In bankruptcy, Oregon and Washington debtors are required to list all their assets and give a corresponding estimated value of his or her property. This is an easy task when the asset has an easily fixed cash value, like a stock, owed wages, or cash money. Household and personal items, vehicles, and even real estate are often more challenging.

Last week I attended a meeting put on California's Eastern District Court.  This district includes the Central Valley from Bakersfield through Sacramento.

Most bankruptcy law firms in Oregon and Washington have their clients fill out some kind of questionnaire as part of the bankruptcy filing process. Our firm is no exception, though we are one of the few that offers its clients the ability to fill out their questionnaires online. The fact is that it is an almost unavoidable part of the process. We aren’t detectives and only you can tell us what your personal property. Many bankruptcy clients forget that they are required to list personal property that they are paying on.

Testimony in the historic Detroit bankruptcy trial began this morning with the city’s chief financial officer stating fiscal controls were “very, very poor” when he began last year.
John Hill Jr. was the first witness called on September 4. According to Hill, Detroit was unable to fully determine revenue flow for a myriad of reasons, but partly due to a failure to implement a “financial commuter system,” as said by ABC News.

Recently I noted on our Oregon bankruptcy blog that our firm has expanded our debt law practice areas  to include student loan law. As part of that process, I have just completed a thirty page guide on student loan law for Oregon and Washington debtors. I am obviously happy to send on a free copy of this guide to any of our prior, current or prospective bankruptcy clients. Please feel free to email me directly at [email protected] if you would like me to send one to you.

We meet people almost every day that have large student loan payments.　 Unfortunately, as we have discussed in the past, most student loans are not dischargeable.　 While the payments can be made through a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, they will not be discharged.　 While we try to assist our clients in any way possible, the bankruptcy code and case law somewhat limit us in this area.　 This can leave our clients unsure of how to proceed.　 A quick internet search of loan options will produce an overwhelming amount of information, and much of that information is contradictory to other sources.　 It