One of these days I’m going to write a post on how shitty we treat married couples in this county. From a financial perspective, is it better to be married or to shack up? I’m going to write a list. There are some legal benefits to being married, but from what I see its more
Sam Turco
I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, the 3rd of six children. We grew up in the meat packing district of South Omaha. I graduated from Omaha Central High School 1985.
My wife, Kathy, and I are raising 3 children. Outside of work, I spend a lot of time escorting children to sporting events while trying to sneak in a long bicycle ride on the weekends.
Areas of Practice
- 100% Bankruptcy Law
Litigation Percentage
- 5% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Nebraska, 1992
- Iowa
- U.S. District Court District of Nebraska, 2010
- U.S. Tax Court
Misrepresenting Household Size & Income
It’s September in Nebraska. Labor Day is over. The kids are back in school. Footballs are in the air, especially in Nebraska where our beloved Cornhusker football team has abandoned tradition and is throwing the football everywhere. Yep, I hate it. I so miss power football.
Back to the topic at hand.
The authors of…
70% of Medical Debt is Being Wiped Off Credit Reports. Is That a Bad Thing?
We view negatively a person who files bankruptcy after running up credit cards debts to fund an extravagant lifestyle, but we are less judgmental about the unlucky person who incurs medical debt. Apparently the three major credit reporting bureaus agree and have decided to remove these debts from their credit reporting.
Forbes Magazine has a…
Zoom 341 Meetings Coming Soon
The Covid/19 pandemic has changed how we work forever, and bankruptcy practice is no exception.
Just two years ago this is what we did:
- We met most new clients in person during office meetings.
- Most cases were signed in person.
- An 80-page bankruptcy petition was signed with ink signatures on paper.
- Debtors attended a Section
…
Does the income of my live-in girlfriend of five years count towards household income?
Does the income of a live-in girlfriend of five years count towards household income? I read that question in an online chat discussion recently.
Here is the answer provided by a bankruptcy attorney: “No, her income will not be used to determine your household income unless you are attempting a modification and want to use…
City of Chicago vs Fulton: The Disappearing Automatic Stay
The experience of reading a Supreme Court opinion on bankruptcy law is like having a two-year-old in a China shop—you just want them out before they break more stuff.
The Supreme Court’s stumble through the City of Chicago v Fulton opinion is no exception to this rule.
The City of Chicago, itself an entity on …
What’s the true price of that car? A story of Chapter 13 & Subprime Lending
The Massachusetts Attorney General recently settled a major consumer fraud case against subprime auto lender Credit Acceptance Corporation.
The case is long and complicated, but the issue that caught my eye is the argument about the true purchase price of a vehicle.
For example, assume a dealer sells a vehicle for $10,000 and the buyer…
Paying the Chapter 13 Trustee
Chapter 13 cases are three to five year payment plans. Creditors receive a monthly payment based on a debtor’s ability to pay, the type of debts they owe, and the amount of unprotected property they own.
But how does one make the payment? Who do you pay?
Chapter 13 payments are paid to the Chapter…
401(k) Contributions in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Cases
May a person contribute to 401(k) retirement plan during a Nebraska Chapter 13 case?
THE RULE PRIOR TO 2005:
Prior to the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005 the answer was fairly simple: No. Contributions to a 401(k) retirement plan are voluntary, and prior to 2005 it was commonly known that contributions were not “necessary” to…
That’s Not My Car! Resulting Trusts & Motor Vehicles
A new Nebraska bankruptcy court opinion (In re Torres) answers the question of whether a debtor may hold a vehicle title in trust for another person who provided the funds to purchase the vehicle.
In Torres, the debtor’s sister lived in Mexico and she transferred $42,970 to the debtor’s bank account to purchase…