Sonoma County Lawyer Blog

Sonoma County foreclosures may be less common than they were two years ago, but they continue to besiege financially vulnerable homeowners.

According to The Real Estate Report, notices of default in Sonoma County - the first step in the foreclosure process - jumped 52.1% in February. But the good news is that there were still down by 70.1% from the previous year.

Due to the avalanche of foreclosures in recent years, banks continue to own about 685 properties in the county.

Financial Vulnerability Breeds New Forms of Fraud

The Great Recession saw too many people lose their jobs and their homes. Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals saw a window of opportunity amid this atmosphere of pain and financial uncertainty.

As part of their fraud, companies cropped up, claiming they could prevent foreclosure by negotiating with a consumer's lender or obtaining a loan modification.
These services were offered at a price and naïve and desperate homeowners facing the prospect of foreclosure gladly paid the fee.

Many of the companies pretended to be affiliated with the government or government housing assistance programs. Others falsely claimed to offer legal services or "audits" of consumers' loan paperwork to help them negotiate a resolution with their lenders.
Unfortunately, promised services were never delivered.

Continue reading "Financial Instability of Sonoma County Families Breeds New Forms of Fraud" »

Have you checked your credit card report lately? It could have errors that are causing you to unnecessarily pay higher interest payments, mortgage and vehicle loans, and insurance premiums. Those errors could even prevent you from landing a new job.

According to a study by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as many as five percent of consumers had errors on one of three major credit reports. In some cases, the errors worsened the consumer's overall credit rating.

Credit reports contain more than a record of your debts. It also includes information about whether pay your bills on a timely basis and will note if you've been sued or filed for bankruptcy.

Your Credit Information Is for Sale

Continue reading "What Do You Do When Your Credit Report Is Wrong?" »

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) receives more complaints about debt collectors, including debt buyers, than about any other single industry.

The Problems with Debt Buying

What is debt buying? It occurs when companies purchase a creditor's debt and then tries to collect the amount owed. Debt purchasing can be a lucrative business, with companies known to purchase debt for just a few cents on the dollar.

For consumers, debt buying can become a nightmare. There are cases in which debt collectors seek to recover funds from the wrong consumer for an erroneous amount.

In 2009, the FTC studied the issue by obtaining information from nine of the largest debt buyers that together amassed 76.1% of all debt sold in 2008.

As part of the study, the FTC studied 5,000 portfolios containing nearly 90 million consumer accounts. Although the accounts were worth $143 billion, debt buying companies purchased the debt for $6.5 billion. Credit card debt accounted for 62% of the portfolios.

Continue reading "What Happens When Your Debt is Purchased?" »

You're about to settle your divorce and you're certain you thought of everything, right?
You remembered to include the San Francisco 49er season tickets and your spouse's coin collection in your tally of assets. But did your lawyer discuss with you these financial consequences of divorce?

1) You will lose your health insurance. Once the divorce is final and you're no longer a dependent, your spouse is no longer legally able to carry you on his policy because you have ceased to be a dependent. As such, be sure to include this additional cost in your calculation for spousal support. By the way, your children can still receive coverage.

2) You may be entitled to Social Security benefits. If you were married for more than 10 years, are at least 62 years of age, and if you weren't the "breadwinner" during your marriage, you may be entitled to receive Social Security derivative benefits. Talk to your lawyer about this.

3) The courts want you to become economically self-sufficient. Even if you are awarded spousal support, you still need to make "reasonable" attempts at finding employment. This law also applies to spouses with small children.

Continue reading "Ready to Finalize Your Santa Rosa Divorce? Don't Forget These 5 Items" »

If you remember nothing else from this post, remember this one rule, lenders don't give a damn about what your judgment for dissolution says.

A marital dissolution judgment addresses, among other things, division of both the assets and debts accrued during the marriage. This includes credit card debt. However credit card companies, and other third parties not a party to the action are not bound by the judgment.

Unless you are careful right from the moment you decide to separate, you can end up being liable for credit card debt incurred by your ex. It is best if divorcing couples exit the marriage without any joint debt.

When divorce is anticipated, make every effort to close any joint accounts, paying off the existing debt or allocating it to new credit card accounts - one for each of the responsible spouses.

If you rely instead on a divorce degree that allocates a portion of the debt to your ex, but both names stay on the account, creditors can still come after you for any unpaid debts if you ex fails to make payments or declares bankruptcy. These debts become yours. In addition, your ex's late or missed payments will damage your credit record.

Some credit cards are in one spouse's name, with the other listed as an authorized user. Authorized users cannot be held liable for charges on this type of account. If you are the owner of the account, immediately request that your spouse be removed as an authorized user. If you are the user, ask to have you name removed from the account.

Continue reading "You May be Responsible for Your Ex's Credit Card Debt - Santa Rosa Divorce" »

According to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals the answer is NO! In the case of In re Chilton, 426 B.R. 612 (Bankr. E.D. Tex. 2010), A bankruptcy debtor inherited an individual retirement account (IRA) from the debtor's deceased parent prior to the debtor's bankruptcy, and the debtor claimed an exemption in the property pursuant to 11 U.S.C.S. § 522(d)(12).

Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(12), a debtor is permitted to exempt certain property, including "Retirement funds to the extent that those funds are in a fund or account that is exempt from taxation under section 401, 403, 408, 408A, 414, 457, or 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986The bankruptcy trustee objected to the exemption.

The debtor placed the funds distributed from the parent's IRA into a new account created in the deceased parent's name from which the debtor, as the beneficiary of the new account, was required take distributions prior to retirement. The debtor contended that the new account was tax exempt and contained retirement funds, and thus the funds in the account were exempt from claims of creditors.

Continue reading "Are Inherited IRA's Exempt From The Bankruptcy Estate?" »

A equalization payment is a common why a litigant in a divorce gets bought out of his interest in a piece of marital real property. Let's say for example, the family residence subject to a divorce has $50,000 of equity, yes it still happens. During that divorce proceeding it is decided by the parties that the wife will receive the home as her sole a separate property. In exchange for this award, wife will pay to husband $25,000, which represents his interest in this community asset. The husband, after the divorce, is forced to file for bankruptcy. In his bankruptcy petition, the husband, now debtor, moves to exempt his $25,000 by utilizing the state's homestead exemption. Can he?

The Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the 9th Circuit has said NO!

In the bankruptcy case of In re Jefferies the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed a bankruptcy court order sustaining an objection to a homestead exemption claim. The court held that an equalizing judgment a debtor received in exchange for the transfer of his residence to his ex-spouse in a dissolution decree did not constitute proceeds of the voluntary sale of his homestead eligible for protection under the Washington homestead exemption.

Continue reading "Are Equalization Payments A Debtor Receives In Exchange For A Transfer Of Interest In A Marital Piece of Real Property Protected By A Homestead Exemption?" »

The following summary was written by Robert Christopher and is being reproduced by permission of Mr. Christopher. The views and opinions expressed in his article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of JVS Law. The information and/or opinions in Mr. Christopher's summary are based on sources believed to be reliable but no representation, expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy vs debt management - Which outperforms the other?

If you've racked up piles of debt on your credit cards, you must be looking for an option to delete your financial worries. When it comes to choosing between debt management programs and bankruptcy, this may be a difficult choice. Nowadays, due to lack of funds among the Americans, it is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with high interest credit cards, car loan payments and medical bills. When people are running from shortage of cash, what steps are they supposed to take in order to forget their debt woes? Should they opt for debt management programs or should they file bankruptcy? Debt management is more like debt consolidation through which you can combine your debts into single monthly payments but Chapter 13 is not much different from this. Read on the concerns of this article in order to know which option suits your financial conditions better.

Continue reading "Chapter 13 bankruptcy vs. Debt Management Programs" »

Payday loan companies, or as they used to be called "loan sharks", are creating a real problem for consumers who are in dire need of a quick buck for an unexpected expense.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government. Its principal mission is the promotion of consumer protection and the elimination and prevention of what regulators perceive to be harmfully anti-competitive business practices.

On April 11, the FTC announced a temporary restraining order against Broadway Global Master, Inc. a debtor collector enjoining them from conducting business or withdrawing any funds from their bank accounts. Broadway obtained detailed information about payday borrowers from an unknown source and engaged in intimidation to collect over $4 million from them.

According to the FTC, representatives from Broadway would contact debtors and pretend to be law enforcement officers, use a FBI caller ID, threaten arrest, a state placement of the debtor's children, or to call the debtor's employer, and use obscene language.

Continue reading "FTC Enjoins Fake, Harassing, Payday Loan Debt Collector's Business" »

In HSBC Bank Nevada, N.A. v. Aguilar, the Appellate Division of the Los Angeles County Superior Court held that a bank was not required to present any proof in order to obtain a default judgment against a holder of a credit card.

HSBC Bank Nevada, N.A., sued Lizet Aguilar for money damages based on Aguilar's alleged default on a credit-card agreement. Aguilar did not respond. HSBC requested entry of default and a clerk's judgment.

The clerk entered Aguilar's default, but refused to enter judgment. The clerk instructed HSBC to submit either an original promissory note or contract or, if necessary, a declaration of a lost original. HSBC did not comply with those instructions. The trial court ordered a show-cause hearing.

Continue reading "Banks Are Not Required To Present Any Proof In Order To Obtain Default Judgment" »

In response to the recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by ResCap, the mortgage arm of Ally Financial, formerly known as GMAC Mortgage, NACBA will be seeking global relief from the automatic stay to allow consumers in bankruptcy cases of their own to bring actions in those cases related to ResCap/Ally/GMAC claims. NACBA is committed to quickly obtaining the broadest and most efficient relief from the stay as possible, so that consumers and their attorneys can continue to bring lien-strip actions, objections to claim, and other actions in bankruptcy cases, without having to individually seek permission from the bankruptcy court in New York. NACBA is both working with the U.S. Trustee and retaining counsel to bring appropriate motions.

This will benefit any debtor who is in bankruptcy and has a mortgage from Ally Financial or GMAC Mortgage. This way debtors will still be able to obtain all the benefits of bankruptcy without any additional work or attorney fees.

The Law Offices of James V. Sansone assists individuals file for bankruptcy protection under the United States Bankruptcy Code and assists creditors to protect their rights when a bankruptcy is filed. We are located in Santa Rosa, California and serve clients throughout Sonoma County, Mendocino County, and Lake County, including Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Windsor, Bodega Bay, Ukiah, Willits, Clearlake, Lakeport, and Kelseyville.

This dispute arose in the bankruptcy court when the debtors defaulted on the terms of their prepetition lease, which was terminated as a result of it being deemed rejected.
These Chapter 7 debtors filed for bankruptcy 10 days after signing an apartment lease. They did not schedule the landlord as a creditor. They did not disclose the lease on Schedule G. Pursuant to Section 365, the lease was deemed rejected 60 days postpetition because the trustee did not assume or reject it. Two months after the debtors received their discharge, the debtors stopped paying their rent. The landlord sued the debtors, obtaining a judgment for $8,929 for past due rent. The debtors asked for reconsideration on the basis that any rent obligation was discharged in their Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The court was not persuaded by the debtors' arguments. The court ruled that the landlord's rent claim was not a claim for damages resulting from termination of the lease agreement upon rejection. The deemed rejection of the lease resulted in a prepetition breach under section 365(g)(1). However, the court reasoned that a breach of a lease does not result in the termination of a lease. If the parties treat the lease as remaining in effect, then the lease continues in force. "If there is a future breach of the lease, the resulting claim does not arise from the rejection of the lease but from the tenant's subsequent default, and the lease is than subject to enforcement under applicable law," the court said.

If you are a landlord attempting to evict a tenant who has filed for bankruptcy or a tenant who needs to file bankruptcy we can help. The Law Offices of James V. Sansone assists individuals with landlord tenant disputes, including evictions, and file for bankruptcy protection under the United States Bankruptcy Code. We are located in Santa Rosa, California and serve clients throughout Sonoma County, Mendocino County, and Lake County, including Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Windsor, Bodega Bay, Ukiah, Willits, Clearlake, Lakeport, and Kelseyville.

The changes made to the Bankruptcy Code in 2005 significantly increased the cost of filing for bankruptcy for consumer debtors without producing a statistically significant increase in creditor recoveries, according to a recently completed study funded by the American Bankruptcy Institute H.N. Schnelling Endowment Fund and the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Endowment for Education.

The study looked at what it cost a consumer to file for bankruptcy before and after the changes took effect. The study showed that the hardest hit were debtors who filed no asset Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Cases, with an increased cost of approximately 51 percent.

In Chapter 13 cases, the TDAC increased by 24 percent dismissed cases and by 27 percent in cases where the debtor received a discharge.

"It takes more skill and experienced to responsibly and professionally represent consumer debtors--especially in this economic climate--than it used to. "Moreover, the system is less tolerant of mistakes and yet there are so many more opportunities presented by BAPCPA for even seasoned attorneys to make errors. Without a detailed understanding of how to make the system work, the temptation is there for lawyers to 'cut corners' in order to minimize time spent on a client's case, or conversely, to spend so much time on a case that the legal fee exceeds what an insolvent client can reasonable afford.

Efficiency coupled with a high level of skill, while important to every area of law practice, is crucial to the success of a consumer bankruptcy practice. Best practices' for consumer bankruptcy lawyers requires finding a balance between comprehensively addressing a financially distressed client's interests, and doing so in a time sensitive and efficient manner", the report stated.

The Law Offices of James V. Sansone assists individuals file for bankruptcy protection under the United States Bankruptcy Code. We are located in Santa Rosa, California and serve clients throughout Sonoma County, Mendocino County, and Lake County, including Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Windsor, Bodega Bay, Ukiah, Willits, Clearlake, Lakeport, and Kelseyville.

The National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) prepared a report regarding the dischargeability of student loans in the bankruptcy court. I have summarized the report below, but click here to review the entire report .

According to the NACBA, Americans now owe more on student loans than on credit cards. The amount of student borrowing crossed the $100 billion threshold for the first time in 2010 and total outstanding loans and exceeded $1 trillion for the first time last year. The reason: Students and workers seeking retraining are borrowing extraordinary amounts of money through federal and private loan programs to help cover the rising cost of college and training. In many cases, parents responsible for the student loans are in or near retirement years and facing repayment demands.

How big is the danger to the U.S. economy? "Evidence is mounting that student loans could be the next trouble spot for lenders," said Dr. Andrew Jennings, chief analytics officer at FICO and head of FICO Labs.

With rising debt comes increased risk, both to borrowers and to the economy in general. Even in the best of economic times when jobs are plentiful, young people with considerable debt burdens end up delaying life-cycle events such as buying a car, purchasing a home, getting married and having children. Piling up student loans in middle age is even more troublesome. Aside from the simple truth that there is less time to earn back the money, it also means facing retirement years still deeply in debt. And, parents who take out loans for children or co-sign loans will find those loans more difficult to pay as they stop working and their incomes decline.

Continue reading "The Student Loan Debt Bomb: America's Next Mortgage Economic Crisis" »

According to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), the proposed principal paydown plan has hit a road block.

According to an e-mail update issued by the NACBA, NACBA's Principal Paydown Plan to help underwater homeowners in chapter 13 bankruptcy avoid foreclosure, has been endorsed by a substantial number of Members of Congress who in turn have pushed for action by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to implement the plan. In a series of private meetings and in letters to FHFA, Senators and Members of Congress have asked the FHFA to use its authority over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to require them to agree to the Principal Paydown Plan when proposed by a homeowner trying to save a home in chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Despite FHFA Director DeMarco's initial positive comments about the Principal Paydown Plan, which he said struck him as "being responsible," and a "credible way to address the crisis while recognizing various interests mortgaged properties," he recently wrote to Congress informing them that the agency would not be implementing the Principal Paydown Plan. FHFA concluded that few GSE borrowers have filed for chapter 13 bankruptcy and are underwater and therefore the proposal would not be all that helpful. They did, however, commit to doing what they can to help eligible borrowers in bankruptcy get the HAMP modifications they qualify for.

While the FHFA response is disappointing and inadequate, and we believe wrong, we are gratified that the many Members of Congress who have pushed for this solution continue to be engaged and are looking for ways to get the Principal Paydown Plan implemented despite the FHFA's position. These Members of Congress recognize, as so many of us do, that the foreclosure crisis is not going away anytime soon and so long as it continues, the nation will not enjoy the kind of recovery that is needed to stabilize the economy and get people back to work.