STEVEN G. TATE
STANDING CHAPTER 13 TRUSTEE
Western District of North Carolina
Asheville, Bryson City, Shelby, and Statesville Divisions
1318 D Davie Avenue, Statesville NC 28687
704-872-2401
1/3/2024
TO: All Attorneys
FROM: Steven G. Tate, Chapter 13 Trustee
RE: Office Procedures
The purpose of this memo and references is to provide you with guidance concerning the operations of our Chapter 13 Office. Please review this information and contact us if you have any questions in regards to these policies. The documents referred to below are on our website, www.13network.com.
National Data Center. This document shows a debtor how to access all information on their case. We send this out to all new debtors. NDC Debtor Access Login Guide
Email addresses for our office. This document shows you which email address to use when contacting our office for the most efficient way to communicate with us. Email Policy
Also, we need to know what email address you would like us to use when contacting your office. Please send us confirmation of who in your office you want to receive our emails and their email addresses.
Debtor Information Sheet. This memo is what we send out to all new debtors after a new case is filed. Debtor Information Sheet
Attorney Access to Case Information. To access our information in regards to your client's cases, go to www.13network.com Select my name from the NC trustees, and on our web page displayed, go to "Chapter 13 Inquiry". Use the case number of your client to access all information on the case. See the linked document which gives more detail for help in navigating the site. 13Network.com Guide
Credit Authorization Form. This is a form you should use when a client wishes to secure credit while in a Chapter 13. The Western District allows Chapter 13 Trustees to approve credit requests up to $25,000.00 on personal property per the Local Rules. Our general office guidelines are that the vehicle must be at least 2 years old, a maximum loan amount of $8,000.00 to $15,000.00, and a maximum monthly payment of $450.00 or less. Request for Credit Authorization form
Use of Secure Upload Site. Our preference is that you send us a signed Local Form 6 (Certificate and Affidavit) along with proof of social security number, driver's license or other governmental photo ID, and the last year's tax return prior to the first meeting of creditors. Linked are two sets of instructions for sending this privacy sensitive information. Secure Upload Site Memo, Secure Upload Site Instructions.
If we do not receive these documents in a timely fashion, we will email you reminders of any deficiencies we show in receipt of these items.
Video Conferencing and First Meeting Information. We prefer to conduct first meetings and preliminary dismissal hearings via video conferencing using Zoom. Here is a technical document for setting up this procedure. Once you have set up your arrangement, please contact my IT technician Chris for a test of your equipment. Video Conferencing Setup Instructions
Obviously, you need to inform your clients that they need to come to your office for their 341 meeting, though the notice will set my office as the location. If you insure that all preliminary documents have been previously sent to our office (Local Form 6 Affidavit, copy of driver's license, copy of social security card, last year's tax return), the meeting should go smoothly and quickly.
We will call your cases in chronological order based on the case number, from lowest to highest.
On the same date and time, we will conduct our preliminary dismissal hearings that have been set. Your client need not appear if you have authority to discuss the dismissal issues. If we can resolve the issues, a consent order will be tendered to the Court. If not, the dismissal, hearing will be continued to the appropriate Court docket for disposition.
Please contact my office if you have any questions in regards to these policies. I appreciate your attention to these details.
TFS Attorney Portal. We use TFS Bill Pay for electronic debtor payments. As part of their system, they have an attorney portal that you can use. We’ll send your name and email address to TFS, who will provide you with more information. If you have any questions about the attorney portal, please contact TFS.
Electronic Payments. EFT Authorization Form Please review this form, fill it out, and return it to our office via our secure upload site (see #6 above) to set up the process for sending your attorney fees to your bank account electronically. This process is mandatory, and avoids the problems of delays and lost checks that are common with postal service of paper checks.