Filing a Chapter 13 in Texas
Meeting of Creditors
Generally, between 20 to 50 days after you Chapter 13 case is filed, your will have to attend a meeting that is mandatory and is known as the “Meeting of Creditors.” Any creditor who wishes to ask you questions about your financial situation, may show up at the meeting and ask you questions. In the vast majority of cases, no creditors attend the meeting. As a general rule, the only creditors who appear are either: (a) creditors who are unfamiliar with the bankruptcy process and incorrectly believe they must appear at the meeting, or (b) creditors who have a specific purpose for attending, such finding out whether you wish to keep their collateral or whether you have adequately insured their collateral, etc. Creditors’ representatives are NOT there to argue, confront, or embarrass you, and will not engage in such conduct.
Also, on the same day as your Meeting of Creditors, you will have to attend a Personal Financial Management Class.
We will inform you in writing of the exact date and time of the Meeting of Creditors as well as the Personal Financial Management Class. Our notice will also include a map to the building. Your Personal Financial Management Class will be conducted in the morning and your meeting of creditors will take place in the afternoon of the same day.
The meeting of creditors and the Personal Financial Management Class are held at: Office of the Standing Chapter 13 Trusteee, 6851 N.E. Loop 820, Suite 200, North Richland Hills, TX 76180. Click here for map.
If you are filing the case as a joint case with a spouse, both of you MUST attend the meeting.
When it is time for your Meeting of Creditors, one of the attorneys from our law firm will call your name to escort you to the meeting location. That is the best time to advise the attorney of any changes, in your financial condition, which may have occurred since you filed your case. For example, you may have had a change in income or changed your job.
A Chapter 13 Trustee’s representative will preside over and conduct the Meeting of Creditors. Each meeting generally lasts about fifteen to twenty minutes. The trustee’s representative will put you under oath and will ask you a series of questions regarding your assets, liabilities, general financial condition, bankruptcy paperwork, your Chapter 13 plan. Also, the trustee’s representative will often ask you to explain the circumstances that prompted you to file your case, so be prepared to answer this question. You and the attorney will simply inform the trustee’s representative of any changes in your financial condition which you may have expereinced since the filing of your case. The actual paperwork changes will be handled at a later date, if need be. Usually, the trustee’s representative and the attending creditors keep their inquiries brief due to the volume of cases scheduled. In some cases, the trustee’s representative or a creditor may ask you to provide additional information. In rare instances, a creditor may wish to depose you at length. If a request for deposing you is made, we will consult with you at length about your situation. After you answer the trustee’s represenatative’s questions, the meeting will adjourn and you will be free to leave.