Making the decision to file for bankruptcy is never an easy one. Many times, it can be difficult to know when the time is right or when it is better to wait.
A bankruptcy case allows a consumer to receive a much-needed financial fresh start by discharging his or her outstanding consumer debts. The types of debts that are discharged in a bankruptcy case include credit card debt, mortgages, car loans, medical debt, and other unsecured loans.
In a no-asset Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, the person filing for bankruptcy keeps all of their property because it falls within the exemptions provided under federal law or the law in their state.
With a Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy, a filer surrenders their assets to the bankruptcy estate, which uses them to pay off creditors. But in reality, this is only true of non-exempt property. Many of our cases, are in fact, ‘no asset’ cases. Bankruptcy law recognizes that filers need to retain some property so they can survive the process with something on which to build a future after bankruptcy.
All bankruptcy filers are required to take and complete two educational courses before receiving a final bankruptcy discharge. These courses are required for both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filers. It is important that individuals considering bankruptcy be aware of these requirements for their cases to be successful.
At the start of a bankruptcy case, the individual filing must meet certain requirements. The filer must disclose his or her complete financial picture by submitting required bankruptcy financial declarations. He or she must also pay a filing fee, request a fee waiver, or request an installment payment for the fee. Lastly, the individual must submit proof that he or she received credit counseling from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee’s office. This proof of completion must show that the course was taken within 180 days prior to filing.
One of the biggest fears people have when filing for bankruptcy is losing their home, car, and other important assets. However, with Florida bankruptcy exemptions and depending on the type of bankruptcy being filed, it is possible for consumers to keep their home and other property. It ultimately depends on the filer’s financial circumstances.
Protecting Home Equity
How much equity the filer has in his or her home plays a big part in whether he or she can keep it. Equity plays an important part in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies. The equity a person has in his or her home is protected through the state’s homestead exemption, and fortunately for Florida filers, the state’s homestead exemption is quite generous.
A person’s credit score is not the only figure lenders look to when determining whether to approve an application for financing. Many times, lenders will also look to the applicant’s debt-to-income ratio (DTI) when making a determination to approve financing.
A consumer’s debt-to-income ratio looks at whether the individual is bringing in enough income to meet his or her monthly bills. The actual DTI figure is computed by taking the consumer’s gross monthly income and dividing it by his or her monthly debt payments. The result is the person’s DTI.
The U.S. Department of Education announced recently that they will cancel federal student loan debt for borrowers who are no longer able to work due to disabilities. This announcement affects tens of thousands of borrowers currently paying on outstanding federal student loan balances.
Student loan advocates say that this small step is the first of many to help reform the student lending system, including opening debt forgiveness to groups who are legally entitled to receive it but have not yet received debt forgiveness.
Congress has passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package that includes important provisions concerning student loan cancellation, as well as increased federal regulations on for-profit colleges.
Several different objectives were met by Congressional leaders through the passing of this legislation. One of the biggest goals was to address the tax burden that student loan borrowers face when receiving any portion of their student loan debt forgiven. Up until now, whenever a borrower received forgiveness for any portion of his or her student loan debt, the amount that was forgiven was considered taxable income. Under this legislation, tax forgiveness will be treated as tax free for the next several years.
More than 11 million American families are facing a crisis when it comes to housing, specifically when it comes to making their rent and mortgage payments, according to a new report released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
The CFPB conducted a survey of the housing market during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and found that approximately 2.1 million American families are at least three months or more behind on their mortgage payments. Approximately 8.8 million of them are late on paying their rent.
When it comes to dealing with debt, you have options. Debt relief can ease the burden of overwhelming debt, but it’s not right for everyone. Given a person’s financial and personal circumstances, certain considerations should be kept in mind when making the determination between credit counseling and bankruptcy.
If the consumer has a steady income and can pay back his or her debt within a few months to a year, credit counseling may be the wise choice for him or her. However, if the person has an overwhelming amount of debt in comparison to his or her income, filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy may be the better option.
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 period. The 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
