Category: Bankruptcy

Lenders Prefer Short Sales to Foreclosures

Short sales are exceeding the number of foreclosure sales in South Florida. Broward County had 1,831 short sales in the first three months of 2012, compared with 1,476 foreclosure deals. On a quarterly basis, this is the first time short sales have outnumbered foreclosures in Broward since early 2008. Short sales also exceeded foreclosures in

Voluntary Dismissals and Foreclosure Paperwork Irregularities Examined

The Florida Supreme Court got a request. It has to do with the prevention of lenders from escaping sanctions for using fraudulent documents by filing voluntary dismissals. The issue is whether courts have the authority to reject the voluntary dismissals of the cases. And, instead impose sanctions, including dismissing the foreclosures with prejudice. Attorneys asking

Forced Placed Homeowners Insurance Policies

If you think your homeowners insurance is too expensive, then you would be interested to hear Mark Kunzelmann's story. Mr. Kunzelmann is a 49-year-old network specialist. Just over a year ago, he let the policy on his four-bedroom, North Palm Beach home expire. But you would not believe what the oversight, which was later remedied,

TBE Pitfall in Florida Bankruptcy Law

In Florida, there exists an exemption in bankruptcy called Tenancy by the Entirety (TBE). TBE is a collection of property that can only exist between a husband and wife where both spouses own and control the entire collection. This property is exempt from creditors who own an individual debt in one of the spouse’s name.

Lien Stripping on TBE Property in Chapter 13

When deciding whether to file a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy together with your spouse, there is a new interesting factor to consider. In a recent case, the next thing happened. Judge Cristol denied a Chapter 13 Debtor the ability to strip a lien off of his home. Lien stripping is a great benefit of Chapter 13.

Stripping an Unsecured 2nd Mortgage in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Can it be?

Previously, lien stripping was something that could only be done in Chapter 13. However, a recent opinion from the 11th Circuit has changed that rule. Here, a Chapter 7 debtor in Georgia sought to strip off a second mortgage that was totally unsecured. The 11th Circuit reversed the Bankruptcy Court. And, they found that the

What does it mean to "surrender" your home in bankruptcy?

When you surrender your home, that is assets or belongings in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, you’re doing nothing more than indicating a willingness to let it go. You’re not actually giving it away to anyone. By filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, you are attempting to discharge your obligation to pay certain debts. In return, you agree

CoreScore goes into Effect

CoreLogic implemented its new CoreScore credit scoring model at the end of March. The CoreScore consists of 2 parts. The first is a report consisting of data that may not have appeared in conventional credit reports compiled by the top three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). The second consists of a composite score based

Dodgers Bankruptcy Plan to Include Divorce Payments

The Los Angeles Dodgers have cleared up last-minute money disputes ahead of a hearing. They did this to confirm a bankruptcy reorganization plan that provides for selling the team for $2 billion. The filing of documents took place on behalf of the Dodgers that sought to convince the judge to approve the plan. They stated

Auto Maker Saab in Bankruptcy

The value of bankrupt Saab Automobile’s assets covers less than a third of its debts. And, only some preferential creditors will get their money back. Saab’s balance sheet showed the company has debts of $1.9 billion and assets of around $532 million. Saab owes GM 2.2 billion kronor it paid for preferential shares. But, GM