Video Summary
Can a Chapter 13 forestall a mortgage foreclosure action? You betcha it can! Because once you file any kind of bankruptcy action, it is a federal court, and so it immediately stays the foreclosure action. And even if it’s scheduled for foreclosure sale, the Chapter 13 will stop the foreclosure sale if it’s filed just before the sale date after it’s already been going through a foreclosure.
I don’t do bankruptcies; however, my understanding of a Chapter 13 is that you basically say that I can make the payments, and I’m a little bit behind on my other payments, so the bankruptcy court – this is my understanding – will take your deficiencies or the payments that you’re behind, and let you spread that out over a 60-month period, but that means you’ve got to make your regular payment, as well as one-sixtieth of the back payments. And if you don’t make those payments, well, you get kicked out of a Chapter 13.
Now sometimes it’s sort of frustrating if you’re trying to foreclose a mortgage where people will file more than one 13. We call those a Chapter 26 or Chapter 39 if they keep filing, you know, several times after you go through the foreclosure process, but it can be very useful.
Also, if you file bankruptcy action, you have a good chance of possibly working out a mortgage modification in the federal bankruptcy court. So if you need a referral to a good bankruptcy lawyer, well, give me a call and I’ll be happy to give you the name of an attorney who will be glad to try and help you or refer you to someone that will do a Chapter 13 for you.
My phone number is 727-847-2288.