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Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee - Akron Office
Keith L. Rucinski - Trustee
One Cascade Plaza, Suite 2020 Akron, OH 44308
Phone (330)762-6335 o FAX (330)762-7072
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy - A Complete View of the Process
Chapter 13 is the bankruptcy chapter which allows people in financial distress to reorganize their debt under federal court supervision. The current Chapter 13 bankruptcy was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1938 known as the Chandler Act. Over the last seventy years, subsequent legislation has made many changes to Chapter 13 involving both eligibility for who may file this type of bankruptcy and the type of debt which can be discharged. Despite these changes, the core principle of Chapter 13 is to provide a debtor with a financial fresh start while at the same time allowing creditors to be paid as much as possible. Debtors must make payments into a Chapter 13 plan for a three to five year time period. The plan is administered by a Chapter 13 Trustee who consolidates the debtor’s monthly plan payment and, pursuant to court order, distributes the funds to creditors.
Top 10 Things Every Chapter 13 Petitioner Should Know:
- Keep your attorney and Chapter 13 Trustee's Office informed of future changes in your address. This information is useful for notices, and also for refund checks payable to you.
- Re-read and understand your Plan. Review your semi-annual report from the Trustee to ensure all of your payments have been received and see how your balances fall!
- Under the new bankruptcy law, if you are paying less than 100% to your unsecured creditors, your plan may be required to last up to 60 months.
This section is provided for Chapter 13 Participants
This section is provided for creditor and attorney use only.
Notice:
This information is not meant to convey legal advice to an individual seeking Chapter 13 bankruptcy reorganization, but is meant strictly as an educational tool.