Thank GOD for a flexible trustee!

[MajorMike]

He accepts personal checks, money orders or bank checks for payment. He is also flexible with the payment date ( within 7 days of due date )
Even though our first payment is due within 30 days ( October 31st-ironic that it's Halloween huh? ) My payday is November 2nd and he said that's fine.
I think this will be an easier BK then expected....or at least I hope!

[chpxiii]

Nice! My trustee didn't want any personal checks. For some reason I didn't trust money orders - my chpt. 13 payment was just too important, so every month I went and got a bank/cashier's check for payment.

[MajorMike]

We're doing it through online banking. We set the date that we want it taken out of our account and it's automatic to co-inside with payday!

[wayne-o]

mine wont take personal checks...just money orders and cashiers checks. My payment is payroll deducted and it shows up just like clockwork. My trustee seemed nice and flexible at my creditor meeting and even if he had a problem with something he was decent to the people sitting in front of him. In addition the people in his office have always been extremely nice and helpful on the rare occasions ive needed to ask them something

[MajorMike]

That's great Wayno-O. We have the option of payroll deduction but I don't want my employer to know so we'll send it in on our own. Thank God for THAT option as well!

[Granny]

Nice! My trustee didn't want any personal checks. For some reason I didn't trust money orders - my chpt. 13 payment was just too important, so every month I went and got a bank/cashier's check for payment.

Chpxiii, I think we have the same trustee, and I agree, I don't trust money orders either, I always get a cashier's check. I've been considering setting it up for him to do an ACH transfer. Have you heard any feedback from anyone in the area who has done that?

[Elf]

I think that one of the reasons that so few make it through a CH13 is because so many trustees do not work with their debtors. If they did, many more of us would finish.

I had a very reasonable trustee. She was slow with everything, but she worked with us to make it all mangeable.

That is why I finished. Trustees should take a hint and work with their charges.

A BK does not mean that we're dead beats. A CH13 means that we've messed up and are trying to get back on track.

[$$only4ever]

My trustee prefers payroll deduction, which is okay with me. The payment gets there every month and I have documentation (pay stub) showing that it was deducted.

Before confirmation we had to send the payment using money orders. I was always afraid that it would get lost in the mail and it is such a hassle to trace it and get a stop payment on it.

I have not heard a peep from the trustee since confirmation. Basically, as long as the payment gets there every month, no one should have a problem with their trustee.

[MajorMike]

Thats why I do the online banking thing. I have proof the bank sent the money so if it gets lost, I have it documented and I can stop payment if it did get lost and the bank pays for that. The trustee then knows it wasn't my fault either. It IS a bank check he is receiving as the funds leave my account on the day I say so.

[rrockinggramma]

my trustee takes personal checks but holds them for 30 days. I always get a MO from my bank (a bank check has to be over 1000 at my bank) but this MO is just like a certified bank check. I have online banking but my trustee doesn't accept ACH payments and to use the online banking meant that it sent the trustee a regular check, so I decided that I would like to control it and just do it myself. Hopefully though I won't be sending in too many more payments. LOL

[chpxiii]

Chpxiii, I think we have the same trustee, and I agree, I don't trust money orders either, I always get a cashier's check. I've been considering setting it up for him to do an ACH transfer. Have you heard any feedback from anyone in the area who has done that?

Granny, where are you? I'm in Dallas, TX and my trustee is Tom Powers. And no, I have not heard anything on ACH transfers so I couldn't help you with that.

I can understand not wanting a check. I'm sure many debtors are filing due to overdraft fees. I simply assumed that with a cashier's check or money order, the money is paid outright and upfront - this is one way to ensure payment. I did have the option for payroll deduction but I didn't want my employers to know, my personal finances are none of their business. Also, I'm sure many trustees have had to deal with bounced checks - which are a PITA to resolve and deal with.

Yes, just because someone filed chapter 13 doesn't mean we're deadbeats as evidenced by the fact that we ARE PAYING ON our debts, but by the same token, we *did* file bankruptcy and so there is some mistrust there and personally, I don't blame people for that. It is now my responsibility to regain that trust.

Wayne-O: The people at my trustee's office are very nice as well. When I called on Friday to clear up the fact that they mailed me the wrong pay off amount, one of the men I spoke with was reviewing my case and he sounded genuinely happy and excited for me that I was going to pay off! It was pretty cool. I guess some of the people in my trustees office really feel for debtors. I suspect that my trustee may be genuinely nice and want for us to succeed.

[BKOnce]

Ok!

It depends. Probably some trustee had previous probelms with bounced checks before that why they hate it. This trustee is nice but he had not seen bounced ones yet or just because his holiday spirits still floating around. Just make sure checks are good; otherwise, if it bounced he gonna say NO (later on w/o exception) to all other filers following your footsteps too.

[Granny]

Granny, where are you? I'm in Dallas, TX and my trustee is Tom Powers. And no, I have not heard anything on ACH transfers so I couldn't help you with that.

I live outside of FW but my original attorney was in Dallas, so he filed it in Dallas. So we have the same trustee. I've talked to their office a couple of times, once to the trustee himself, when I fired the first attorney and couldn't get the second attorney to notify the court that he had been retained. He was genuinely concerned.

I can understand not wanting a check. I'm sure many debtors are filing due to overdraft fees. I simply assumed that with a cashier's check or money order, the money is paid outright and upfront - this is one way to ensure payment. I did have the option for payroll deduction but I didn't want my employers to know, my personal finances are none of their business. Also, I'm sure many trustees have had to deal with bounced checks - which are a PITA to resolve and deal with.

Yes, just because someone filed chapter 13 doesn't mean we're deadbeats as evidenced by the fact that we ARE PAYING ON our debts, but by the same token, we *did* file bankruptcy and so there is some mistrust there and personally, I don't blame people for that. It is now my responsibility to regain that trust.

Payroll deduction is not an option for me, so I've always sent cashier's checks. Now that we are on our feet a little better, I was considering letting them draft my account, but something is telling me to hold off on that for a while. Maybe after we can get some cash built up in a reserve fund.

Congrats on getting through your plan. I'll be looking for your post about getting discharged.