Information on credit effect of surrendering a home
Will a surrender or deed in lieu show up on the co-debtor's credit report as well?
I am about to file for bankruptcy (chapter 7) I own a home with another person and right now our house is worth less than we owe. Because there is no equity the Bankruptcy Trustee will not take the house and liquidate it. I have an imminent foreclosure date pending. I don't want to keep the house and neither does the co-owner, we want out. Do I need to contact the lender and surrender the property to them? If I do this will I then be cleared of the debt owed because of the bankruptcy protection? And after surrender of the house can the mortgage company come after my co-debtor for money even though they can't touch me anymore? And will the surrender or deed in lieu show up on the co-debtor's credit report as well?/
By
Mark Cappel
When a home is foreclosed upon, the property is generally sold at auction, and the proceeds of the sale are applied to the balance of the mortgage loan. Any balance remaining on the mortgage after this process is referred to as a deficiency balance, and could be a substantial amount depending on the current balance of the mortgage and the value of the home. The answer to your question of whether or not the mortgage lender will be able to pursue the co-debtor for payment of the deficiency balance greatly depends on the state you live in, as some states allow mortgage lenders to collect on deficiency balances, while other states do not. I highly encourage you to speak with a qualified real-estate attorney before you make any decisions regarding the voluntary surrender of your home so that you will know the potential consequences based on your State's laws.
Rather than allowing the home to go into foreclosure or surrendering the property to the lien holder, you may want to consider selling the home; selling the property should cause you fewer problems than allowing the property to go into foreclosure.
If you owe more on the home than the property is worth, consider a short-sale, in which your mortgage company would accept less than the full balance of the mortgage to settle the debt. You would then sell the home and pay the mortgage company whatever you received, attempting to get the mortgage company to forgive the remaining balance.
If you are interested in a short sale, the first step is to contact your mortgage lender to find out if this is an option. You can only proceed with a short sale with the consent of the mortgage holder, so it is imperative that you communicate with the lender. Generally speaking, a short sale is a much less painful process than allowing the property to fall into foreclosure. It gives you more control over the price the home sells for, which can be extremely important if you end up responsible for any remaining deficiency balance.
If your lender will not allow you to conduct a short sale, you may also want to consider asking the lender about a 'deed in lieu of foreclosure' agreement, which involves surrendering the home to the lender to prevent foreclosure. However, before you proceed with a 'deed in lieu', you should consult with an attorney, because as mentioned previously, the mortgage lender may come after the co-owner for the deficiency balance, even if you are protected by your bankruptcy filing.
You should expect any foreclosure action or 'deed in lieu' agreement will appear on both your credit reports and those of the co-owner, as you are both liable for the debt. Unfortunately, there is little you can do to prevent this negative information from being reported. A foreclosure a serious black mark on your credit report, and will likely cause significant damage to your credit rating. However, with time and effort, you and the co-owner should be able to rebuild your credit ratings.
Again, I strongly encourage you to speak with a qualified attorney before making any decisions regarding your home, as your state's laws could significantly affect how you decide to resolve this problem. I wish you the best of luck in preventing this foreclosure, or at least at mitigating its impact on you and the co-owner of the property. I hope that the information I have provided helps you Find. Learn. Save.
Best,
Bill
Bills.com
-
BABill,Aug, 2010Bank of America became responsible for the property and its taxes, insurance, and utilities when you surrendered it.
-
KKeith,Aug, 2010I filed for chapter 7 on may 26, 2009 and surrendered my home. Over a year later the Assessor's office still shows the property ownership in my name. I've done everything the assessor told me to get Bank Of America to record the deed to their name. But, BAC cannot or will not do this. Any suggestions, or am I still responsible for MSD bills until BAC sells the home? ST. Louis,MO
-
BABill,May, 2010Was the house weatherized? Given the time of year you wrote this, it is surprising a house would need any weatherization service. Were any of your belongings taken? Have the police investigated, and if so what do they say? Is the house listed in the MLS? It does not surprise me that your contacts at the loan servicer have no knowledge of the house being entered and inspected -- that is probably handled by a different department. In my observation, banks are still overwhelmed by the recent wave of foreclosures, and still are not handling foreclosures any better than they were two years ago.
-
MIMissy,May, 2010On May 6 a discharge from the court was granted for my boyfriend. We both were on the house loan. He filed for a chapter 7 (house included) and I just walked away from the home with a foreclosure. We both have been moved out for a while but our belongs are still in the home. We have been moving things out a little at a time. We still have insurance on the home and are taking care of the property, like cutting the grass. We have not heard anything from the bank as to when they are taking ownership of the house. This past week someone broke into our home and hung stickers all over the place that stated the house was weatherized and an inspection was done. No contact information was left. They locked the back door with new locks, but left the front door alone. We don't know who was in house and like I said our stuff in still in there. I talked to our bank, they say they know nothing about it. Do banks just go and break into people homes during foreclosures to have an inspection done? No one seems to know who did this and I feel since we are still paying for the insurance and taking care of the property this is my home until the bank gives us final notice. Or is the final notice the judge signing the papers, since we are giving the house back? We were told by our lawyer the bank would give us a notice and it could take another couple of months. I find it very strange that no one seems to know who broke into the house and that no one knows who owns the house now. I would like to know because I could stop the insurance if the bank is in control. I just hope they let me get the rest of my things out. Is the bank suppose to give me a notice?
-
BABill,Mar, 2010You are asking me to shop for an inexpensive attorney who has experience in real estate law. As a general rule, I do not make such recommendations. I suggest you contact your county bar association and learn the name of the local organization that provides legal services to low- and no-income people in your area.
