emergency expense...

[CurtInKS]

I am inside my 90 day window to file. I am filing on September 20th. The transmission on my car went out, yesterday. I called some shops, but the cost is outrageous. Somewhere between $1,500.00 and $2,000.00. I dont' have that kind of money up front, so no garages will work with me. I found a guy, who works at a garage, who'll do it, at his house, on the weekend, for $1,000.00 cash. He said he'd do the work, and I could just make payments to him, and when the car is paid for, I could have it. I was thinking $250.00 a paycheck, for 2 months. It's got to be cash, so I am going to get it out of the ATM. Is this the way to do it, or am I going to get in trouble for it?

[SinkingFast]

Personally, I'd get the money at Wal-Mart and/or the Grocery store myself.

Do a bit of shopping. Use your Debit Card to pay. When it asks if you want Cash Back, say YES and take what that store will allow. Do that until you get the $250 together.

IMHO,........ It'll look much better on your bank statements that the Trustee might see that way.

Your way looks like 4 mysterious, large withdrawals. And chances are, the "garage repair dude" ain't gonna give you a receipt.

Getting cash back at stores looks like grocery shopping or picking up RX's at the Drug Store.

Normal course of business purchases if you catch my drift.

[CindyLou]

Be wary of a "guy" that is going to keep your car. Plus the repairs will not be gauranteed. I am sorry you are going through this and I know sometime you gotta do what you gotta do, but I hope that you can find another option. Sometimes if you ask a shop to look for a rebuilt or used part is might be cheaper. I have used Firestone in the past and they were able to reduce the cost tremendously by using a rebuilt part and it was gauranteed for 3 months and 1000 miles.

[JRScott]

I'd like to caution you as well.

I had a bad experience back in the late 90s with such a fella in a similar circumstance.

Where you live is there any sort of public transportation you could use while getting the money together for one of the shops?

[CurtInKS]

Thank you all.

I've never tried to get money back, off my debit card. I always do the credit option. I'll have to give it a try.


I wish I did have another option, at this point. I am already using rebuilt parts so I am pretty stuck.

As for public transportation, we have it in the city, but I am a 25 minute commute into the city each day.

[SinkingFast]

There is the possibility of getting ripped off. That surely does exist.

BUT, you might also be working with a qualified mechanic who just picks up money on the side doing odd jobs for people. He could be one of those types that likes to constantly tinker with cars. His. His friends. Other people's.

If the guy works in a reputable shop that hires ASE Certified Technicians, you might be onto a good deal. One way to check would be ask him for references. Since you're looking at transmission work, ask him specifically for people he's done transmission work for before.

[demismom]

Also ask to see his credentials. My DH is a master certified mechanic, only 5% of all the mechanics in this country have reached master certification. We live in Michigan and every year my DH gets his licence renewed or he can't work on cars for a living.

[CurtInKS]

He works for a really big garage here in town. They advertise their entire staff is ASE certified, so I assume he's legit. I think he does this kind of work on the side to make extra money. he overheard me talking to the manager of the shop, when I got the estimate on my car. I asked the manager if I could make payments to them, and they hold my vehicle, but they said they'd also have to charge me for storage, for the 2 months. I can't afford that, and the higher repair bill, even on payments. This guy caught me in the parking lot, and told me he's fix it. Seemed like a nice guy, but I am more worried at this point, about the implications on the BK, than anything. I don't want to screw anyting up.

[Keebler]

You're not alone...

I'm also just inside my 90 day window and I had planned on filing on the exact same day you mentioned too.

I've just begun to stop using credit and also won't be able to pay all of my CC bills this month so things are a little scary. No calls yet, bet it's the calm before the storm.

Last week I loaded up the kids and took my wife to a doctor's appointment two states away from here. On the way home I lost a connecting rod bearing in the engine. The whole family was stranded 100+ miles from home with our engine going clack-clack-clack like a jack-hammer.

With a little bit of planning and some luck we all made it home okay and I had enough cash to avoid charging anything. I rented a U-Haul tow dolly and got the truck home for only $40 but now I need to fix my engine.

This is a $5,000 truck that I owe $6,000 on. We had planned on keeping the truck after BK, but now I'm not sure what to do. I can replace the engine for $2,000 - $3,000 and keep the truck, or can can let them tow it away and try to figure out how to replace it post-BK. The loan is with a Credit Union where I owe money on a CC too. There's a danger that I'll never get clear title unless I pay them back everything -- truck plus CC. It might cost me $12,000 to keep this truck after I get it repaired. The problem is that it will be months before I can buy one to replace it, and longer yet if I need to borrow money to do it!

I'm wondering if I can put the expense of a second vehicle on Schedule J if I let this one go back to the bank and haven't actually purchased the second one yet? Without that expense it might appear that I have disposable income and then I'll be pushed in to Chapter 13.

I hope you don't feel so bad any more!

[BKTango]

I'd like to throw in my two cents here. My DH is also a master certified mechanic, and while I urge you to please be cautious of this young man and make sure you can really trust him, do not get the idea that all mechanics who do work on the side will rip you off. Unfortunately there are those who will, but there are also those who may be having financial hardships like we were before we filed bk and they have to take on extra side work to make some extra money. So be careful in your decision, but in the end it's only you that can decide whether you should trust him or not.

Also like with my husband, they know the unbelievable costs the shop will charge due to mark up and the hourly labor charge, and my husband on several occasions will do something for someone on the side just to save that person the money because he knows they can't afford the extra expense. He once did a job for an elderly woman here at home and charged her $200 when it was a $1500 job. Sometimes you find a kind soul out there, its just unfortunate that there are always bad seeds in the bunch.

[CindyLou]

Dear Keebler,
Well it looks like a clear decision to let this truck go in the BK!! For the money you will spend on the engine you could get something to hold you over. As far as the expense, don't you get an expense allowance even it you don't own a vehicle?