Unlike the bankruptcy courts in many other jurisdictions, the bankruptcy courts of Oregon do not forgive missed payments. In Washington, for example, if you fall behind on payments, it is at least possible for your attorney to file a motion to forgive the arrears owed and start anew. In Oregon, however, you cannot miss any payments to the Trustee without having to make them up at a later date.
Most Oregon families live on pretty stringent budgets and making the payment is hard enough without having to play catch up ball. It is imperative that if you are going to start missing payments due to lost wages or unforeseen expenses, you need to pursue an amendment of your plan as quickly as possible so that the arrears don’t build up.
If you have a change in your circumstances such as an unforeseen emergency, or loss of wages you should let your bankruptcy lawyer know immediately. Your bankruptcy lawyer can then assess your situation and hopefully amend your plan to reflect the change in circumstances. Because this process can take several weeks, so be sure to contact your attorney immediately if you know that you are going to have trouble making your payments.
