I filed pro se on 8/30/19. I'm in Chicago and my 341 meeting was today at noon. Wasn't sure what to really expect, had some sort of a vague idea about an open room where everyone sat down and then the trustee would be at the podium and you'd go up when called.
Well it wasn't at all like that.
There was a room but it was a waiting area. There were 4 rooms and when I came in, someone was standing at the front holding a clipboard and while I was trying to read the sign behind him that said something about a call sheet, he asked if I needed help. I told him I was trying to figure out the call sheet. He asked who my trustee was, I told him, he pointed to the back of the room and said that was where my trustee was. So I went and sat down towards that general area.
Meeting was scheduled at 12, I got there at 11:40 a.m., didn't get called until 12:25 p.m.
Guy with the clipboard turned out to be an attorney, not associated with the courthouse.
Didn't seem to be a particular order names were called, more like if 3 clients were represented by the same attorney, they were immediately called and bunched together. I was last as part of the noon set.
Had researched my trustee prior and was a little nervous because it seemed like he's the type of trustee to really go after assets. -- Based on this, was concerned and worried about my intellectual property, internet domains, LLC, sole proprietorship, book royalties, and envisioned a scenario I'd be grilled about various things associated with all this. (Also, trustee seemed like a hard ass because he never answered my email about remitting documents 2 months ago and on the court website has this little spiel about how pro se filers always make the same mistake, seemed like he really is not a fan of pro se.)
Well I was wrong.
First thing as I walked in, he's asking for tax returns.
I tell him I didn't file for the last 2 years. He then demanded pay stubs. I'm not even seated yet. I'm in the approaching the chair stage. I tell him I mailed him my pay stubs but that I have a copy of what I sent him. I pull it out, hand it to him, he says "oh yeah, I got this. ok." and hands it back.
I am now finally seated after he hands this back. We can commence it appears.
I hand him my driver's license and social security card.
He tells me to wait for the machine because it's frozen. (It's all being recorded.) While waiting for the machine to load, I admire the parrots on the very old school monitor that clearly has not worked since the early 80s. We laugh about this. The ice has been cracked.
The machine is up, I'm asked for my name, address. He then asks me about an LLC. I explain it was formed but haven't done anything with it because it's foreign.
I correct him on the amount of book royalties.
When asked if expecting to inherit any property or funds in the next 6 months, I respond with "I wish" which surprisingly enough sufficed. I mention this because I had gone in there expecting only yes or no answers acceptable but no, the trustee is human. He is not a hard ass. He gets it. He is not in fact furious or abrupt or wanting to get me out because I am not worth his time due to lack of assets. He said he also wished he was up for inheriting something.
Asked if I had any right to sue anyone and I said yes, then explained how I had hired an attorney for something and it led to a judgment so I have the right to sue for legal malpractice. He asked if I had listed the judgment. I said yes. He said good.
He then looked at me and said he was declaring this to be a no asset no distribution case and that I was officially done. I said great and then we went off the record, we said goodbye, I thanked him, and out the door I went.
So that was it and that's a wrap.
Glad it's over and basically nothing to expect except my official discharge soon.
Footnotes on experience:
I know a lot of people say to show up an hour earlier to listen to other meetings, but in this case it would have been fruitless since the trustees were inside other rooms.
As I looked at the time on my phone at around 12:20 p.m., I thought of every person who posted their meeting was at 9 and they were back in their car at 9:15 and wanted to laugh.
Definitely longer than 2 minutes but I would say shorter than 10. My trustee legitimately asked me every question the trustee is supposed to ask, questions listed on US Trustee site for those who are curious.
Well it wasn't at all like that.
There was a room but it was a waiting area. There were 4 rooms and when I came in, someone was standing at the front holding a clipboard and while I was trying to read the sign behind him that said something about a call sheet, he asked if I needed help. I told him I was trying to figure out the call sheet. He asked who my trustee was, I told him, he pointed to the back of the room and said that was where my trustee was. So I went and sat down towards that general area.
Meeting was scheduled at 12, I got there at 11:40 a.m., didn't get called until 12:25 p.m.
Guy with the clipboard turned out to be an attorney, not associated with the courthouse.
Didn't seem to be a particular order names were called, more like if 3 clients were represented by the same attorney, they were immediately called and bunched together. I was last as part of the noon set.
Had researched my trustee prior and was a little nervous because it seemed like he's the type of trustee to really go after assets. -- Based on this, was concerned and worried about my intellectual property, internet domains, LLC, sole proprietorship, book royalties, and envisioned a scenario I'd be grilled about various things associated with all this. (Also, trustee seemed like a hard ass because he never answered my email about remitting documents 2 months ago and on the court website has this little spiel about how pro se filers always make the same mistake, seemed like he really is not a fan of pro se.)
Well I was wrong.
First thing as I walked in, he's asking for tax returns.
I tell him I didn't file for the last 2 years. He then demanded pay stubs. I'm not even seated yet. I'm in the approaching the chair stage. I tell him I mailed him my pay stubs but that I have a copy of what I sent him. I pull it out, hand it to him, he says "oh yeah, I got this. ok." and hands it back.
I am now finally seated after he hands this back. We can commence it appears.
I hand him my driver's license and social security card.
He tells me to wait for the machine because it's frozen. (It's all being recorded.) While waiting for the machine to load, I admire the parrots on the very old school monitor that clearly has not worked since the early 80s. We laugh about this. The ice has been cracked.
The machine is up, I'm asked for my name, address. He then asks me about an LLC. I explain it was formed but haven't done anything with it because it's foreign.
I correct him on the amount of book royalties.
When asked if expecting to inherit any property or funds in the next 6 months, I respond with "I wish" which surprisingly enough sufficed. I mention this because I had gone in there expecting only yes or no answers acceptable but no, the trustee is human. He is not a hard ass. He gets it. He is not in fact furious or abrupt or wanting to get me out because I am not worth his time due to lack of assets. He said he also wished he was up for inheriting something.
Asked if I had any right to sue anyone and I said yes, then explained how I had hired an attorney for something and it led to a judgment so I have the right to sue for legal malpractice. He asked if I had listed the judgment. I said yes. He said good.
He then looked at me and said he was declaring this to be a no asset no distribution case and that I was officially done. I said great and then we went off the record, we said goodbye, I thanked him, and out the door I went.
So that was it and that's a wrap.
Glad it's over and basically nothing to expect except my official discharge soon.
Footnotes on experience:
I know a lot of people say to show up an hour earlier to listen to other meetings, but in this case it would have been fruitless since the trustees were inside other rooms.
As I looked at the time on my phone at around 12:20 p.m., I thought of every person who posted their meeting was at 9 and they were back in their car at 9:15 and wanted to laugh.
Definitely longer than 2 minutes but I would say shorter than 10. My trustee legitimately asked me every question the trustee is supposed to ask, questions listed on US Trustee site for those who are curious.