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New Question about mortgage waivers

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Anonymous
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New Question about mortgage waivers

Just finished going over my mortgage agreement, looking for trouble, I guess. Smiley Frustrated  Well I did find one thing of major concern right at the end. Evidently I signed a waiver from the homestead exemptions? Didn't know what that even meant til today. Am I totally screwed now? I can't use the exemptions for the bankruptcy to help keep my house?   This just keeps getting worse.... 

Message 1 of 4
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starry1
Valued Contributor

Re: New Question about mortgage waivers

I would think a federal judge would trump any waiver you signed. Ask the lawyer. Why did you sign that anyway? Probably just to make you think you could never bk them. Definitely ask a good bk lawyer about your rights.

Starting Score: 11/29/12 TU 527; EQ 565; EX 564 fako - bk7 dc'd 2/15/13
Current Score: 1/22/15 TU 645; EQ 605; EX 633 New goal 675
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Message 2 of 4
chasmith
Valued Contributor

Re: New Question about mortgage waivers

Homestead exemptions are set by state law.  There are actually two issues I believe.  In some states (Florida and Texas for example) creditors can't use a judgment to foreclose on one's homestead.  There are also exemptions for home equity set for BK that govern how much of one's home equity is excluded from the BK estate (that may be unlimited in certain states like FL and TX if residency requirements have been met).

 

I'm more familiar with TX, because I lived there.  TX has one of the strongest homestead provisions, but purchase money mortgages are exempt and can foreclose unless blocked by BK.  So the mortgage taken out to buy a home can foreclose, but if you refinance the lender can't, and neither can judgment creditors.

 

You'd need to ask a lawyer in your state whether such a "waiver" is legal. 

BK7 Filed 8/11/2009 Discharged 11/23/2009. Purchased new home 4/11/2012
Starting Score:11/16/2009 EQ 566 11/16/2009 TU 538
Interim Score: 12/27/2012 EQ 683 09/17/2012 EX (lender) 670 1/01/2013 TU 701
Current Score: 11/06/2013 EQ 708 11/06/2013 EX 702 11/16/2013 702 11/06/2013 TU 729
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Message 3 of 4
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: New Question about mortgage waivers

To tell the truth, with the amount of paperwork you're given to sign, no matter how closely I look, I would have probably missed that at the end. I wouldn't have even known what it meant, anyway. Most likely they sped right past that part. Smiley Happy  And at that point, BK wasn't in my thoughts. From what I have ready, it seems like it pertains more to foreclosure than bankruptcy. I'm current with my mortgage and plan to keep it that way.  It's not going to stop me from filing, but dependant on what the attorney says, I may end up having to reaffirm. But better to find out now than at the creditors meeting.

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