Exemptions

Not unless you would like to! It is understandable to be concerned about your home when thinking about filing bankruptcy to deal with other debt concerns. As long as you are current on your payments, the mortgage company cannot and will not foreclose. They will send out a Reaffirmation Agreement (and more than likely offer you a loan modification as well). The Reaffirmation Agreement is a document where you “sign back up” for your home loan either with the same loan/note details or possibly better if a loan modification is offered.

We also need to check and see if the equity in your home is over the Mississippi exemption or not. If it is not over, your home is fully protected. If it is over, depending upon how much, there will be options to discuss.For example, your home is worth $100,000. You owe $90,000. Your equity is $10,000. This easily falls under the Mississippi exemption ($75,000). But if your home is worth $100,000 and is paid off, then you are over the Mississippi exemption by $25,000 and we would need to discuss options prior to filing your bankruptcy case. It doesn’t mean that you cannot file, it simply means we have some things to take a stronger look at and discuss first.

Exemptions are protections for your property given to you by Mississippi Law. Exemptions are not the same in every state. These protections allow you to keep the stuff that you already have, so you don’t have to start all over again with nothing.

No. Just because you are filing for bankruptcy, it does not mean you will automatically lose everything you own. You are entitled to claim “exemptions”, which are things that creditors cannot take from you. You must be honest with the Court and include a list of all your assets. To keep your assets, you must list them.

You can expect problems with your case and can lose your property if you do not list it or you are not completely honest about what you own. You must list everything you own, have in your possession, will own in the future, or might have an interest in now or in the future. For example, property you would inherit from a parent in the future, the $5 in your wallet, the car or house that is “owned by the bank”, and your baseball card collection. Everything means everything.

It includes things that you are making payments on (cars, real estate, furniture); things you own with someone else (including your spouse); things that have your name on the title or deed as the legal owner (even if you do not have possession of it); things that you are holding for someone else (college account for your child); things that you may not think have a lot of value (household goods and clothing); and claims you might have against someone else such as a claim for injuries in an auto accident.

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