The lead singer of R&B group TLC is once again asking a Georgia court for bankruptcy protection. The singer T-Boz also filed in February, but it was dismissed the following month. According to court documents, this Chapter 13 filing is not the product of mismanagement but, rather, the result of serious health issues and the bad housing market.

The singer, 41, has long suffered from sickle cell anemia. The disease has kept her from keeping up with a strenuous performance schedule. Health problems were responsible for the cancelation of a tour in the mid-1990s, for example. That cancelation led to TLC's filing for bankruptcy protection as well.

Although neither T-Boz nor her manager has spoken with the press, reporters have gained access to court records. From those documents, it appears the largest liability is her Duluth, Georgia home.

With total assets of $1.716 million, the singer reported liabilities totaling $768,642.99. According to the court documents, her monthly income averages close to $12,000 -- but for the first 10 months of 2011, she earned just $14,000.

Her monthly outlay is in excess of $8,800, and about 60 percent of that goes toward the mortgage on her home. Records indicate her total liabilities amount to $740,470. She is delinquent on two mortgages to the tune of almost $110,000. And, her ex-husband owes her $250,000 in child support payments.

If the Chapter 13 filing proceeds, T-Boz will work out a repayment plan with the court. She can start fresh.

It is important to note that this music star's situation is not that different from what other women in Georgia are facing. A chronic disease like Sickle Cell Anemia can put anyone on the sidelines at work while racking up medical expenses. House payments become overwhelming, and child support goes unpaid. Any one of these factors could be enough to warrant filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "TLC's T-Boz files for bankruptcy protection again," Rodney Ho, Nov. 28, 2011