Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Creditor Held in Contempt of Court for Violating Automatic Stay in Miami Bankruptcy Case

Kingcade & Garcia’s Motion Granted, Creditor Required to Cease and Desist all Eviction Proceedings Until Further Order of Court 

MIAMI – (January 24, 2018) A Florida judge signed an order today holding creditor, IH5 Property Florida LP with GP IH5 Borrower GP LLC, more commonly known as Invitation Homes (www.invitationhomes.com) in contempt of court for intentional violation of the automatic stay. Miami bankruptcy attorney, Timothy S. Kingcade’s client filed a Chapter 7 petition on November 30, 2017. Despite having notice of the bankruptcy filing, on December 5, 2017, the creditor, Invitation Homes, proceeded to file an eviction action against the client. Attorney Kingcade filed a motion to hold the landlord in contempt of court for violating the automatic stay. The motion adequately showed that Isamar Alers of Invitation Homes had actual knowledge of the bankruptcy on November 30.

“The landlord in this case disregarded the automatic stay put in place that protects bankruptcy clients from harassing debt collector calls, wage garnishment and repossession of property.  We are extremely pleased with this victory for our client today.  This landlord was wrong and thought the laws of bankruptcy code did not apply to him,” Managing Partner, Timothy S. Kingcade said.

The Order directs creditor, Invitation Homes to immediately cease and desist all eviction proceedings until further order of court.  The creditor is also required to pay attorney’s fees (on or before February 12, 2018) in the amount of $1,200 for Kingcade and Garcia having to bring forth the motion to enforce the automatic stay and protect the client.

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Miami-based Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. was established by managing partner and bankruptcy attorney, Timothy S. Kingcade in 1996. The firm represents clients throughout the State of Florida in Chapter 7 bankruptcy and foreclosure defense cases. The firm is committed to providing personalized service to each and every client, clearly explaining the options according to the unique circumstances of his or her life. The office environment and the service provided are centered on a culture of superior client care for the financially disenfranchised. All partners and associates at Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. specialize in consumer bankruptcy and foreclosure and have dedicated their practices to this area of the law. Additionally, all attorneys and staff members at the firm are bilingual speaking Spanish. For more information visit, https://www.miamibankruptcy.com/.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Credit Stress? Here are 5 Ways to Negotiate with Your Credit Card Company

Opening up a credit card statement each month can be a daunting task. However, negotiating the terms of your debt with your credit card company is not as hard as you think. If you take the right steps, you will be surprised at how eager some banks and credit card issuers are to work with you.

Here are five things to keep in mind when negotiating with credit card companies.

  1. Go right to the top. When you call your credit card company to negotiate the terms, ask to speak to a manager right away. Be polite and assure the representative there is not a problem. If the representative asks you if there is a way for them to help you, explain what you are trying to accomplish.
  2. Request a due date change. An easy adjustment to make to your credit card terms is to simply change your payment due date. Most credit card companies are willing to move the date to help increase timely payments. If you consistently make late payments, it would be in your best interest to request a more suitable date.
  3. Bargain for a lower interest rate. Have you been getting some competitive offers from other credit card companies? If so, you may be able to use the offers as a bargaining tool. Before you go to your credit card company, make sure you jot down all the perks, interest rates and other benefits that you would be getting if you switched cards. Your credit card company most likely will not want to lose you as a customer and will be willing to work with you.
  4. Request a late payment fee waiver. If you have a responsible payment history with your company, they may be willing to waive late fees. If you consistently make late payments, they will likely suggest you sign up for automatic payments.
  5. Negotiate to get the annual fee removed. Some credit card companies charge as much as $95 per year in annual fees in exchange for a few perks. When you signed up for your card, the annual fees may have worked in your favor because of the benefits you received as a cardholder. However, it may be time to reevaluate whether or not the benefits, such as cash back rewards and travel points, are outweighing the annual fees.

Click here to read more on this story.

If you have any questions on this topic or are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade Garcia McMaken has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

 

Bankruptcy Law, Debt Relief, Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Motion Denied After Creditor Attempts to Reopen Miami Bankruptcy Case and Seize Home

Managing Shareholder, Timothy S. Kingcade and associate Kristina Gonzalez of the Miami-based bankruptcy and foreclosure defense law firm of Kingcade Garcia McMaken, P.A. achieved a recent victory for their clients after a creditor, Bank of New York Mellon (“BONY”), attempted to re-open their 2009 bankruptcy case and compel the surrender of their Miami home.

“With this ruling, I am pleased to announce that my clients will be able to keep their home.  BONY made the decision to abandon its foreclosure efforts and enter into modification negotiations with my clients. It was seven years after my clients received their bankruptcy discharge, five years after the initial foreclosure was dismissed and only after those modification efforts proved unsuccessful that they filed the second foreclosure, based on new post-bankruptcy discharge defaults,” Timothy S. Kingcade said.

BONY waited more than a year after the second foreclosure was filed to seek to reopen the bankruptcy case, and only filed the motion when the bankruptcy debtor filed an action in District Court against the creditor’s loan servicer, Specialized Loan Servicing, for violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

In a consumer win for bankruptcy clients, the Honorable Laurel M. Isicoff ruled that there was “no purpose” in re-opening the bankruptcy case because the debtors’ decision to surrender the property was not binding in the subsequent foreclosure action.

Attorney Timothy S. Kingcade practices exclusively in the field of bankruptcy law, handling Chapter 7 and 13 filings and foreclosure defense cases for the Southern District of Florida.  As an experienced CPA and proven bankruptcy attorney, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of their rights under the bankruptcy laws to restart, rebuild and recover.

Miami-based Kingcade Garcia McMaken, P.A. was established by managing partner and bankruptcy attorney, Timothy S. Kingcade in 1996. The firm represents clients throughout the State of Florida in Chapter 7 bankruptcy and foreclosure defense cases. The firm is committed to providing personalized service to each and every client, clearly explaining the options according to the unique circumstances of his or her life. The office environment and the service provided are centered on a culture of superior client care for the financially disenfranchised. All partners and associates at Kingcade Garcia McMaken P.A. specialize in consumer bankruptcy and foreclosure and have dedicated their practices to this area of the law. Additionally, all attorneys and staff members at the firm are bilingual speaking Spanish.

Related Resources:

http://www.flsb.uscourts.gov/Opinions/LMI/09-30656Kurzban.pdf

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

The Surprising Debts Holding Many Americans Back

According to a recent survey, student loans and credit card bills are not the only debt holding many Americans back.  Credit Sesame, a site consumers can use to check their credit score, analyzed more than 5,000 user accounts and found they had significant amounts of debt from medical expenses, utility bills and cell phone charges.

Consumers whose medical debt had gone into collections had an average of three accounts, with a combined total of $3,670 in collections.  The average balance for customers who had cell phone bills in collections totaled $887 per account.  Customers whose utility bills were in collections owe $368 on average per account, the study concluded.

Not surprisingly, having those bills in collections hurt consumers’ credit scores.  The average credit score for someone whose medical debt is in collections is 552.  Those who have delinquent cell phone accounts have average scores of 550.  And those who have outstanding utility bills have a score of 542.

Lenders see applicants with lower credit scores as riskier than applicants with higher credit scores.  They oftentimes make you pay for this risk by charging a higher interest rate.  A poor credit score can affect your ability to rent an apartment, as landlords often check an applicant’s credit score before allowing you to sign a lease.

Utility companies may require you pay a deposit before setting up your service.  Even certain jobs and employers can discriminate against applicants who have a less than perfect credit report. Certain jobs, particularly those in upper management or the finance industry, require a good credit history.  Note: employers check your credit report and not your credit score.  They are not necessarily checking for bad credit, but for items that could affect your job performance.

Click here to read more on this story.

If you have any questions on this topic or are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Related Resources:
https://www.thebalance.com/side-effects-of-bad-credit-960383