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Timing of Chapter 7 filing - when current or wait until inevitably late?

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    Timing of Chapter 7 filing - when current or wait until inevitably late?

    Hello all, and thank you so much for all of your knowledge and informative posts! I have been reviewing the forum quite a bit before posting.

    Due to bad economy, basically liquidating my IRA (with penalty) to survive and prop up my husband's company for the past few years, we have realized that the time has come, so as to speak... We are current on all of our bills (mortgage, utilities, etc.), save a personal credit card (Citi). That credit card is not yet 30 days late, but beginning at 2 days late, we have been receiving incessant telephone calls, from 8:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., both on home and cell phone.

    My first thought is that we should delay filing to save up a little bit of money to move on (we do not intend to keep our home (mortgage current), as it is underwater due to an SBA disaster loan (also current) my hubby's Sub S took and which put a lien on our home). (the sub S is another story -- very confused about that too but posted in the business forum about those issues...).

    We are extremely broke right now -- we can pay for utilities, food & student loan, but really nothing else, esp. to set aside a "move on" fund. We met with an attorney who looked at things and said we can definitely go 7, we are under median, etc., and suggested it would be best for us to just stop making payments on the mortgage & credit cards, and go ahead and file. I am wondering if he was encouraging us to file to get paid, or if we are better off filing before we get really late on things.

    One problem is that we don't have the $$ to pay the attorney yet, unless we get behind on utilities, etc., or sell something (which I've already been told is a no no...), nor do we have anything saved to be able to afford to move, rent a house, etc. I'm worried if we save the money that would otherwise go towards our mortgage to "move on", that we won't be able to keep it for those things, due to the fairly stingy exemptions in GA, under which we will have to include our old, high mileage, but otherwise paid off vehicles...

    I guess my question is -- where/what is the line between being able to save up some money to get past this vs. having it taken away to pay creditors, leaving us unable to afford to move and essentially homeless? Obviously, we could go through it now (while not behind on mortgage), not reaffirm our home and stay here as long as we could pay (which would probably not be too long) but once that happens, let them foreclose. Or, if we stop paying now and are in default on the mortgage going into the bankruptcy (esp. due to us being in a non-judicial foreclosure state), won't that really accelerate the process of them foreclosing? Thus, we have no idea if we file now (while current) or later (after we are a month or so behind) would we be able to stay in the house longer to be able to save some money?

    I'd love to get your opinions -- would we be better off to do as the attorney said, and file before we are truly "late" on anything, or wait and file once we are late? We have a first & second mortage, and also the SBA loan, which is paid by the Sub S...

    Can anyone put this in perspective for me, and give me an idea of dos and don'ts? Thanks in advance!

    #2
    Is there any way to NOT liquidate that IRA? You should have filed BEFORE it came to that point. An IRA is an exempt asset in BK.

    Now that screech is out of my head, stop paying on your credit cards now. Save those payments for your emergency fund and your attorney.

    Read through all the stickies here and get yourself as educated as possible before you start interviewing attorneys. That way you will be able to discern which ones know their stuff, and which ones are snowballing you.

    BTW, welcome to the forum.

    I forgot my manners when I read about the IRA. We liquidated my 'Hub's 401k trying to stave off BK. It didn't work. So now we are two seniors living on SS and a small pension only.
    Last edited by AngelinaCat; 03-02-2013, 05:24 PM. Reason: Add the last paragraph
    "To go bravely forward is to invite a miracle."

    "Worry is the darkroom where negatives are formed."

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by AngelinaCat View Post
      Is there any way to NOT liquidate that IRA? You should have filed BEFORE it came to that point. An IRA is an exempt asset in BK.

      Now that screech is out of my head, stop paying on your credit cards now. Save those payments for your emergency fund and your attorney.

      Read through all the stickies here and get yourself as educated as possible before you start interviewing attorneys. That way you will be able to discern which ones know their stuff, and which ones are snowballing you.

      BTW, welcome to the forum.

      I forgot my manners when I read about the IRA. We liquidated my 'Hub's 401k trying to stave off BK. It didn't work. So now we are two seniors living on SS and a small pension only.
      No need to apologize for the screech -- we have kicked ourselves so many times. Things would begin to look up, then someone would default on a payment to my husband's S-Corp, 2 kids in college, mother diagnosed with cancer (on 3rd recurrence, this time systemic, since 2011 and trying to help her out, etc.). I am so spitting mad at myself -- yes, we truly will be the seniors with nothing, as we are in our early 50s. I feel pretty hopeless, and just sick of this -- finally sick enough to realize that it must stop, immediately...

      Thanks for the reply and the hello -- this is really a great group with a lot of knowledge. Just wish I'd come here 4+ years ago...

      Comment


        #4
        The real answer is... when YOU are ready.
        Many of us have to sell stuff to keep food on the table. What did you have in mind? A garage sale?
        Filing before being late on everything usually results in a somewhat better credit score post bk.
        BUT that is not a good enough reason to rush.
        Welcome, read everything here you can to fortify yourself, and hang in there.

        Keep On Smilin'

        Comment


          #5
          I'm not really sure there is much reason to delay filing a Chap 7 to save money beyond what you need to pay your attorney and filing fees. You can save money after you file just as well as you can before you file.

          You can sell whatever you want before you file BK, as long as you sell it for market value. But, if I needed to save for attorney fees, I'd rather stop paying credit cards and mortgages than selling exempt assets.
          LadyInTheRed is in the black!
          Filed Chap 13 April 2010. Discharged May 2015.
          $143,000 in debt discharged for $36,500, including attorneys fees. Money well spent!

          Comment


            #6
            Thanks for the replies, keepsmiling and LadyInTheRed.

            I am worried about the timing, in that I have read on the forum that our first mortgage lender is really aggressive, and that they will proceed at the first/earliest possible opportunity. I'm wondering if we hold off until we are 30-45 days late on the mortgage to file (which would be first part of April), we'd basically have that much more cash, which would have otherwise used to pay our March 1 mortgage payments in order to have a little bit to move, etc.

            Also, hoping to minimize stress on my youngest son, who will be completing his finals in late April/early May before graduating from college - I really don't want to drop this bomb on him while he is completing his education and trying to focus on his grades, and I'd rather him get out of school (early May) before having to tell him. I know that he will worry and won't be able to focus on completing his education (currently has a 3.8 GPA) and help him to move on with his life in this ultra-competitive, job scarce world. I'd like him to have every "edge" that he has, and that GPA is one of them.

            I just don't know how fast things will happen, esp. since we are in a non-judicial foreclosure state, and don't want to tell him that when he comes home for the weekend before graduating that he needs to drive to a new address...

            Thanks in advance for any thoughts -- maybe I am completely off base that waiting a little while will buy us more time?

            Comment


              #7
              You are asking if you can hold off another month or two?
              Shouldn't be any problem. No mortgage company can take your home that fast no matter where you are. There are some rules they have to follow, and there are always strategies for delay.
              Meanwhile, start getting all of your ducks in a row. And think about getting Google Voice or at least programming your phone if possible to block the cc from calling.

              Keep On Smilin'

              Comment

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