Legal Question in Bankruptcy in California

If buying a house after 1 year of a payback chapter13 plan, does it affect in any way that plan?


Asked on 10/09/11, 6:38 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

David Gibbs The Gibbs Law Firm, APC

Absolutely. First, you cannot borrow money (a mortgage) while in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy without court approval. The approval process is going to require that your plan payments remain the same, or are higher after the borrowing so creditors are not adversely impacted by your acquisition of new debt. Second, where are the funds coming from for the down payment and closing fees and costs? The Court is going to examine that very carefully as well. Finally, and this is the most practical question - who is going to give you a mortgage while you are actively in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy? I know of no lenders willing to do so. You need to review this with your bankruptcy attorney. If you don't have one, you will need one to even consider purchasing a home while in bankruptcy.

*Due to the limitations of the LawGuru Forums, The Gibbs Law Firm, APC's (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. Further, information you provide to the Firm through this website is not confidential - it is available publicly to anyone visiting this website. The Firm shall have no obligation to keep the information you provide herein confidential in any context. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence. As required by 11 U.S.C. �528, we must now disclose that, "We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code. Assistance we provide with respect to Debt Relief may involve bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code."

Read more
Answered on 10/14/11, 4:56 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Bankruptcy Law questions and answers in California