About Schedule I and living with a family member

[Xue]

Hi.

I have the nolo book.

I have actually spent over 40 hours, even on christmas day, reading through this forum.

I'm sorry to disturb if I'm asking the same question, but I really want to figure out to file and complete this schedule i and j.

I was told by a moderator to ask a question and not a moderator.

So please don't get angry everyone at me for asking this question again.

This is not income to you. You neither earned it, it was not gifted to you or loaned to you. You are basically living under the roof of someone else's home/apt for free. There is no law against that. It is income if someone gives you this money on a regular montly basis with which to pay rent for which you are "personally" responsible. Your brother would have to pay the same rent whether you were there or not. If you lived in a mission for homeless people you wouldn't call this income either.

-dakota112

Thank you dakota112, but the reason that I am concerned about living with my brother and his paying the bills, with no money touching my hands, is because some of the other posts I have read show that one must list all household income if you live together. And that will show that I have $4,000 a month (my brother's monthly income) and I'm really going crazy. Can someone please help? I don't have the money to pay a lawyer, and my case is no asset, just confused about my brother supporting and paying bills. Thanks.

[HHM]

There are 2 ways to do this.

1. Don't list his income or expenses. You simply list what you earn and what "you actually" spend each month. Disclose the living arrangement at the bottom of schedule J.

2. List the income and expenses of the roomate.

For non-marital relationships, option 1 is best. Depending on what version of the form Schedule J you are using, you would write in an explanation of the living situation at the bottom, that way it is disclosed, but you don't need to get bogged down in trying to calculate what is what.

For marital relationships when one spouse is not filing, you need to use option 2.

[AngelinaCat]

The BK court wants to know the household income and sources. If your brother is living there and is paying the utilities, then he is contributing to the household income, and you need to include that, even though no cash has crossed hands. If he was not living there, then could YOU pay the utilities? Do you see my reasoning?

This question has come up before about grown children moving back home and similar situations. I will have to do a little research in order give a better answer about filling out forms.

Good luck!

[AngelinaCatHub]

I only wish to welcome "Xue" to our wonderful forum. I can't add too much more than the above, but I know how much we did not know before we found this place.

Xue, you are with friends and we can give you our experiences and opinion, but no legal advice. 'Hub