Just curious... does anyone else pay by automatic debit?

[TheBajan]

I've heard a lot of people make their Chpt 13 payments by sending in a check or money order and I've heard a lot of people who have it taken from their paycheck but what about having it automatically taken from your checking account? So far, our's is the only case I know of where the trustee set it up that way. Our lawyer didn't even present other options and that's okay with me because this is hassle free but I'm just curious about how often this happens.

[momofthree]

I WISH that we could do that. Ours requires either wage garnishment or money order. I would love to just have an ACH debit every month.

[nanadonnaq]

We have our payment debited from our checking account every month. Works like clockwork on the 5th of every month. So easy--no worries!!!!!

[sophieanne]

I am so jealous of those of you who get to do automatic withdrawal from the checking account. We don't want deductions from our check because of the positions we hold, so we do the cashier's check/post office routine. I would love to do it the way you are.

[TheBajan]

We have our payment debited from our checking account every month. Works like clockwork on the 5th of every month. So easy--no worries!!!!!

I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one. It really does make it so much easier. Before BK, I paid almost everything automatically but now there is just my BK payment on the 24th and my electric and phone bills. Everything else is cash or check. That took some getting used to but it works.

[BNKRPTinNC]

Fortunately, my trustee will accept personal checks. When I retired the payment could not be withheld so I went the USPS route. Found out that my bank does online billpay and have set it up that they mail a bank check to the trustee, same time each month, and that has worked out great. It's automatic and timely and costs me nothing. So, if your trustee will accept a personal check perhaps your bank has something similar that you can use.

[jange]

I wish I could do electronic payments or ACH, ours only takes MO or certified check.

[4theboys]

We had the choice of wage deduction, sending a check, or automatic deduction from our checking account, so of course we chose the last one! So easy! We even got to choose which date we wanted it deducted (14th or 25th)

[kornellred]

This is one topic which you cannot do a "google" search on and get answers. If there was clearly defined law with respect to acceptable forms of payment to the trustee, then trustees could not exercise choice in the matter. Money orders and bank checks cannot be negotiated except by the payee, and cannot be stopped except when the payee does not accept the instrument. This confers a degree of certainty which is desirable to the trustee. Personal checks can bounce due to insufficient funds.
Payment via wage deduction is also a certain method, but strikes most debtors as somewhat punitive in nature - as if the trustee does not really trust the debtor(s). But I would guess that the trustee sees that situation as advantageous to the debtor, inasmuch as the debtor does not have to worry about the receipt or timeliness of the payments.
ACH payments must be something new, as there has not been very much mention of it in the Chapter 13 forum.

[flowerchild]

From day one when I went to my lawyers office I explained that I did not want my payments taken from my paycheck. The women in our payroll department just talk too much and I didn't want my personal business amongst my fellow co-workers. Thank goodness my trustee agreed so all of my payments were set up through my banks billpay to be sent out twice per month. That went on for 65 months without a hitch

[indy4wins]

I guess I wasn't trusted by my Trustee, but they've got every nickel on time to date;

[mrdav]

I just set my auto payment up since I just got confirmed last week. My trustee has a website that facilitates an ACH payment. I'm waiting to get confirmation that all is a go...

[dolphindan1]

I am in SC...We do our out of our checking acct...15th of every month, we even get a notice about a week ahead of time to remind...better than me having to send it, how we got to this point to begin with...and better than my gossipy job knowing

[Sammie]

We are in NC and allowed to send our payment by Personal check. sammie

[angel7821]

I am allowed to send a personal check as long as Trustee gets it by the 15th then pays out on the 31st. Only 6 more payments to go and I am finally done with this thing.