Hit & Run Driver Seeks Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Protection

A Florida woman who pled guilty to killing two children and seriously injuring two others in a 2004 hit and run accident has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

Jennifer Porter, who owns a dance studio near Tampa, is asking the bankruptcy court for protection from creditors. Porter listed her debts as $37,961, with only $3,675 in assets.

In the bankruptcy filing, Porter listed the value of her dance studio at $100, with her car, a 1997 Toyota Celica, as the most expensive asset at $2,700. Porter claims her monthly income is $800, but that her monthly expenditures (money for food, a cell phone bill, and car insurance) total approximately $820. According to the bankruptcy petition, Porter doesn't pay taxes or pay rent since she lives with her parents.

Under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, Porter would be able to eliminate the majority of her debts (which stem from unpaid credit card bills) by liquidating some of her non-exempt assets in order to repay her creditors. Porter is claiming that $1,975 of her $3,675 in personal property is exempt.

It is not clear at this time whether or not Porter's bankruptcy petition has been approved by the judge.

For more information about filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, click here to find a bankruptcy lawyer near you!