Fresh Start
Life happens. We make it easy to get back on track.
Bad credit or a repossession in your past? How our finance office handles every kind of Fresh Start application.
Fresh Start Finance Program
Bankruptcy Doesn't Have to Mean No Car.
Car loans after bankruptcy in Moses Lake are still on the table, whether your Chapter 7 is discharged or your Chapter 13 plan is still running. What changes is the paperwork, and our finance office helps you line it up.
Match your case to the paperwork
| Your case | What a lender will likely want | Who to ask first |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 7, discharge entered | Your case number, plus the discharge order itself. Per U.S. Courts, that order tends to arrive 60 to 90 days after the date first scheduled for the creditors' meeting. | Our finance office |
| Chapter 7, not discharged yet | In most cases the discharge has to come first. Check before you sign for any new credit. | Your bankruptcy attorney |
| Chapter 13, plan payments ongoing | Word from your attorney that the Eastern District's notice process for new debt is complete. U.S. Courts cautions against new debt without consulting the trustee. | Your attorney, then the trustee |
| Chapter 13, plan finished | The order granting your Chapter 13 discharge | Our finance office |
We're a car dealer, not a law office, so treat this as background only. Your bankruptcy attorney or trustee settles anything specific to your file.
Grant County, Chapter 13 and the Eastern District's notice rule
Federal law draws two bankruptcy districts across Washington, and Grant County sits in the Eastern one (28 U.S.C. 128). A Chapter 13 case filed from Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy or Othello runs under that court's local rules.
The district's Local Bankruptcy Rule 2083-1 has its own route for borrowing mid-plan. The debtor files the court's Notice of Intent to Incur Post Petition Debt (local form LF 2083-11) and an amended statement of income and expenses, which lays out how the new payment fits the household budget. Should anyone object, the judge rules on it.
Your attorney prepares that filing. Our job comes before it: pick a vehicle and get its price from us in writing, so the figures in the notice describe a real car or truck. Hold off on signing a retail contract until your attorney tells you the process is done.
Getting ready, in five moves
Your attorney's advice comes first. These steps just help a lender see more of the picture.
- Locate your court papersFor a closed case, the discharge order. For an open Chapter 13, whatever your attorney hands you once the notice process wraps up. If the order went missing, your attorney's office can usually supply a replacement.
- Pull your three credit reportsAll three cost nothing at AnnualCreditReport.com. Check that every account included in your case is listed the way it should be. A bankruptcy itself may stay on a report for as many as 10 years (15 U.S.C. 1681c), with the clock starting when the case opened.
- List every source of incomePaychecks, side jobs, benefits, a pension, money from your own business: list it all. Under Regulation B, a lender can't knock down part-time, pension or public assistance income for its source; it still decides how much to count.
- Borrow less where you canEvery dollar of cash or trade value, and every dollar off the price, is a dollar you don't finance. In Chapter 13, the amended budget filed with your notice shows the court and trustee how the new payment fits.
- Apply once you're ready to buyIf every auto lender's credit check falls inside a 14 to 45 day stretch, the CFPB says they're generally scored as one inquiry. Plan to finish your shopping in a few weeks.
What a lender actually looks at
A bankruptcy is one entry in a much bigger file. The CFPB names the rest of the decision: what comes in each month and what goes out, the amount financed, your cash down set against the vehicle's worth, and new versus used.
Each lender picks its own waiting period after a discharge, if it uses one at all. That's why the first thing our finance office wants to hear about is your case: it steers your application toward lenders comfortable with a bankruptcy on the report. Approval isn't guaranteed.
Bankruptcy terms, explained
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Discharge | The court order that ends what you personally owe on most of the debts your case covered (U.S. Courts). Expect a lender to want a copy. |
| Trustee | The official appointed to oversee your case. In Chapter 13, your plan payments go to the trustee. |
| Chapter 7 | A case that wipes out most debts, typically within a few months of filing. |
| Chapter 13 | A repayment plan lasting three to five years, during which you keep your property (U.S. Courts). |
| Notice of Intent to Incur Post Petition Debt | Eastern District paperwork for borrowing while a Chapter 13 plan runs, filed alongside an updated income and expense statement (LBR 2083-1). |
| Reaffirmation agreement | Signing on to keep paying a debt the bankruptcy could otherwise erase, often the loan on a vehicle you want to keep. Settle it with your attorney. |
In our customers' words
★★★★★600+ five-star Google reviewsRead our Google reviews for Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake
“First purchase 2 years into bankruptcy and they really came through for me. ... Great team”
Rustel K., Bud Clary Subaru, Longview, Google review, January 2023
“I was uneasy because I had a small budget and had a bankruptcy a few years ago, Travis was very optimistic and calmed my nerves!”
Charisse W., Bud Clary Ford, Longview, Google review, May 2025
“...I have bad credit, so I’m thankful for the team at Bud Clary, they’re transparent, and open to questions...”
Isaiah M., Bud Clary Auburn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Google review, December 2020
Excerpts from 5-star Google reviews, quoted as written. Every buyer's situation is different, and lenders make every credit decision.
A vehicle that suits the plan
Going used usually keeps the loan smaller. Ours have passed a 137-point inspection, carry a limited warranty of 3 months or 3,000 miles, include a CARFAX report at no charge and can be swapped within 3 days or 300 miles. The first two oil changes and tire rotations are free too (rotations only, on an electric car).
Browse our used inventory by price. Found the one you want at a different Bud Clary store? We'll haul it to Moses Lake free, and it can arrive the day you ask.
Other Fresh Start guides
First-time buyers
No credit isn't bad credit. It's a starting point.
Coming out of a discharge can feel like taking out a first loan all over again. Here's what lenders read when a file is short.
Your bankruptcy checklist for our finance office
- Your discharge order, or for an open Chapter 13, the papers your attorney gives you about the notice
- The case number, and your attorney's office phone
- A valid driver's license
- Your latest pay stubs or benefits letter, or tax returns and 1099s if you're self-employed
- Something showing where you live now, such as a lease or utility bill
- Proof of insurance, or your agent's contact information
Paperwork in hand?
Start with the quiz above, go straight to the credit application, or call (509) 765-4551. With a Chapter 13 still open, speak with your attorney before anything else.
Visit Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake
Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake1140 South Pioneer Way
Moses Lake, WA 98837
Sales
- Mon - Sat
- 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Sunday
- 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Service
- Mon - Fri
- 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- Sat - Sun
- Closed
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a car loan after Chapter 7 in Moses Lake?
Once the court enters your discharge, you can apply; bring a copy of the order. How much time a lender wants between the discharge and a new loan is that lender's choice.
Could I finance a car before my Chapter 7 discharge?
Ask your bankruptcy attorney before you sign for anything new while the case is open. Most lenders want to see the discharge as well.
Can I buy a car while in Chapter 13 in Grant County?
Possibly, with your attorney and trustee involved. U.S. Courts tells Chapter 13 debtors to check with the trustee ahead of borrowing anything new. In our district, the Eastern one, your attorney would file the court's Notice of Intent to Incur Post Petition Debt under Local Bankruptcy Rule 2083-1.
Why does a lender want the trustee or court on board first?
Federal law gives the lender its own reason. 11 U.S.C. 1305(c) lets the court disallow a lender's claim for consumer credit extended mid-plan if the lender was aware, or should have been, that the trustee's approval could have been sought beforehand and it wasn't.
How long do I have to wait after bankruptcy to finance a car?
There's no universal wait; each lender decides. A bankruptcy can appear on credit reports for up to 10 years, so expect questions about it however long ago it was.
Does a Ford dealer work with buyers after bankruptcy?
Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake does. Whether your case closed years ago or your plan is still running, our finance office will take your application and route it to lenders that will consider a bankruptcy on file. Each lender decides; approval isn't guaranteed.
What does a reaffirmation agreement mean for my car?
Reaffirming means you choose to stay on the hook for a debt your Chapter 7 would wipe out, most often to hold on to a financed vehicle. It carries legal consequences, so decide on it with your bankruptcy attorney.
Is Fresh Start part of my bankruptcy?
No. Courts use the phrase fresh start to describe what bankruptcy offers, but our program simply borrows the words. It's Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake's label for the way our finance office works with credit-challenged buyers, it plays no part in your case, and your attorney's advice still comes first.
Related pages
The Fresh Start Finance Program is Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake's name for how our finance team handles applications from buyers with bad credit, no credit or a past bankruptcy. Financing comes from outside lenders, which decide approval and terms, and approval isn't guaranteed. This page is general information, not legal advice. A negotiable documentary service fee of up to $200 may be added to the sale price.