PLEASE DECLARE BANKRUPTCY NOW........

[WCGreen]

If you have damages from the hurricane, please declare now. A natural disaster is no excuse for bankruptcy....

On another note....

Could the Bush Administration purposely held back in order to make the damage worse knowing the bankruptcy laws were about to come ion effect and that individuals would loose everything.....

And that investors would be able to swoop in and cherry pick the prime real estate....

[Deja Q]

1. Where is the proof that all the rich people are secretly ganging up on us?

Until then, it's tinfoilhat fodder.

I agree it's unfettered greed afoot, but nothing more. Too many things can be inferred. But without proper background evidence...

[babylonsister]

3. Here:

Speculators Rushing In as the Water Recedes By David Streitfeld Times Staff Writer
Thu Sep 15, 7:55 AM ET

BATON ROUGE, La. — Brandy Farris is house hunting in New Orleans.

The real estate agent has $10 million in the bank, wired by an investor who has instructed her to scoop up houses — any houses. "Flooding no problem," Farris' newspaper ads advise.

Her backer is a Miami businessman who specializes in buying storm-ravaged property at a deep discount, something that has paid dividends in hurricane-prone Florida. But he may have a harder time finding bargains this time around.

In some ways, Hurricane Katrina seems to have taken a vibrant real estate market and made it hotter. Large sections of the city are underwater, but that's only increasing the demand for dry houses. And in flooded areas, speculators are trying to buy properties on the cheap, hoping that the redevelopment of New Orleans will start a boom.

This land rush has long-term implications in a city where many of the poorest residents were flooded out. It raises the question of what sort of housing — if any — will be available to those without a six-figure salary. If New Orleans ends up a high-priced enclave, without a mix of cultures, races and incomes, something vital may be lost.
more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/20050915/ts_latimes/speculatorsrushinginasthewaterrecedes

[sui generis]

4. you can't generalize like that

from a few bad apples.

That's like saying all the hurricane aid organizations are evil money stealing russian mobsters just because a few actually are.

The problem has been identified: there is an economic vacuum and some businesses exists to take advantage of economic vacuums. Our humanitarian values reject the appropriateness of individuals and organizations taking advantage of this disaster, so OUR effort needs to be focused on mitigating this problem.

The solution is to make sure we have a hand in drafting policy for how people who want to return to New Orleans are treated.

Stringing up real estate developers is besides the point: like any middle man, they exist to buy at the lowest price and re-sell at the highest price, so to manage that we have to make it much LESS attractive for them to be predators. That means we have to step up to zoning issues in a way that makes it much much less of a "bargain" for a commercial developer or REIT to try to redevelop these areas into high income residential or gaming/casino.

Also, many people in these displaced areas rented. I'm not saying that's an excuse to treat them differently but the other side certainly will. How do we fight that? We can't just wait until someone quotes what seems like "reasonable" law. We have to make sure we've addressed the protections of New Orleans residents, whether they leased or owned their properties.

These are real ways to fight the problem, and it will be a fight. To view all real estate developers as predatory or evil is also wrong headed - some of them can be your allies, and inevitably will contract to rebuild some areas and neighborhoods for someone regardless of who prevails.

[WCGreen]

5. The first part is correct....

The second was just a hunch.....

MAybe not intentionally, but there are defiantly going to be people getting rich......

But those who are devastated by the hurricane and need to file bankruptcy, should now before the october deadline,,,,,,

[WildClarySage]

2. Aww come on now, nobody's that heartless...

that's just an extra side-benefit...

[WCGreen]

6. I hope you are right...

And about 80% of me feels that you are.....

But that is beside the point....

The new Bankruptcy laws do not let you file bankruptcy due to natural disaster.......

No special protection......

I'm just saying that people should talk to an attorney now, before the October deadline kicks in....

You can always file for bankruptcy and remove the petition....