What is an Involuntary Bankruptcy

An Involuntary Bankruptcy is filed not by the individual or company that has the debts, but instead by creditors of that individual or company. The involuntary bankruptcy can either be a Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Three creditors with combined claims totaling $15,775 or more can force a company into bankruptcy. The claims cannot be contingent or subject to a bona fide dispute. The filing must be in good faith or the case will be dismissed and the creditors could be responsible for fees and costs incurred by the debtor. The requesting parties must show the debtor is not paying its debts as the debts become due. Creditors will file an Involuntary Bankruptcy for various reasons including trying to force liquidation of the assets to pay its claims or to get the trustee appointed to review the books and records to make sure the debtor is not improperly favoring some creditors over other creditors.