allowing you to continue to make the payments under the old agreement (this is called the ride-through option). If your lender has been accepting your payments, it's a sign that you may be able to retain the vehicle and continue making payments without entering into a new reaffirmation agreement.

Negotiating With the Lender to Keep the Car

To find out whether your lender will require a new contract, call them and ask for the bankruptcy or loss mitigation department. Explain that you intend to file for bankruptcy and ask whether you need to reaffirm the promissory note or can instead retain the car and continue making payments without reaffirming.

If the lender agrees to let you retain the car and pay according to the old agreement, the lender will still have a lien and can repossess the car if you default on your payments. But if the car is repossessed (or if you decide to give it back), you won't have to worry about still owing a deficiency on the car (the amount of the loan minus what the lender can sell the car for) -- that will be wiped out after your bankruptcy case is over. 

If the lender requires you to reaffirm the promissory note and you do reaffirm it, consider carefully whether you want to do this. The lender will have a right to repossess the car if you default on your payments and you will owe any deficiency that remains on your loan if that happens. If you want to reaffirm your loan, you'll take the following steps.

Negotiate the Reaffirmation Agreement

First, you'll state on your Statement of Intention that you intend to reaffirm the promissory note. Then, the lender will send you an agreement setting out the same or similar terms as your old agreement. At this point you should consider negotiating the terms more to your advantage. You do have some leverage here, because the lender knows that bankruptcy gives you the option of surrendering the car and canceling all liability. Lenders lose a lot of money on repossessions, so they have an incentive to cut you a better deal, such as reducing the principal of the loan to the car's current value. Don't be afraid to attempt to negotiate for this. All the lender can do is say "No." If the lender does say "No," you may want to consider surrendering the car at this point, and let the bankruptcy erase your liability for the remaining payments on the loan.

Have the Court Review the Reaffirmation Agreement

Once you and the lender have agreed on the terms of the reaffirmation agreement, you'll sign the agreement and file it with the court. At the "discharge hearing," near the end of your bankruptcy, the judge will decide whether the agreement should be enforced. After considering your income, the amount you owe on the car, and its value, the judge may decide that the reaffirmation will create an undue hardship for you or be against your best interests. If you still owe much more than the car's value, a judge might disallow the reaffirmation.

What Happens If the Judge Approves the Reaffirmation

If the judge approves the reaffirmation agreement, you will continue to be liable under its terms after your bankruptcy ends. For instance, if you have to give the car back due to a loss of income, at a time when you owe $25,000 under the agreement and your car is worth only $10,000, you'll be on the hook for the $15,000 deficiency. Remember that because you can't file another Chapter 7 bankruptcy for eight years, you could be back where you started before you filed for bankruptcy (another reason why a judge might not approve the reaffirmation in the first place).

What Happens If the Judge Disapproves the Reaffirmation