Sacramento Law Group

California Bankruptcy Exemptions 704

California is unlike many other states in that it has 2 bankruptcy exemption schemes. Unlike other states, California does not permit California residents filing for bankruptcy to use the Federal exemption scheme found in the bankruptcy code. Instead, California provides two exemption schemes found in Section 703 and 704 of the California Code of Civil Procedure. California 703 bankruptcy exemptions can only be used in bankruptcy and cannot be used to protect against a judgment creditor seeking to execute against your property outside of bankruptcy. In contrast, California 704 bankruptcy exemptions apply to judgment creditors in and outside of bankruptcy.

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The Purpose of 704 Exemptions

California 704 bankruptcy exemptions protect your property from creditor collection actions. Think of chapter 7 bankruptcy like this: in chapter 7 bankruptcy you are reporting all of your property and assets, and thereby putting those assets on the table for liquidation. However, on Schedule C you claim certain property as exempt and thereby remove those items from the liquidation table. After claiming all applicable exemptions many times there is nothing remaining on the table for liquidation. When that occurs the chapter 7 case is called a “no asset case.”

Claiming California 704 Bankruptcy Exemptions

To claim California 704 bankruptcy exemptions you must first select an exemption scheme. To claim California 704 bankruptcy exemptions you will elect to apply the exemption statutes under section 704 of the California Code of Civil Procedure as opposed to statutes under section 703. On schedule C you will itemize your current assets as of filing and cite the corresponding exemption statutes. For instance, if you list a 1992 Ford Thunderbird valued at $1,500 on Schedule C you will cite section 704.010 (motor vehicles exemption) and claim the vehicle as exempt in an amount not to exceed $2,725.

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We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The information contained in this website is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. An attorney-client relationship can only be established by signing a representation agreement.
*$900 Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Fee Disclaimer: While most cases qualify for the above fee, some cases are complex. Consequently, the above fee is only a sample fee (not a specific or guaranteed fee) and is subject to change at any time due to the necessity of charging more for complex cases. The sample chapter 7 fee represents the typical fee for a simple no-asset chapter 7 case. The $900 fee is only available to residents of the following counties: Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, Solano and San Joaquin. Residents of other counties may be charged more.