When is it too late to file for bankruptcy in Georgia?
The answer to this question is usually never. However, if you are dealing with a foreclosure, you must get a bankruptcy case number before your house is auctioned off on the courthouse steps. If you wait until after the foreclosure has already taken place, its too late. Your house is gone.
Why wait until it is too late? Usually, the attorneys who represent a mortgage company that is trying to foreclose on your house will send you a certified letter stating the date of the foreclosure five weeks before the actual foreclosure date. If you come home from work one day and see the sticky that the postman left for you, don’t ignore it. Drive over to your local post office and PICK UP THE LETTER!
Almost all bankruptcy attorneys in Georgia will offer you a free consultation. Take advantage of this and explore the option of Chapter 13 bankruptcy. In some Chapter 13 cases, you may be able to eliminate your credit card debt and medical debt while saving your house from foreclosure at the same time. The worst thing that can happen to you if you meet with a local bankruptcy attorney is that you may find out that bankruptcy is not the best option for you. At least you will know you explored all of your options.
I’ve seen so many cases where we could have saved the house if the client had come in sooner.
If you are considering filing bankruptcy to save your house from foreclosure, don’t wait until the last second. As a general rule, I don’t take last second cases. It takes hours for my office to prepare your bankruptcy petition. Also, I don’t file the case unless I spend at least two hours reviewing it with you.
Just this past week, I had a client from Dallas, Georgia who waited until a few days before the foreclosure date to call me. He has an elderly mother who lives in the house with them. The reason he waited so long is that the mortgage company told him that they would work out a deal with him. If they are are advertising your house for foreclosure in the local newspaper and they have hired an attorney to foreclose on you, odds of the mortgage company calling it off are pretty low. When this client called, my schedule was full. Fortunately, he was able to meet me late in the evening in my Rome office and we were able to save his house.
Don’t wait until it is too late!
Other Posts:
1. Will Bankruptcy Stop the Foreclosure of My House in Georgia?
2. Should I File for Bankruptcy or Short Sale My House in Georgia?
3. Filing Bankruptcy – You must know the value of your house?
4. Should I Quit Making Payments on House to Get a Loan Modification?