Vehicle Repossession and Summons - The Bills.com Blog
Bills.com Blog > Debthelp Questions > Vehicle Repossession and Summons
Vehicle Repossession and Summons
Thursday, Aug 20, 2009
Question: I co-signed a loan with my grandson for a car which was repossessed. We both can't afford payments on this. I also have nursing home fees which are piling up and I the company is now issuing a summons. What are my options here? Will the company be able to put lien on my property?
Answer: When a vehicle is repossessed, the lender will sell the car at auction and apply the sale price at auction to the amount that you still owe on the original car loan. If the auction does not net enough money to cover the full balance of the note, which it rarely does, then the original borrower would owe the difference, called a deficiency balance, to the lender. The creditor can collect on the deficiency balance like any other unsecured debt, up to and including filing a lawsuit against the borrower. Once a judgment has been obtained, bankruptcy is one of the few definitive ways to prevent the creditor from proceeding with executing on the judgment, which can include wage garnishment, property liens, and bank levies.
However, the creditor may be willing to work with you to establish a repayment plan which you can afford, to help you
avoid bankruptcy. If you want to try to repay this debt and prevent further collection efforts
by the creditor, I would encourage you to contact the creditor to discuss possible repayment arrangements. The creditor may be willing to forgo further judgment execution if you can commit to reasonable regular monthly payments. However, if you cannot, or are unwilling to, make payments, it is likely that the creditor will continue to try to execute on its judgment, in which case a bankruptcy filing may be your best option.
Given the length of time the creditor can enforce its judgment, and the fact that it is again trying to garnish your wages, a bankruptcy filing may be the best solution to resolve this debt. However, many factors must be considered before deciding to file bankruptcy, such as your income, your assets, your expenses, and your future plans. I strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified bankruptcy attorney in your state
to help you determine if bankruptcy is a practical solution to your financial troubles. While it is true that bankruptcy will appear on your credit profile for ten years from the date of discharge, you may find that the benefits of ridding yourself of this debt outweigh the negative impact that filing for bankruptcy protection is likely to have on your credit rating.
As I mentioned previously, I strongly encourage you to consult with an attorney to determine what action this creditor can take against and if bankruptcy is a viable solution. I also invite you to visit the Bills.com
Debt Help page for more general information and suggestions about how to deal with mounting debt.
I wish you the best of luck in resolving this outstanding account, and hope that the information I have provided helps you Find. Learn. Save.
Best,
Bill
www.bills.com/blog/
Also, make sure to get a free financial health check-up with Bills IQ!
Bill has answered all sorts of questions and has been able to provide those in need of financial guidance with helpful and valuable advice and information on their specific financial area of interest. If you need specific guidance on any of the above mentioned financial areas, feel free to Ask Bill your financial questions and get better informed. Also, make sure to get a free financial health check-up with Bills IQ!
Information provided by Bills.com is for general informational purposes only and is not be
construed as legal, financial, bankruptcy, tax or other professional advice. Should you
require more detailed information or specific professional advice tailored to your situation you
should consult an attorney, financial planner or tax advisor.
While we believe all information provided by Bills.com to be accurate as of the date of its posting,
we cannot ensure its accuracy. Use of this site and any information contained on or provided through
this site is provided without any representations, warranties or guarantees. Bills.com is not responsible
or liable for any decisions or actions anyone may take based on the information provided.
Please see
Terms of Use.
© 2006 - 2009Bills.com LLC. All Rights Reserved.