Kingston, NY Bankruptcy Law Firms & Lawyers

Call the attorney; if the case isn't closed, you have a short time to add them, for a fee. If it is closed, they are technically eliminated, but your attorney needs to send a letter.

If you did not reaffirm the mortgage you can walk away from the house and have no further obligation to the mortgage holder. However, you will remain the "owner" of the house until it is sold at foreclosure or you do a deed in lieu of foreclosure or sell the house via short sale, etc. Due to this continuing ownership interest you will still receive the property and school tax bills and communications from the local municipality concerning any municipal violations that may be present on the property. You will remain responsible for correcting any municipal violations, and will be subject to being fined if you do not correct such violations. In addition, if the home is part of a homeowner's association and dues are required, you will be obligated for all HOA dues incurred after the bankruptcy filing. You should also maintain liability insurance on the property for as long as you are the owner, because if someone gets hurt on the premises the owner could get sued.

In Ohio, condo associations can file a lien not only for the unpaid dues but to attorney fees and collection costs. I've seen unpaid monthly assessments of $40 be slapped with attorney fees of $3,000. The liens are valid for 5 years after they are filed. So in February 2015, any liens filed before Feb 2010 are dropped. If the fees are ridiculous, you need to hire a lawyer. You should be aware that condo associations will generally negotiate discounts from the full amount.