It's an attitude and a way of life for some people. I used to be a landlord. My tenant got behind and asked me to work with him. When he got into me for over $6,000 I gave up working with him and took him and his wife to court and got a judgement against them. 14 years later I found him on facebook and said hello, remember me? How about getting back on a payment schedule? He said he would have to look into his finances - I haven't heard from him in over a month. Some people are rat bastards and always will be. :af: There are other words I would like to use but I would encounter the wrath of our mods.
Thanks a lot. Now I'm hungry for pancakes. System needs an overhaul. But, it won't happen as long a the "little guy" (a.k.a small business) is the one taking it in the shorts. The big companies/corps. have lawyers to go after deadbeats, they can write off losses and they can pass the expenses off to consumers, you and me.
I agree. I was a bit put off when my accountant explained that one to me. I simply have to take my losses "off the top" of my earnings for the year, I can't write them off. Reality sucks. It's the cost of having morals and ethics and trusting people.
On the same note as "small business getting it in the shorts": If someone came in my shop and stole a $1.00 item, I could have them arrested and charged with the theft. However, let my driver deliver $50 (just using a number here) worth of product to them and get handed a bogus check, written from a known closed account, and it is a "civil matter". I have to pay to take them to claims court, which we all know is a damned joke............on us. They never show, so you win. Then no help collecting. Same people who have filed bankruptcy several times. They know the system has no teeth and favors the dishonest. Sucks, but small business has to be "creative" and make their own breaks.
Just don't get caught. I have the state up my butt and I didn't even get creative. I'm just trying to survive. So much for NOT collecting welfare or being a thieving public servant. The IRS and State Treasury have everything slanted in their favor. Even if you are innocent - try proving it! It costs more than it's worth.
Yes, that's the truth. I kept records of everything. Funny how they govt agencies have the time and resources to mess with those of us trying to make a living, but when it comes to those trying to take a living, they don't have the manpower or resources to go after them.
I get a kick out those "credit repair" agencies that seem to thrive in America. :laugh: It seems that US bankruptcy law is vastly different from Canadian bankruptcy law. Up here, you have to, or use to have to, go to counseling while your bankruptcy is processed. You also must fill out at least 9 months of budget sheets which are submitted to the bankruptcy trustee. They call a meeting of all your creditors, who may or may not appear with you and the trustee. All your assets get assessed, and you can lose whatever can be sold for profit to pay creditors. After discharge, it can take up to seven years to get your credit back to a good level. Forget about major credit purchases in the first few years post bankruptcy, not going to happen. Of course, the major Canadian banks operate under much stricter rules and regulations than the US banks do.
http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/15-1.htm Let me first state that with everything, bankruptcy can and does get abused. I also don't think most people who claim bankruptcy ever PLAN to file so saying you'd "never" do it is a great concept, but if the right(wrong) set of circumstances lined up, I'd like to think you'd avail yourself of the process. God forbid you were diagnosed with an illness which prevented you from working, do you have enough money aside to pay off everything you owe to everyone? Maybe you don't owe anything to anyone. That's an ideal situation that not many people find themselves in. Let's use the recent General Motors bankruptcy. It cost all of us to bail them out when what should have happened, is they should have gone through the process, the assets should have been sold and if it were possible, and economically viable, they could have reorganized and continued making cars. Or maybe those resources would be better used in some other capacity. Maybe the manufacturing horsepower could have gone to Virgin Galactic making space tourism vehicles so that industry expands. Maybe a GM engineer has the "next great idea" but is afraid to leave the nest of a secure corporate job. Maybe being laid off would be the push he needs. We'll never know. Instead, all we bought was a ticking time bomb because nothing much changed at the General. Bankruptcy clears the decks of bad investments and allows new and hopefully better investments to grow.
If I went, I'd be there through several priest "shift changes". I think we all agree there a times when your back is against the wall, that bankruptcy is necessary. We are just sick of it being used as a way to acquire things on everyone else' dime.
Jeff- Thank you for answering my questions...you actually did! And we pretty much think about bankruptcy the same way. One thing though for me personally. I hardly ever say never, but I really mean it when I do. The Bible also says "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not please ourselves". For those that are more weak can benefit from the stronger. Like I said I am where I wanted to be financially and through hard work. And if that gets taken away, from whatever, even illness I will always know someone has it worse than me and would think they deserve the help more than me. Now what I think is happening (from my own experiences so far) people are protraying being weak more so...the system makes it easier and so the abuse.
It's a shame but there are people who abuse these laws and make it a way of life, and the bankruptcy lawyers abuse the system too while they are cashing in. A neighbor was going through bankruptcy and his lawyer told him to buy a new car and run his debts up while he could... The tenant who still owes me money 14 years after getting a judgement against him has NO INTENTIONS of ever paying that debt, or any of the other judgments against him. He lives that way, it's how he and his family get by - lying, stealing and going to Church every Sunday so he can feel like a good citizen. The sad thing is that there is no longer any debtors prison or laws with enough clout to stop these people from doing what they do.
