Need help finding $600

[Needhelp106]

Hello everyone,

I am new to BK forum and I need some advice. My husband and I had a meeting with an attorney about filing chapter 13 last week. He gave us all the paperwork to fill out and we felt good about filing. We turned in the MEANS test back to him and we found out we are $600 short in our income in order to go ahead with filing a 13. We can not file a chapter 7 because my husband filed a 7 in 2004. We are so far behind in our credit card payments, car loans, medical bills and our mortgage that I don't know what to do!!! *sigh* We really thought we could file a 13, but I guess not. Does anyone have any advice or anything to share?

[magyar123]

Try to file on debts that are in your name only.

[morallyBR2]

Or buy a car and let it get repoed afterwards.

[Needhelp106]

We thought about this as well. I really don't have a lot of CC just in my name. Maybe 1 or 2. All the other CC cards, he's on with me. *sigh* His name only are on the 2 cars and home.

[Needhelp106]

MorallyBR2, would that help with the $600 income shortage?

[Needhelp106]

Plus our credit is bad...Don't know if we can buy a car right now.

[keepmine]

It's pretty obvious that your big problem is, you are trying to keep things you can't afford.
Time to raise your income and learn to live below your means. Revisit the bk option when your finances are stabilized.

[Needhelp106]

If I could work, I would. I am disabled and I cannot work outside the home. I have been looking for work that I can do from home, but it's very hard to find. We are doing our best to make it. At my husband's job, they are cutting back hours and he is also looking for work. Sorry to upset you with my financial problems.

[Stilltheone]

Try to file on debts that are in your name only.

I agree...I would either try to file debts that were in my name only or get a second job to make up the $600 shortage.

Good luck and welcome to the BK forum!

[Cali]

I don't know about your area, but here there are jobs for people with disabilities.

[keepmine]

If I could work, I would. I am disabled and I cannot work outside the home. I have been looking for work that I can do from home, but it's very hard to find. We are doing our best to make it. At my husband's job, they are cutting back hours and he is also looking for work. Sorry to upset you with my financial problems.

You're not upsetting me at all.
Nobody said you weren't trying. I'm just telling you the reality of the situation. With your income, you can't hold on to this stuff. Filing bk is pointless until, you get yourself in a stable situation.

[AngelinaCatHub]

I hate to say this, as many do not like the place, but WallyWorld hires many older or infirm folks to greet at the door. I saw one young man in a wheel chair, obviously MS or other nerve problems, greeting with a smile. I believe they get a financial break from government or they are after all a good store. This could help. It is too bad being over or under (I don't quite understand) not to get the 13. Perhaps the disability alone could be a source of extra consideration? 'Hub

[JRScott]

Okay so if your 600 dollars short in filing I'm assuming you show around a 500 dollar loss a month ?

Getting another vehicle won't help that situation.

How many cars do you currently have?
How much is the payment on each?

What is your house payment?

You mention medical bills are their any charities in your area that could assist with paying some of the medical bills or can you perhaps negotiate the bills down with the care provider?

I'm not sure what else to look at.

I

[Bandit]

GET A JOB...or work a second job... that does not work for everyone.
there is getting & job & there is keeping a job & depending on such disabilities you dont just go out & get a job regaRDLESS OF who is hiring.

for example: take something as simple but as complex as vertigo disorder...you wont be getting hired when you have it & you wont be keeping the job (any job) by trying to hide it, if you do get hired.

then again you would have to have been there or had some medical problems to grasp that.

just because some people can come up with 600 bucks very easily working part time does not mean everyone can.

so how much are the car payments & can you dump one or both? & get something less expensive to drive to get you under that?

going into a ch13 by just trying to make an extra 600 a month seems fruitless to me. does your state have wage garnishments?

do you have internet? cell phones, cable etc.... can you live without some of this stuff for awhile?

if only there is some way you can get into that ch13 then file for a hardship discharge but you are going to have to get some more income even if temporary somehow, or dump some stuff. IOW- you would not need the job for very long just long enough to get the 13 off the ground.
my thoughts for now.

Try to file on debts that are in your name only.

& fit that into the filing. There needs to be some juggling involved to get it to work.

We can not file a chapter 7 because my husband filed a 7 in 2004.

you also mentioned that your husband filed the 7 in 2004. what about you?

[spell]

I think it's time to think outside of the box for a while.
I'll state the obvious: He declared bankruptcy then went immediately back into an unsustainable amount of debt.
Finanical happiness for the rest of your lives depends more on getting out what whatever cycle got him into his first bk, then boomaranged back towards a second. Somehow, I think you're trying to get out of your debts so you can build them up for a 3rd.
Why not just float for a bit. A cash only existence. Rid yourselves of the home and cars as gently as possible. If your unsecured debts need to go delinquent, that's their problem.
Revisit in a year. Review the garnishment rules for your state. Your income should be safe. Their access to his income may easily be less than the $600 Chapter 13 plan. And that's even from a Worst Case viewpoint IF they bother to sue/garnish.