How Much Home Equity Is Too Much?…

Introduction by Gerard Forgét, III, JD, MBA, LLM(TAXATION), Omaha, NE

Homestead exemptions are tantamount to any Chapter 13 filing. Several bankruptcy attorneys have stated that the primary reason for a debtor filing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy is to retain possession of their home. Depending on the state in which they file, the applicable homestead exemption will apply. In some states, the federal exemption may be elected; as an alternative to the state.

BAPCPA introduced additional limitations on debtors exempting their residences utilizing the particular state homestead exemption. These limitations examine pre-petition homestead acquisitions (n.b. “look-back . . .

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From the Editor – Discharge

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By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Hardship discharge denied. Section 1328(b)’s requirements for hardship discharge are conjunctive and failure to satisfy any one of three conditions results in denial. Reviewing judicial decisions on requirements of the statute, the court considered “the extent of a debtor’s accountability and degree of control; the substantiality and foreseeability of the changed circumstances at...

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Merideth Akers

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Rebecca Rogers Garcia

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