Making Plan Payments
Once you file your Chapter 13 Petition, your payment requirements begin immediately and your first payment is due within 30 days. Thereafter, you must make your plan payments on time and in full each month. You may make payments by wage order, by mail or by TFS Bill Pay. We DO NOT accept personal checks or cash.
Wage Orders
A wage order directs your employer to deduct your Chapter 13 plan payment from your paycheck and send it directly to the Chapter 13 Trustee. Historically, debtors with wage orders have the highest likelihood of success. If a wage order is in place and the employer does not deduct the plan payment, the debtor remains obligated to make the plan payment directly to the Trustee. It is the debtor’s responsibility to determine why the employer is not honoring the Wage Order. It is the debtor’s responsibility to regularly check your paycheck information to ensure your plan payment is deducted timely and the amount is correct.
If you would like to pay by wage order or your employer information changes contact your attorney.
Mailed Payments
You can make your payment by mailing a money order or certified check payable to the Kenneth E. West, Chapter 13 Trustee. In order for us to properly identify the payments as YOURS, please include on the face of your payment: your full name, address and case number.
Example of Information on Payment:
Payable to: Kenneth E. West, Chapter 13 Trustee
From: Jane Doe, Case 18-12345
2351 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 19142
Mail Money Orders/Certified Checks to:
Kenneth E. West, Chapter 13 Trustee
PO Box 1799
Memphis, TN 38101-1799
TFS Bill Pay
TFS Bill Pay is a third-party vendor. Any use of the service is an agreement between you and the third-party vendor. TFS Bill Pay is optional and requires additional costs collected by TFS Bill Pay – not the Chapter 13 Trustee. Making payments electronically is offered for your convenience.
Payment solutions offered by TFS:
E-pay Use your bank account to make one-time or recurring payments securely online
MoneyGram In-person cash or debit card payments at authorized locations
eWage Payments through your paycheck without notifying your employer of bankruptcy
For more information visit www.tfsbillpay.com, call 1-888-729-2413 or contact your attorney.
Timeliness of Payments
Plan payments must be posted to your case before the end of the month to be available for disbursement to creditors in that cycle. If a payment is not posted to the Trustee’s database within that time period, those funds will not be available for distribution to your creditors until the following month’s distribution cycle.
If you have problems making your plan payments because of illness, loss of job, family emergency or other serious event, you should inform your attorney immediately. The Chapter 13 Trustee cannot waive or excuse your payment requirements. The Chapter 13 Trustee is obligated to report to the Bankruptcy Court if you materially default on making payments. The Court may then enter an order dismissing your case and withdrawing the protection of the Bankruptcy Court. This could subject you to creditor collection efforts and other actions.
Once you file your Chapter 13 Petition, your payment requirements begin immediately and your first payment is due within 30 days. Thereafter, you must make your plan payments on time and in full each month. You may make payments by wage order, by mail or by TFS Bill Pay. We DO NOT accept personal checks or cash.
Wage Orders
A wage order directs your employer to deduct your Chapter 13 plan payment from your paycheck and send it directly to the Chapter 13 Trustee. Historically, debtors with wage orders have the highest likelihood of success. If a wage order is in place and the employer does not deduct the plan payment, the debtor remains obligated to make the plan payment directly to the Trustee. It is the debtor’s responsibility to determine why the employer is not honoring the Wage Order. It is the debtor’s responsibility to regularly check your paycheck information to ensure your plan payment is deducted timely and the amount is correct.
If you would like to pay by wage order or your employer information changes contact your attorney.
Mailed Payments
You can make your payment by mailing a money order or certified check payable to the Kenneth E. West, Chapter 13 Trustee. In order for us to properly identify the payments as YOURS, please include on the face of your payment: your full name, address and case number.
Example of Information on Payment:
Payable to: Kenneth E. West, Chapter 13 Trustee
From: Jane Doe, Case 18-12345
2351 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 19142
Mail Money Orders/Certified Checks to:
Kenneth E. West, Chapter 13 Trustee
PO Box 1799
Memphis, TN 38101-1799
TFS Bill Pay
TFS Bill Pay is a third-party vendor. Any use of the service is an agreement between you and the third-party vendor. TFS Bill Pay is optional and requires additional costs collected by TFS Bill Pay – not the Chapter 13 Trustee. Making payments electronically is offered for your convenience.
Payment solutions offered by TFS:
E-pay Use your bank account to make one-time or recurring payments securely online
MoneyGram In-person cash or debit card payments at authorized locations
eWage Payments through your paycheck without notifying your employer of bankruptcy
For more information visit www.tfsbillpay.com, call 1-888-729-2413 or contact your attorney.
Timeliness of Payments
Plan payments must be posted to your case before the end of the month to be available for disbursement to creditors in that cycle. If a payment is not posted to the Trustee’s database within that time period, those funds will not be available for distribution to your creditors until the following month’s distribution cycle.
If you have problems making your plan payments because of illness, loss of job, family emergency or other serious event, you should inform your attorney immediately. The Chapter 13 Trustee cannot waive or excuse your payment requirements. The Chapter 13 Trustee is obligated to report to the Bankruptcy Court if you materially default on making payments. The Court may then enter an order dismissing your case and withdrawing the protection of the Bankruptcy Court. This could subject you to creditor collection efforts and other actions.