Filing Your Petition

Chapter 7 Required Documents

PERSONAL DOCUMENTS:
Driver’s License
If you need a new Driver’s License or an update to an existing license, please visit the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (www.nydmv.state.ny.us).

Social Security Card
If you cannot find your Social Security card, a new one can be requested through the Social Security Administration, online at www.ssa.gov or by visiting the local office, located at Washington Plaza, Newburgh, NY 12550

AUTO INFORMATION:
Titles to all Vehicles you own
We need copies of the titles to your vehicles.  If you cannot locate the title(s) of your vehicle, please contact the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (www.nydmv.state.ny.us) to get a replacement.

Payoff amounts on all vehicles with a loan
Contact your lender if you do not receive statements or if you cannot find your latest.

REAL PROPERTY:
Copy of Deed, Mortgage and Recording Page
We need copies of the deed and the recording page of the mortgage for any real estate that you own.  If you no longer have a copy of your deed or the recording page of your mortgage, you will need to track them down at the public records archive of the county in which you reside.  For Orange County, the records room is located at the Orange County Government Center in Goshen, NY (www.co.orange.ny.us) and for a small printing fee ($0.25 per page) you can find your property in the computerized database and print it out.  If you do not wish to take this step, we can do a search for you (Orange County only), but we charge $75 for this service. 

Payoff on mortgages (most recent statement)
Provide us with a copy of your most recent statement for any mortgages that you currently have.  If you have not paid in a while, and no longer receive statements, you may have to contact the bank for a payoff figure.

Drive-by appraisal by a licensed real estate agent
In order to establish the value of your home, we need an up-to-date appraisal.  We can recommend two appraisers who have done a good deal of work for our clients in the past.  You can of course use someone else if you would like, but we have had great success with the appraisals done by the following individuals.  They know our requirements for the appraisal and are discreet about your situation.

 Arthur G. Livesey, Jr.
Coldwell Banker Currier & Lazier Realtors
367-371 East Main Street
Middletown, NY 10940
(845)342-5766, ext. 247
www.artlivesey.com

Vincent Davis
Davis Management Real Estate
10 Queen Ann Lane
Warwick, NY 10990
(845)544-6666
        
CREDITOR BILLS:
Original Creditor Bills
We need only your most recent creditor statements.  Please give us originals if possible, as we need to include contact addresses (not payment addresses) on your petition.

Recent Credit Report
If you no longer receive creditor statements, or you know that some accounts have gone to collections and have thus become hard to trace, you may want to pull up a credit report.  You are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once a year.  Visit www.annualcreditreport.com for your free credit.

FINANCIAL:
6 months of paystubs from time of filing
This is a vital part of your bankruptcy filing.  We need to know about your income over the past six months.  Please provide all paystubs you have received from all sources of income you currently have.  We must send copies of all paystubs to the trustee.  If you cannot find your paystubs, please contact your employer to obtain them.  If you do not receive paystubs you may need a letter from your employer, as well as an affidavit stating your income (which we are able to prepare for you).  If you are self-employed, we need all information relating to your gross business income, as well as a breakdown of your expenses over the past 12 months.  An affidavit will also be required.

Also, please hold on to all paystubs from this point on, as you will need to provide them to us up until the date we file your petition.

Tax returns (both state and federal) for the last two years
For the Chapter 7 petition, we will need full copies of your tax returns for the last two years that you filed.  Please also provide all W-2’s, 1099’s, attachments and schedules, as sometimes the trustee in your case will request them.  If you do not have your federal income tax returns, you may request a copy from the IRS (www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc156.html?portlet=1). 

Any interest debtor may have in an education or individual retirement account
If you have a Section 529 College Savings Plan or an Individual Retirement Account (IRA, 401(k), 403(b), etc), we will need recent statements for all. 

Copies of household utility bills
We need to have copies of your household bills to support your stated expenses on your budget.  We only need the most recent statement for each.

Bank statements for all open accounts (last three months)
Please provide us statements for all the accounts in your name or joint with other parties for the past three months.

Copy of checkbook register
This is to verify your household expenses.  Please copy and submit with your other documents.  If you do not have a checkbook register, your bank statements with sufice.

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CREDIT COUNSELING:

Certificate from an approved credit counseling agency
You need to complete a one-hour course on the internet or by telephone in order to file your petition.  Remember that your credit counseling certificate is only valid for six months from the date you receive it, so please schedule your appointment with your petition filing date in mind.  Please see the following agencies for credit counseling services.  Our clients have recommended these to us, but if you wish, you may of course do some research and find your own.  A full list of legitimate credit counseling agencies is available online at the U.S. Trustee Program website.

Federal mandate resulting from 2005 New Bankruptcy Law – two-part counseling costing (out of pocket) clients $50 each part.  Part One is completed before petition is filed; Part Two is completed after petition is filed.

New York State
Southern District of New York Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta
100 Edgewood Avenue
Suite 1800
Atlanta, GA  30303
800-251-2227
www.cccsinc.org
In Person, Telephonic and Internet

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester, Inc.
50 Chestnut Plaza
Rochester, NY  14604
888-724-2227
In Person and Telephonic

Cricket Debt Counseling
866-719-0400
www.cricketdebt.com
Telephonic and Internet

GreenPath, Inc.
38505 Country Club Drive, Suite 210
Farmington Hills, MI  48331-3429
800-630-6718
www.greenpathbk.com
In Person, Telephonic and Internet

Money Management International, Inc.
9009 West Loop South, 7th Floor
Houston, TX  77096-1719
877-918-2227
www.moneymanagement.org
In Person, Telephonic and Internet

Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management, Inc.
4351 Latham Street
Riverside, CA  92501
800-947-3752
www.credit.org
In Person, Telephonic and Internet

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