Debtor
A debtor is the person, corporation, or other entity
that has filed a bankruptcy case.
Creditor
A creditor is a person, corporation, or other entity to
whom debtor owes a debt that was incurred before
the date of the bankruptcy filing. See 11 U.S.C.
§101(10).
Claim
A claim is the creditor's right to receive payment for
a debt owed by the debtor on the date of the
bankruptcy filing. See 11 U.S.C §101(5). A claim
may be secured or unsecured.
Proof of Claim
A proof of claim is a form used by the creditor to
indicate the amount of the debt owed by the debtor
on the date of the bankruptcy filing. The creditor
must file the form with the clerk of the same
bankruptcy court in which the bankruptcy case was filed.
Secured Claim Under 11 U.S.C. §506(a)
A secured claim is one backed by a lien on property
of the debtor. The claim is secured so long as the
creditor has the right to be paid from the property
prior to other creditors. The amount of the secured
claim cannot exceed the value of the property. Any
amount owed to the creditor in excess of the value of
the property is an unsecured claim. Examples of
liens on property include a mortgage on real estate or
a security interest in a car. A lien may be voluntarily
granted by a debtor or may be obtained through a
court proceeding. In some states, a court judgment is
|
a lien. A claim also may be secured if the creditor owes the
debtor money (has a right to setoff).
Unsecured Claim
An unsecured claim is one that does not meet the
requirements of a secured claim. A claim may be
partly unsecured if the amount of the claim exceeds
the value of the property on which the creditor has a
lien.
Claim Entitled to Priority Under 11 U.S.C.
§507(a)
Priority claims are certain categories of unsecured
claims that are paid from the available money or
property in a bankruptcy case before other unsecured
claims.
Redacted
A document has been redacted when the person filing
it has masked, edited out, or otherwise deleted,
certain information. A creditor must show only the
last four digits of any social-security, individual's
tax-identification, or financial-account number, only
the initials of a minor's name, and only the year of
any person's date of birth. If the claim is based on the
delivery of health care goods or services, limit the
disclosure of the goods or services so as to avoid
embarrassment or the disclosure of confidential
health care information.
Evidence of Perfection
Evidence of perfection may include a mortgage, lien,
certificate of title, financing statement, or other
document showing that the lien has been filed or
recorded.
|
Acknowledgment of Filing of Claim
To receive acknowledgment of your filing, you may
either enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope anda
a copy of this proof of claim or you may access the
court's PACER system
(www.pacer.psc.uscourts.gov) for a small fee to view
your filed proof of claim.
Offers to Purchase a Claim
Certain entities are in the business of purchasing
claims for an amount less than the face value of the
claims. One or more of these entities may contact the
creditor and offer to purchase the claim. Some of the
written communications from these entities may
easily be confused with official court documentation
or communications from the debtor. These entities
do not represent the bankruptcy court or the debtor.
The creditor has no obligation to sell its claim.
However, if the creditor decides to sell its claim, any
transfer of such claim is subject to FRBP 3001(e),
any applicable provisions of the Bankruptcy Code
(11 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.), and any applicable orders
of the bankruptcy court.
|