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Lynn Ellen Coleman

Lynn Ellen Coleman

  • Foreclosure Defense, Bankruptcy
  • North Carolina
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Claimed Lawyer ProfileQ&A
Biography

I offer personal, compassionate assistance with debt and consumer law issues to persons in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina.

Education
St. Mary's University School of Law
J.D. | Law
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St. Mary's University School of Law Logo
Trinity University
B.S. | History, Political Science
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Professional Associations
North Carolina State Bar
Member
Current
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National Association of Consumer Advocates
Member
- Current
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National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
Member
- Current
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North Carolina Bar Association
Member
- Current
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Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
North Carolina
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Texas
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Fees
  • Free Consultation
    I offer a free online or telephone consultation.
  • Credit Cards Accepted
    Debit cad only for bankruptcy. Credit card (all major cards) for other areas.
  • Contingent Fees
    For certain consumer law cases only.
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    I offer flat fees, contingency fees, and hourly fees depending upon the nature of the case.
Practice Areas
Foreclosure Defense
Bankruptcy
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Debt Relief
Additional Practice Areas
  • Collections Defense
  • Student Loan Law
  • General Civil
Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
Legal Answers
Q. Can we keep our home under NC Chapter 7 Homestead Exemptions?
A: I am licensed in North Carolina. You definitely need to consult with an attorney and not try to file on your own, because it's just a shade more complicated than that. Many bankruptcy lawyers in North Carolina offer free or very low cost consultations.

Each one of you gets a $35,000.00 exemption in the equity in your home. That means you have a combined $70,000.00 of protection. Here's where it gets a little more nuanced.

North Carolina follows "tenancy by the entireties". This means that only unsecured debt (not the mortgage) in both spouses' names can reach the homestead equity of a home that a married couple purchased after they were married, typically titled "as husband and wife" on the deed to the property.

You have over $70,000.00 equity in the home, so whether or not you can safely file Chapter 7 and keep the home depends upon who's name the unsecured debt is in. Please consult with a qualified and experienced consumer bankruptcy attorney before filing. The attorney may feel safer putting you into a low payment Chapter 13 for three years instead of a Chapter 7. If it is abundantly clear that there is no joint unsecured debt they may feel safe filing a Chapter 7 for you. Either way, this is a professional judgment that only a licensed in NC, experienced bankruptcy lawyer can advise you on properly. There are other factors such as the amount and value of personal property you own, and whether or not you are using the realistic value of your vehicles (most people without a lawyer use trade in value from KBB, the bankruptcy courts here uniformly use NADA clean retail and work down off of that, and most people have no true concept of what used cars are really worth now days). Good luck to you.
... Read More
Q. Legal grounds for undisclosed mechanical issue after car purchase in NC.
A: You are unlikely to win. There is no "lemon law" for used cars and you really have no proof that they actually knew about the issue. The fact they chose to repair the issue is not an admission of fault. Even if they did know, the fact they sold the car "as is" covers them. It was your responsibility to have the car examined by your own mechanic if you wanted to know about any undisclosed issues.
Q. Unexpected bill increase for lawnmower purchase from Home Depot
A: I'm assuming this was made using a Home Depot credit card that they issued to you. In order to win your argument, you would have to prove that you received monthly billing statements that had no disclosure about the promotional rate. You would also have to prove you did not sign something at the store which disclosed the terms. Have you received a copy of what you signed at the store and have you looked over all of the billing statements carefully? Typically the billing statements contain disclosures, you may only have been paying attoention to the "minimum payment" and not the terms. If you received notices electronically, you would have been given actual statements electronically which had these disclosures. You need to pay off the account ASAP in order to avoid additional interest charges and go online and download all of the billing statements and review them carefully. Take the billing statements and the purchase agreement you signed to an attorney for a personal review. ... Read More
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Contact & Map
402 East Mountain St
KERNERSVILLE, NC 27284
US
Telephone: (336) 993-5955
Fax: (336) 793-9102
Monday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Tuesday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Wednesday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Thursday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed (Today)
Notice: By Appointment Only, No Drop In Hours