| Unsecured Claims |
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| Unsecured debt may be generally described as a debt where credit was granted based solely upon the promise or ability of the debtor to pay. Claims that are not secured by any collateral or subject to setoff are generally unsecured claims. For purposes of bankruptcy, unsecured claims are classified and paid based on a priority list described in the Bankruptcy Code. Each class must be paid in full before the next lower class is paid anything. More... |
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| Nondischargeable Debts |
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| Dischargeable debts are those debts that can be discharged through bankruptcy proceedings. Certain debts cannot be discharged through a bankruptcy proceeding. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, nondischargeable debts cannot be discharged at all, and in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, these debts remain even after the repayment plan is completed. More... |
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| Use, Sale, or Lease of Property |
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| The Bankruptcy Code governs the use, sale, or lease of property in bankruptcy. The trustee may use, sell, or lease the property of the estate other than in the ordinary course of business only after notice and a hearing. If the business of the debtor is authorized to be operated under Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, or Chapter 13, the trustee or debtor-in-possession may, without notice or hearing, use, sell, or lease property of the estate in the ordinary course of business. More... |
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| Setoffs in Bankruptcy |
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| Setoff is an equitable right of a creditor to deduct a debt it owes to the debtor from a claim it has against the debtor arising out of a separate transaction. The Bankruptcy Code is not an independent source of law that authorizes a setoff; it recognizes and preserves rights that exist under non-bankruptcy law. More... |
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| Alimony and Support Claims |
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| Filing for bankruptcy does not suspend or stop the obligation to pay child support or alimony. Whether an obligation imposed by a divorce decree is dischargeable depends on whether it is characterized as support or as a property settlement. In many instances, obligations for property settlement can be discharged in bankruptcy, while obligations for child support and alimony cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy law, not state law, determines whether an obligation is a support obligation or a property settlement obligation. More... |
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