“ Chapter 13 does not exclude or kill the loan modification process. In fact, Chapter 13 enhances debtor’s chances of successfully resolving her claim of fraud with the bank. Under the worst situation, client can file an adversary proceeding in Chapter 13 to ask the bankruptcy court to rule on her claim of fraud against…
RAYMOND Adame was a machine mechanic for Alcoa Fastening Systems and has worked there for more than 30 years. He was seriously injured at work and had to take a medical leave of absence for about 2.5 years. When he was cleared to go back to work, he had lifting restrictions due to the injury…
A LOT of people who consult with me about their debt problems are going through the worst time of their lives. Unlike other problems in life that sometimes just go away on their own, debt problems will only get worse unless you do something about them. While dealing with debt and coming up with a…
CONSIDER the common divorce scenario where the divorce judgment provides primary custody of the children to one spouse while the other spouse only gets visitation. The parties begin to file separate tax returns. What are the tax consequences of the non custodial parents with regards to claiming the children in his or her return? A…
BY Approval Notice dated October 30, 2015, the USCIS granted Form I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver to a Filipino crewman, who is married to a US citizen spouse. Roman P. Mosqueda, a Super Lawyer in Southern California for 2014, 2015, and 2016 in business immigration, filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, of the US…
More than Christmas, Thanksgiving Day is perhaps the holiday that compels many families to come home and spend time with their folks. There is no pressure about giving gifts — just a pure bonding moment over food and family memories. During this special Thanksgiving weekend, let me share with you some of my favorite quotes…
LOS ANGELES—This is a little back story. There are moments with such magnitude that they must be clearly remembered — whether you were sitting before the television set or reading the blood-curdling headlines. It might serve a purpose to record what a few and surely a multitude more, saw and felt, thought and smelled, of…
IN his recent podcast, “The Light of Faith,” my college classmate, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, of the Archdiocese of Lingayen, Pangasinan, explains the positions and titles in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. He talks about the orders of deacon, priest and bishop and the titles of Monsignor, Archbishop and Cardinal. In the end, he says…
It might be the season of giving, but a new study shows that wealthy individuals residing in states with high income inequality are less likely to be generous toward others. Researchers from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and Stanford University’s Department of Sociology who conducted the study noted that recent research has…
The superstorm likely to drench key California drought zone ONE of the most powerful El Niño storms on record is gathering strength in California, and is likely to bring heavy rains to key areas in the north that provide water for the rest of the state. According to a new forecast, the area around Lake…
THE US State Department has issued a worldwide travel alert for Americans citing possible risks due to increased terrorist threats. The warning comes following deadly attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State, which left more than 120 individuals dead. The department did not mention the incident in its alert, but suggested that militants associated…
DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has promised to take executive action on immigration if elected in 2016 to permit undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for at least five years to remain in the country without fear of deportation. His plan, called “Families First,” would affect nearly 9 million individuals. “As we…
ACCORDING to US Customs and Border Protection data, nearly 5,000 unaccompanied immigrant children were caught crossing the US border with Mexico in October of this year, almost double the number from last year. In the figures released Tuesday, Nov. 24, the number of family members crossing together nearly tripled from October 2014, from 2,162 to…
As expected, the exceedingly hyped “Lani Misalucha Live in New York” concert was a rousing success despite the grueling tension and arduous mind-torturing agony (days prior the main event) over unsold tickets, uncollected payments, settling final dues, and meeting last minute details. The concluding hours close to showtime gave box office the most startling moments…
My column on “Aspirin, the Wonder Drug,” came out in 2002, when this common household item was on the spotlight for sometime for its new role in staving off heart attack, medically termed Acute Myocardial Infarction (the killer, Acute MI). In 1962, a year after I graduated from medical school, my 46-year-old father succumbed to…
For the merry month of December, world boxing champion, Sarangani Congressman and senatorial candidate Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, heads the list of prominent personalities celebrating their birthdays. The world-famous boxer will be celebrating another year of his life on Monday, December 7. Others who are celebrating their birthdays this month are: December 4 – Former…
THANKSGIVING is when people take a step back and reflect on all of the wonderful things and events to be grateful for, and to give thanks to those people who played such a key role in helping us achieve them. At this Thanksgiving, I would like to once again give thanks to all of the…
THE Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 was enacted with the avowed purpose to protect and keep children safe from sex offenders; prevent child abuse and pornography; promote internet safety; and honor the memory of Adam Walsh and other child crime victims. The Adam Walsh Act amended Section 204(a)(1)(i) of the Immigration…
The 5-4 vote by the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) is not the resounding victory that many supporters of Grace Poe had hoped for. In fact, the close vote means that Poe might have an even harder time when the issue of her citizenship is finally brought up to the Supreme Court (SC). Complainant Rizalito David…
THE sole Filipino-American gastroenterologist in Southern Nevada, Dr. Noel Fajardo, is set to unveil a new, state-of-the-art endoscopy surgicenter in the region this December. LV Surgery Center will be the first surgicenter accredited and approved by the Nevada Department of Health following a 2008 outbreak of hepatitis that was linked to colonoscopy centers that were…
THE APEC summit, for which the Aquino government was willing to create horrible incoveniences and economic losses for the country, concluded amidst self-congratulatory applause and back-patting by its organizers. The good news is that, in spite of the threat of a terrorist attack, in the wake of the massacre in Paris, the delegates clearly enjoyed…
AFTER the coordinated terrorist attacks consisting of mass shootings, suicide bombings, and hostage-taking in Paris that killed 130 people and injured 389 on November 13, people all over the world have been debating about the possible security threat posed by the Syrian refugee program being shared by progressive countries in Europe and North America for…
OVER the weekend, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered for its annual summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The global leaders discussed some of the region’s most pressing issues including economic integration, trade liberalization, sustainable growth and energy security. With some of its members embattled with China on the contested waters of…
THE apple that fell far from the tree is one I could only dream of — a perfect newshen and God’s little pencil. I would have taught this daughter to begin each work by having a real and passionate curiosity about how people behave in the infinitely various situations they find themselves in. To be…
Record 2.1 million passengers expected at LAX this Thanksgiving LOS ANGELES Mayor Eric Garcetti and city Councilmember Bob Blumenfield joined airport officials to announce that a record 2.1 million travelers will pass through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) this Thanksgiving. The record number of travelers is an increase of 6.9 percent over last year’s 1.96 million…
DESPITE the House of Representatives’ swift vote last week that would halt President Barack Obama’s program to admit Syrian refugees into the United States, the large majority of Asian-American members of Congress voted against the bill, arguing that it went against basic American values. “No refugees [on American soil] have committed a terrorist act,” Rep….
DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Sunday, Nov. 22, proposed a new tax credit offsetting up to $6,000 in costs for middle-class families who care for their aging parents or grandparents and disabled family members. “We need to recognize the value of the work that caregivers give to all of us, both those who are…
When a serious crime has been committed, justice can only be served when the perpetrator of the crime is successfully prosecuted and jailed. Unfortunately, justice is often not served when the victim of the crime is an undocumented immigrant. This has been the case as many fear that may suffer because of their unlawful immigration…
Millions of undocumented immigrants are facing possible deportation. Some have proposed building a wall. States are threatening to close their borders to refugees. Amid the current divisive immigration rhetoric it’s important that we not forget another story: the nearly 9 million green card holders living lawfully in the U.S. who are eligible to become citizens,…
Practically everyone knows that the good times of loan modification are going to end next year. Loan modifications under HAMP are set to expire December 31, 2016 after several extensions. HAMP was a direct result of the mortgage bubble in 2007 to 2009 when everyone, including your dog, could qualify for a zero down mortgage…
