Qualification for Chapter 7 bankruptcy is largely determined by comparing one’s household income to the median income for their state. Essentially, if your gross annual household income exceeds the Minnesota median income for your family size you may not qualify for Chapter 7 and may be required to file Chapter 13 instead. Therefore, the Minnesota median income is a significant factor in determining whether you may qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy or if you may be instead steered toward filing a five-year Chapter 13 repayment plan. As of 11/01/2015, the median income in Minnesota for a household of one person is $51,199, for two people $68,515, for three people $80,804, and $98,447 for four people. The median income adjusts at least once per year and these amounts reflect the median income as last adjusted on November 1, 2015 which will again be adjusted in April of 2016.
If you fall above the median income, it’s important to understand that you may still qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if certain factors are present—this is called “rebutting the presumption of abuse” in bankruptcy. These factors are part of a more comprehensive “means test” eligibility calculation and include such expenses as mortgage payments, tax payments, health care expenses, child care and child educational expenses, child support or maintenance payments, and a host of other variables that may be employed to qualify someone for Chapter 7 even if they are above the median income. In general, the higher over the median income a household falls, the less likely it will be to “rebut the presumption” and qualify for Chapter 7. In this case, your option is to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which can still be a good solution (see my blog on why Chapter 13 is not always a gloomy diagnosis in bankruptcy).
While some people seek out some of the unique advantages of Chapter 13 bankruptcy—including the possibility of cramming down a car loan, paying off mortgage arrears over five years or even stripping a second mortgage off a homestead—many people still prefer the ease and speed of Chapter 7. Nevertheless, the means test and the median income establish the threshold criteria for whether Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 may be filed, and usually there is little to no wiggle room from the strict results calculated by the means test.
The means test is complicated and often it’s best to have an experienced bankruptcy attorney calculate your household income based on the last six months of income, compare your number to the median income and prepare the means test calculation to determine what type of bankruptcy you may qualify for.
Wartchow Law Office is a law firm located in Edina, Minnesota with an exclusive practice in Chapter 7, Chapter 13 and Chapter 11 bankruptcy law, representing individual consumer and business clients throughout the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Contact Wartchow Law Office for a free bankruptcy consultation.
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