There has been an uptick in foreclosure petitions filed in Massachusetts recently, although it appears to have housing experts baffled as to what, if anything, that might mean. According to the Boston Globe, fourteen percent more foreclosure petitions were filed in April than in March. Foreclosure petitions signal the start of the foreclosure process, with […]
Author Archives: doug
Massachusetts foreclosures up a bit; bankruptcies perhaps to follow?
Posted in Bankruptcy News
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No famous bankruptcies in Haverhill?
For some blog posts, I was looking around for famous or important bankruptcy cases arising out of Haverhill, Mass. — and sort of came up empty! Lawrence and Methuen hit the news with the Malden Mills fire and that firm’s subsequent bankruptcy. The Andover and North Andover areas were bankruptcy central for a few years […]
Posted in Just for fun
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Using credit cards for cabs?
According to the Boston Globe, more than 1 of every 4 Boston taxi passengers now pays by credit card, an option that has made cabs more attractive to riders but provoked tension among drivers, passengers, and city regulators. What’s got the cab drivers riled up is the combination of fees that they are charged for […]
Posted in Credit cards
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Lenny Dykstra charged with fraud in his bankruptcy case
Last summer brought us an uplifting baseball related bankruptcy story, with the Texas Rangers sold in a bankruptcy court auction to a new group of owners who led the team to their first pennant winning season later that same year. This season the baseball connection to bankruptcy court is decidedly more of a downer, with […]
Posted in Bankruptcy News
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Seven key facts about Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Confused about the different “chapters” of the bankruptcy code? Here’s a very quick cheat sheet on Chapter 7, which is what the majority of people file. It’s a quick proceeding — by lawyer’s standards anyway — typically over and done in four months or less. If your family income is under the state average for […]
Posted in Chapter 7
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Inspiration for the newly bankrupt
Bankruptcy offers a fresh start for people mired in a financial mess. Only sometimes it doesn’t seem that way for those stuck in the middle of it. For those having a tough time coming to grips with a financial setback despite seeking bankruptcy relief, bankruptcy attorney Rachel Lynn Foley has written a nice article invoking […]
Posted in Just for fun, Practical tips
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What if the meeting of creditors goes awry?
Most bankruptcy clients worry needlessly about the “meeting of creditors” in their case — that day about a month after filing when they must drive to Boston, Worcester or Manchester to “face the music” about the case. In almost every instance, this worry is misplaced, as the meeting (which is actually conducted by the bankruptcy […]
Posted in Practical tips
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On the fence about bankruptcy?
Russell DeMott, a bankruptcy lawyer in South Carolina, has written a good article for the many folks who can’t decide if they want or need to file a bankruptcy case or not. It’s good reading for anyone on the fence in Massachusetts or New Hampshire as well, as these issues are national in scope. Among […]
Posted in Practical tips
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Philly Orchestra remains magnificent despite filing for bankruptcy
The New Yorker has taken notice of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s recent bankruptcy filing, noting in the magazine’s May 2nd edition that “though the board of the Philadelphia Orchestra has decided to declare bankruptcy, the ensemble remains its magnificent self. At Carnegie Hall, Charles Dutoit, its chief conductor, leads its musicians in Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex” and […]
Posted in Just for fun
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Why so many paystubs?
If you are thinking about consulting with a bankruptcy attorney, be prepared to bring your pay stubs to the consultation. A lot of them. It’s not uncommon for an attorney to want to review as many as six months worth of your prior pay statements when you visit the office. Why so many? It’s all […]
Posted in Practical tips
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