Creditors (§341) Meetings Procedures
All chapter 13 debtors are required to appear under oath at a meeting conducted by the Trustee pursuant to §341 of the Bankruptcy Code. You will be advised of the day and time of your meeting through a notice sent to you by the Bankruptcy Clerk. During the meeting, you will be examined by the Trustee regarding the documents filed in the case with particular attention to their truthfulness.
At this time, we conduct all of our initial meetings through Zoom conferencing software. To make the use of this software easier, we recommend following these steps:
- Determine how you will participate in the meeting. The device you use (cellphone, desktop or laptop computer) will need to have a webcam, microphone and speakers (internal or external). If you have not already downloaded the Zoom software,
- If by cellphone, download the "Zoom Cloud Meetings" app from the Apple App Store (iPhones) or Google Play Store (Androids).
- If by computer, go to https://zoom.us/ and follow the prompts after clicking "SIGN UP, IT'S FREE" in the upper right hand corner.
- The week before your scheduled meeting, you will receive a link to the meeting by email from our office.
- About 5 minutes prior to your scheduled meeting, open the email with the meeting link on the device you intend to use for the meeting and click the meeting link. Wait for the app to open. Most people use the device camera and audio, but adjust the settings if you are using a different camera and/or audio device. Make sure the camera lense is clean. Wipe it with a lense cleaner if you are unsure. Make sure that the settings in the lower left corner (camera and speaker) are on and do not have a red line through either. Make sure you have your government issued photo ID and Social Security card with you.
- Wait for the Trustee's representative to start the meeting. Up to 15 different meetings may be scheduled within an hour. Be patient. You may need to wait for an hour or more depending upon where you are scheduled on the list.
- If you have any questions, feel you are incapable of using this technology or want to practice before the meeting, contact your attorney. He or she should be experienced in the use of this technology.