Bad debts

Note: Register for this month’s CLE, “Current Developments in Tax Law,” from 1-2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 18.Despite recent murmurs that the recession may be easing its grip on the United States, debt continues to sap the financial strength of millions of families and businesses around the country.Home foreclosure is one of debt’s most wrenching symptoms. In August, according to RealtyTrac, foreclosure filings were reported on 358,471 properties. That number amounts to one of every 357 housing units in the country.There was a smidge of good news. Filings were down 1 percent from July. Still, there were 18 percent more than in August 2008.Meanwhile, August consumer bankruptcy filings totaled 119,874, an increase of 24 percent over the number of filings in August 2008,according to the American Bankruptcy Institute, a nonpartisan organization that analyzes issues relating to insolvency. Here, too, there was a little bit of good news: The number of bankruptcy … [Read more...] about The Bad-Debt Blues

On July 11, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule codifying the Medicare bad debt provisions in Section 3201 of The Middle Class Tax Extension and Job Creation Act of 2012, which became effective earlier this year.Under the rule, by fiscal year 2015, allowable bad debt amounts will decrease to 65 percent for many providers, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and rural health clinics.  HHS notes that the new bad debt provisions will save the Medicare program $10.9 billion over the next ten years. … [Read more...] about New Medicare Bad Debt Proposed Rule

Despite recent improvements in India’s economic stability, the hangover from India’s credit fueled boom isn’t over yet. Estimates of the percentage of bank loans that are “impaired” — where repayment of the loan is classified as doubtful — run as high as 9%.  Following the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, India joined countries around the world in rapidly pumping money into the financial system to prevent a prolonged global recession. The strategy of cheaper and more available money, much of it flowing through India’s banks, succeeded and resulted in the country’s growth.  However, overreliance on interest-rate sensitive bank loans, slowing global GDP growth rates, and uncertain domestic economic policies exposed the vulnerabilities of India’s banks.  Bad debts and missed loan repayments started to pile up quickly.  The consequences of shortcomings in the insolvency process are … [Read more...] about Revamping India’s Bankruptcy Laws: A Way Out of India’s Bad Debt Problem

A Missouri attorney who was already on probationary status because of being behind on his debt payments has now been suspended from practice for failing to comply with a repayment plan.Derrick R. Williams Sr. of Cape Girardeau was suspended Friday by the Missouri Supreme Court for failing to file quarterly reports and failing to remain current with his debt payments, as required by the rules of his probation, according to the Southeast Missourian.He must reportedly must now wait one year before applying for reinstatement.Williams could not be reached by the newspaper for comment. … [Read more...] about Bad Debts Earn License Suspension for Missouri Lawyer

Introdution The Debts Recovery Tribunal has been constituted under Section 3 of the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993. The original aim of the Debts Recovery Tribunal was to receive claim applications from Banks and Financial Institutions against their defaulting borrowers. To aid the procedure thereof, the Debts Recovery Tribunal (Procedure) Rules 1993 were also drafted.While initially the Debts Recovery Tribunals did perform well and helped the Banks and Financial Institutions recover substantially large parts of their non performing assets, or their bad debts as they are commonly known, but their progress was stunted when it came to large and powerful borrowers. These borrowers were able to stall the progress in the Debts Recovery Tribunals on various grounds, primarily on the ground that their claims against the lenders were pending in the civil courts, and if the Debts Recovery Tribunal were adjudicate the matter and auction off their … [Read more...] about Debt Recovery Tribunal: A Non-Performing Asset