Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 14 August '85

33

I business

Bankruptcy: Easy to Get In; Hard to Live Down

By BECKY BERNSTEIN VILLAS — Joseph and Faith Barchyshyn went bankrupt in 1982. It's been an uphill struggle ever since. Joe moved to Villas from northern New Jersey with his family in 1971. He attended Lower Cape May Regional High School through the beginning of his senior year, and later received his diploma while in the National Guard. Faith went to Wildwood Catholic and Lower Cape May Regional, married and later divorced, and received her diploma while living briefly in Georgia. Both secured seasonal jobs around the county after that, but remained in the rut many area residents are all too familiar with — work in the summer and unemployment in the winter. •INITIALLY, we had both wanted to go to the casinos for year-round employment," said Faith. After their marriage in 1979, the 21 -year-olds ven-

tured to Atlantic City. Faith got a hostessing job at the Claridge and Joe worked as a cook at the Sands. "We were new with credit," Faith said. "It was very easy to get and everybody offered. So, us being dummies, we took it." All creditors seemed to care about was that the couple had steady employment, she said. JOB SECURITY ended when Faith was fired because, as the casino put it, she was in "poor health." She admitted that she was underweight. Taking a large pay cut, she went from hostessing to a job on the Wildwood boardwalk selling chances at a spinning wheel booth. At the same time, Joe's job was wearing on his patience. "I was working a broiler for 4-5,000 dinners a night, ' ' he said. Each supervisor he worked under demanded different procedures and

his hours kept increasing, he said. "There are as many supervisors as there are people there," said Faith. She explained that the pressure and the long hours affected their marriage. They split up for a fewweeks until they realized that the job was causing the problems, and decided that no "glamorous" casino job was worth sacrificing their marriage. Joe quit the Sands and the couple moved back to Cape May County. THAT SUMMER. Joe. a member of the National Guard since 1978, injured his finger at the two- week camp. After treating him for infection, the army ordered him off work until I further notice. That left Faith to make do with her $125-a-week, part-time secretarial job and food stamps. Rent was $250 a month for a onebedroom efficiency where they lived with their two children; Eddie, now 9. and Lea, 5. Their debts grew until in July of 1982, they owed $10,000 in furniture, car, and medical payments. They realized that they were not going to make it financially and began to consult lawyers about bankruptcy. Faith was astounded to learn that county lawyers charged up to $1,200 for their services. "If we had that much money we wouldn't need to file for bankruptcy." she said. THEY FOUND a lawyer in Atlantic City who charged $460 and allowed them to pay in installments. When they first went to see him, he asked: "Why did you get into debt? Don't you know how to handle your money?" "He had me in tears," she said. "But he explained later that he was just trying to see if we really needed to go bankrupt, and we did." The entire procedure took nine months. The lawyer sent letters to all of their creditors, informing them of the bankruptcy and inviting them to come to the court hearing if they wished to object to the declaration. "The whole thing took 50 (Page 54 Please)

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Doris Ward SHOVELS AWAY — Hard at work in their lawn care business. Faith and Joe Barchyshyn dig out the roots at 958 Shirley Ave. in Erma Park, so the trees can breathe.

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