Friday, September 27, 2013

Is it Possible to Reverse a Foreclosure?

          The short answer: Maybe.  If the foreclosure was conducted improperly then there are limited remedies, but only in a few rare situations can a reversal be granted. And those remedies are not statutory based.  Our office has successfully reversed a foreclosure.  In that instance the homeowner received a letter from her servicer stating that they would not foreclose on her property within the next 20 days because she was in a modification trial period.  The letter also stated that if foreclosure proceedings had begun (which they had) they would be ceased.  Well our client relied on this letter and decided not to file a bankruptcy, which would’ve ceased the foreclosure.  After the foreclosure the bank tried to evict her but we showed up to court with that letter and the bank agreed to reverse the foreclosure. 

           There is also another way in which a foreclosure can be reversed, but this is more of a technicality.  For any real estate to change owners, the sale must occur in writing.  It is not possible to transfer real property without a writing.  Thus a foreclosure is effectuated in writing through a Trustee’s Deed.  Well, in Tennessee, foreclosures occur as an auction at the court house steps.  The problem is that just because a winner was selected at the highest bid and the gavel struck does not make the property sold.  It must be conveyed through a Trustees Deed.  Many foreclosures result in the lending bank buying the property themselves for the amount of the loan.  When that is the case there is usually no hurry to prepare a Deed and it may take them 7 days, 10 days, or 2 weeks to sign a Trustee’s Deed.  If that is the case and a bankruptcy is filed before the Trustee’s Deed has been signed, then the sale never actually occurred.  So while technically the foreclosure was not reversed, it was still prevented after a winner was selected and “sold” during an auction.

Monday, September 9, 2013

What is the Automatic Stay?


The Automatic stay is one of the primary reasons that people file for bankruptcy. The automatic stay is a legal protection that is given to a debtor when he files bankruptcy. No court order is needed to create the stay, hence the term “automatic.” The instant a petition is filed, federal law makes it illegal for creditors to attempt to collect the debts of a debtor. If a creditor knowingly takes action against the debtor then the creditor will be liable to the debtor for any damages, attorney fees, and costs incurred against the debtor, plus possible punitive damages if the violation is egregious.

Therefore, the automatic stay stops all foreclosures, repossessions, law suits, levies, harassing calls, letters, etc. Furthermore, if a car has been repossessed filing bankruptcy within 10 days can actually allow a debtor to get the car back.

Now some restrictions may apply depending on the debtor's individual circumstances, but the automatic stay is a great benefit to filing bankruptcy.