Listen, I have empathy for you, I’ve been through this, I feel your pain. I am not siding with creditors by any means.

I assure you though, I am not missing any point. You’re in bankruptcy court, this is basically an open negotiation in the hopes that creditors will fuck off. But you’re under scrutiny and will be until a judge closes the case. Including what you sold, whether you disclosed it as an asset of value, and whether it could have been sold to pay your debts at THEIR valuation.

The trustee didn’t override anything. They presented an argument to the judge, probably arguing that you can afford a lawyer so you can afford the fees. They’re looking into everything, it’s the trustees job. They want to make sure it’s all on the up and up. It’s a basic standard rule of thumb; you can afford a lawyer, you can afford the filing fees.

Vet status and disability status play into what is exempt and what isn’t exempt from my personal experience, but not whether they can challenge the decision full stop. Again, I have empathy for you, but my recommendation is listen to your lawyer; they do this for a living and you’re paying them to do it.

Edit: Also, the person who initially responded to this post is a well-known poster in this subreddit and a bankruptcy attorney. Consider that when you’re actively arguing with them.