Many times people filing bankruptcy wonder whether they need to list and put a value on things like clothing, old furniture, and costume jewelry. Who could possibly want them? They have no real value. I have various answers, but they all boil down to the fact that no matter what its value, what you own is an asset, and it must be disclosed. A bankruptcy petition is a written statement made under oath, and failure to disclose something is at the very best embarrassing and at the very worst a felony that could lose you your discharge.

Bankruptcy trustees look for completeness in disclosure, not just value in assets. A good friend of mine who is a trustee once said to me, "If the debtor isn't telling me everything about their household furnishings, what else aren't they telling me?" He will ask a debtor, who did not list a car as an asset or a lease of one, "How did you get to the meeting today?" Or, as one trustee in South Carolina put it, to a debtor who did not list any clothing as an asset, "Were you naked when you signed the petition?" Value must also make sense, even if it is on a distressed, yard sale basis. My trustee friend has also asked, "Are you really telling me that you own a 3,000 square foot house and only have $1,000 worth of furniture in it?"

Please bear in mind when you prepare your petition that thoroughness is very important. Disclose everything and make sure that nothing gets left out. The thing to remember is this: it matters not its value; it matters that you own it!  If you need further information on this or other bankruptcy issues, please contact my office.

The Law Office of Steven J. Richardson serves New Jersey, including:  Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Salem, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties and surrounding New Jersey communities, including Woodbury, Colonial Manor, North Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Deptford, Thorofare, Gloucester City, Washington Township, Blackwood, Brooklawn, Westville and Pitman.

Richardson Law Offices
40 Newton Avenue
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Phone: (856) 686-9910
Fax: (856) 686-9911