There is something about me..
Workers’ Compensation – Insurers Seek ...
Debt problems have a ‘severe impact’ on life...
Archive for July, 2011
Establishing Credit Following Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is not the end of your financial future, it’s the beginning! Many people are afraid that filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy will disqualify them from ever getting a mortgage. That fear is simply not based in fact. People a lot like you are astonished at just how quickly they are able to re-establish their good credit following a personal bankruptcy filing. Many Legal Helpers clients have commented that had they known a secure financial future was possible, they would not have struggled for years before pursuing their bankruptcy. Although bankruptcy filings remain on your credit report for ten years, most people will notice improvement of their credit scores in as little as a year after the completion of their case.
Why Rent-to-Own??
Why would anyone pay double or triple to rent appliances, furniture or electronics or pay triple-digit interest rates for these same items that they could purchase from a “big-box” store, on-line or even at the “mom-and-pop” store in their neighborhood?
Those are the questions posed by a Consumer Reports study that showed that many consumers are doing just that when they deal with a rent-to-own company instead of a traditional retailer.
In her financial column on www.washingtonpost.com, Michelle Singletary points out examples from the Consumer Reports study of the absurdity of going the rent-to-own way: “Would you buy a $600 computer knowing that it would cost you nearly $1,900 after less than a year’s worth of payments? How about
According to new statistics from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York, new bankruptcy filings have fallen 19% in June 2011 compared to the same month in 2010. Significantly, since the beginning of the year, bankruptcy cases in Western New York have sharply decreased from those of a year ago, against trends seen across the U.S.
By contrast, bankruptcy filings across the country for the first half of this year have declined only 8%, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute and reported by Jonathan D. Epstein on www.buffalonews.com.
The reason behind the national decline in bankruptcy cases seems to be the reaction of both individuals and businesses, which have reduced their spending to avoid or ease financial difficulties. Western New York has also noted the same decline in spending; however this area of the country has not been affected as greatly by the recent recession as other parts of the country.
A bankruptcy attorney from the area states that, “’Consumers are reducing their overall household debt, and they are not using credit.’”
Most of the area filings for both individuals and businesses were made under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Ban
Sometimes people can’t make their monthly payments on medical bills anymore, the next step is to begin to consider bankruptcy. Paying medical fees can be particularly difficult for families because these charges are always unpredictable.
Unfortunately, it is common that people cannot afford their medical bills, and they end up having to declare bankruptcy because of it. Sometimes unplanned visits to the emergency room can run more than $ 2,000, while surgery can cost $ 50,000 or more. The average family can’t pay it all back, especially if its members have no insurance.
Bankrupt firms have become necessary for families who need relief from fervent collectors. Around this area, the medical providers are fairly aggressive. Besides calling peoples homes, they have been known to sue to recover money owed to them. Read more…
You will be protected with offshore banking
We call private banks ‘private’, because they are world-known for secrecy. People need private offshore banks at Switzerland or Caymans to keep confidential account’s documents as an issue between the banker and his client.
How does the bank secrecy actualize in practice that is dual. Firstly, most offshore banks that are supposed to be private are located in countries with strong bank secrecy laws. For instance you can check the Swiss law on banks or the Cayman Secrecy Act. Second, a typical feature of a private bank is its exclusivity. By keeping the number of customers down to a privileged few, and limiting the size of their own personal well-managed private banks may limit the chances of a leak.
Very importantly, a small private bank that has no operations outside its country of origin (often a tax haven or offshore financial center), need not respond to requests for information from foreign authorities.
Some private banks to go further by offering ‘numbered’ accounts. Read more…
Pasquinelli Homebuilding LLC, a nationally known homebuilder based in Chicago’s southwest suburb of Burr Ridge, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, “succumbing to the difficulties that beset the firm in the housing crash” according to Todd J. Behme writing for Crain’s Chicago Business . The real estate company, founded in 1956 by brothers Bruno and Anthony Pasquinelli, estimates that it has slightly over $10 million to $50 million in liabilities with approximately $500,000 to $1 million in assets. They estimate from 10,001 to 25,000 creditors.Pasquinelli Homebuilding was a townhouse pioneer, morphing into a national developer under the Portrait Homes brands.“But like other local homebuilders, the housing crash whacked Pasquinelli, with multiple foreclosure suits hitting the company in recent years,” Behme writes. In 2010, Harris Bank sued the two brothers, accusing them of improperly taking $87 million out of the business from 2005 to 2009. They alleged Read more…
Aloha to Honolulu Symphony
In another instance of a U.S. symphony taking its final bow, the 110-year-old Honolulu Symphony has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. This followed the orchestra’s previous Chapter 11 reorganization attempt.From KITV, Kimberly Miyazawa Frank, chair of the Honolulu Symphony Society, reported that ticket sales only covered 30% of the orchestra’s $8 million yearly budget, and that, due to the recession, they could not keep raising the necessary millions of donor dollars needed to make up the difference.The Honolulu symphony stopped performing over a year ago, when it filed for bankruptcy reorganization, with its board being unable to come up with a workable operating plan. According to KITV, “the musicians said management asked them to cut their pay by 92 percent with a much shorter season, but the union was only willing to allow a 23 percent wage reduction.”However, painting a somewhat brighter picture, the liquidation of the orchestra could open a door allowing a rebirth of the group under new management. While w
Austin Plumbing Supply, owned by William W. Sullivan Jr. and Terri M. Sullivan has filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, reporting liabilities of between $1 million and $10 million, as well as having between 200 and 999 creditors and less than $500,000 in assets. The 30-page list of creditors includes vendors, residential customers, builders, remodelers, Mercedes-Benz Financial, Austin television stations KBVO and KEYE, AT&T Yellow Pages, the Small Business Administration and the Travis County tax assessor.
The North Austin company closed its door in June, leaving customers holding the bag for which they had already paid.
In an article on www.statesman.com by Gary Dinges, the business has no plans to reopen according to a local bankruptcy attorney who is not involved in the case.
A bankruptcy trustee will be appointed to oversee the disposition of assets, with any proceeds going to creditors.
Delmarva Rural Ministries, a nonprofit agency that provided health care, housing and other services to low-income residents of the Delmarva Peninsula in Dover, Delaware, has recently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The organization, which was founded about 40 years ago, listed assets of $11.3 million and liabilities of $4.5 million.
The largest unsecured claims against Delmarva Rural Ministries include approximately $462,000 by the U.S. Rural Housing Service, IRS liens of over $400,000 on the Dover office building and a requested refund of $250,000 by the Longwood Foundation for a donation to an incomplete capital campaign.
Reporting for www.therepublic.com , Randall Chase of the Associated Press, states that the group’s operations included Kent Community Health Center, which was recently closed due to financial issues, and migrant rental housing in Salisbury, Maryland, and Cape Charles, Virginia.
According to www.delawareonline.com , Delmarva reported that poor financial management led to $1.2 million in losses from April 2008 to March 2010.