Jacksonville Bankruptcy Attorney Can Stop Foreclosures

With about half of Jacksonville, Florida homes under water combined with the decrease in overall income for people across the country, it comes as no surprise that people are getting behind on their mortgage payments. Many of those people, especially those in homes that are seriously underwater, would probably benefit most from a mortgage modification or the surrender of the property altogether. However, there is a segment of the population whose home is still worth near if not more than their mortgage(s). Some of these people think that the only way to catch up on their home mortgage is to convince a bank to grant them a modification -often the kind where there are lots of penalties and fees and where the arrearages are tacked on the end of the loan as a balloon payment. These mortgages are not always available and can take so much time to achieve that the penalties become unmanageable.
In many cases, filing a traditional Chapter 13 bankruptcy will help these people catch up on the arrearage on their home. This is especially helpful if there has been a recent increase in income. In a Chapter 13 we submit a plan for repayment which includes the regular monthly mortgage payment, but also amortizes the arrearage to a sixty month period to make payment more manageable. This way, if the debtor can afford it, they can catch up on their mortgage without the arduous frustration of trying to negotiate with the lender.
Filing a bankruptcy stalls any collection attempts so a case filed the morning of a foreclosure sale will cancel the sale or, if the sale occurs, will require the Judge to vacate the sale upon motion by the debtor’s counsel. As long as the debtor intends to catch up on their home mortgage and indicates the ability to do so in their bankruptcy plan, the foreclosure will end there.
There are options when it comes to mortgage issues, such as mortgage modification, foreclosure defense or bankruptcy. You can learn the options for free if you contact a Jacksonville Bankruptcy Attorney or call us at (904) 685-1200 and ask for a free initial consultation.