What is the oldest condiment you have in your fridge? Is it still good to eat, or has it expired? If you are like most people, you probably have a bottle of mustard or some salad dressing that should have been tossed out months — if not years — ago! If you try and use it now it isn’t going to taste good, and it might even make you sick, but you keep holding on to it for some reason.  Old debt has a lot in common with those forgotten bottles in your fridge. At one point in time it was fresh, but after a while it goes bad. At Hanson & Payne LLC, we assist Milwaukee area creditors who ar ..read more

If you are struggling to pay your bills, working with a debt consolidation company to negotiate a single, lower monthly payment may seem like a great option.  And sometimes it is. Consolidating your debt and negotiating a lower monthly payment — or even a lower balance — can be a great way to take control of your finances.  But there are also a number of bad actors out there who are eager to take advantage of Milwaukee area residents who are desperate for debt relief.  At Hanson & Payne, LLC, we advise many clients in the Milwaukee area who have questions about their debt re ..read more

Many debtors considering bankruptcy are shocked to discover that filing for bankruptcy isn’t free. It can seem unfair to ask a debtor that is already in financial distress to pay money to get help.  How much it costs to file for bankruptcy depends on what chapter of the bankruptcy code a debtor files under, and how complex their case is. This is something the Hanson & Payne team discusses with our potential clients during our first meeting.  The Cost of Filing for Personal Bankruptcy There are three things every person or family that files for bankruptcy must pay for: credit coun ..read more

Wedding season is rapidly approaching, but one wedding retailer already has the jitters. David’s Bridal has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to help it manage financial stress brought on by the pandemic and changing wedding trends.  The dress seller, which currently operates six stores in Wisconsin, clothes 1 in 4 brides across the country. However, this market dominance has not made the company a financial success. In fact, this is the second time in five years the retailer has filed for bankruptcy.  Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Something Different  In a statement announc ..read more

Diamond Sports Group, the owner of the tv network that airs Brewers games, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. So far, fans have still been able to watch games on the Bally Sports Wisconsin channel as the bankruptcy case works its way through the courts, but future viewing options are uncertain.  Like all good Milwaukee sports fans, the Hanson & Payne team is keeping a close eye on this case. We are even hopeful that the end result of the bankruptcy will be better baseball viewing options.  Bankruptcy Was Not a Surprise  The Bally Sports bankruptcy has been a possibility si ..read more

When some debtors find out the Chapter 7 bankruptcy process involves a test, they immediately shift into study mode. They want to know if they should be reviewing their notes, making flashcards, or trying to memorize sections of the bankruptcy code. Most of them are relieved to find out the test we mentioned is not that kind of examination.  Rather than a multiple choice quiz or essay exam, the means test is a government-designed set of factors that measure a debtor’s income, expenses, and family size. The government believes that by looking at these factors it can determine which debtors ..read more

The United States Supreme Court recently decided a personal bankruptcy case that sounds like something you might see on HGTV. The case, Bartenwerfer v. Buckley, involves the sale of a house that had hidden defects despite being fixed up and flipped.  Fraudulent Flippers  David and Kate Bartenwerfer co-owned a house that they decided to flip for a profit. David took charge of the project. “He hired an architect, structural engineer, designer, and general contractor; he monitored their work, reviewed invoices, and signed checks. Kate, on the other hand, was largely uninvolved.” The cou ..read more

Many Wisconsin families and businesses are under financial stress from inflation, rising interest rates, and the pandemic, but that does not mean that more Badgers are filing for bankruptcy. The Hanson & Payne team has noticed this here in Milwaukee, but now we have the data to back up our observation.  Diving Into the Data The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has released its data on the number of bankruptcies filed in 2022, and Wisconsin saw a significant drop in cases.  Across the state of Wisconsin, 7,898 bankruptcy cases were filed from January to December 2022. This ..read more

If you have ever watched Fox News 6, you have likely seen one of their popular “Contact 6” segments where they investigate consumer complaints sent to them by people in the Milwaukee area. It’s always interesting to see what dirt the reporters dig up, but the Hanson & Payne team pays particular attention when the story involves a bankruptcy. Not So Noble A Contractor Recently, the station featured a Contact 6 investigation into the work of a local contractor who ghosted a bunch of clients then filed for bankruptcy. According to Fox 6, Nathan Noble Regina  was a contractor doing work u ..read more

Whether you watched the big game between the Eagles and the Chiefs because you love football, or you were more into the snacks and commercials, you can’t deny the fact that America is obsessed with football.  Watching professional athletes flawlessly execute moves many of us tried to emulate on the playground is fun. As is thinking about what could have happened if we had even a little bit of their talent.  It makes many people envious to think there are people getting paid — often significant amounts — to play a game while the rest of us watch. But maybe the grass isn’t as green on ..read more