Bankrutpcy Information
Links to information
CHECKLIST OF DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO FILE BANKRUPTCY
o Contract for Bankruptcy Services
o 527 Disclosure Statements
o Credit Counseling Form. www.hbcce.org
o Driver’s license. If your Social Security number does not appear on your driver’s license, bring your Social Security card or another document on which your Social Security number appears.
o Recent credit report. If you do not have one, we will request one during your office visit. WWW.ANNUALCREDITREPORT.COM FOR ALL 3 REPORTS.
o Certificate of a certified credit counseling agency and a copy of the debt repayment plan, if one was developed.
o Evidence of residence for the past 2.5 years
ASSETS
Real Estate
o Deed for each piece of land, house, and/or business property
o All papers for all mortgages and/or land contracts
o Mobile home – purchase papers for each mobile home and all papers regarding each mobile home lot
o Property tax bills/duplicates for the previous calendar year
o Documents showing whether you claim a homestead exemption on your property taxes
o Homeowner’s Insurance policies, bills for the past year and declarations pages for each piece of property, house, and/or mobile home you own
o Appraisals done within the past year of any piece of property you own
o Repair bills from the last calendar year for each piece of property you own
o All records of any property transfers during the last two years
Rented real estate
o Rent statements for any piece of property you rent or lease, including an apartment
o Repair bills from the last calendar year for any piece of property you rent or lease, including an apartment, for which you paid the bill
o If you rent an apartment, a copy of any renter’s insurance policy, declaration pages, and premium bills for the last year
Vehicles
o Title to each vehicle (including RVs, boats, motorcycles and ATVs) you own or lease now
o Purchase contracts and loan documents for motor vehicles (including RVs, boats, motorcycles and ATVs) you have purchased within the last 3.5 years, regardless of whether you own the vehicle now
o Loan documents for each vehicle you own or lease now
o Odometer mileage for each vehicle you own or lease (see Vehicle Questionnaire)
o Insurance policy, insurance bills for the last year, and declarations pages for each vehicle you own or lease
o Repair bills from the last calendar year for each vehicle you own
o Any appraisals done within the past year of any piece of property you own
Other Insurance Policies
o Life insurance policies that you pay for yourself outside of work (non-employer policies)
o Current cash values of each of your life insurance policies
o Life insurance premium bills for the previous calendar year
o Statements from the previous calendar year of any medical savings plan
Debts Owed to You
o All documents showing that anyone currently owes you any money or goods on any loan you made of money, property or goods
o All documents indicating that you are a co-signer of any current loan
o All complaints, claims, or charges in which you are the plaintiff or complaining party
o Copies of statements from any prepaid college tuition trust accounts during the past six months; if you do not have a statement, we will order one for you during your office visit.
Income
o Copies of your tax returns from the past two years. If you do not have copies or cannot obtain a copy from your tax preparer, fill out an IRS transcript request form at our office. Note: You must timely file your 2005 tax return and give us a copy.
o Copies of your pay stubs and those of your spouse for the past six months
o Verification of any other income you have had for the past six months, including:
o Child support
o Unemployment compensation
o Disability payments
o Social Security
o Insurance proceeds
o Investments – includes statements regarding IRAs, pension funds, 401(k)s, brokerage accounts, stock accounts, or any other investment accounts owned by you or in which you have an interest
o Lawsuit settlements
o Interest from bank accounts
o Income from rental property you own
o Copies of the last six months of bank statements for any checking, savings or other bank accounts.
o A copy of your checkbook check register and your savings account passbook showing transactions from the last six months.
o Any documents indicating that you will receive either a pay increase or a pay decrease within the coming year
IMPORTANT: RETAIN ALL PAY STUBS, BANK STATEMENTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FROM THIS POINT ON!
DEBTS AND EXPENSES
o Legal papers involving a debt you owe, including lawsuits, garnishments, foreclosures, evictions, divorce papers, alimony orders, child support orders, etc.
o Statements showing your child support and/or alimony payments and any arrears during the last six months. Note: You must be up-to-date with your child support and/or alimony payments at the time of filing, and you must not fall into arrears at any point while your bankruptcy is active! If you fall into arrears, the court WILL dismiss your bankruptcy.
o Documents involving a past bankruptcy filing during the last eight years, whether it was a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13, but especially the Notice of Bankruptcy Filing and the Discharge notice.
o All credit card bills from the last six months
o All utility bills from the last six months
o All medical bills from the last six months, including dental, optical, psychological/psychiatric, counseling, and veterinary
o All bills and/or statements for any medical, dental, optical, or even veterinary insurance policy that you have purchased on your own, even if it is a Medicare supplement (ex: Kaiser Permanente, AARP)
o All statements, receipts and other papers from any check-cashing business from the past six months
o All documents showing charitable contributions during the past six months
o All documents showing business expenses that have not been reimbursed by your employer over the last six months
o All documents showing education expenses you have incurred for yourself and/or your children over the past six months, including college or private school tuition bills; receipts for books, equipment, and supplies; and costs for tutoring or educational enhancement, etc.
o All records of any secured transactions (involving collateral) made during the past three years
IMPORTANT: YOU MUST KEEP COPIES OF ALL LETTERS, BILLS AND CORRESPONDENCE YOU RECEIVE ABOUT THE DEBTS YOU OWE FROM NOW ON.
The following websites include information that may be helpful in understanding and applying the provisions of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.
Credit Counseling and Financial Mgmt Agencies