03 Aug Reaffirming a Mortgage: The Latest trap in the Reaffirmation World
Do you need to reaffirm your mortgage in a bankruptcy? It probably depends on State law. In Connecticut, for example, you don’t. See Gene Melcione’s post and the more technical discussion by Jay Fleischman.
Generally, when you don’t reaffirm the mortgage, the secured creditor is left to State remedies. That can mean foreclosure if your payments aren’t made. Usually, however, they can’t do anything if you keep current on the mortgage.
But mortgage companies don’t like that. They want you to commit yourself to the loan in spite of your bankruptcy and in spite of the fact that you are making your payments. In that way, their remedies are greater should you default. For example, if you don’t pay a second mortgage or line of credit, you can be personally liable for any deficiency even if you wouldn’t have been liable for the first mortgage.
The latest attempt to persuade you to sign a reaffirmation agreement on your mortgage is to refuse to update a credit report if you don’t sign. Thus, your credit report continues to show that your mortgage is in bankruptcy even if you are current and even after the bankruptcy is finished! This can negatively affect your credit score and your attempts to rebuild your credit.
Can they do this?Apparently.
Latest posts by Douglas Jacobs, Esq. (see all)
- STUFF YOU KEEP IN BANKRUPTCY - January 31, 2016
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- Thinking About Filing Bankruptcy? Now Might be the Right Time. - February 11, 2014
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