Chapter 7 Discharge and HELOC

HELOC stands for Home Equity Line Of Credit. A HELOC is a secured debt unless the property that secured the loan is sold.

Bankruptcy

There are two basic types of bankruptcy available to consumers — Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy, often called a “liquidation bankruptcy,” completely discharges many unsecured debts if you qualify to file. Most consumers who do not have significant assets or income choose to file for protection under Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Chapter 7 bankruptcy generally does not stop foreclosure action against consumers. The automatic stay ordered by the court when the case is filed postpones a mortgage company from proceeding with foreclosure. Since secured debts, such as mortgages, are not usually dischargeable in bankruptcy, the court or the trustee will usually grant relief from the stay to mortgage company to proceed with foreclosure if the homeownerÂ’s mortgage remains delinquent.

If the debtor stays current in their mortgage payments, and files a statement of intention regarding the property to retain it, the debtor can retain the property. This is called a debt reaffirmation. This is an agreement in which the debtor agrees to repay a debt even if it was or could have been discharged (i.e., forgiven) in the the bankruptcy proceeding. A debt reaffirmation agreement is legal if it is voluntary, made with or without the advice of an attorney, filed with the bankruptcy court, and approved in certain circumstances by the bankruptcy court. This is what you did.

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy would discharge any deficiency balance resulting from a short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure. Alternatively if there is no short sale or deed in lie of foreclosure, a Chapter 7 would wipe-out any liability for the mortgage or foreclosure. As mentioned, when filing a Chapter 7, the debtor must file a statement of intention regarding the property. There are two options: Retain or Surrender. If the debtor selects surrender he or she must quit the property. Liability for the deficiency balance following the foreclosure and REO or auction would be discharged.

Another option is Chapter 13 bankruptcy. This is also called a “wage-earners bankruptcy,” and is designed for those debtors who own significant assets and have a regular income, but who cannot afford their monthly debt obligations. In a Chapter 13, the debtor makes payments to the bankruptcy court for a certain period, usually three to five years, until all of the petitioner’s debts are paid. If the consumer cannot afford to repay all of his debts within the time period specified by his Chapter 13 plan, any debts remaining after all payments are made are usually discharged, meaning the debt is “forgiven.”

Both Chapters 7 and 13 create an automatic stay when filed, meaning that the debtor’s creditors must cease all collection activity until the bankruptcy case is either finalized or dismissed, unless the stay is lifted by the court.

Recommendation

You do not mention if you are consulting with an attorney. If not, you risk not understanding the nuances of your state's laws, and your rights and liabilities. Ask an attorney what to do about the HELOC and see if it can be discharged in your bankruptcy. If you chose to do a lump-sum settlement, some creditors of a second mortgage or line of credit will accept a settlement of pennies on the dollar. Review Bills.com tactics for negotiating debts or refinancing a HELOC to learn more.

I hope this information helps you Find. Learn & Save.

Best,

Bill

Bills.com