Prisoners of Debt

The fresh start promised by bankruptcy is under attack as big lenders keep squeezing money out of consumers whose debts were canceled by the courts
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By Robert Berner and Brian Grow

In a financial version of , debts forgiven by bankruptcy courts are springing back to life to haunt consumers. Fueling these miniature horror stories is an unlikely market in which seemingly extinguished debts are avidly bought and sold.