Why You Do Not Want Your Trustee To Hate You
The trustee is the person appointed to administer your case. In general, the trustee seeks to make sure that your creditors are protected, and that everything goes according to the laws of the Bankruptcy Code. But how should you treat your creditor, and why should you avoid irritating him or her?
Trustees have some discretion, and this is why you do not want your trustee to dislike you. Although trustees are generally there to follow the law and will act professionally, if the trustee has no ill will against you, the trustee is likely to avoid expending too much energy in order to obtain small amounts of assets.
For instance, let’s say you have an expensive shoe collection. Under Arizona’s exemptions, you are permitted only $500 worth of clothing. Because your clothing is used, most people do not have anywhere near $500 worth. However, if you have designer shoes that are worth a great deal of money, they will not be considered exempt, and can be sold by the trustee to pay your creditors.
Most trustees will not do this, however, unless the assets are really significant, because of the hassle involved in marketing each pair of shoe, and the relatively limited return. But if your trustee has grown to dislike you, he or she may be more interested in expending this energy. Whether he or she will do so will depend greatly on the personality of the trustee, and also on how you treat him or her. Do you lie, or act disrespectfully? It is important to be kind and professional with your trustee, for your own benefit.
