Inside San Diego Short Sales

The short answer is “No” and “Maybe”.  When faced with the prospect of losing their home to foreclosure, many people are willing to try most anything to halt the process and save their home.  Bankruptcy however, is probably not the answer.

Let me first say that I’m not an attorney, and do not intend this as legal advice.  If you are considering bankruptcy, please consult an attorney before taking any action.

Personal bankruptcy is generally filed under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13.  Under Chapter 7 most of your unsecured debt (such as credit card debt) is permanently discharged, while Chapter 13 allows you to reorganize your debt with your creditors and develop a plan to pay-off your debts over a specific period of time.  If you qualify and file personal bankruptcy under either Chapter 7 or 13, an automatic stay is put on all your creditors, including a lender that might be pursuing foreclosure.   However, this is only a temporary halt to the foreclosure process.

As mentioned above, filing Chapter 7 does not discharge your secured debts.  A mortgage is a secured debt and the collateral is your home.  If you do not pay, your lender has the right to take back the security you offered in exchange for the money advanced as a mortgage.  So filing a Chapter 7 will not save your home from foreclosure.  At any time before your unsecured debts are discharged, the court can allow your lender’s request for “relief from the automatic stay” and the foreclosure can proceed.  After discharge, the foreclosing lender is free to continue the process.

Filing Chapter 13 however may allow you to save your home from foreclosure.  In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy you are allowed to make arrangements with your creditors for repayment of debts owed, including your mortgage.  However, this is generally allowed by the courts only when you have a stable source of income that will allow you to make all payments as agreed for the entire repayment period.  There are many factors that determine if filing for protection under Chapter 13 will allow you to keep your home. The only way you will know if this will work in your particular situation is to consult an attorney.

It is also important to note that a bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for 10 years after date of filing. If this doesn’t seem like a viable solution, please read more about other options to avoid foreclosure.