State and Federal Courts have long struggled with balancing the interests of debtors and secured creditors when it comes to the issue of self-help repossession. Self-help repossession refers to a creditor’s seizure of property that is the security interest (or collateral) of a loan. For example, when a bank seizes a person’s car because he was delinquent on the car loan, the bank has performed self-help repossession.
Generally speaking, section 9-503 of the Uniform Commercial Code gives a secured creditor the right to take possession of collateral if the debtor falls delinquent on the loan. However, there are some limitations. For example, a creditor cannot repossess collateral if doing so involves a “breach of the peace.” A “breach of peace” is somewhat of an ambiguous term, however, the use of physical force to repossess a car for example would be considered unlawful.
Aside from litigation over whether a creditor has breached the peace, there has been a considerable amount of case law on the issue of whether a debtor is entitled to a hearing prior to repossession. The concerns to both parties are significant. The creditor is motivated to take possession of collateral quickly and inexpensively since delay could result in damage to the collateral, depreciation to the collateral, and/or time for an embittered debtor to thwart future repossession attempts. On the other hand, depriving a debtor of property without first being heard poses serious risks to the debtor. Often such “surprise” tactics leaves debtors without necessary housing or transportation. Further, repossession without a court hearing deprives a debtor without his “day in court.”
This is a similar argument to the one the plaintiff made in the Supreme Court case of Fuentes v. Shevin. That case involved the issue of whether repossession without judicial intervention violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution as a deprivation of property without due process of law. However, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment only protects against state action. Since a secured creditor is considered a private party, it is immune from those Constitutional provisions. The subsequent case of Flagg Brothers v. Brooks contained a similar decision and creditor’s rights to self-help repossession have generally been immune against federal attack.
If you are a debtor facing repossession, you may want to be hasty in trying to resolve the issue with a creditor. Do not expect a court hearing first or you may find yourself without transportation.
By: Noel Goodman
Posts Tagged ‘Debtors’
Repossession Laws – A Review of the Legality of Self-Help Repossession
April 4th, 2010Bankruptcy Law – A Basic Discourse
November 26th, 2009The Bankruptcy law is a federal statutory law contained in title 11 of the United States codes. Congress passed the Bankruptcy Code under its Constitutional grant of the authority to establish a uniform law on the subject of the bankruptcy through out the United States. States may not regulate bankruptcy though they may pass the laws that govern other aspects of the debtor-creditor relationship. A number of the sections of the Title 11 incorporate the debtor – creditor law of the individual.
Bankruptcy allows a debtor, who is unable to pay his creditors to resolve his debts through the division of his assets among his creditors. The debtor is forced to resolve his debts through the division of his assets to his creditors.
This supervised division also allows the interests of all creditors to be treated with some measure of equality. Certain bankruptcy proceedings allow a debtor to stay in business and use revenue generated to resolve his or her debts. An extra purpose of bankruptcy law is to allow certain debtors to free themselves of the financial obligations they have accumulated, after their assets are distributed, even if their debts have not been paid in full.
A United States Bankruptcy court supervised bankruptcy proceedings and is where bankruptcy is litigated. These are parts of District Courts of the United States. The congress has established The United States Trustees to handle many of the supervisory and administrative duties of the bankruptcy proceedings. Proceedings in bankruptcy courts are governed by the Bankruptcy Rules which were promulgated by the Supreme Court under the authority of Congress.
There are two types of Bankruptcy proceedings.
* Chapter 7 is called liquidation. Informally called “straight bankruptcy,” the most common type of bankruptcy proceedings liquidation involves the appointment of a trustee who collects the non-exempts property of the debtor, sells it and distributes the proceeds to the creditors. The debtor turns over all non-exempt property or assets to the bankruptcy trustee who then converts it to cash for distribution among the creditors. At the end of the proceeding the debtor receives a discharge of indebtedness or the discharge notice, for all dischargeable debts, releasing him or her from personal liability for those debts.
* Chapters 11, 12, 13, involve the rehabilitation of the debtor to allow him or her to use future earnings to pay off the creditors. Chapter 11 is reorganization. In this chapter the debtors are allowed to continue its operations while paying their debts. In chapter 13, the lawyer and the debtor propose a plan to repay debts over a period of time up to three years.
A trustee is appointed to supervise the assets of the debtor. The debtor can either enter the bankruptcy proceedings or it can be initiated by the creditors. The creditors may not seek to collect their debts outside the proceedings at the most part, after the bankruptcy proceedings is filed. The property declared as a part of the state can not be transferred by the debtor to his property. Furthermore, certain pre-proceeding transfers of property, secured interests, and liens may be delayed or invalidated. Various provisions of the Bankruptcy Code also establish the priority of creditors’ interests.
The latest bankruptcy law is in effect. The landscape has changed for those who are considering bankruptcy. Before the debtor can file a bankruptcy case, they should undergo credit counselling, budgeting and debt managements before the debt is wiped out. Chapter 7 is not allowed to be used by a filer with a higher income, but instead they will be paying the sum of their debt under chapter 13. It will be tougher to find an attorney to represent you in a bankruptcy case because the law imposes new requirements to the lawyers.
By: Dean Shainin
Bankruptcy Law & Attorneys – Important Facts To Consider
November 25th, 2009Bankruptcy law is a federal statutory law contained in title 11 of the United States codes. Congress passed the Bankruptcy Code under its Constitutional grant of the authority to establish a uniform law on the subject of bankruptcy throughout United States. States may not regulate bankruptcy though they may pass the laws that govern other aspects of the debtor-creditor relationship.
Bankruptcy allows a debtor, who is unable to pay his creditors to resolve his debts through the division of his assets among his creditors. Certain bankruptcy proceedings allow a debtor to stay in business and use the revenue generated to resolve his or her debts. A United States Bankruptcy court supervises bankruptcy proceedings and is where bankruptcy is litigated. Proceedings in bankruptcy courts are governed by the Bankruptcy Rules which were promulgated by the Supreme Court under the authority of Congress.
How Do Bankruptcy Proceedings Work?
Informally called "straight bankruptcy," The most common type of bankruptcy proceedings liquidation involves the appointment of a trustee who collects the non-exempts property of the debtor, sells it and distributes the proceeds to the creditors.
Chapter 11 is reorganization. In this chapter the debtors are allowed to continue its operations while paying their debts. The debtor can either enter the bankruptcy proceedings or it can be initiated by the creditors. The creditors may not seek to collect their debts outside the proceedings at the most part, after the bankruptcy proceedings is filed. The latest revisions of the bankruptcy law are now in effect. Before the debtor can file a bankruptcy case, they should undergo credit counseling, budgeting and debt managements before the debt is wiped out.
Bankruptcy Attorney – Choosing the Right One
Bankruptcy attorneys explain the applications of bankruptcy laws and its applications. If the debtors or their lawyers set off the bankruptcy it is called a voluntary bankruptcy. If the courts initiate the bankruptcy it is called an involuntary bankruptcy. A good bankruptcy attorney will take all the problems away from the bankrupt person or company and deal with every aspect of the bankruptcy.
6 Helpful Tips and Considerations For Finding the Best Bankruptcy Attorney
1. Find a bankruptcy lawyer at the circle of your acquaintances. Keep in mind that bankruptcy law is a specialty, so if your lawyer offers to handle the case as part of your usual retainer, make sure he knows his way around a bankruptcy court.
2. Attorneys must be certified by the American Bankruptcy Institute.
3. Spend a day at a bankruptcy court.
4. What time frame do you have for this bankruptcy?
5. How much access will I have to an attorney during my bankruptcy filing?
6. Because bankruptcy law is a volume business, the time you’ll actually be working with a specific attorney may be small. Don’t hire the cheapest lawyer.
By: Dean Shainin
