Well, it has finally happened. I had been looking forward to the day that I am able to post this, and here it is:
I am discharged! The ordeal has now come to an end.
I always intended to write a lengthy post about my experience from beginning to end in order for anyone who is currently going through the process or is going to one day go through it can maybe read about someone’s experience (as well as many other people’s experiences on here).
Before I do that, though, I found out via PACER that the 24th was when I was discharged. While I was excited, I did not feel it was ‘done’ until I got the actual paperwork in the mail. I got that paperwork today! All debts are gone. The ordeal is truly and finally complete.
I want to thank, literally, everyone here who has ever given me even a single response or words of encouragement to any of my posts or questions. I also want to say to those going through it right now that it DOES eventually end. You will be okay, and it is worth it in ways that no words can do justice to.
For anyone interested, I’m going to go into now what started the process for me and the hurdles along the way. Many here have already read what. I am going to write about, but again, I am primarily doing it for those that are in the same boat I was. When I first came to these forums, I spent quite some time reading everyone’s story. Some were very like mine while others were extremely different. Each one helped me, though.
So, with that said, I would like to say that my BK was a no asset chapter 7 that I should have done years ago. My debt was strictly credit card debt that I’d say was mainly accrued right after college and into my late 20s. By the time I hit 30, I knew I was in trouble, and that is when I really started watching my spending habits and doing my best to pay down my debt. As can be guessed, that never worked out. Every time one of my cards saw a decline in the total debt, another card went up due to things as basic as food or clothing. It was never ending, yet I continued to try because I did realize this was my debt that I got myself in to. I would never take back what I used much of it for (world travel and the like), but I was also kicking myself.
Fast forward to October of 2010. My car was due for a servicing, and I was expecting to spend no more than, maybe, $200, hopefully no more than $100. Still, I was scared that other issues would come up due to a few noises it was making. Sure enough, the brake pads were shot, and it was no lie. They showed them to me, thankfully I know what I’m looking at, and they all need to be replaced. A few other issues here and there and the total came to about $600. No joke, it was THAT MOMENT where I knew it was over, and I could no longer win. I had the cash saved up for the $200 at most, and upon leaving I had to get out the Discover card, and I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. People say it all the time, but I really did feel both ways at once.
I came home and kind of was numb. Just sat there. It’s very, very strange when something really does just become clear in your mind, and you know what a part of you has known for a while, but now it is out in the open, and you can no longer deny it.
That night I found this forum and did a bunch of other research. In a strange twist, a co-worker of mine was just talking to another one of my co-workers about his bankruptcy that he had just concluded a few months back. I was beyond trying to ‘hide’ or have ‘pride’ in things. I knew this was the right choice, and I was in no way ashamed like I thought I would be. I asked him enough questions that he probably wanted to smack me. I asked him for five days straight.
Due to his recommendation and some research, I called the attorney he used. As everyone here knows, and I am now aware, I was advised via telephone, before I even met with him, to cease all payments on my credit cards and to immediately also stop using them due to having to wait the few months before filing after last use. I did as instructed and set a meeting for a few days later.
Meeting went well, made the first half of my payment (I had the money now due to not having to worry about my CC payments). I got this huge packet to fill out with a ton of information, signed paperwork, etc.
This is where I got the most scared I had gotten during the process. The not making my payments scared me to death. No joke, no exaggeration, I had never, not once, missed a payment or been late on a payment since my first credit card at 18. Not once. Ever. A few days later was a due date. I was SO scared.
I posted messages here; people gave me encouragement, many having felt the same way. The day came and went, and I didn’t eat and couldn’t sleep. I know plenty of people did NOT have an issue like that, and I am jealous of them. I was sick to my stomach.
A week or so passed and the rest of my payments were missed. I only, obviously enough, made payments on my car, rent, electric, water, phone, and cable.
I took the online course that I had to take, made my second and final payment, filled out everything that was asked for and probably filed out too much. I listed everything. I did not wish to go about this incorrectly or screw up.
I had almost no issues with calls from collections. I ignored all calls until I made my second payment to the attorney, and as soon as I did that, I gave them his name and number and all calls ceased immediately. The time came, and the official file date was February 4, 2011. THAT felt great.
Again, I was a no asset case, below the median income, no home or spouse or children or anything. I was very lucky in that regard, and again, having read dozens if not hundreds of other people’s stories on here, I am thankful that I was that ‘lucky.’
The next scariest part, oddly, was my car. The forums here alone seem to be split on to reaffirm or not reaffirm. Not wanting to risk anything, I made the decision to try to reaffirm. At the time, I had about a year left on the USAA car loan (even less now), and I wanted to sleep 100% soundly at night knowing nothing whatsoever would happen to my vehicle, not even the slightest risk of it. So my attorney did the reaffirmation agreement, and it was denied by the judge. A few days later it was accepted. Cool! Again, I understand why some would argue against it, but it made *me* feel better, and due to not having my CC payments, I now actually had some spare income, so the car payment did not hurt me at all. Nevertheless, my nerves were shot when it started because I have one car, nothing more. I need my car, and while I get the idea that the odds of them wanting to take it are slim, I’d rather have it official that they cannot take it at all. I was, and am, happy with my choice.
Now we have the 341. I posted a very, very lengthy topic on how my 341 went, so I will skip that here. For the final time, I will link to it, though, for anyone interested:
After my 341, THAT was my biggest relief, even compared to the discharge. Once that was over with, I’d say about 90% of my stress was done and gone. I ‘knew’ it was over. I was all but certain nothing would rear its ugly head, but there was that small little thing in the back of my head that said – what if?
Today was the last 10%. After my 341, I jumped for joy, even let out a brief scream of excitement and happiness. Today? I opened it, knowing what it was, grinned and let out a happy sigh of relief. Done.
Side note: last Thursday, believe it or not, a number called I didn’t recognize, so I did not pick it up. No voice mail. I looked on Google, and many have had that number call. Yes, a collections agency. What the heck?! They have yet to call back, but I was shocked. No calls for months and months and months, officially discharged, and a collections call? Strange.
Anyway, life is much better now than when I started this. I am, of course, far from rich, but I want to tell people the good for anyone going through it: it feels AMAZING to know everything I purchase is paid for. No credit cards at all. They’re gone. If I buy food, it’s my money. If I go and see a movie, it’s my money. Everything I do and buy is paid in full immediately, and I love that. And? I finally for the first time in my life (kind of sad, I know), have a savings account. Nothing major, only a few hundred so far, but it’s SOMETHING. For the first time since my early 20s, my income is more than my expenses, enough so that I can put some away every paycheck. Again, not a lot, but it’s a start.
So, in the end, I want to thank every single person here. The amount of help is profound, and words cannot do it justice. For anyone who is going through this now or is thinking about it: it gets better! It really, really gets better!
It’s done!
I am discharged! The ordeal has now come to an end.
I always intended to write a lengthy post about my experience from beginning to end in order for anyone who is currently going through the process or is going to one day go through it can maybe read about someone’s experience (as well as many other people’s experiences on here).
Before I do that, though, I found out via PACER that the 24th was when I was discharged. While I was excited, I did not feel it was ‘done’ until I got the actual paperwork in the mail. I got that paperwork today! All debts are gone. The ordeal is truly and finally complete.
I want to thank, literally, everyone here who has ever given me even a single response or words of encouragement to any of my posts or questions. I also want to say to those going through it right now that it DOES eventually end. You will be okay, and it is worth it in ways that no words can do justice to.
For anyone interested, I’m going to go into now what started the process for me and the hurdles along the way. Many here have already read what. I am going to write about, but again, I am primarily doing it for those that are in the same boat I was. When I first came to these forums, I spent quite some time reading everyone’s story. Some were very like mine while others were extremely different. Each one helped me, though.
So, with that said, I would like to say that my BK was a no asset chapter 7 that I should have done years ago. My debt was strictly credit card debt that I’d say was mainly accrued right after college and into my late 20s. By the time I hit 30, I knew I was in trouble, and that is when I really started watching my spending habits and doing my best to pay down my debt. As can be guessed, that never worked out. Every time one of my cards saw a decline in the total debt, another card went up due to things as basic as food or clothing. It was never ending, yet I continued to try because I did realize this was my debt that I got myself in to. I would never take back what I used much of it for (world travel and the like), but I was also kicking myself.
Fast forward to October of 2010. My car was due for a servicing, and I was expecting to spend no more than, maybe, $200, hopefully no more than $100. Still, I was scared that other issues would come up due to a few noises it was making. Sure enough, the brake pads were shot, and it was no lie. They showed them to me, thankfully I know what I’m looking at, and they all need to be replaced. A few other issues here and there and the total came to about $600. No joke, it was THAT MOMENT where I knew it was over, and I could no longer win. I had the cash saved up for the $200 at most, and upon leaving I had to get out the Discover card, and I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. People say it all the time, but I really did feel both ways at once.
I came home and kind of was numb. Just sat there. It’s very, very strange when something really does just become clear in your mind, and you know what a part of you has known for a while, but now it is out in the open, and you can no longer deny it.
That night I found this forum and did a bunch of other research. In a strange twist, a co-worker of mine was just talking to another one of my co-workers about his bankruptcy that he had just concluded a few months back. I was beyond trying to ‘hide’ or have ‘pride’ in things. I knew this was the right choice, and I was in no way ashamed like I thought I would be. I asked him enough questions that he probably wanted to smack me. I asked him for five days straight.
Due to his recommendation and some research, I called the attorney he used. As everyone here knows, and I am now aware, I was advised via telephone, before I even met with him, to cease all payments on my credit cards and to immediately also stop using them due to having to wait the few months before filing after last use. I did as instructed and set a meeting for a few days later.
Meeting went well, made the first half of my payment (I had the money now due to not having to worry about my CC payments). I got this huge packet to fill out with a ton of information, signed paperwork, etc.
This is where I got the most scared I had gotten during the process. The not making my payments scared me to death. No joke, no exaggeration, I had never, not once, missed a payment or been late on a payment since my first credit card at 18. Not once. Ever. A few days later was a due date. I was SO scared.
I posted messages here; people gave me encouragement, many having felt the same way. The day came and went, and I didn’t eat and couldn’t sleep. I know plenty of people did NOT have an issue like that, and I am jealous of them. I was sick to my stomach.
A week or so passed and the rest of my payments were missed. I only, obviously enough, made payments on my car, rent, electric, water, phone, and cable.
I took the online course that I had to take, made my second and final payment, filled out everything that was asked for and probably filed out too much. I listed everything. I did not wish to go about this incorrectly or screw up.
I had almost no issues with calls from collections. I ignored all calls until I made my second payment to the attorney, and as soon as I did that, I gave them his name and number and all calls ceased immediately. The time came, and the official file date was February 4, 2011. THAT felt great.
Again, I was a no asset case, below the median income, no home or spouse or children or anything. I was very lucky in that regard, and again, having read dozens if not hundreds of other people’s stories on here, I am thankful that I was that ‘lucky.’
The next scariest part, oddly, was my car. The forums here alone seem to be split on to reaffirm or not reaffirm. Not wanting to risk anything, I made the decision to try to reaffirm. At the time, I had about a year left on the USAA car loan (even less now), and I wanted to sleep 100% soundly at night knowing nothing whatsoever would happen to my vehicle, not even the slightest risk of it. So my attorney did the reaffirmation agreement, and it was denied by the judge. A few days later it was accepted. Cool! Again, I understand why some would argue against it, but it made *me* feel better, and due to not having my CC payments, I now actually had some spare income, so the car payment did not hurt me at all. Nevertheless, my nerves were shot when it started because I have one car, nothing more. I need my car, and while I get the idea that the odds of them wanting to take it are slim, I’d rather have it official that they cannot take it at all. I was, and am, happy with my choice.
Now we have the 341. I posted a very, very lengthy topic on how my 341 went, so I will skip that here. For the final time, I will link to it, though, for anyone interested:
After my 341, THAT was my biggest relief, even compared to the discharge. Once that was over with, I’d say about 90% of my stress was done and gone. I ‘knew’ it was over. I was all but certain nothing would rear its ugly head, but there was that small little thing in the back of my head that said – what if?
Today was the last 10%. After my 341, I jumped for joy, even let out a brief scream of excitement and happiness. Today? I opened it, knowing what it was, grinned and let out a happy sigh of relief. Done.
Side note: last Thursday, believe it or not, a number called I didn’t recognize, so I did not pick it up. No voice mail. I looked on Google, and many have had that number call. Yes, a collections agency. What the heck?! They have yet to call back, but I was shocked. No calls for months and months and months, officially discharged, and a collections call? Strange.
Anyway, life is much better now than when I started this. I am, of course, far from rich, but I want to tell people the good for anyone going through it: it feels AMAZING to know everything I purchase is paid for. No credit cards at all. They’re gone. If I buy food, it’s my money. If I go and see a movie, it’s my money. Everything I do and buy is paid in full immediately, and I love that. And? I finally for the first time in my life (kind of sad, I know), have a savings account. Nothing major, only a few hundred so far, but it’s SOMETHING. For the first time since my early 20s, my income is more than my expenses, enough so that I can put some away every paycheck. Again, not a lot, but it’s a start.
So, in the end, I want to thank every single person here. The amount of help is profound, and words cannot do it justice. For anyone who is going through this now or is thinking about it: it gets better! It really, really gets better!
It’s done!
This is GREAT news. You've had an uphill battle. What a GREAT way to head into the weekend!! 
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