Sebastian, FL Bankruptcy Law Firms & Lawyers

Without looking at your contract on your lease to buy and without knowing if you are trying to stay and just need to catch up on your payments, this is a difficult question to answer. If you want to break the contract and discharge the back rent due, you can do that during a bankruptcy, either 7 or 13. If you want to try to stay and catch up, you might be able to do such through a chapter 13. I say might because I would need to review your contract first. Contact a good bankruptcy attorney for a consult before proceeding.

What assets you can keep in a bankruptcy case depends on which chapter you file, what the value of your assets are, and what exemptions you have available under applicable law to protect those assets. Exemptions are "protections" for value you have in certain assets such that they are "exempt" from collections.  Every state has different exemptions amounts available. Exemption laws are based on the state where you resided for the 2 years prior to filing your bankruptcy case or, if you lived in more than 1 state during that period, in the state where you resided for the greater part of the 180 days prior to that 2 year period.  You need to have a consultation with a bankruptcy attorney in your area who can advise you on your options and answer your questions after obtaining the relevant information. Mark Markus has been practicing exclusively bankruptcy law in California since 1991.  He is a Certified Specialist in Bankruptcy Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization,  AV-Rated by martindale.com, and A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau. 

Yes.Civil judgments and other obligations like credit card debt and medical bills can be discharged in bankruptcy. If you own real property and an abstract of judgment has been recorded in the county where it is located, there will be a judgment lien against the property that will "ride through" bankruptcy if not removed, even if the obligation is discharged as to you personally. You should consult a local bankruptcy attorney and give him or her all the papers and information in connection with the lawsuit and the judgment, and ask about getting the lien removed.