|
What is bankruptcy? | You should not feel bad because you need to file bankruptcy | How might this affect my credit? | What are secured and unsecured creditors? | Can I keep my house? | If I have a second mortgage on my house, can I wipe it out in bankruptcy? | Can I keep my car or truck? | Does the bankruptcy court care how my debts came about or what I tried to do to handle them? | What about income tax refunds? | How the process works | What does bankruptcy cost? | Home Page Bankruptcy Attorney Lawyer
|
|
CAN I KEEP MY CAR OR TRUCK? The Arizona law allows each person to protect up to $5,000 equity in a vehicle. In the case of a husband and wife, they can lump together their exemptions to protect up to $10,000 equity in a vehicle. For physically disabled persons, the exemption is $10,000. I AM VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I STARTED THE BALL ROLLING TO GET THIS LAW CHANGED AS OF AUGUST 2001. THE LAW HAD BEEN ONLY A $1,500 EXEMPTION. Many people have vehicles on which they owe more than the vehicle is worth. For example, you owe $10,000,00 on a truck, and it is really only worth $6,000.00. You then have several choices: (1) You might be able to keep paying on the truck even though you are paying more for the truck than it is worth; (2) You can give back the truck, and wipe out the debt (in this example, $10,000.00). Whatever the creditor sells the truck for, that is what they get - you don't owe any more money!; (3) Sometimes a creditor might be willing to negotiate. If you owe $10,000.00 and the truck is only worth $6,000.00, then the creditor might get even less than that at a wholesale auction. In some cases, the creditor might be willing to reduce what you owe. Every case is different, and we can talk about it when you come in. |