Papers were filed with court in Indiana to start foreclosure but then I filed bankruptcy can the lender get a dificiency judgment even if I turn the house over to them?

Answer 1

There are a number of issues to this question -- first the foreclosure lawsuit filed in the courts followed by the bankruptcy petition, and the turning over of the house to the lender and the possibility of a deficiency judgment.

First of all, the foreclosure process that the bank initiated against the homeowners has been stopped by the bankruptcy filing, as long as it was a Chapter 13 bankruptcy and the mortgage was included. Filing a Chapter 7 to liquidate debts does not affect the status of the house loan, since it is a secured loan and can not be discharged through bankruptcy.

The automatic stay of any collection efforts in a Chapter 13, however, puts all foreclosure proceedings on hold until the bankruptcy is dismissed. If the homeowners are able to complete the payment plan, they will have paid back the arrears on the mortgage and reinstate the loan, and the lender will not be able to sue for foreclosure any longer. Also, if the homeowners fall behind on the bankruptcy payments, the bank will most likely have the stay released and proceed with the foreclosure.

In terms of giving the house back to the bank through a deed in lieu of foreclosure, this can not be done while the house is still locked up in the bankruptcy courts. Homeowners can begin to negotiate a deed in lieu with the lender, but they will not be able to transfer ownership to the mortgage company without voluntarily dismissing the bankruptcy. It is better to have this type of deal fully negotiated with the lender before releasing the stay.

Once the deed is transferred back to the lender, there is no chance for a deficiency judgment against the homeowners. This is for a couple of reasons. First, the bank accepts the deed as payment in full of the mortgage loan, so there is actually no deficiency. The house is not auctioned off for less than the total amount owed -- the bank accepts ownership as payment in full. Second, the deed in lieu is a direct transfer of the property with no real money involved -- there is no transaction where the bank could claim they are owed more money. Unless the homeowners agree to pay more (which they should not have to do), the bank has no real claim to anything extra.