STUDY GROUP SURVEY ABOUT FLORIDA EXEMPTIONS Question Title * 1. What is your primary role in bankruptcy practice? Consumer debtor attorney Business debtor attorney Unsecured Creditor attorney Secured Creditor attorney Chapter 7 Trustee attorney Chapter 7 Trustee Chapter 13 Trustee or staff attorney State Court litigator Trust/ Estates/ Probate Attorney Government Other (please specify) Question Title * 2. How long have you been practicing law? 1 to 7 years 7 to 15 years 15 to 30 years 30 + years None of the Above Question Title * 3. Have you ever been involved in a case where the trustee sold and administered funds related to the Debtor’s clothing, shoes, or accessories? Yes No Not Applicable as I am not a bankruptcy practitioner. Question Title * 4. Would you support an amendment to the Florida exemption statute for wearing apparel, accessories, and shoes with a limit of $350.00? Yes No Other (please specify) Question Title * 5. Should burial plots be exempt in Florida? Yes No Question Title * 6. What is a reasonable exemption for a vehicle? The current statute providing for $1,000.00 per Debtor for vehicle titled in his/her/their name does not need to be changed. $2,000.00 $4,000.00 $5,000.00 Other (please specify) Question Title * 7. Would you support a firearm exemption limited to one firearm or at a set value? Yes- one per person/ debtor No Yes, but limited to one firearm with a set value of less than $1,000.00 Yes, but limited to current military, police, or first responders Other (please specify) Question Title * 8. While most states have higher exemption amounts for household goods, furnishings, and appliances which average around $5,000.00, other states instead provide a list of necessities that are exempt, such as one of the following items, clothes washer, clothes dryer, refrigerator, freezer, stove, oven, microwave oven, and sewing machine, located in the debtor’s homestead property for household purposes. Would you support this type of exemption being included in an amendment to the current Florida statute? Yes No Yes, but only if the wildcard did not increase Yes, but Florida still needs to adjust the wildcard or vehicle exemption to account for inflation and cost of living changes Other (please specify) Question Title * 9. Would you support an exemption for residential security or utility deposit for where the debtor resides when held by landlord or utility company, and subject to a continuing lease or service? Yes No Other (please specify) Question Title * 10. Twenty-eight states have some variation of a jewelry exemption in the range of $500.00 in New Hampshire to $12,500.00 in Texas (average approximately $2,300). Would you support a jewelry exemption being included in an amendment to the current Florida exemption statutes? No Yes, only for one reasonable wedding band or family heirloom Yes, for a set value of no more than $1,000.00 Yes, for a set value of less than $500.00 Other (please specify) Question Title * 11. Should the wildcard exemption of $4,000.00 be available to all Florida debtors/ individuals, not just the individuals who do not own homes (functionally do not receive the benefit of homestead exemption)? Yes No Other (please specify) Question Title * 12. What exemptions do you think should be the focus of any change to the exemption statutes whether it be in amount, how it is used, or the language of the exemption? Clothing Necessities Exemption (household goods and appliances) Tools of the Trade Burial Plot Firearms Jewelry Wild Card Exemption Vehicle Exemption Adjustment for Inflation Other (please specify) Question Title * 13. Place in order the importance of the exemptions mentioned in this survey. Question Title * 14. Do you think an upward adjustment in exemptions available increase or decrease bankruptcy filings? Increase Decrease No change None of the above Question Title * 15. Do you think an upward adjustment in exemptions available would increase chapter 7 case filings? Yes No No Change Other (please specify) Question Title * 16. States like Ohio and New York have inflation adjustments built into their personal property exemption statutes. Would you support a similar adjustment every three years to allow the exemption amounts to stay on pace with inflation? Yes No Yes, but only if the other updates to Florida Exemption Statute(s) were minimal. Other (please specify) Question Title * 17. For Debtor attorneys, how often are the available (or unavailable) exemptions the deciding factor in which chapter you advise for a potential client? For example, recommending a chapter 13 because there is no tools of the trade exemption for a self-employed Debtor or the vehicle exemption is too low. Never Sometimes Half of the Time Often Weekly Not applicable, I am not a Debtor attorney. Other (please specify) Done