Questions Answered by W. J. Winterstein Jr.
Q: Pennsylvania how long after sheriff sale does original owner have to move possessions
Foreclosure at sheriff sale but deed isn't acknowledge at recorder of deeds
Normally, it takes about 3 days for the Sheriff to deliver the deed and the Registrar to record it. The timing of when current occupants need to leave is largely up to the buyer at the sheriff's sale. He/she can file an ejectment action when he becomes record owner. Those ejectment actions... Read more »
Q: I am being sued in regards to my mother's former home which had a reverse mortgage.
My mother passed away Dec. 2018. She had a reverse mortgage on her home. According to her will, I am ineligible to purchase her home, that option was only given to one of my brothers. What, if any is my legal responsibility, and what can I do to remove myself from the lawsuit?
Inasmuch as it appears that there is no remaining equity in the property, and the property is in foreclosure so that the entire remaining balance of the debt is now due and payable, you can extract yourself from the foreclosure suit (assuming you did not sign any note or guaranty of the mortgage... Read more »
Q: I get extreme anxiety. I may need to file bankruptcy though. Is there any help for someone in my case?
I get extreme anxiety. It gets so bad that i get sick. I may need to file bankruptcy though. Is there any help for someone in my case where-for the majority of the conversations can be done via email?
There would need to be at least one initial face-to-face meeting, just lawyer and client (this is my personal requirement, not a requirement of law). The remainder of our communications can be by email if you can scan documents and send to me, and then if you can p;rint and sign documents.... Read more »
Q: If a debt is included in chapter 13 bankruptcy, can it be sold to a collection agency
Yes, and it happens frequently. There are companies out there whose business is to handle/service accounts of others that are deemed "bad", or "uncollectible", etc. Transfers of claims are specifically authorized by the Bankruptcy Code, and also occur in Chapter 7, 11 and 12 cases.
Q: I filed chapter 13 in 2012. it was converted to chapter 7 in 2014. I have financial issues again and am exploring option
My expenses exceed income. I am looking at both chapter 13 and chapter 7 options. Did the clock start when i filed for the chapter 13 in 2012 or the conversion date to chapter 7 in 2014? At what time am I able to consider chap 13 or 7? My minimum payments are current but only because I am taking... Read more »
Interesting question.
Section 727 of the Bankruptcy Code provides--
(a) The court shall grant the debtor a discharge, unless--
(8) the debtor has been granted a discharge under this section, under section 1141 of this title, or under section 14, 371, or 476 of the... Read more »
Q: i loaned a friend? $5,000 so he could bye a vehicle. he filed for bankruptsy and now says he no longer owes me
the money and there is no way for me to get my money back from him. is this true?
Unless you took a security interest in the debtor's real or personal property at the time you advanced the money, and "perfected" your lien by filing in the designated places (Registrar of deeds in county where real property is located, or Sec. of State of PA and/or county for UCC-1 filings), then... Read more »
Q: What can I do to stop foreclosure on my house involving a scam?
We got behind on our mortgage and received mail saying we could apply for a loan modification. This process started last August 2018 and the company had us pulling paperwork, pay stubs, etc, even had us mail cashier checks for $1900 4 different times, the last contact with them was the beginning of... Read more »
Depending upon the remaining amount of your mortgage arrearages (missed payments plus late charges and accrued interest), yes, there are alternative ways to stop, or suspend, the "pre closure process".
I assume you have received a letter notice of intent to foreclose, but you don't specify... Read more »
Q: I lost a Civil Law suit with about 141k awarded to the other person. Can they come after my 401K to collect?
If your 401k is a "qualifying plan" (i.e., meets the requirements of Section 401(k) of the Tax Code), then your 401k plans should be exempt from execution.
Your judgment creditor may nonetheless attempt to levy on your 401(k) account, and you will need to file written objections to that... Read more »
Q: I need to file bankruptcy but I sold my house 6 months ago, how long do I need to wait til file
If you've sold your house for a "fair price", that is, for fair market value, in an arm's length transaction, then the sale of your house should have no impact on your decision about, or timing of, a bankruptcy filing.
You need to evaluate your current asset values and debts, and the... Read more »
Q: I have been renting a property for 9 years. And not it is in foreclosure.
In August I received a letter to pay my rent to a trustee. I have been doing that with the intent to purchase my house at the Allegheny Courthouse this February. Now my landlord served me papers saying that he filed Chapter 11 and that if I attempt to buy his house that he would sue me. He also... Read more »
To answer your questions, I'd need to see what has been filed by your landlord in his Chapter 11 case, including what orders have been entered authorizing him to utilize his lenders' cash collateral (the rent you pay would most probably be part of that cash collateral). In addition, we'd need to... Read more »
Q: Question about filing bankruptcy. I filed Chapter 13 in Nov 2012 for old IRS debt. Converted to Chapter 7 Nov 2014.
Discharged Feb 2015. I am considering filing Chapter 7 again. Is my waiting period based upon the original filing date of 2012 or the conversion date in 2014? At what point would I be eligible to file?
The clock starts to run from the date your Order of Discharge was entered.
You cannot get another discharge for 8 years from that date.
The spacing, until recently, was six years between discharges, and it became common to file a "chapter 20" bankruptcy, meaning first, a Chapter 7,... Read more »
Q: I’m disabled & was thinking of claiming bankruptcy, but I’m not sure if it will effect my SSI. How will it effect me?
There are different "chapters", or forms, of bankruptcy. In a Chapter 7, the simplest form, your income is only used to determine your eligibility to file under that chapter. If your income is below the "median income" for the state of PA, you'd have no income issues.
In a Chapter 13... Read more »
Q: How difficult is it to file bankruptcy for student loans? I have heard they do not count as a part of debt "forgiveness
I am seriously considering filing bankruptcy because my student loan payments are crippling and I cannot afford to pay them. I would be homeless and couldn't afford childcare or pretty much any other necessity. I have heard that filing for bankruptcy doesn't include student loans, but it never... Read more »
To discharge, or reduce, any student loan debt, you must show "extreme hardship", and that bar is very high.
Q: I got sued for something I never did. Discover sued me for 12k. Court preceding took place without my knowledge.
I was never given a notice and I am not aware of the 12k they are suing me for. I never took out that money or used it. What do I do?
Basic due process requires that in any litigation, the defendant must be served/provided (with proof of service) with the Complaint and Summons, whether in PA state or federal courts.
You should investigate, or have someone investigate, the validity of service of process in the Discover... Read more »
Q: I have a common law spouse - can a hospital come after her for a judgement on my unpaid medical bills?
You present several issues with these few statements.
Most states, including PA, recognize "common law marriages", the basic element of which is that you and she presented as man and wife to another human. E.g., it might suffice if, though unmarried, you had presented as man and wife to... Read more »
Q: My father filed bankruptcy about 7 years ago. He had a home and a step grandson’s name was on the deed. Dad died 3.5
3.5 years ago. No will. I was POA. The above person, J... has been living there and paying mortgage. I have no problem with that and bank said it could continue that way. Now J.. wants to refinance and the bank says that me and my brothers have to do a quit claim deed to relinquish our rights. What... Read more »
When a person dies intestate, his property owned at the time of death passes to his legal heirs, i.e., those heirs defined by the intestacy statute in the state of the decedent's domicile. In almost all states, the children of the deceased, and wife, are the designated heirs. A grandchild is not... Read more »
Q: Co-buyers rights after a repossession and auction of said vehicle
I had a vehicle. While it was in my possession I made payments. When the vehicle was obtained by the buyer he stopped payments and would not return the car to me (co-buyer). I made many attempts to get the car back. I made a couple attempts to get the buyer to refinance. I was in constant... Read more »
The optimum time to seek legal advice is before a contemplated deal, like transfer of an asset, is done, not after.
With your payments toward the vehicle, and your "co-buyer's" lack of payments, you were legally entitled to claim the lion's share of the equity in the vehicle. Obviously,... Read more »
Q: How can I find out if my bankruptcy went thru lawyer filed paperwork to court but wont return about court date.
I submitted all paperwork bank statements paystubs. He completed court paperwork had me sign was supposed to set court date
You can also go to the Bankruptcy Court Clerk's office and ask to examine your court file, which are public records. If you don't know your Bankruptcy Case No., your social security number will give you access.
Alternatively, you can search online through pacer.gov (joining is free and... Read more »
Q: I am unable to sell my old house and it is about to go into foreclosure.
I was unable to sell my old house because we owe more than it is worth. I decided to rent it out to avoid foreclosure despite having a clause in the mortgage saying we cannot rent it. Two years later we are in the process of evicting the tenant because he is always late with payments and is now... Read more »
In the vast majority of foreclosure cases, the question is not whether the Mortgagee noteholder will when, but when. You say the property is "my old house", but that your wife now owns it. You do not, however, say when that transfer of title occurred, nor what money or other value exchanged hands... Read more »
Q: On the deed with my husband but not the mortgage. Can I sell my ownership to my husband before the foreclosure process?
My husband added me to the deed after he bought the house. We are way behind with the payments. If the house is foreclosed I am going to lose ownership too . I am in the process of separation with my husband and I live in another state. I don't want to lose the money I spent for years on the... Read more »
The simple answer is- Yes. You can sell your interest in the property to whoever is willing to pay you for it. You are best advised to give a Quit Claim deed (no warranties) of your interest to your buyer.
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