Bankruptcy Law

What Is an Emergency Bankruptcy Filing and When Is it Used?

An emergency bankruptcy filing is a streamlined process used in situations where the filer urgently needs to stop a creditor from collecting on a debt. It is often referred to as a skeleton bankruptcy filing because it is so simplified.

The filer receives the same benefits of the automatic stay that he or she would receive under a normal bankruptcy case, which puts an immediate halt to all collection activity. The emergency filing gives the same protection after completing certain online forms and submitting the remaining required documents later.

Bankruptcy Trends, Consumer Bankruptcy, Consumer Debt

Five Reasons People Go Bankrupt

The number of bankruptcy filings across the U.S. are on the rise. Common reasons that people file for bankruptcy include loss of income, medical bills, a mortgage payment that is too high, spending beyond their means, or lending money to loved ones.

Many times, it is not just one simple cause, but rather a combination of factors that contribute to why someone has filed for bankruptcy. Here are some common reasons people file bankruptcy.

Foreclosure Defense, Foreclosures

Florida Foreclosure Filings Increase by 71 Percent Since 2021

Foreclosure rates in the State of Florida are on the rise by over 71 percent since 2021, according to new foreclosure data released by real estate company, ATTOM. As a result, Florida now ranks number two for the top five states with the highest level of foreclosure starts.

Rates have been steadily increasing throughout the year as pandemic relief programs have ended.  ATTOM reports that 9,284 foreclosure filings were made in the past quarter with 6,671 of these being foreclosure starts. Fortunately, foreclosure starts are still behind where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, even though numbers are starting to rise.

Foreclosure Defense, Foreclosures

How Long Does a Foreclosure Stay on Your Credit Report?

Many times, consumers facing a foreclosure fear what the proceeding will do to their credit scores. Will a foreclosure prevent them from receiving financing in the future? Will it hurt their chances of purchasing a home again in the future?  While the effects of foreclosure can be far-reaching, it does not mean that all hope is lost for that person ever owning a home, again.

The good news is that even though a foreclosure will almost certainly have a negative effect on a person’s credit score, rebuilding your credit score can start immediately after.

Foreclosure Defense, Foreclosures

Decline Seen in Latest Foreclosure Filings

A decline in foreclosure filings was seen at the end of 2021, according to figures from the ATTOM subsidiary, RealtyTrac. According to their study, released in RealtyTrac’s Foreclosure Market Report, foreclosure filings were down five percent from the previous month.

Despite this fact, the 19,479 properties with foreclosure filings in November 2021 was up 94 percent from the previous year. This increase represents the seventh consecutive monthly increase when comparing 2020 filings with 2021.

This news comes four months after the federal foreclosure moratorium was lifted and forbearance plans ended. Housing experts were concerned that a wave of foreclosures would be hitting the courts, but this monthly decline seems to indicate otherwise.

RealtyTrac reports that foreclosure activity slowed down as 2021 came to a close. An initial surge may have been seen after the moratorium was lifted, this activity did slow down eventual across the U.S.

ATTOM reported which states had the highest foreclosure rates for 2021. States with the highest foreclosure rates included Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Delaware, and New Jersey. Florida reports one foreclosure filing for every 3,319 units. Of the metropolitan areas surveyed, three areas in Florida reported a high rate of foreclosures. Lakeland, Florida reported one foreclosure filing for every 2,345 units. Ocala, Florida reported one filing in every 2,485 units, and Miami, Florida reported one foreclosure filing for every 2,626 units.

Housing experts are optimistic with these new figures, claiming that despite the fact that governmental programs to prevent foreclosures have lapsed, the aid received through these programs have prevented many homeowners from falling into foreclosure.

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Choosing the right attorney can make the difference between keeping your home or losing it in foreclosure. A well-qualified Miami foreclosure defense attorney will not only help you keep your home, but they will be able to negotiate a loan that has payments you can afford. Miami foreclosure defense attorney Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure, please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com

Foreclosure Defense, Foreclosures

Foreclosure Moratorium Expires, Leaving 1.45 Million Homeowners in Serious Delinquency

Even though mortgage delinquency rates have fallen by five percent since May, a record 1.45 million homeowners are seriously delinquent on their mortgages, according to figures from Black Knight.

The number of delinquencies has improved for 12 of the last 14 months, with only two increases in delinquencies reported. However, delinquency volumes have continued to increase to the point of pre-pandemic levels. According to Black Knight, around 1.45 million borrowers are at least 90 days delinquent on their mortgages as of the end of July. This stage of the process is known as a late-stage delinquency, meaning the borrower is not in foreclosure but is dangerously close. Black Knight reported that this figure was one million more than at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these borrowers are still working with their lenders on forbearance plans.

Foreclosures

Experts Warn of New Foreclosure Crisis in South Florida

With the federal moratorium on evictions and foreclosures set to expire, housing experts are predicting a new foreclosure crisis in South Florida.

The crisis began for many last year as COVID-19 forced thousands of Floridians out of jobs. It was not until April 2020 when the Trump Administration and many states hit the pause on all foreclosure and eviction proceedings on federally backed loans. States and the federal government extended these moratoriums throughout 2020 and into 2021. These extensions allowed individuals to remain in their homes and postpone the foreclosure process. 

COVID-19, Foreclosure Defense, Foreclosures

Emergency Mortgage Relief Could Extend Through 2022

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of homeowners have benefited from the mortgage relief programs offered by the federal government, and some private lenders.  Now that a year has passed, approximately 2.5 million homeowners are still enrolled in some sort of mortgage relief program, whether it be payment suspension or mortgage forbearance, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) 

It is for this reason that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) wants to extend these provisions and programs further into the future to ensure that these homeowners are not forced into foreclosure.  

Foreclosure Defense, Foreclosures

How to Save Your Home from Foreclosure in Florida

Many Americans have been able to utilize the federal and state mortgage foreclosure moratoriums during the COVID-19 crisis to stay in their homes. But a record number of homeowners have fallen behind on their mortgage payments. According to statistics from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the number of Americans who have fallen three or more months behind on their mortgage payments increased by 250 percent in 2020, reaching a record of over two million households nationwide. These figures have not been seen since the Great Recession.  

It is estimated that the total amount owed is nearly $90 billion in deferred principal, interest, insurance, and tax payments. Financial analysts predict that the nation will soon see a wave of foreclosure lawsuits hitting the court system. However, it is possible for a consumer to stop the process from getting out of control and allow the individual to stay in his or her home.  

The first step should always be for the homeowner to reach out to his or her mortgage lender. Pursuing a foreclosure costs the lender money. In fact, they end up losing more money through that process than they would gain if they worked on a deal with the homeowner to stay in the home, which is why so many of them are more than willing to negotiate 

Many mortgage lenders are offering loan deferral programs or are either lowering or deferring interest payments for a temporary period. They may also be willing to waive late fees and penalties. The key is the homeowner needs to ask, first. The lender is not going to proactively reach out to the homeowner to see if he or she needs assistance. Ultimately, it is up to the homeowner to request this.

If the consumer has already reached out to the lender and is not able to realistically catch up on payments and late fees, it may be best to sell the property to pay back what is owed. For this plan to truly succeed, the borrower needs to price the property to sell. The longer the home stays on the market, the longer the homeowner will be behind on his or her payments, making the home even more difficult to sell.   

While the home is in default or foreclosure, the homeowner will likely be receiving mail from the court or lender regarding important dates and opportunities to make a deal on his or her payments. It is extremely important that all mail related to the home be opened immediately, be read, and if a response is required, be responded to quickly. The last thing the homeowner wants to do is miss an important court date or fail to take advantage of an opportunity if the lender is offering lower payments or a deal that could allow the person to remain in his or her home 

Lastly, to keep the home, it is important to continue making mortgage payments, if possible. Many people will take the idea of a moratorium and assume it means he or she does not have to pay on the mortgage debt during that periodThe problem is, during a moratorium, mortgage bills continue to incur, and if payments are not made, the homeowner will fall behind even more than he or she was at the start of the moratorium. The mortgage bill is arguably one of the most important payments the homeowner makes, even above other bills or debts, such as credit cards or medical debt.

Filing for bankruptcy can help. It may seem counter-intuitive, but when someone is facing foreclosure and is in the middle of a major financial crisis, bankruptcy can be a viable option to help save that person’s home. Ultimately, it depends on your specific financial situation and the type of bankruptcy you file – but bankruptcy can be used as a tool to help keep your home.

The Power of the Automatic Stay

If your home is already set for a foreclosure sale, you may be asking, “how can I make it stop?” Filing for bankruptcy can put a stop to the process or at the very least postpone it. As soon as a petition for bankruptcy is filed, the court issues an order called an “automatic stay,” which puts an immediate halt to all collection activities that were happening to the homeowner before the petition was filed. This automatic stay also applies to foreclosure cases.  Creditors (including your mortgage lender) must immediately cease collection attempts. Even if the mortgage lender has the home scheduled for a foreclosure sale, the sale will be postponed during a pending bankruptcy.

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Choosing the right attorney can make the difference between keeping your home or losing it in foreclosure. A well-qualified Miami foreclosure defense attorney will not only help you keep your home, but they will be able to negotiate a loan that has payments you can afford. Miami foreclosure defense attorney Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure, please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com 

 

Foreclosure Defense, Foreclosures

Foreclosure Report 2021: What to Expect in the Coming Months

Foreclosures have been essentially at a standstill due to the moratorium issued by state and local governments on foreclosures and evictions, as well as forbearance programs to help keep families remain in their homes during this difficult time. However, these efforts will expire at some point, which has many worrying about what will happen once these programs end.  

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, approximately 500,000 borrowers avoided foreclosure during the last quarter of 2020 due to various relief programs available to them, including the forbearance program offered through the CARES Act.