After you file your Chapter 13 Bankruptcy petition and plan, you will be required to attend a telephonic Section 341 meeting, which is an examination–under oath–conducted by the Chapter 13 Trustee. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court will set the date for this mandatory appearance.

At this meeting, the Trustee will place you under oath and ask you questions regarding the content of your proposed bankruptcy plan, your schedules, assets, debts, and other matters. After the Trustee is finished, your creditors will have an opportunity to ask you questions regarding the location and condition of your property, hazard insurance coverage, and other matters related to your financial affairs.

PLEASE NOTE

• YOU MUST  PROVIDE A COPY OF YOUR PHOTO I.D. AT LEAST TWENTY-FOUR HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR MEETING OF CREDITORS TO BE  PERMITTED TO GIVE TESTIMONY
• YOU MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF YOUR FULL SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TO COMPLETE YOUR MEETING OF CREDITORS
• PLEASE ALSO PROVIDE THE SIGNED DEBTOR’S SIGNED AUTHORIZATION RELEASE

ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF I.D. INCLUDESTATE DRIVERS LICENSEGOVERNMENT I.D.STATE I.D.STUDENT I.D.U.S. PASSPORTMILITARY I.D.RESIDENT ALIEN CARD

ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF SSN INCLUDESOCIAL SECURITY CARDW-2 (with FULL social security number)IRS FORM 1099 (with FULL social security number)TAX RETURN (NOT self-prepared)

HOW TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTS:

Your photo I.D. and proof of full social security number contain personally identifiable information.  These documents are NOT accepted by email.  Instructions for how to provide your documents to the Trustee are available here: Debtor Document Upload Instructions

DEBTORS:

You may access your Chapter 13 bankruptcy case online by visiting the National Data Center website at http://www.NDC.org.

Once you have entered the website, click on the “Get Started Now” button to begin the registration process.  After you have registered, you may log in at any time to review your case’s payments and disbursements.

If you have trouble registering for a Username and Password, you may contact the National Data Center by calling (866) 938-3639 Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time.  you will need the following information ready when calling: your case number, name of the Chapter 13 Trustee assigned to your case, your social security number, your current email address and your Chapter 13 bankruptcy paperwork.

Please be advised that the National Data Center cannot discuss or interpret any of the data that is presented through this website.  If you have questions or concerns once you have accessed your case, please contact your attorney.

The information presented through the National Data Center is updated nightly and the figures are accurate.  However, final payoff figures must always be verified with your case administrator at the chapter 13 Trustee’s office.

In the event of inclement weather or other emergencies, which may cause the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to close or delay opening, please check the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s website at www.wawb.uscourts.gov. Section 341 meetings scheduled during a U.S. Bankruptcy Court closure will not be held, and you will receive notice of a continued date and time. Please note, however, that if the U.S. Bankruptcy Court opens late, all meetings scheduled at that time and later that morning will be held, and you will be required to appear.

A self-employed debtor operating a business, corporation, or LLC that incurs trade credit must provide the following:

1. Copies of Federal and State tax returns for the past two years, including relevant business schedules.
2. Copies of financial statements provided to a third party.
3. Current books and records of the business if requested.
4. Monthly profit and loss statements (P&L) for the year preceding the filing.
5. Current schedule and aging of the account receivables.
6. Current insurance policies.
7. Lease agreements.
8. Six months of bank statements.
9. Current balance sheet.
10. A completed copy of the Trustee Business Case Questionnaire

Please submit all required business documents to the Trustee through your attorney.  If the required business documents have not been timely completed and returned, testimony will not be taken at the 341 meeting of creditors, and the Trustee may move to dismiss your case.  The Trustee’s office must receive the required business documents from your attorney no later than 7 days prior to the first scheduled 341 meeting of creditors.

Debtors must also provide quarterly P&L’s and proof that all state and federal tax requirements are being fulfilled.  Additionally, the debtor in business must provide a copy of his/her annual 1040 for each year in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. 

See our Case Access page.

If your Chapter 13 Plan states that all or part of your annual income tax refunds will be committed toward funding your plan, you may send said funds to the Trustee by online payment through Nationwide TFS, or via money order or cashier’s check.  See our payments page for more information. If you have questions about turning over your tax refund to the Trustee, please contact your attorney.

You are required to send the Chapter 13 Trustee a copy of your federal and state tax returns, including schedules and statements, for each year that you are in bankruptcy.  All social security numbers, on all pages of said return must be redacted (blacked out) prior to submission. Please include your case number when submitting your completed 1040 tax form and mail to:

Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee
5219 N. Shirley Street, Suite 101
Ruston, WA 98407

If you have questions about sending your tax returns to the Trustee, please contact your attorney.

Contact you attorney immediately. Your attorney can file papers asking the judge to change the provisions of your plan. Do not call the Trustee. The Trustee cannot change the provisions of your plan, or make any payment arrangements. Only the bankruptcy judge can do so.

No. The Trustee does not make payment arrangements and the Trustee does not have the authority to change the provisions of your confirmed plan. Only the judge can do that. Contact your attorney if you are not able to pay your plan payments as they come due. The sooner you notify your attorney of changed financial circumstances or an inability to make your plan payment(s), the more likely that he or she will be able to modify the plan. Time is of the essence.

If you receive a Trustee’s Motion to Dismiss, contact your attorney immediately. Very often, your attorney can file the appropriate papers opposing the motion to dismiss. You have only 15 days from the date the Trustee’s Motion to Dismiss was mailed to address the problem. Calling or writing to the Trustee does not stop the 15-day period from running, and please note: while the Trustee is eager to see all Debtors successfully complete their plans, he cannot provide legal advice. Unless the full delinquency (and any payments which have come due in the interim) has been posted to your case prior to the designated hearing date, your case will be dismissed.

If the genuine need for an automobile purchase arises while you are in an active Chapter 13 case, you should contact your attorney to discuss options. The Trustee is empowered to authorize you to obtain credit for the purchase of an automobile, though all such requests undergo a rigorous review process. If you need such relief, your attorney can submit the proper paperwork to initiate a review. Should the Trustee deny your request, you are still free to petition the court for the same. Please remember: absent Trustee or court approval, you may not incur debt of any kind while in Chapter 13.