Desert Hot Springs is only the second city in the United States to seek Bankruptcy protection. They didn’t pay on a lawsuit that called for them to pay 3 million dollars and decided to file bankruptcy. They were able to come out their bankruptcy by buying bonds and have restored to great financial shape. In 2001 the city had to file because a major part of the debt , approximately $6 million owed to developers and their attorneys who won a Fair Housing Act suit against the city. The city had 8 million in debts it could not pay.
If you live in desert hot springs the median income is around 25,000 dollars and below the states median income which allows people to qualify for chapter 7 bankruptcy in which you can protect at least 23,000 dollars in assets through the wild card exemption and up to 100,000 if you use the homestead exemption. Bankruptcy is not the end as the city of desert hot springs saw but a new beginning. The city is now within its budget and got a fresh start through the bankruptcy code.