Rowhouse equity
The exemption election can be the difference between keeping the house in Chapter 7 and needing Chapter 13. We will not file the convenient chapter.
Historic / mixed-use · Washington, D.C.
Stephen A. Thomas: Bankruptcy Attorney Serving Capitol Hill, DC
Rowhouses | Federal pay | D.C. Bankruptcy Court | Walk to F Street
Capitol Hill clients typically have a rowhouse or a small condo, a federal or Hill paycheck, and a TSP account that should stay untouched. The F Street office is a short walk from Union Station. The first legal question is D.C. exemptions vs. federal exemptions — not a slogan about a fresh start.
- 35+ yearsLicensed legal practice
- Free consultConfidential case review
- F StreetOffice at 20 F St NW Ste 700
- VerifyD.C. Bar member directory
Local landscape
How Capitol Hill cases actually look
Hill housing is equity-heavy compared with many D.C. neighborhoods. A paid-down rowhouse can make Chapter 7 the wrong chapter even when credit-card balances look hopeless. We run both exemption schemes before anyone files. TSP and similar retirement accounts are usually protectable; the house is the variable.
Federal furloughs, continuing-resolution delays, and contractor invoice gaps still produce credit-card float. Collectors then sue in D.C. Superior Court. A high District salary does not automatically fail the Chapter 7 means test — the District’s median income is high — but we still run the worksheet.
You do not need a neighborhood storefront on 8th Street. 20 F St NW Ste 700 is the meeting place, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia is the filing court.
Why Capitol Hill is not a cloned city page
Problems Capitol Hill residents bring to consultation
Garnishment on a federal W-2
D.C. limits garnishments, but a levy still wrecks a monthly budget. The automatic stay is the clean stop once a case is filed.
Two-income households that still cannot catch up
Hill + agency paychecks do not guarantee a surplus. Childcare, Metro, and a 30-year note eat the ‘good salary.’
Court & process
District court and District exemptions
Capitol Hill cases file in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia. Maryland and Virginia courts are the wrong venue for D.C. residents. The D.C. vs. federal exemption choice is analyzed before the petition is signed.
How we can help in Capitol Hill
Service lines for Capitol Hill, DC residents
Emergency filing pressure
- D.C. foreclosure sale, garnishment, or lawsuit already pending
- Automatic stay on filing day
- F Street consultations or phone when the calendar is short
Chapter 7 bankruptcy
- D.C. or federal exemption election before we file
- Discharge qualifying credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans
- Means test using District median-income figures
Chapter 13 bankruptcy
- Stop a District foreclosure and catch up on arrears
- Plan payment built on actual D.C. living costs
- Rowhouse, condo, and co-op fact patterns
Office access
Getting to 20 F St NW from Capitol Hill
Union Station is the practical landmark. The office is at 20 F St NW Ste 700. Call (855) 940-2265. Bring the mortgage statement and last two pay stubs if you have them — equity and the means test are the meeting.
Stephen A. Thomas, PLLC
Call (855) 940-2265 to discuss a Capitol Hill matter.
Nearby communities
Related pages near Washington, D.C.
Direct answers
Capitol Hill questions
Is the F Street office actually near Capitol Hill?
Yes. 20 F St NW is steps from Union Station, on the north side of the Hill/downtown edge. It is the firm’s D.C. meeting place for Capitol Hill clients.
Will Chapter 7 take a Capitol Hill rowhouse?
It depends on equity and which exemption scheme we elect. If equity is too high for Chapter 7, Chapter 13 is how many Hill owners keep the house and still restructure unsecured debt.
Are TSP accounts at risk?
Retirement accounts of this type are generally protected, but we still list them correctly. Do not guess or omit them from the paperwork.
Capitol Hill
Schedule a consultation
Call (855) 940-2265 or send the form. Mention you are in Capitol Hill so we can apply the right court and exemption rules.