Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary

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Bankruptcy Trustee: A person appointed by the court to oversee a bankruptcy case. In a Chapter 7 case, the trustee's role is to gather the debtor's nonexempt property, sell it, and distribute the proceeds to creditors. In a Chapter 13 case, the trustee's role is to receive the debtor's monthly payments and distribute them to creditors. Businesses can file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.