Portage Bankruptcy Resources | Legal Help & Factual Resources
Helpful Information for Bankruptcy Filings in
Portage — Kalamazoo County — Michigan
View the Bankruptcy Rules
View the Bankruptcy Code
View the Federal Rules of Evidence
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records)
If you have previously filed a bankruptcy case in the State of Michigan or any other state, you can search PACER to obtain information about your case and download copies of the documents. There might also be other court documents pertinent to your bankruptcy filing that you will be able to locate on PACER.
Anyone can set up a PACER account. There are charges for files accessed and downloaded. www.pacer.gov
U.S. Bankruptcy Courts:
www.uscourts.gov/bankruptcycourts.html
Michigan Western District Bankruptcy Court
Kalamazoo County bankruptcy cases will be filed with this bankruptcy court:
Federal Building
410 West Michigan Avenue, Room B-10
Kalamazoo MI 49007
(269) 381-5341
Counties Served: Alger, Allegan, Antrim, Baraga, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Chippewa, Clinton, Delta, Dickinson, Eaton, Emmet, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Hillsdale, Houghton, Ingham, Ionia, Iron, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Keweenaw, Lake, Leelanau, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Marquette, Mason, Mecosta, Menominee, Missaukee, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Ontonagon, Osceola, Ottawa, Saint Joseph, Schoolcraft, Van Buren, Wexford
An experienced Portage Bankruptcy Lawyer will know the federal laws governing bankruptcy, but will also be familiar with the Local Bankruptcy Court Rules that are specific to each district, and sometimes specific to individual bankruptcy judges. Contact a Kalamazoo County Bankruptcy Attorney for a free initial consultation regarding Chapter 7, Chapter 13, Chapter 11, or Chapter 12.
Portage 341 Meeting Room Location
As soon as a bankruptcy case is filed, a date is set for the Meeting of Creditors, also known as the 341 Meeting. This meeting gives creditors the opportunity to question the debtor (you) about monies owed and property owned. An average 341 Meeting lasts about 3 to 4 minutes. Your Portage Bankruptcy Lawyer will explain the meeting to you and accompany you to the meeting.
The meeting room location is:
Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
410 West Michigan Avenue
Room 111
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
U.S. Trustee
Chapter 13 Trustees
When your Chapter 13 bankruptcy case is filed with the Court, a Chapter 13 Trustee will be assigned to your case. The Chapter 13 Trustees for the Southern District of Michigan are:
Barbara P. Foley
425 West Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269) 343-0305
Brett N. Rodgers
50 Louis Street NW, Suite 700 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616)454-9638
Credit Counseling Services in the Portage area:
All individuals (not business entities) are required to complete credit counseling before their bankruptcy case can be filed – for all chapters of bankruptcy, including Chapter 7, Chapter 13, Chapter 12, and Chapter 11. After the case is filed, individuals must complete the second half of the course which is called debt management. View the Federal Trade Commission's brochure with consumer information about credit counseling and debtor education.
Credit counseling services must be approved by the bankruptcy court in order to provide these classes. In the Portage area, these providers have been approved:
Greenpath Debt Solutions
7127 S Westnedge Avenue 5C
Portage, MI 49002-4276
(269) 216-7556
For other approved providers in the Portage area, visit the U.S. Dept. of Justice website.
Credit Reporting Agencies:
Your Portage Bankruptcy Attorney may have you sign an authorization form so your credit report can be downloaded directly or you may be asked to obtain your free annual credit report yourself and submit it with your other bankruptcy documentation.
You are entitled to a free annual credit report from the three nationwide credit reporting companies. Don't be tricked by TV ads, email offers, or website banner ads into paying for your credit report. The only authorized source for your free credit report is AnnualCreditReport.com. Visit the Federal Trade Commission's website for more information about your free annual credit report.
Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
1-800-685-1111
http://www.equifax.com
TransUnion
Consumer Disclosure Center
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064-0390
1-800-888-4213
http://www.transunion.com
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 949
Allen, MI 75013-0949
1-800-682-7654
http://www.experian.com
Innovis Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 1358
Columbus, OH 43216-1358
Tax Returns:
You will be required to file copies of your tax returns for the past 2-3 years; submitting them either to the Trustee or the Bankruptcy Court, depending on local bankruptcy rules.
Federal Tax Returns:
For Information on how to obtain a Tax Return Transcript from the Internal Revenue Service, visit the IRS website or call 1-800-908-9946.
State Tax Returns:
You will need to submit state income tax returns if, during the past 2-3 years, you lived in a state that imposes state and/or local income taxes. (There are 43 states in the United States that have a state income tax.) Contact the state's taxing authority if you need to obtain copies of your tax returns from any of these states.
Vehicle Valuations:
You will need a fair and accurate value for any vehicles you own as of the day of filing your bankruptcy case. You can use online sources, but it is sometimes more accurate to get an estimate from a local used car dealer. Local car dealers have a better idea of what someone would actually pay for a vehicle in their city, which is not always the same as the value in the car buying guides.
Online Vehicle Valuations:
NADA - www.NADA.com
Kelly Blue Book - www.kbb.com
Edmunds - www.Edmunds.com
Local Used Car Dealers (for obtaining vehicle valuations):
Active Water
3600 W Milham Avenue
Portage, MI 49024
(269) 492-6470
Cars Unlimited
6037 Cypress Street
Portage, MI 49024
(269) 327-3016
Deals Unlimited Inc
8705 Portage Road
Portage, MI 49002
(269) 324-4285
Appraisals and Valuations for Real Estate (Real Property)
A fair and accurate value for your real property must be listed on your bankruptcy forms (Schedule A). Although some Trustees and Bankruptcy Courts will use the value assigned to your property by your local tax assessor, it is beneficial to have a local expert, such as a Portage real estate agent, give you a valuation on your property.
Some local Portage area realtors include:
CRE/MAX-Advantage
7127 S Westnedge Avenue Suite B
Portage, MI 49002
(269) 323-3900
American Professional Homes
626 Romence Road Suite 101-A
Portage, MI 49024
(269) 327-3935
Berner Real Estate
3278 Wadsworth Ln
Portage, MI 49024
(269) 327-0993
Kalamazoo County Bankruptcy Law Firms will review your financial situation, provide you with advice on the bankruptcy process, and show you how you can receive debt relief!
Serving clients throughout Southwestern Michigan, including Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Benton Heights, Comstock, Eastwood, Fair Plain, Galesburg, Grand Rapids, Holland, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lancing, Marshall, Oshtemo, Parchment, Pomeroy, Portage, St. Joseph, Texas Corners, Three Rivers, areas in the vicinity of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, and other communities in Kalamazoo County.
Contact a Portage Bankruptcy Attorney today for a free initial consultation.
Other Legal Bankruptcy Lawyers
If for some unforeseen reason, the Portage Bankruptcy Lawyers listed on this site are unable to assist you, please visit the Portage Bankruptcy Lawyers listed on HG.org; or the Portage Bankruptcy Lawyers listed on GetLegal.com; or the Portage Bankruptcy Lawyers on Justia.com