Thompson Law Office, P.C.

A bankruptcy discharge is supposed to deliver a fresh start. For Rose Thomas of Harvey, Illinois, it delivered 273 days without running water. In In re Thomas, No. 25-01000 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. Sept. 17, 2026), Judge Michael B. Slade called the City of Harvey’s conduct the most egregious discharge violation he had ever seen and sanctioned the City accordingly.

If you’ve learned you don’t qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, perhaps because your income is too high to pass the “means test” or because you recently received a prior bankruptcy discharge, you may feel like you’re out of options. Many people in this position go back to what they were doing before: juggling minimum payments, borrowing against their home, or cashing out retire...