Los Angeles, CA asked in Car Accidents for California

Q: I have an involuntary lien on me for 20,000 for a car accident, I am a student and don't make much money. What to do?

Hello, I'm 19. I had a car accident in Dec 2016 and I was unlicensed at the time and not on the insurance policy so I got charged 20,000 for the damage of a KIA Optima. A few months ago I received a paper in the mail from Los Angeles COUNTY court saying we had to settle the payments through court this upcoming November. I was intending to go to court in Novemeber and settle with a payment plan but then, I received a notice of an involuntary lien saying to contact the claimant of the lien. I was wondering what I can do to get rid of this Lien. I'm not sure if I have my court date anymore because this new paper for the lien does not say anything about it. I am a student and I work at yogurtland. I do not make more than 10,000 a year at my job I do part time and I have other bills to pay every month. What can I do? Do I contact them and try to workout a payment plan? Or what can I do?

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2 Lawyer Answers
Steven M. Sweat
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Answered

A: Tough situation. Your options are to work out a payment plan or, assuming the incident didn't involve drunk driving, it would probably be dischargeable in bankruptcy. You should consult with an attorney who handles debt negotiation and bankruptcy issues.

A: You can either negotiate a significantly reduced settlement, or talk to a bankruptcy attorney.

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