Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
bankruptcy
Jared Myers asked:


Chapter 11 bankruptcy has also been termed “Re-organization bankruptcy”. It’s the most familiar type of insolvency in the United States. It is typically used in large organizations or businesses dealing with financial crisis. But it is also utilized by partnerships, individuals and corporations.

Advantages

Remember, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is reorganization, not liquidation. In some situations, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a business to go on operating throughout bankruptcy proceedings. What this means is that under hard circumstances, you now have time to reorganize under the bankruptcy court’s supervision. This chapter has no limits on the amount of debt, where as Chapter 13 does.
How it works

Chapter 11 bankruptcy is commonly used by businesses as a way to restructure their debt without forfeiting their bussiness. To do this, the debtor files a petition which includes a list of assets and liabilities, and a detailed statement of financial affairs. And several of the bussiness’s assets are sold off to remunerate past due creditors. The debtor must then come up with a course of action and get it sanctioned by the creditors.

Notice: If the enterprise walks into the courthouse unprepared, then the results may be that the judge deeds over the business to the biggest people you owe.

Limitations & Drawbacks

Chapter 11 bankruptcy is easily the most high-priced corporate option in terms of legal costs and attorneys fees. Just to file a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy you must surrender a filing fee of $830.00–plus a quarterly administrative fee to the Court. It is not commonly used by individual consumers because it can be far more complicated and high-priced to pursue.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is almost certainly the most flexible of all the chapters, and at the same time the most difficult to generalize. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a time consuming and expensive chapter, therefore it is only appropriate for individuals whose circumstances make Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 inapplicable or inappropriate. Fewer than one percent of all bankruptcy filings are Chapter 11s.

Comparison with Chapters 13 & 7

Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a viable option when a business has sufficient prospects to continue operating. Businesses are commonly allowed to continue to operate while in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, though they must do so under the supervision of the bankruptcy court.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is unique, because the debtor will commonly operate as his or her own trustee. This concept is called a “debtor in possession”. Businesses that file Chapter 11 bankruptcy are commonly are allowed to operate under the supervision of the bankruptcy court. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy a business sells off all its assets and eventually ceases operation.

Other Options

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is not the only option available to a business - reorganization is permitted under Chapter 13, too. Often times, a sole proprietor may file for personal bankruptcy, which grants reorganization of the business without the cost of pursuing a Chapter 11.

Want more chapter 11 bankruptcy information? Visit our website.



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Bankruptcy Filing Review

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
bankruptcy file
Peter Gitundu asked:

A bankruptcy case begins with the creditor filing a petition in court after which the debtor is summoned. This petition should always be backed with a proof. In cases where one objects to the claims, he can move to court to seek a dismissal of the objection. This will require the creditor to produce proof that indeed his claims are true.

There are three modes of debt collection. The first is where the pledged property is seized and sold at an auction by the DCO. The second mode is where the unsecured property is seized and auctioned in a bid to pay the outstanding debt. This will only work if the debtor is not a registered commercial entity. The last mode deals with the registered commercial debtor.

In cases where the assets proceeds are not enough to cover the overall debt but can cover at least the cost of the case, then the officer in charge of the case publishes a bankruptcy suit in the Official Gazette of Commerce to ask for their proof of claims. This is followed by several court proceedings to approve the claims. Once the claims are validated, the assets are no longer contested. A meeting is held in which the liquidation method is determined. Liquidation in this case is through an auction held in the presence of the two parties and the DCO or direct sale of the assets.

Once the liquidation process is over, the proceeds are discharged to the creditors according to their ranks. In cases of bankruptcy cases against businesses, workers are given the first preference. In case some of the creditors still remain unpaid, they receive certificates to prove this but they cannot continue with the insolvency case against the debtor unless they confirm that he has acquired new assets.



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Bankruptcy Filing Fees And Charges

Sunday, June 7th, 2009
bankruptcy file
Peter Gitundu asked:


Bankruptcy gives you an opportunity for a fresh start financially, but it does not come so easily. This is because, you have to part with some money to make the process successful. To cater for the services that you will receive from the court, you will need to pay some specified fees through the court clerk.

If you decide to work with a lawyer during the process, remember that he too will need to be paid.  Most of the other charges you will have to cater for will depend on which type of petition you want to file.  The charges for each chapter of the law are very different from all the others. They are very specific to the circumstances leading to the insolvency.

Other fees that must be catered for are re-opening fees. These are not very commonly talked about because not many cases are closed only to be revisited later. So if you decide to terminate a case halfway through then decide later on to have it followed to completion, you should be ready to pay for this.

If your case falls under chapter 7, the reopening fees are $200. Those for chapter 13 are $150. For the chapter 7 charges, you have to pay up front immediately after reopening the case. As for the other chapter, you can choose to file for a petition asking to be allowed to complete paying for the fees in installments. This means that monthly installments for your debt settlement will include these charges.



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