by John Skiba, Esq. | Jun 7, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Hiring a bankruptcy attorney will help you tremendously as you navigate the bankruptcy process. However, it is important to understand that there are many things you can do to help your bankruptcy lawyer that will make the process go much more smoothly. 1. ...
by John Skiba, Esq. | Jun 3, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
A big concern of a most people going through bankruptcy have is whether they are going to lose all of their property. It is a valid concern but generally not one you need to worry much about. All states have exemption laws that protect certain property from...
by John Skiba, Esq. | Jun 2, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Foreclosure
This past Monday new numbers on home values around the country were released that confirmed a “double dip” in housing prices, falling below the 2009 low. This is frustrating news for people in Arizona that have been holding on to their home, making the payment month...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 31, 2011 | Uncategorized
In the typical bankruptcy petition and schedules the person filing for bankruptcy will sign his or her name no less than eight times declaring that the information provided in the bankruptcy documents is true and accurate. The penalty for making a false statement or...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 27, 2011 | Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
I came across an article MSNBC’s website about the foreclosure mess that we are all currently living through that estimated there have been 5 million homes foreclosed on since this Great Recession started. Considering that the United States has a population of 311...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 26, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Despite the George Strait song, you can’t just “give it away” when it comes to bankruptcy. A common question I get in bankruptcy consultations is whether you can simply “give” away your assets to a family member or take your name off of the title to a vehicle or home...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 25, 2011 | Uncategorized
Few things are as unsettling as having a knock on the door and then finding yourself being served with a lawsuit by a process server. However, if debts go unpaid long enough, eventually many creditors will sue. Bankruptcy can eliminate the underlying debt, but it is...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 24, 2011 | Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
We all know that our car begins to depreciate the moment we drive it off the lot. If you have poor credit, the value of your car is not only going down, but you are likely saddled with a terrible loan. The worst car loan I have ever seen was on a Hummer, the loan...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 23, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
It is pretty common knowledge that bankruptcy is going to lower your credit score and make it more difficult to make purchases on credit. Because of this, many married people that I meet with ask if it is possible for only one spouse to file bankruptcy so that the...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 20, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Many of the bankruptcy clients I have been meeting with lately are experiencing some type of garnishment. Garnishment of wages or bank accounts is an indicator to me that you have been dealing with debt issues for some time. Contrary to what many believe, a creditor...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 19, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
People needing to file bankruptcy after retirement happens more often than one might think. Often one of the causes leading to the bankruptcy is not only the retired person’s financial situation but the financial difficulties of their grown children. It is natural...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 18, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Today in the Arizona Republic there is an interesting article by Catherine Reagor on the rental market in the Phoenix area. As more and more homes fall into foreclosure, or their owners simply decide that it doesn’t make financial sense to stay in a home, there has...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
Credit Unions – Good Cop/Bad Cop When times are good your credit union can seem like they are your best friend. However, if times get bad, the credit union may be your most unforgiving creditor. Credit unions have different rules to abide by as compared to banks,...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 16, 2011 | Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
It would seem logical that the only thing you would need in order to qualify for bankruptcy would be a lot of debt you can’t pay. However, there is more to it than that. In 2005 Congress revamped the bankruptcy code and put a few more hoops to jump through in...
by John Skiba, Esq. | May 14, 2011 | Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Foreclosure
Many of my bankruptcy clients are also dealing with a foreclosure. Here in Arizona foreclosure rates have been at record levels for some time and the home values continue to drop. If you are like most, the value of your home is considerably less than what you owe. ...
