After seveal delays with my case I finally had my 341 meeting today! Let me first start out by saying that I worry about EVERYTHING and I was worried sick about going to this 341 meeting for my chapter 7 bankruptcy but WOW!! It was SOO EASY! I can't believe I lost sleep over it!
Here was my experience...
I walked into the courthouse, went thru the metal detectors and walked into a fairly decent sized waiting room. there was a board on the wall with various signs about what papers you need to present to the trustee, various posting about foreclosure scams or something to that effect, etc etc. There was a clock on the wall and about 30 or so chairs, a table and a wood bench. There were several attorneys discussing with their clients what was going to happen when they went into the actual meeting room.
I arrived about 40 minutes before my meeting was scheduled to start so that I could sit in and get a feel for how things go during the meeting. Mind you, I've read some pretty scary stories on here so I was very intimidated at first but I quickly realized its not so bad. The meeting room itself is set up a lot like the waiting room, only their is a large table at the front of the room, a little tape recorder on the table, a laptop and of course the trustee sitting at the very front. Theres chairs on both sides of the table--I'm guessing theres chairs set up incase a creditor shows up to the meeting--none of the meetings I sat in on had a creditor show up--this was another huge worry I had...The Trustee seemed to be very monotone and boring (I would be too asking people the same questions day-in and day-out)...but seemed friendly overall. When he called the debtors up to his table he asked them to raise their right hand and swore them in...he seemed to have a list of questions and he asked everyone the same thing.
The questions I remember were:
1. Please state your first and last name and your current address/phone number
2. Have you reviewed your schedules before signing?
3. Is the signature on your schedules your signature?
4. Did you receive the notification from the courts in the mail?
5. Are you suing anyone right now?
6. Does anyone owe you any money?
7. Have you paid any creditor more than 600.00 in the last 90 days?
8. Do you own any property?
9. Do you anticipate an inheritence within the next 6 months?
10. You listed (enter assets here--i.e. jewelry, clothing, cash in the bank)--is this correct?
11. Have you sold anything for less than its value within the last 4 years?
12. Have you filed a bankruptcy within the last 8 years?
13. Have you gotten a divorce in the last 4 years?
14. Are you currently employed? If so, state where and the work address
15. I see that you listed a house at 123 main st--what are your intentions? surrender, reaffirm?
16. intentions for you car, surrender or reaffirm/redeem?
That was pretty much it.
There were no questions regarding why I was filing, what happened etc. It was a huge relief. From the time I was called up to the time I walked out was litterally 3 minutes or less. It was extremely painless and I urge all of you who are worried about the meeting to go early and listen to a few cases before yours is called--it really helps.
I will admit--when I first walked into the waiting room I was extremely nervous. I think it was that moment that it hit me--I was going to meet the trustee--yikes.
I'm relieved that it went as smoothly as it did--not just for me but for all the cases I listened in on today.
My advice--Don't be nervous, its really nothing to lose sleep over! trust me. As long as you have nothing to hide there is NOTHING to be afraid of.
Here was my experience...
I walked into the courthouse, went thru the metal detectors and walked into a fairly decent sized waiting room. there was a board on the wall with various signs about what papers you need to present to the trustee, various posting about foreclosure scams or something to that effect, etc etc. There was a clock on the wall and about 30 or so chairs, a table and a wood bench. There were several attorneys discussing with their clients what was going to happen when they went into the actual meeting room.
I arrived about 40 minutes before my meeting was scheduled to start so that I could sit in and get a feel for how things go during the meeting. Mind you, I've read some pretty scary stories on here so I was very intimidated at first but I quickly realized its not so bad. The meeting room itself is set up a lot like the waiting room, only their is a large table at the front of the room, a little tape recorder on the table, a laptop and of course the trustee sitting at the very front. Theres chairs on both sides of the table--I'm guessing theres chairs set up incase a creditor shows up to the meeting--none of the meetings I sat in on had a creditor show up--this was another huge worry I had...The Trustee seemed to be very monotone and boring (I would be too asking people the same questions day-in and day-out)...but seemed friendly overall. When he called the debtors up to his table he asked them to raise their right hand and swore them in...he seemed to have a list of questions and he asked everyone the same thing.
The questions I remember were:
1. Please state your first and last name and your current address/phone number
2. Have you reviewed your schedules before signing?
3. Is the signature on your schedules your signature?
4. Did you receive the notification from the courts in the mail?
5. Are you suing anyone right now?
6. Does anyone owe you any money?
7. Have you paid any creditor more than 600.00 in the last 90 days?
8. Do you own any property?
9. Do you anticipate an inheritence within the next 6 months?
10. You listed (enter assets here--i.e. jewelry, clothing, cash in the bank)--is this correct?
11. Have you sold anything for less than its value within the last 4 years?
12. Have you filed a bankruptcy within the last 8 years?
13. Have you gotten a divorce in the last 4 years?
14. Are you currently employed? If so, state where and the work address
15. I see that you listed a house at 123 main st--what are your intentions? surrender, reaffirm?
16. intentions for you car, surrender or reaffirm/redeem?
That was pretty much it.
There were no questions regarding why I was filing, what happened etc. It was a huge relief. From the time I was called up to the time I walked out was litterally 3 minutes or less. It was extremely painless and I urge all of you who are worried about the meeting to go early and listen to a few cases before yours is called--it really helps.
I will admit--when I first walked into the waiting room I was extremely nervous. I think it was that moment that it hit me--I was going to meet the trustee--yikes.
I'm relieved that it went as smoothly as it did--not just for me but for all the cases I listened in on today.
My advice--Don't be nervous, its really nothing to lose sleep over! trust me. As long as you have nothing to hide there is NOTHING to be afraid of.
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Waiting for February 14 2011, date objections due. 
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