BANKRUPTCY BASICS
Welcome to the bankruptcy basics page where you will find a brief overview of Chapter 13, the Trustee's role in the process, information on how to submit plan payments/documents to the Trustee, and how to request a Chapter 13 balance payoff amount.
If you are a creditor, please click "Information for Creditors" below.
What is Chapter 13?
Chapter 13 is a method to obtain relief from your creditors, while simultaneously providing a means to pay back as much as you can. Individuals who file for Chapter 13 are referred to as "debtors." Only an individual or married couples with regular income, who owe unsecured debt of less than $383,175 and secured debt of less than $1,149,525 may be a debtor in Chapter 13. 11 USC ยง 109(e).
For more information regarding the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy process and other helpful information, please download the Chapter 13 Guidelines here.
Who is the Chapter 13 Trustee?
Nancy Curry is the current Chapter 13 Trustee assigned to your case. The Trustee represents the bankruptcy estate. The Trustee is not your legal representative. The Trustee is responsible for administering the bankruptcy estate and providing information about Chapter 13 cases to debtors, creditors, and the Court.
Debtor Contact Information
The Trustee's office must know debtor contact information at all times, most importantly including the debtor's mailing address. The address the Trustee's office has on file for debtors is called, "address of record."
Please note that the Trustee is limited to information provided on the Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition. Therefore, should a debtor move or otherwise change their address of record, it is required that the Trustee is notified in writing via a formal statement being sent to the Trustee OR Notice of Change of Address being filed with the Court.- Alternatively, debtors may also simply download the Notice of Change of Address and mail the completed original (not a copy) to our office in Los Angeles. Our mailing address can be found here.
- Please visit our Bankruptcy Forms page and download a Notice of Change of Address here.
How to Manage My Chapter 13 Case
- Debtors may manage their Chapter 13 case online. Click the button below for more information.
Making Mortgage Payments
All mortgage payments that come due after filing for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy must be made as they come due. The Trustee's office does not accept mortgage payments. Therefore, all mortgage payments should be made payable to and sent directly to the lender.Making Bankruptcy Plan Payments
- Click the button below for information on submitting Bankruptcy Plan Payments.
Submitting/Obtaining Bankruptcy Documents
- For information on how to obtain official copies of bankruptcy documents, how to submit documents to the Trustee, or how to download official bankruptcy forms, click the button below.
Bankruptcy Balance Payoff Information
Debtors may request their balance payoff amount in writing only via FAX, email, or regular mail. For more information and instructions on how to submit a balance request, please click on button below:Need to Buy a New House or Car?
If you need to purchase a new home or car while you are in Bankruptcy, the Court requires that debtors seek permission from the Court before doing so. Court permission is also required in order to sell or refinance any of your property, including your residence, other real estate, and/or to purchase/lease a new vehicle.
If you proceed without permission from the Court, your case may be dismissed. For more information, please consult with your attorney or review the terms in your Order Confirming Chapter 13 Plan. You may also visit the Court's website here for more information.Resources for Debtors
- In order to assist debtors in successfully completing their Chapter 13 cases, there are several resources available for managing a Chapter 13 case, seeking legal advice, obtaining bankruptcy documents, etc. If you are a debtor (either with or without an attorney) and you would like more information, please click on the button below.
You are a creditor if you are the person/entity to whom the debtor owes arrears to. Please read the sections below and read our FAQ here for more information.
Creditor Contact Information
Creditors are required to notify the Trustee of any contact/address changes. In order to do so, bankruptcy laws require a formal Notice of Change of Address be filed with the Court, which can be downloaded here.
Failure to notify the Trustee's office of any contact information changes may result in the delay of issuing Trustee payments.- If you are the creditor in a case where the account has now been service released or closed, and no Proof of Claim has been filed, please be advised that the Trustee is strictly prohibited from ceasing Trustee payments to creditors without formal notification in writing. Therefore, in order to instruct our office to stop sending Trustee payments, please send our office a formal letter in writing via the guidelines below.
- The letter must be written on a formal letterhead and must include the following information:
- - The debtor's name and case number
- - Reason why the payments should cease (ie. "Account is now service released")
- - If the account has been service released/transferred, we also require the new servicer's contact information (address and phone number).
- The letter, once completed, must then be sent only in writing (email & FAX are not accepted) to our office here:
- Nancy Curry, Chapter 13 Trustee
1000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 870
Los Angeles, CA 90017 - If a Proof of Claim was filed in a bankruptcy case, please see the Transfer of Claim section below.
Proof of Claims
If you are a creditor or think you might be a creditor and would like to file a Proof of Claim, you may download the form here.Transfer of Claim
- A Transfer of Claim is filed when a creditor is no longer the creditor in a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy case where a Proof of Claim has been filed. If you have filed a Proof of Claim in a Chapter 13 case and are no longer the creditor, please click here to download a Transfer of Claim.
Please be sure to complete the form and file it with the Central District of California Bankruptcy Court in order for our office to update the creditor information. Other Important Forms for Creditors
- To view other important creditor forms, please click here.