When you file for bankruptcy, your creditors are notified so they can stop collection activities. Using the official bankruptcy notice addresses protects you from further harassment.
You’re required to list all debts on your bankruptcy schedules – no exceptions.
Once notified of a bankruptcy filing, creditors must stop collection activities.
Most banks and credit card companies have multiple addresses.
How can you figure out which one is the correct address to use on your bankruptcy schedules?
Official Bankruptcy Notice Addresses
The bankruptcy laws allow creditors to choose a preferred address for receiving bankruptcy notices.This may be a single preferred address for cases in every bankruptcy court in the country or different addresses for cases in specific bankruptcy courts.
If a creditor has chosen a designated address, you can list that creditor with the designated address or the one listed on the last received two pieces of correspondence from the creditor during the 90 days leading up to the bankruptcy filing.
How To Find The Official Bankruptcy Notice Address
If you owe money to, say, Citibank, there’s a good chance that the correspondence address differs from the billing address. Disputes go one place, account inquiries elsewhere.
You’ve got a few ways to find the official bankruptcy notice address. They are:
- read the statements to see if there’s a specified address listed;
- call customer service and ask;
- search Google for the name of the creditor and “official bankruptcy notice”;
- order a credit report that contains the notice address; or
- let your lawyer handle it.
I can’t speak for any other lawyer, but we handle it for our clients. It’s part of what we do – even if you come to us with a list of addresses, we double-check to make triple sure.
If You Don’t Use the Correct Address
If the creditor isn’t notified of your bankruptcy in the proper way and at the correct address, they aren’t considered to have actual notice of your bankruptcy case.
That means if the creditor keeps sending you bills or calling you about the debt, they can’t be held liable for a violation of the automatic stay. You can’t sue them, you can’t collect money damages, and they can keep up the collection efforts without consequences.
Avoidable Problems
Part of the goal of filing for bankruptcy is to make sure your creditors stop bothering you. By using the proper official bankruptcy notice addresses you can maximize the chances of that happening.
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