If bankruptcy reform passes - expect a VERY different MikeG.

[MikeG]

You would not believe the changes to the bankruptcy law coming.

They are really going to come down hard on Debtor's lawyers.

I may have to start representing creditors.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

1. Sell everything. Come to Brazil. Open a hot dog stand.

I'm only 84.772% joking.

[liberalhistorian]

11. Juan, if I could find a job there,

and dust off my high school and college espanol, I'd be seriously tempted to do just that. Within just a month or so, we're beginning to see just what this country is turning into now and they are coming after us and everyone else who isn't mega-wealthy, and it's going to get really ugly. And I don't want to be around people who actually voted for it. This is fast becoming a country I don't recognize anymore, and I don't know if I can really take being here.

[Spider Jerusalem]

13. O idioma de Brasil é Português , não Espanhol...

silly American... :-Þ

[FloridaPat]

16. I am actually looking around the interenet for homes etc in

foreign tropical countries. Not sure how much longer I can stand living here. Saw a great deal for a store in New Zealand.

[FloridaPat]

2. What kind of changes? I've just gotten bits and pieces. So they're

after other attorneys besides trial lawyers? that's what you get for being on this board instead whatever the other repubs boards are.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Anybody who does anything that benefits a poor person is a target it seems

If you surf the RW boards you'll see they don't even like charities.

[MikeG]

7. Here are a couple:

1. You have to go to a credit counselor before filing Bankruptcy.

2. You will not get a Chapter 7 discharge if you have excess disposible income.

3. If you screw up in Chapter 13 you can't file again.

4. Debtor's attorneys will be regulated by the federal government.

[liberalhistorian]

12. And their definition of "excess

disposable income" is a helluva lot less than our definition, that's for sure. There are people I know working seven days a week at two jobs just to make the Chapter 13 payments they were forced into because they made not much more than minimum wage and that was considered "too much income."

There's no exception for medical debt, either, which is total bullshit considering more than half of bankruptcies are now filed due to medical debt. The hospitals will now be able to take your house and other assets if you get cancer or another serious illness, so that you may wish you'd died after all.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. I tells ya, if I was an American I wouldn't own a house. I'd rent.

People's ownership of things looks fickle as hell. Why bust yourself paying for a house for 20/30 years only to get thrown into the streets because you or a relative got sick? Fuck them all.

[FloridaPat]

17. I heard the banks were upset that so many people were keeping

their homes. All that money and they can't touch it. Anything about getting your home taken away?

[liberalhistorian]

20. It's not just the banks,

it's the goddamn hospitals, cancer clinics, and medical personnel that are absolutely salivating at the prospect of being able to get the houses of people who are being treated for major illnesses, such as cancer, etc. Even for middle and upper-class folks with insurance, most major illnesses can easily financially ruin and bankrupt them. The hospitals WILL file a foreclosure against people's houses to get their money, they do it all the time now, which is why so many middle-class families are having to file bankruptcy. And these are usually homes they've worked for years for.

We are the only industrialized country where you can be ill and lose your house, all your assets, and have to work to pay off the goddamn medical bills until you're in your 90's, if necessary. It's enough to make you sick, if you aren't already. I'm a single mom. If I were to get cancer or a similar major illness (God forbid, but it can and does happen every day; I've had several friends my age who've already fought cancer), I'm not sure if I'd even want treatment. It would bankrupt and ruin me, and what little assets I have, including small investments and a modest life insurance policy, would go into the grubby, greedy little hands of the goddamn hospital CEO's and doctors, and there'd be nothing left for my son.

If I survived, I'd spend the next 40-50 years (I'm 40) working off the horrendous bills that would result from even regular treatment, and not aggressive treatment that the rich so easily manage to get; and with ruined credit and not being able to even live in a decent apartment. Believe me, I've seen that, from people whose only crime was to get sick and not have enough green stuff to satisfy the vulture hospitals and doctors. FUCK THAT, who the hell needs that? Welcome to hell, folks. If I could manage it and figure out what to do for money, I'd be planning right now to move to Canada or New Zealand or someplace like that.

[FloridaPat]

21. Health insurance in Mexico - free. The upgrade is $315 a year.

It is high on my list of places to move to.

[liberalhistorian]

25. Actually, I was considering

Canada. I would love to live there, but short of marrying a Canadian (and I'm not quite sure how to go about doing that, lol!), I'm not sure how to do that, since I'd have to have a decent job there in order to emigrate and get citizenship.

[beyurslf]

4. For those of us not closely involved in bankruptcy law... what changes?

[Fescue4u]

5. Hasnt this been in process for years now?

And shot down every year for the last 6 years or so?

I know it was a big deal at least 3 years ago.

[liberalhistorian]

8. It's scheduled to pass quickly within the

next few weeks since the fucking repukes finally have enough votes to shove it through. Without even any exception for medical debts, for God's sake, which is one of the primary reasons for filing bankruptcy.

[liberalhistorian]

6. DON'T DO THAT MIKE!

I'm a paralegal who knows all about bankruptcy/collection law, and I know exactly what you debtor's lawyers are in for if this nazi bullshit passes. But PLEASE do NOT start representing creditors! Those fuckers already HAVE all the rights and sell-out attorneys falling all over themselves to represent them so they can make a ton of money screwing vulnerable, desperate, people when they're down. PLEASE DO NOT BECOME ONE OF THOSE! We need you in the trenches now more than ever, fighting against this draconian nazi bullshit and fighting to help debtors understand what's happening and helping them through.

I know some creditor's "rights" attorneys (and that's a misnomer because the fucking creditors already HAVE all the rights), and believe me, you would NOT be happy being one of them; they're mostly repubs who don't give a shit about ANYTHING except making money and being materialistic. I've dealt professionally with many of them and they are HORRID, NASTY, HEARTLESS PEOPLE. PLEASE don't become one of those, Mike, we need you now more than ever.

[MikeG]

9. Its just me venting.

[KissMeKate]

10. another way to screw the down and out.

welcome to america- god help you if you get sick. we will feed you to the dogs.

[PA Democrat]

15. Bush's campaign contributors must get their payback

even if it means sucking the life blood out of the middle class and the poor.

Please, don't go over to the dark side, Mike.

[depakid]

18. I guess you better get your practice in order

because the major sell out dems are already on board to hand Republican supporters another major victory at the expense of the middle class and single working moms.

[justgamma]

19. Question?

My daughter owes lots of hospital bills. They could lose their $40,000 house. But if Trump files bankruptsy he gets to keep his 10 million dollar hotel? It would be a hoot if the laws only allowed, say, $30,000 in assets. Would love to see some of those rich dudes learn to live like the commom folk.

[FloridaPat]

22. Trump files chapter 13 - he pays off a portion. Some states - like

Florida - you get to keep you home. Just ask OJ Simpson about that.

[dsc]

23. It isn't just letting him keep the home

it is what you all define as a home. I can't remember exactly what the description was but it sounded like virtual palaces were able to be kept.

[FloridaPat]

24. With chapter 13, you pay back a certain amount to the creditors and

get to keep everything you want. Chapter 7 is where they may sell off some of your stuff.