Filing for bankruptcy under chapter thirteen is a method that is used by many homeowners to stop foreclosure. This is the only form of bankruptcy that offers hope of allowing the mortgagee to remain in the home. If you are trying to avoid losing your home to foreclosure by filing for bankruptcy, you need to file for chapter thirteen bankruptcy, not chapter seven.
If you have a reasonable amount of debt that might be manageable if you are able to change the terms, then you might be able to do a bankruptcy reorganization. This type of bankruptcy is not for people who are drowning in so much debt that they will never be able to pay it off regardless of the terms.
The foreclosure process is usually stopped by filing for bankruptcy. This is not a permanent situation, however. Filing for bankruptcy does not guarantee that the foreclosure will not proceed. However, the foreclosure will be halted temporarily so that you can attempt to reorganize your debts. If you have another plan for avoiding foreclosure that requires more time, such as a pending sale on your home, this tactic can help you buy the time you need. However, filing for bankruptcy will add another negative mark to your credit report on top of the foreclosure.
Having your credit report scarred by not just a foreclosure but a bankruptcy as well makes you look very questionable to potential lenders. For that reason, you should think twice about filing for bankruptcy if you think you are going to be trying to buy another home within the next few years.
Although the credit repercussions can be severe, many people opt for chapter thirteen bankruptcy in an attempt to save their homes. In fact, bankruptcy reorganization is often the only realistic option to prevent foreclosure of a home. Under bankruptcy reorganization, you and your attorney will come up with a plan to pay off your debts. A federal bankruptcy judge will then have to approve your plan.
Of course, you should take extra care to ensure that your bankruptcy reorganization plan is realistic. You will not be given another chance to reorganize your debts. Once you have set up a bankruptcy reorganization plan, you must make every payment on time. Otherwise, you could still end up losing your home to foreclosure.
A reorganized payment plan is not guaranteed when you enter chapter thirteen bankruptcy. The judge may determine that you are unable to pay off your debts and refuse your plan. It is a good idea to discuss your case with a good bankruptcy attorney before deciding to proceed with chapter thirteen bankruptcy. An experienced attorney will have a pretty good idea of how likely you are to be able to reorganize your debts under chapter thirteen.
Not everyone will benefit from bankruptcy reorganization, but depending on your circumstances it could be your best option for stopping foreclosure on your home. Be sure to do your homework first though because there are pros and cons to filing for chapter thirteen bankruptcy. Only you can decide whether the pros outweigh the cons.
Once a bank has initiated foreclosure proceedings, it is almost impossible to get them stopped. However, there are a couple of different ways that it may be possible to Stop Foreclosure on your home. The first being Foreclosure Help.