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ChatGPT is a powerful tool, capable of giving consumers a wealth of useful information -- or a bunch of malarky if you don't use it carefully.
In this article, we'll share with you the prompts that work best for researching bankruptcy and debt and credit law and procedure that applies to Effie, MN.
We can't guarantee you'll get accurate results, but we're pretty sure that if you copy and paste these prompts into ChatGPT 4.0, you'll get useful results to speed up your research.
The prompts are grouped by "use cases,"... that is, situations you might want to research.
AI Prompts for Local Bankruptcy & Debt Procedures
Here's a starter set of prompts that we believe will yield useful results for your location.
We offer prompts about:
- Foreclosure procedures in Minnesota
- Wage Garnishment Procedures
- Processes for attachment or removal of liens from property, and the procedures for how to "perfect" a lien, and how to follow local procedures to look for defects in liens that may be on your property.
This article assumes you have read the articles on this site about the possible shortcomings of ChatGPT and how to check the responses that ChatGPT gives you.
If you're using ChatGPT, it assumes you pay the $20 monthly required to use ChatGPT 4.0. We do not recommend using the free version 3.5 for legal research because it is too unreliable. Version 4.0 is different and is still not perfect but 10X better.
In our experiments, these prompts yielded useful, correct responses in most cases. And that’s worth a lot.
And with some checking, you can improve those odds and learn if the law has been updated.
Using ChatGPT, and checking its results with other online research tools, can make it a very reliable way to learn about state and local debt and credit laws and procedures quickly.
ChatGPT 4.0 Prompts About
Wage Garnishment Procedures Minnesota
- PROMPT (WORKS WELL):
What steps must a creditor take in Minnesota to garnish a debtor's wages? Provide citations for each step. What are the limits on it?- If your wages have been garnished, this prompt will give you some idea of why it happened and what you can do about it. Always check the citations to see if anything has changed. And read closely what it says about limits, because you may be able to raise some defenses.
- Try this prompt on:
Perplexity.ai Google Gemini ChatGPT4Claude.ai
Dealing with Liens: "Perfecting" and Removing / Expunging
- PROMPT:
What is the process for perfecting a lien in Itasca County, Minnesota? Describe the process, step by step and provide citations for each step.- Try this prompt on:
Perplexity.ai Google Gemini ChatGPT4Claude.ai - If a lien is not properly perfected and you can sometimes get rid of them in bankruptcy if your homestead exemption has priority.
- Try this prompt on:
- PROMPT:
How do I get a mechanics lien removed from property in Itasca County, Minnesota. Describe the procedure step by step, and provide citations for each step.- Try this prompt on:
Perplexity.ai Google Gemini ChatGPT4Claude.ai - If you discover that your inherited property has a lien on it, you can find out the steps for getting it removed by using this prompt.
- Try this prompt on:
Minnesota Laws and Procedures about Foreclosure
If you're wondering about foreclosure, you may be wondering about the timeline in your state. You can find out a lot using the following prompts.
- PROMPT:
How does the foreclosure process work in Itasca County, Minnesota? How long does it take from start to finish? Is there a right to cure? Describe the process step by step with citations for each step. And describe the common defenses to foreclosure in Minnesota.- Try this prompt on:
Perplexity.ai Google Gemini ChatGPT4Claude.ai - This prompt should yield a good detailed description of relevant state laws, procedures, and documents and will give you a solid foundation to launch your further online research on Google, CaseText, etc.
- Try this prompt on:
ChatGPT 4.0 Prompts for How Bankruptcy Works in Minnesota
Bankruptcy Procedure
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- Still to come... Check back soon.
Descriptions of Relevant Minnesota and Federal Exemption Laws
Public Benefits
- PROMPT:
Does Minnesota have an exemption for public benefits?Does Minnesota have a bankruptcy exemption for the Earned Income Tax Credit? Please provide citations.- Try this prompt on:
Perplexity.ai Google Gemini ChatGPT4Claude.ai
- Try this prompt on:
Homestead
- PROMPT:
Does Minnesota have a homestead bankruptcy exemption? What is the citation, and what are its limits? Do I need to file anything to claim it or is it automatic?- Try this prompt on:
Perplexity.ai Google Gemini ChatGPT4Claude.ai
- Try this prompt on:
ChatGPT Prompts That Don’t Work (Don’t bother trying to search case law)
We threw a few home run prompts at ChatGPT, and it couldn’t deliver. Too bad. It would be awesome if it could.
For now, you have to use a paid service available to lawyers to get answers to prompts like this.
For now, though, it's not reliable to try to ask about case law with the free AI tools that are out there. Hallucinations are far too common. AI systems seem to love to make up case law that does not exist. It's best to stick to questions of procedure which are not in dispute.
Student Loan Case Law
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PROMPT(DOESN’T WORK):
How have the bankruptcy judges in Minnesota District Bankruptcy Court ruled on Student Loan Undue Hardship cases?.- This prompt is designed to determine whether you should try to discharge your student loan in bankruptcy if you live in Itasca County, Minnesota, which is part of the Minnesota District Bankruptcy Court.
Sample ChatGPT 4.0 Answers for Minnesota
Mortgage Foreclosure Process:
The foreclosure process in Hennessey County, Minnesota, as well as in the rest of the state, is generally defined by Minnesota Statutes and typically involves both a judicial and a non-judicial process.
I should note that as of my training data cutoff in September 2021, the process may have changed due to local or state regulations or changes in federal law. Therefore, please verify this information with legal professionals or local authorities.
Non-Judicial Foreclosure Process:
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Notice of Default and Intent to Foreclose: If a borrower fails to make mortgage payments, the lender can begin the foreclosure process. The first step is usually sending a notice of default and intent to foreclose to the borrower (MN Stat § 582.032).
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Publication and Service of Notice of Sale: If the borrower does not cure the default, the lender will arrange for a Notice of Sale to be published in a county newspaper for six consecutive weeks and serve the borrower with the Notice at least four weeks before the sale (MN Stat § 580.03).
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Foreclosure Sale: The sheriff will sell the property at a public auction to the highest bidder, which is often the lender (MN Stat § 580.05). The borrower has no right to redeem the property after the sale if it is a non-judicial foreclosure (MN Stat § 582.032).
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Sheriff's Certificate of Sale and Recordation: The sheriff provides a certificate of sale to the winning bidder, and the certificate is recorded (MN Stat § 580.12). The borrower has no right of redemption if the foreclosure is non-judicial (MN Stat § 582.032).
Judicial Foreclosure Process:
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Filing of Lawsuit: If a borrower defaults on their mortgage, a lender may file a lawsuit in court seeking a judgment of foreclosure.
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Summons and Complaint: The lender must serve the borrower with a summons and complaint (MN Rules of Civil Procedure 4).
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Judgment and Decree of Foreclosure: If the borrower does not answer, or if the court rules in favor of the lender, the court will issue a judgment and decree of foreclosure.
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Notice of Sale and Sale: The lender will publish a Notice of Sale and sell the property at a public auction, similar to the non-judicial process (MN Stat § 581.03).
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Redemption Period: In judicial foreclosures, the borrower has a period after the sale, typically six months but it can be up to one year, to redeem the property by paying the full sale price plus interest (MN Stat § 580.23).
Common Defenses to Foreclosure in Minnesota:
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Failure to Follow Foreclosure Procedures: If the lender didn't follow all the required steps or meet all the necessary deadlines, a court may decide to delay or stop the foreclosure process.
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Servicemember Protections: Federal laws provide certain protections to active-duty military personnel, which could delay or prevent a foreclosure.
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Predatory Lending Practices: If the lender used unfair lending practices or the loan terms are unconscionable, it could provide a defense to foreclosure.
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Standing: If the foreclosing party can't prove it owns the loan, it might lack "standing" to foreclose.
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Loan Modification or Workout Agreement: If the lender agreed to modify the loan or accept a workout agreement but then proceeded with a foreclosure, this could provide a defense to the foreclosure.