State law insulated a recorded judgment lien from future increases in the homestead exemption. However, bankruptcy law trumps that limitation, says the 9th Circuit in Barclay v. Boskoski. [T]he Bankruptcy Code requires courts to determine the amount of the exemption to whichthe debtor would have been entitled in the absence of the lien at issue […]
Unpacking The Enhanced California Homestead
On January 1, 2021, California’s homestead exemption grew from a prior low of $75,000 to a minimum of $300,000, to as much as $600,000, depending on county wide home prices. And the homestead floor and ceiling adjust annually for inflation. A big part of the change is that the increased homestead is available to homeowners […]
Case Closed: Too Soon
Do I have to wait til the bankruptcy discharge is entered to avoid a lien under §522(f)? It might be logical but do so at your peril, I replied. Actually “peril” is an overstatement, but in this date of electronic dockets, most clerk’s offices are closing no asset Chapter 7 cases just as soon as […]