Question regarding payments to the Trustee

[13for60]

OK - I've searches for this information, but I have not found any so far. Here goes:

When you pay your Trustee in Chap 13, does it have to be a casheir's check/money order..?

Wage order/garshishments aside, I am curious as to why Trustees (in general) are not "electronic transfer" friendly. Is there some need of a paper trail that precludes electronic funding?

I live in a small town and work in a small organization. In an effort to hang on to some shred of dignity I'm trying to fly under the radar, and I realize the people who make cashier's checks and my fellow employees who would be involved in a garnishment are bound by confidentiality agreements - it doesn't help much when I have to look these people in the eye.

BTW - chashier's checks at my bank are $6 each - it's bad enough to pay what I have to pay, but it seems almost punitive to have to buy a cashier's check for an extra six bucks.

If anyone has any input on this, please weigh in. All comments/questions/advice is sincerely appreciated.

--13for60

[walkthaplank]

Some accept ACH payments, google your trustee and see if they have a website.

Buy a postal money order, they are $1.50 up to $1,000

[enginegirl]

I hear ya! I really wish they would take an automatic payment/debit from bank account.. It is as if they are just humiliating you just a little bit more.. But I guess if you can't be trusted to pay your debit then they feel you are not responsible enough to pay them. The company I work for has 10 employees and now EVERYONE knows because the garnishment order was left on bosses desk by the accountant and I can't even imagine getting a new job and having to explain to HR, who will then tell boss etc..... shudder the thought......
another interesting thing is that I know for a fact my last 2 payments were sent to the correct address and on time but neither payment is showing on the trustees site ... hmmmm....

[13for60]

So that's the next question: When sending a check, does one opt for FedEx or UPS delivery to GUARANTEE delivery..?

--13for60

[enginegirl]

FEdEx and UPS do not deliver to PO Boxes!! so unless you have a real street address then no.. snail mail 5 -10 days before!

[jange]

I send postal money orders about 10-11 days prior to the due date. It usually is posted 2-3 days prior to my due date. 13 datacenter doesn't always get updated right away and I have had to wait a couple days to see it posted. Sometimes the amount paid in gets updated before the ledger is updated. My trustee is now paying claims and the claim payments show up a day after my payment. But the ledger is blocked for a day while the payments are processing.

filed 1 11 10
confirmed 7 22 10

[13for60]

I noticed my Trustee has a "delivery service" address that is not a PO box, so I supposed I should be happy with that!

[goon]

Many of the trustees are older, set in their ways, and not technologically inclined. Mine only accepts cashiers check or money order. I confirmed that mine WILL NOT accept a check from the bank via "bill pay" type service. The good news is that if you go to the bank just getting a cashiers check for a "trustee" could mean any number of things, it doesn't necessarily imply BK. Also not sure about others, but after the first month as long as I get one of the regular tellers at my bank they haven't been charging me their normal $5 fee for a cashiers check.

My lawyer told me that there is a movement to get these guys with the times, but that at least here in AZ they wouldn't change anything till all the trustees in the district agreed on a way to handle it. At least that leads to some level of consistency.....

[justbaby]

I wish mine would do ACH also, but he doesn't. He accepts cashier's checks, money orders OR personal checks. I choose not to do the personal check option because I'm afraid that it would bounce. Odd, I know especially if the money is there BUT I'm just weird like that. SO I do money order...Walmart has a self service kiosk that allows you to get your own OR you could go to the money center. Money orders in Walmart is $.60, not bad!

[jange]

Does Walmart let you use your debit card for the money order? The post office does, but most food stores do not.

[justbaby]

Yes they do! That's another reason why I like going there!

[becky20]

Yep, Walmart for .60 and because it's a money order, you just tell them the amount and can use a debit card - they don't fill out the info (I think for cashiers check they do?). Would be SO much nicer if the trustees would accept an electronic payment but I should just be grateful they don't force a wage garnishment...

[jange]

Yes I wished they took ACH also. I will have to try a Walmart MO. Does Walmart have a $ limit for the amount that the money order can be? The PO does and I always have to get 2.

[forgotten]

My trustee lets you pay pretty much any way you can think of: Money Order, Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Online Bill Payer, ACH Debit, or Payroll Deduction.
I use my banks bill pay as its the easiest method that gives me the most control and if they ever claim they didn't get my payments at least I have a bank to back me up that they were indeed mailed.

[becky20]

Yes I wished they took ACH also. I will have to try a Walmart MO. Does Walmart have a $ limit for the amount that the money order can be? The PO does and I always have to get 2.

I don't think so - I'd be interested to hear the largest amount any one person has gotten. Mine was $552 and one was fine. I know when I went to the local grocery store one time, I was going to have to bring CASH, and the highest they could do was $500, otherwise I would need two...

So anyone else who has used Walmart want to chime in the highest amount you've gotten a single money order for?