California Bankruptcy Trustee: Roles, Responsibilities, and Contact Information
The California bankruptcy trustee is legally obligated to protect the bankruptcy estate. The bankruptcy estate is all the assets of a debtor. However, under the Bankruptcy Code, states allow exemptions or protections up to a certain amount for assets. The California bankruptcy exemptions can be found in a prior blog post and the link can be found at the bottom of the page.
Please note that the information for the California Bankruptcy Trustee is updated when new trustees are appointed, but it’s always best to check the Bankruptcy Court’s website in your district for the most recent information.
The California Bankruptcy Trustee
The bankruptcy trustee is entitled to take control of the debtor’s non-exempt assets and sell those assets for the benefit of creditors. The funds received from the sale of nonexempt property are used to pay off creditors based on their pro rata share. Part of the powers of the trustee is to also file lawsuits to pursue those assets that were transferred.
The Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee has the same obligations as the Chapter 7 trustee. However, since Chapter 13 is a court approved payment plan that lasts between 36 to 60 months, the trustee collects those monthly payments from the debtor and distributes them to creditors. With Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the trustee is not likely to extend payments on nonexempt assets past twelve months.
The U.S. Trustee’s Office Versus the Bankruptcy Trustee
When a bankruptcy petition is filed, the trustee is appointed. In large cities, especially like Los Angeles, there could be a dozen or more trustees. However, the bankruptcy trustee is not the same as the United States Trustee who works for the Department of Justice. Rarely is the U.S. Trustee’s Office involved in bankruptcy cases as they deal with prosecuting cases where fraud is involved.
Bankruptcy Trustees and the 341 Meeting of Creditors
In Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, there is the requirement of attending the 341 Meeting of Creditors. Prior to that, when the bankruptcy petition is filed in California, the trustee will forward to you or your bankruptcy attorney a list of required documents to be provided. Generally, those documents should be provided to the bankruptcy trustee 10 days before the creditor’s meeting.
If you have a bankruptcy lawyer, make sure to provide these documents in advance to avoid any delays in your case.
Below is the list of Trustees in California for all districts.
Bankruptcy Trustees for the Central District
Wesley H. Avery
758 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 210
Pasadena, CA 91101
E-mail: wes@averytrustee.com
Phone: (626) 395-7576
Fax: (661) 430-5467
Lynda T. Bui
3550 Vine Street
Suite 210
Riverside, CA 92507
E-mail: Lbui@shulmanbastian.com
Phone: (949) 340-3400
Fax: (949) 340-3000
Thomas H. Casey
22342 Avenida Empresa, Suite 245
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
E-mail: tomcasey@tomcaseylaw.com
Phone: (949) 766-8787
Fax: (949) 766-9896
Arturo M. Cisneros
3403 10th Street, Suite 714
Riverside, CA 92501
E-mail: Arturo@mclaw.org
Phone: (951) 682-9705
Fax: (951) 682-9707
Charles W. Daff
100 Spectrum Center Drive
Suite 600
Irvine, CA 92618
E-mail: charleswdaff@gmail.com
Phone: (657) 218-4800
Fax:
Carolyn Anne Dye
15030 Ventura Blvd., Suite 527
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
E-mail: cdye@cadye.com
Phone: (818) 287-7003
Fax: (323) 987-5763
Howard Marc Ehrenberg
1875 Century Park East, Suite 1900
Los Angeles, CA 90067
E-mail: Howard.Ehrenberg@gmlaw.com
Phone: (213) 626-2311
Fax: (954) 771-9264
Jeremy W. Faith
16030 Ventura Blvd., Suite 470
Encino, CA 91436
E-mail: jeremy@marguliesfaithlaw.com
Phone: (818) 705-2777
Fax: (888) 463-8799
Todd A. Frealy
3403 Tenth Street
Suite 709
Riverside, CA 92501
E-mail: TAF@lnbyg.com
Phone: (951) 784-4122
Fax: (951) 784-7143
Jeffrey I. Golden
3070 Bristol St.
Suite 640
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
E-mail: jgolden@go2.law
Phone: (714) 966-1000
Fax: (714) 966-1002
Amy L. Goldman
633 West 5th Street
Suite 4000
Los Angeles, CA 90071
E-mail: amy.goldman@lewisbrisbois.com
Phone: (213) 250-1800
Rosendo Gonzalez
530 S. Hewitt St
Suite 148
Los Angeles, CA 90013
E-mail: rossgonzalez@gonzalezplc.com
Phone: (213) 452-0071
David M. Goodrich
3070 Bristol St., Suite 640
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
E-mail: dgoodrich@go2.law
Phone: (714) 966-1000
Fax: (714) 966-1002
David Keith Gottlieb
21650 Oxnard Street
Suite 500
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
E-mail: dgottlieb@dkgallc.com
Phone: (818) 539-7720
Fax: (818) 436-0729
Weneta M. A. Kosmala
4425 Jamboree, Suite 183
Newport Beach, CA 92660
E-mail: wkosmala@kosmalalaw.com
Phone: (714) 708-8190
Brad D. Krasnoff
1901 Avenue of the Stars
Suite 450
Los Angeles, CA 90067 -6006
E-mail: bkrasnoff@danninggill.com
Phone: (310) 277-0077
Fax: (310) 277-5735
Sam S. Leslie
1130 S. Flower Street, Suite 312
Los Angeles, CA 90015
E-mail: sleslie@trusteeleslie.com
Phone: (323) 987-5780
Fax: (323) 987-5763
Richard A. Marshack
870 Roosevelt
Irvine, CA 92620
E-mail: RMarshack@MarshackHays.com
Phone: (949) 333-7777
Fax: (949) 333-7778
Peter J. Mastan
550 S. Hope Street, Suite 1765
Los Angeles, CA 90071
E-mail: Peter.Mastan@Dinsmore.com
Phone: (213) 335-7738
Fax: (213) 335-7740
Sandra K. McBeth
7343 El Camino Real, #185
Atascadero, CA 93422
E-mail: smcbeth@mcbethlegal.com
Phone: (805) 464-2959
Fax: (805) 357-5905
John J. Menchaca
835 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90017
E-mail: jmenchaca@menchacacpa.com
Phone: (213) 683-3317
Fax: (213) 455-0111
Elissa D. Miller
1875 Century Park East, Suite 1900
Los Angeles, CA 90067
E-mail: elissa.miller@gmlaw.com
Phone: (213) 617-5134
Fax: (954) 771-9264
Karen S. Naylor
4910 Birch Street
Suite 120
Newport Beach, CA 92660
E-mail: karen@ringstadlaw.com
Phone: (949) 748-7936
Fax: (949) 851-6926
John P. Pringle
13300 Crossroads Parkway North
Suite 185
City of Industry, CA 91746
E-mail: jpringle@rpmlaw.com
Phone: (323) 724-3117
Fax: (323) 724-5410
Jason M. Rund
270 Coral Circle
El Segundo, CA 90245
E-mail: jrund@srlawyers.com
Phone: (310) 640-1200
Larry D. Simons
3610 Central Avenue, Suite 400
Riverside, CA 92506
E-mail: larry@lsimonslaw.com
Phone: (951) 686-6300
Fax: (951) 742-4733
Robert S. Whitmore
3600 Lime Street, Suite 616
Riverside, CA 92501
E-mail: rswtrustee@yahoo.com
Phone: (951) 276-9292
Timothy J. Yoo
2818 La Cienega Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
E-mail: tjy@lnbyg.com
Phone: (310) 229-1234
Fax: (310) 861-0929
Nancy J. Zamora
633 West 5th Street, Suite 2600
Los Angeles, CA 90071
E-mail: zamora3@aol.com
Phone: (213) 488-9411
Fax: (213) 488-9418
Trustees for the Eastern District of California
Loris L. Bakken
2715 W. Kettleman Ln.,
Suite 203-334
Lodi, CA 95242
E-mail: loris@bakkentrustee.com
Phone: (209) 625-1440
Ethan Birnberg
40200 Truckee Airport Road
Suite One
Truckee, CA 96161
E-mail: trusteebirnberg@portersimon.com
Phone: (530) 587-2002
Irma C. Edmonds
2501 W. Shaw Ave., Suite 124
Fresno, CA 93711
E-mail: icetrustee@gmail.com
Phone: (559) 221-2233
Nichole B. Farris
2607 Forest Ave., Ste. 120
Chico, CA 95928
E-mail: nikki@nfarrislaw.com
Phone: (530) 898-1488
Peter L. Fear
P.O. Box 28490
Fresno, CA 93729
E-mail: trustee@fearlaw.com
Phone: (559) 464-5295
Kimberly J. Husted
11230 Gold Express Drive
Suite 310-411
Gold River, CA 95670
E-mail: kh7trustee@gmail.com
Phone: (916) 635-1939
Geoffrey M. Richards
P.O. Box 579
Orinda, CA 94563
E-mail: GRTrustee@pacbell.net
Phone: (916) 288-8365
Jeffrey M. Vetter
P.O. Box 2424
Bakersfield, CA 93303
E-mail: jeffreyvetter@hotmail.com
Phone: (661)809-6806
Trustees in the Northern District of California
Kari Bowyer
P.O. Box 700096
San Jose, CA 95170
E-mail: trusteebowyer@gmail.com
Phone: (408) 641-1327
Fred S. Hjelmeset
P.O. Box 4188
Mountain View, CA 94040
E-mail: fhtrustee@gmail.com
Phone: (650) 386-5634
Janina M. Hoskins
P.O. Box 158
Middletown, CA 95461
E-mail: Jmelder7@aol.com
Phone: (707) 483-2910
Doris A. Kaelin
P.O. Box 1582
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
E-mail: dktrustee@gmail.com
Phone: (831) 600-8093
Michael G. Kasolas
P.O. Box 27526
San Francisco, CA 94127
E-mail: trustee@kasolas.net
Phone: (415) 504-1926
Sarah L. Little
2415 San Ramon Valley Blvd.
Suite 4432
San Ramon, CA 94583
E-mail: sarah@littletrustee.com
Phone: (510) 485-0740
Paul J. Mansdorf
1569 Solano Ave. #703
Berkeley, CA 94707
E-mail: paul@mansdorftrustee.com
Phone: (510) 526-5993
Marlene G. Weinstein
1511 Sycamore Ave., Suite M-259
Hercules, CA 94547
E-mail: mgwtrustee@mgwtrustee.com
Phone: (925) 482-8982
Trustees for the Southern District of California
Leonard J. Ackerman
6977 Navajo Road, #124
San Diego, CA 92119
E-mail: ljabkatty@gmail.com
Phone: (619) 463-0555
Christopher R. Barclay
P.O. Box 2819
La Mesa, CA 91943 -2819
E-mail: admin@crb7trustee.com
Phone: (619) 255-1529
Gerald Holt Davis
P.O. Box 124539
Aguanga, CA 92536
E-mail: ghd@trusteedavis.com
Phone: (619) 400-9997
Leslie T. Gladstone
5656 La Jolla Blvd., Ste. B
La Jolla, CA 92037
E-mail: leslieg@flgsd.com
Phone: (858)454-9887
Fax: (858)454-9596
Ronald E. Stadtmueller
10755 Scripps Poway Pkwy., #370
San Diego, CA 92131
E-mail: ronstadtmueller@aol.com
Phone: (858) 564-9310
Below is the Information for the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustees
Trustees for the Central District of California
Amrane Cohen
770 The City Drive South
Suite 8500
Orange, CA 92868
E-mail: amrane@ch13ac.com
Phone: (714) 621-0200
Nancy K. Curry
1000 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 870
Los Angeles, CA 90017
E-mail: ncurry@trusteecurry.com
Phone: (213) 689-3014
Rodney A. Danielson
3787 University Avenue
Riverside, CA 92501
E-mail: rod@rodan13.com
Phone: (951) 826-8000
Kathy Anderson Dockery
801 Figueroa Street Suite 1850
Los Angeles, CA 90017
E-mail: TRUSTEE@LATRUSTEE.COM
Phone: (213) 996-4400
Elizabeth F. Rojas
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 830
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
E-mail: lrojas@ch13wla.com
Phone: (818) 933-5700
Trustees for the Eastern District of California
David P. Cusick
P.O. Box 1858
Sacramento, CA 95812
E-mail: www.cusick13.com
Phone: (916) 856-8000
Lilian G. Tsang
P.O. Box 3051
Modesto, CA 95353 -3051
E-mail: info@mod13.com
Phone: (209) 576-1954
Fax: (209) 576-7984
Trustees for the Northern District of California
Martha G. Bronitsky
P.O. Box 5004
Hayward, CA 94540
E-mail: 13trustee@oak13.com
Phone: (510) 266-5580
Fax: (510) 266-5589
David E. Burchard
P.O. Box 8059
Foster City, CA 94404
E-mail: administrator@burchardtrustee.com
Phone: (650) 345-7801
Devin Derham-Burk
P.O. Box 50013
San Jose, CA 95150 -0013
E-mail: faxlt@ch13sj.com
Phone: (408) 354-4413
Fax: (408) 354-5513
Trustees for the Southern District of California
Michael Koch
402 West Broadway, Suite 1450
San Diego, CA 92101
E-mail: mailto:mike@ch13.sdcoxmail.com
Phone: (619) 338-4006
To find information on the California bankruptcy court system click the link for your district: Northern, Southern, Central, Eastern. The California bankruptcy exemptions are discussed in this blog.
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Please note the information on this site does not constitute legal advice and should be considered for informational purposes only.