Have you defaulted on your modified mortgage? You’re not alone. According to a Washington Post article back in April, homeowners who are struggling and received loan modifications are defaulting on their mortgages at “an alarming rate.” The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was created by the Obama administration in 2009. It’s function is to serve as a lifeline for the millions of homeowners facing default. The program provided $75 million to help lenders reduce borrower’s monthly payments to 31% of their income. However, the mortgage reductions have not been sustainable and at the end of March this year, more than 312,000 homeowners had defaulted on mortgages modified under HAMP. “This is a significant problem,” said Christy Romero, special inspector general for the Troubled Asset
On Monday, news broke that the city of Cleveland will pay $6 million in the wrongful death case of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy who was shot and killed by police in 2014. “Wrongful death” refers to a lawsuit in which one party seeks damages from another party for causing a person’s death. The large sum in the Tamir Rice case follows a long list of similar settlements being paid by cities across the United States. According to The Wall Street Journal, police shootings and misconduct cases have cost the 10 cities with the largest police departments approximately $1.02 billion from 2010 through 2014. We handle wrongful death cases at my Memphis personal injury firm to help people recover when they’ve
You may have heard that you can use chapter 13 bankruptcy as a means to get control of your debts and repay your mortgage and car note in a manner that allows you to keep your assets. In most cases, this is true! In this blog, we are going to explain to you how Chapter 13 bankruptcy works and how you can keep your car and other assets through this bankruptcy chapter. What is Chapter 13 Bankruptcy? Chapter 13 is a chapter of law within the United States bankruptcy code that is designed to get you through tough economic times. Maybe you have lost your job or run into unexpected medical bills, chapter 13 can help you get your life
Motorcycle Accident Prevention Motorcycles and motorbikes have been a popular transportation vehicle for over 100 years. In the United States, motorcycles are mainly recreational vehicles, while much of the developing world uses motorbikes as a primary form of transportation. There is a saying about motorcycle riders that there are two types of them – those that have been down and those that are going down. There are so many things that can go wrong on a 2 wheeled motorbike that can cause serious injury something as simple as leaves on the ground or slightly wet pavement. A study from the USDOT shows the number of fatalities was 37 times higher for motorcycles than for cars. The reason a motorcycle crash
Memphis has one of the highest pedestrian accident rates in America, and along with that, one of the highest pedestrian death rates in America as well. As a Memphis accident lawyer, I’ve seen a lot of these cases, including one that affected a dear family member. So I know how bad it can be for both sides, especially when insurance companies don’t want to pay. Have you been injured by a car? We can help! In pedestrian accidents, one or both sides can be at fault. If it becomes clear the driver was at fault, they can be held responsible financially, often through their insurance. In some cases they might also be criminally liable, like in a drunk driving accident.
At this point, we all know student loans are crippling the American people, and especially young people 18-35. It’s already pushed back the age at which young people are getting married and having kids. It’s keeping our best educated population from pursuing the jobs they’ve been trained to do. And it’s hurting the parents, spouses, and economy that have to support this debt. And the problem doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. A bankruptcy law firm Memphis, TN trusts, like the team at Darrell Castle & Associates, can help you decide if bankruptcy makes sense for you. If things continue as they are: soon almost every American will have student loan debt, and half of us won’t
By: Darrell Castle When you were pregnant, you might’ve taken Zofran to treat your morning sickness and not even have known it – now it’s linked to birth defects Video Transcript Hello I’m Darrell Castle and I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and on this video today I’m talking about the drug Zofran and how if you took it as a pregnant woman in the first trimester of your pregnancy, it could’ve caused your baby to be born with a birth defect. A birth defect such as a heart defect – a hole in the heart or a heart murmur. Or a cleft palate or cleft lip. Some babies have been born missing a
Budgeting with coupons when you’re in debt – good or bad? By: Darrell Castle As bankruptcy lawyers Memphis, TN knows and trusts, we deal with people struggling with debt every day – most of which are strongly searching for a way to save a buck. When going over a person’s finances with them, more times than not I can point to the grocery budget as an area for improvement. Sometimes the amount of money a person or family spends on groceries is ridiculous. Spending money on all processed and frozen foods and sugary cereals is not only less-healthy than buying raw meats and fresh vegetables, but it can also make more of an impact on your wallet. Thank God for coupons
What can you do if you’re injured on the job as an government employee? Video Transcript Hello, this is Darrell Castle. I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and on this video, I’m talking about how a person can recover money damages if he is injured while on the job working for the city or for some other government entity, like the school system or something like that. The way that works is – it’s a simple negligence theory because the city does not have worker’s compensation. You’re not entitled to worker’s compensation if you are injured working for the city or for the county. And so as a result of that, it is a
Recently the Memphis Daily News reported on the incredible expense of caring for an aging parent in Memphis: At-home care costs in Tennessee can range from $38,000 to a whopping $40,000 just for one year Assisted living in the Mid-South averages costs of $140/day Skilled nursing facilities cost an average of $200/day (or $73,000/year) In-home care can cost $18/hour. The article also offers some money-saving alternatives, including a special TennCare program to help lower elder care costs, tips for tax deduction, and the option of long-term care insurance. But even with financial assistance and careful planning, the elder care expenses can overwhelm any family. When you can’t pay your bills because of elder care costs, your options might feel