Some people don't seem to realise that bankruptcy really is a "fresh start," even though it can have some bad effects.
Some people are still unhappy even though they have good things going for them.
I got the following letter:
"Why does it take lawyers six weeks or more to get rid of a chapter 13?
Why do apartment leasers hold a bankruptcy against you when I don't see how you could add apartment rent to your bankruptcy?
If life after bankruptcy is so bad, why do lawyers keep telling people it's okay to file? (They're looking for money.)"
My response:
"Six weeks isn't that long to wait for a discharge, and it may depend on how busy the bankruptcy court is.
If someone has bad credit, some landlords might not want to rent to them. They might think they'll have to go after the renter to get their money. Having things takes time and costs money.
In many cases, the landlord will get the apartment back, but the rent may never be paid.
Since the court case is taking so long, the landlord has lost some of his income. He has every reason to be careful.
But life isn't that bad after you file for bankruptcy. People who owed money used to go to jail.
Not too long ago, people who went bankrupt had to carry a stigma for the rest of their lives. Many people killed themselves rather than face the shame.
During the Great Depression, when a lot of people went bankrupt, they felt like it was a matter of honour to pay off their old debts.
No one cares much anymore. You will get credit for it. All of your debts have been taken care of. What more could you want?
You ran up the debts, whether it was because of bad luck, bad planning, or just not being able to control your spending.
You agreed to pay back the money, but you didn't.
Most of the pain and stress caused by your financial problems have gone away. Over the next few years, you will face some problems, but you should have known that before you filed.
You went to a lawyer; they didn't come to you. I'm sure the lawyer didn't force you to file by putting pressure on you. If you've been let out of jail, be happy, start over, and deal with the results.
Things might not be so bad."
I think this person needs to change how they think.
