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Rising Debt in the Growing Season Increases Cases of Chapter 12 Bankruptcy in Mankato, MN

Ever since people have learned to grow plants and care for livestock, farming has proved to be one of the most difficult occupations in which to make money. Because farming is so dependent on natural conditions, it’s inevitable that it is often filled with hardship. In today’s global economy, and in the face of changing environmental factors, farming has become a harder way to make a living than ever before. If you are struggling to support your farm, you are not alone. With the help of Behm Law Group Ltd., you can decide whether filing for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in Mankato, MN, is the right choice for you, and work through the process with our guidance and support.

 

Chapter 12 bankruptcy is specifically designed to treat the financial conditions of a family farmer. Like Chapter 13 and Chapter 11, this process reorganizes your debts into a manageable repayment plan overseen by a bankruptcy trustee. This allows you to keep your company and property stabilized until your debts are repaid under adjusted or modified loan terms. If you have a difficult few years, Chapter 12 can be a critical option for keeping your family farm running.

 

The problem many farmers have struggled with in the last twenty years is a lack of demand. Farmers can grow more corn and soybeans than ever before thanks to GMOs and pesticide technology. While crop demand increased with production until recently, it has now started to drop in comparison with the supply ratio. Due to this, farmers are seeing decreasing income in response to the time, hard work, and cost of crop production.

 

Reflecting the difficult times farmers are currently facing across the country, Minnesota has seen a rapid increase in the number of Chapter 12 cases, especially during the spring growing season. Spring is the time of year when income from the previous season is most important to be able to get a new crop in the ground and established for the coming months. If you have struggled to make ends meet in the previous year and have seen a decrease in demand for your supply, you may be facing an even lower return in this new season.

 

This cycle starts to resemble a spiraling out of income and a loading on of debt for farmers. A demand for crops that cannot match the supply grown causes a lower income for farmers. This lower income prevents them from paying necessary costs-of-living and farming expenses, and results in more debt, more loans taken out, and in the long term, a higher risk of bankruptcy.

 

Despite this negative cycle we are currently seeing for Minnesota farmers, the possibilities that Chapter 12 bankruptcy offers are a silver lining that, not only allows farmers to keep their businesses running and resolve debt, but also provides a long-term solution for unbalanced supply and demand. To learn more about how filing for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in Mankato, MN, can help farmers with unmanageable debt, contact Behm Law Group Ltd. at (507) 387-7200 today.

 

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Farms and Other Local Midwest Food Suppliers File for Chapter 12 Bankruptcy in Mankato, MN

Farming is a notoriously difficult profession even with the knowledge, tools, and power agriculturalists have access to today. Throughout the ages, farmers have faced challenges with the weather, soil conditions, seed fertility, plant diseases, pests, economy crashes, and many other variables. With all the hardships farmers face, it’s incredible there are so many strong people who still choose this vocation, and we have those hard workers to thank for the abundance of food in supermarkets and grocery stores across the country.

 

However, many farmers still face extreme financial hardship, and it’s no surprise that many find themselves deep in significant debt connected to their crop, livestock, or fishing operations. If you’re having difficulties as a family farmer or fisher, Behm Law Group, Ltd. can help you find your way out of severe debt by filing for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in Mankato, MN.

 

With the large spread of farmland dotting the countryside between Mankato and other cities in southern Minnesota, there are many local people living in our communities that took on farming as a profession. Unfortunately, this year has marked a rise of farm debts, not just in Minnesota, but across the Midwest as a whole.

 

Why Farm Debts Are on the Rise

 

Sometimes described as a “slow bleed” of independent farms in the face of low dairy, crop, fish, and meat prices, the debts of family farmers and fishers are not matched by the income they receive from product sales. When independent farms are higher in geographic concentration, as they often are, the trickle of each small farmer’s debts turns into a river of severe financial crisis. If this happens to a community, no matter how widespread, bankruptcy is a highly valuable solution. When farmers and fishers take advantage of the assistance filing for Chapter 12 bankruptcy provides, it serves as a true system of recovery and healing for agricultural communities.

 

Chapter 12 Bankruptcy

 

Chapter 12 bankruptcy is a debt relief option offered to family farmers and fishers who earn over 50% of their income from agricultural or fishing operations. If you file for Chapter 12, you are provided with a system of bankruptcy that reorganizes and restructures your debts in a manageable repayment plan suited to your income. This bankruptcy repayment plan is spread over a period of three to five years and allows for fluctuations in your income with the growing and harvest seasons. Not only does Chapter 12 give farmers and fishers a way to repay their debts without losing their land, home, agricultural equipment, and overall livelihood, it also provides protection against creditor harassment.

 

Farm debt may be on the rise due to several conditions in the food industry today, but there are solutions. Chapter 12 bankruptcy in Mankato, MN is one option that many can use to recover in the long-term from agricultural debt. To learn more about bankruptcy and debt relief, contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. at (507) 387-7200 today.

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Qualifying as a Family Farmer or Fisher to File for Chapter 12 Debt Repayment Bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN

Agricultural industries in the U.S. have changed dramatically over the last fifty years, developing to meet the needs of a growing population and global market while battling many other obstacles. Today’s agricultural industrial complex is equipped to provide abundant food year-round to virtually every community, but because of its structure, it has also made it difficult for family farmers and other family agricultural businesses to stay afloat. For family farmers or family fishermen struggling to make ends meet, Behm Law Group, Ltd. offers legal advice and assistance to file for Chapter 12 debt repayment bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN. We can help you understand why bankruptcy is a valuable option to recover from financial problems that affect your family and business alike.

 

The U.S. Bankruptcy Code offers Chapter 12 debt repayment bankruptcy as a system tailored to fit the unique requirements and livelihoods of American family farmers and family fishermen. This bankruptcy chapter works similarly to Chapter 13, taking the filer’s debts and income into consideration and, with fairness to the creditors involved, restructuring those debts into a manageable three to five-year repayment plan.

 

However, Chapter 12 differs from Chapter 13 in several ways that make it more suitable to filers who make their living through their own farming or fishing practices. These benefits range from greater debt allowances to cramming down secured debts, but in order to gain the advantages Chapter 12 debt repayment bankruptcy provides family farmers and family fishermen, you have to qualify to file.

 

What Makes a Chapter 12 Candidate?

 

To prevent abuse when filing for debt repayment bankruptcy, the bankruptcy code outlines strict conditions for filers to qualify as family farmers and family fishermen. These requirements include:

 

  1. You or you and your spouse together own and operate a commercial farming or fishing enterprise.
  2. The income you gain from your farm or fishing operation must be over 50% of your total gross income as a household. This is measured from the previous tax year or from the previous three tax years (the latter is only applicable for family farmers).
  3. The total of your debt directly connected to your operation (property, equipment, seed and supply contracts, vehicles, tax debts, etc.) can’t be higher than $4,153,150 for a farm or $1,924,550 for a commercial fishery or fishing business.
  4. If you are a family farmer, you must have 50% of all your debts as an individual or household directly connected to your farm.
  5. If you are a family fisherman, you must have 80% of all your debts as an individual or household directly connected to your fishing enterprise.

 

If you’re unsure whether you qualify for a Chapter 12 debt repayment bankruptcy, Behm Law Group, Ltd. can help you examine your finances to determine if the debts and income connected to your farming or fishing operations meet the requirements.

 

Don’t wait to recover from severe debt and restabilize your family’s farm or fishery. Contact us today at (507) 387-7200 to learn more about your options for Chapter 12 debt repayment bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN.

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Cancellation and Charging-Off vs Debt Discharge in Bankruptcy in Marshall, MN

When you enter into a loan agreement, it’s implied and expected you’ll repay the debt in full with interest. However, nobody is perfect. There are many life events that can affect your ability to meet debt obligations, especially when you accumulate several debts over time. If you find yourself unable to make monthly loan payments, you and your creditors are faced with how to resolve that. There are several ways creditors can try to continue collecting a debt and there are several ways for you to relieve that debt. With the help of Behm Law Group, Ltd., filing for bankruptcy in Marshall, MN, can be a viable way to resolve debt issues.

 

The three primary ways a debt issue can be resolved is to cancel a debt, charge-off a debt, or discharge a debt. Debt discharge occurs through the bankruptcy process, but certain types of debt can be cancelled or charged-off. The process of charging-off or cancelling a debt is most often done outside of bankruptcy, but it can be accomplished during a case without significantly affecting the proceedings.

 

Debt Cancellation

 

If you’re unable to repay a debt, a creditor may choose to cancel/write it off. You can negotiate with your creditors to convince them to cancel debts even while you’re in the process of filing for bankruptcy. However, you will be taxed for the amount you owed on the debt because the cancellation of the debt is considered income for tax purposes. For example, if you owed $1,000 on a debt at the time of its cancellation, you will be taxed for that amount. The exception to this is if the debt amount was $600 or less.

 

Charging-Off Debt

 

Creditors can also choose to charge-off a debt if you’re unable to repay it. In this case, the debt record is removed from the creditor’s records and the creditor can either attempt collections in-house or sell the debt to a debt buyer. By selling the debt to a debt buyer, the creditor is able to claim a tax exemption.  You still have the obligation to repay the debt but your obligation is to pay the new debt purchaser instead of the original creditor.

 

Debt Discharge

Choosing to file for bankruptcy may be a difficult decision to make, but the benefits are many. Discharging your debts through bankruptcy is the most effective way to permanently end your repayment obligations without any tax liability. If you have your debts discharged through bankruptcy, you are not taxed on any debt so discharged.   In any event, there is a specific IRS form to be excused from having to file taxes on debt discharged in bankruptcy.

 

Filing for bankruptcy gets a negative reputation, but it’s an effective legal process designed to provide debt relief to individuals and businesses struggling with overwhelming financial burdens. Cancellations and charge-offs both have many catches and will still follow you to tax season.

 

With the help of a quality lawyer, you can file for bankruptcy and successfully discharge debts for good. If you’re considering filing for bankruptcy in Marshall, MN, contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. at (507) 387-7200 for more information about working with our quality bankruptcy attorneys.

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Possible Plan Outcomes with Chapter 12 Bankruptcy in Jackson, MN

The seasons of winter and spring in Minnesota are the most difficult times for farmers who support their households with income from agricultural sources. In fact, it’s a time when bankruptcies filed by family farmers spike across the country. In 1987, Chapter 12 bankruptcy was added to the bankruptcy code to help family farmers recover from extreme financial difficulties through the process of debt restructuring and debt consolidation. Behm Law Group, Ltd. offers legal advice and assistance for farmers who are considering filing for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in Jackson, MN.

The process of Chapter 12 bankruptcy is similar to that of Chapter 13 reorganization bankruptcy, but offers specific benefits tailored to fit the financial circumstances of a family farming household. The process of Chapter 12 takes a filer’s debts and restructures them to create a new payment plan that can last 3 to 5 years. This plan requires a full repayment of priority unsecured debts, such as tax debts, and, generally, a specific percentage (0%-100%) repayment of all other debts.

The outcome of a Chapter 12 bankruptcy case can be decided in one of five ways:

  1. Converted: If your household income is low enough to pass the Means Test and you have either failed to propose a repayment plan or your proposed plan was not confirmed by the bankruptcy court, you can have your case converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation case.

 

  1. Confirmed without discharge: If your repayment plan proposal is accepted, your plan will be confirmed or approved by the bankruptcy court. Depending on the amounts you owe and the types of debts you have, you may not actually receive a discharge of your debts and you may only need the assistance of a chapter 12 bankruptcy proceeding to simply restructure or consolidate your debts.

 

  1. Confirmed with discharge: The most common outcome for approved Chapter 12 cases includes a repayment plan that is confirmed by the bankruptcy court and provides for the restructuring or consolidation of some debts and for the discharge or other debts. Debts that are often discharged in a Chapter 12 bankruptcy include medical bills and credit card debts. This is the optimal outcome of a Chapter 12 case.

 

  1. Dismissed before confirmation: If your Chapter 12 case is filed in bad faith, or if you have engaged in other fraudulent behavior either before or after your case is filed, your bankruptcy case could be dismissed before you begin the chapter 12 plan confirmation process.

 

  1. Dismissed after filing: If you engage in fraudulent behavior within the 3 to 5-year repayment plan period, your plan can be dismissed, even after you successfully get the bankruptcy court to approve or confirm your chapter 12 plan. This can result from a number of different circumstances, for example, if you hide additional income or attempt to convert your case to Chapter 7 in bad faith.

 

If you’re a local family farmer and struggling to meet debt payments and daily financial obligations, Chapter 12 bankruptcy might be a way to recover. Contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. at (507) 387-7200 today for more information about filing for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in Jackson, MN.

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Benefits of Chapter 12 Over Chapter 13 for Farmers and Fishermen Considering Bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN

For most households, filing for bankruptcy without liquidating assets involves Chapter 13 bankruptcy, a process that effectively reorganizes debts and alters amounts to be repaid along with the overall repayment period. While most consumer households and individuals should opt for Chapter 13 if their goal is to retain much of their property through bankruptcy, there’s a better option for family farmers and fishermen filing for bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN. If you’re a farmer or fisherman struggling financially, filing for Chapter 12 reorganization bankruptcy is most likely the right choice for you. Behm Law Group, Ltd. can give you the help you need throughout your petition.

Because Chapter 12 was specifically designed to address the debts of family farmers and fishermen, it’s reasonable that it’s more beneficial to filers of that status to choose Chapter 12 over Chapter 13. The details of those benefits include the following:

  1. You can have more debt than a Chapter 13 filer. In Chapter 13, filers aren’t eligible if their secured debts are greater than $1,184,200 or if their unsecured debts exceed $394,725. However, for farmers and fishermen with the much greater debts that often come with owning and operating a farm or fishing venture, the debt ceiling for Chapter 12 peaks at $4,153,150.
  2. You have more wiggle room with repaying secured debts. If your secured debts are so high that repaying them will take longer than your repayment plan period, it’s possible that you will not have to repay those debts in full during the plan period. You’ll still have to repay those debts completely, but you may adjust your plan so that you make reasonable payments throughout the plan period and continue to pay those installments after the plan is completed until your debts are repaid in full. This gives you more room to breathe within your repayment plan.
  3. You have more wiggle room with repayment installments. In a Chapter 12 plan farmers and fishermen are allowed to base the frequency of their payment installments around the production cycle of their crop or catch migration and population. In Chapter 13, on the other hand, the filer must make monthly payments regardless of income patterns.
  4. You have more cramdown options. In Chapter 13 and Chapter 12, you have some options to “cramdown” your debts, meaning you can reduce a debt to the present value. For example, if your car was worth $5,000 at the time of the filing of your bankruptcy petition, but your debt on the car was $8,000 at that time, you can cram the debt you owe down to the $5,000. In Chapter 13, you can only use cramdowns on certain debts, but Chapter 12 allows more extensive uses of cramdowns, including home mortgages and motor vehicle loans.

Overall, Chapter 12 offers a lot more to family farmers and fishermen than Chapter 13. If you think you’re eligible to file for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN, contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. at (507) 387-7200 today.