Every year I expect for my phone to stop ringing right before Thanksgiving and not to start up again until after the first of the year.  After all, who wants to think about filing for Bankruptcy during the holidays?  Even better, who wants to come up with cash for attorneys fees in December?

Then, the phone rings; and it rings again.  Sure enough, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s office scheduled Sheriff’s Sales for December 13.  Thanks, Sheriff!  “What?  Love, Beal and Nixon is about to garnish your wages and right before Christmas?  Really? ”  Thanks, guys!

The sad thing is that these phone calls don’t have to happen in December.  That foreclosure going to Sheriff’s Sale December 13?  It was filed early this year, and the home owner was missing payments before that.  The garnishment that will be coming out of the December 15th pay period?  Well, that lawsuit was filed last summer.

If those two callers had called earlier this year, they might have had more options.  They would have had more time to get some money together.  They wouldn’t have needed to add a Bankruptcy filing to their holiday to-do list.  Is it too late?  No.  In a very real sense will you more fully appreciate the Christmas story with a December Bankruptcy filing?  Well, quite possibly; but it really isn’t the kind of religious experience I recommend.

So, for this coming year — call earlier, because come December of next year, you won’t want to be having to find time and money for me when you could be enjoying the season of grace and expectation, of unconditional love and acceptance; instead of the automatic stay.

See you in January.

Elaine