Posts Tagged ‘mortgage’

Why did a debt collector send me a 1099-C?

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

1099-CRe-posted for the upcoming tax season! This post describes how tax reporting of forgiven debt works. It also gives some solutions if you’ve been hit with a 1099-C for debt forgiveness.

It’s time to face the tax man again, and some consumers are surprised to receive a 1099 from a lender or debt collector they dealt with in the last year, counting income to the consumer for debt forgiveness. The amount on Form 1099-C states the income “derived” from the forgiveness or settlement (for less than the full value) of a debt. Because the lender wrote off a debt (or a portion of a debt) it believed it was owed, it has the right (but not necessarily the obligation) to charge the income to you. Here are some exceptions.

1. A lender can’t send a 1099-C for debt discharged in bankruptcy. If a debt was discharged in bankruptcy, the lender can’t issue a 1099-C for debt forgiveness. However, let’s say a debt was settled in January of 2010, and then you filed bankruptcy in February–then the debt forgiveness would be income.

2. Discharge of debt on principal residence. The federal Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act allows taxpayers to exclude debt forgiveness income from the discharge of debt on their principal residence up to $1 million. So debt reduced in a mortgage modification, as well as debt forgiven as part of the foreclosure process, will not generally count as income.

3. You were “insolvent” when the debt was forgiven. The insolvency exception is a powerful tool for many people. If, on the day before the debt was settled or forgiven, all your assets (including your retirement accounts) were less than your total debts (including your mortgage)–then you don’t have to count a 1099-C as income. File IRS Form 982, Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness

4. The debt is disputed and the lender can’t prove you owed it. If you don’t owe the debt and the lender can’t prove it’s legit. you may be able to contest a 1099-C. Contact a tax attorney for help.

We aren’t tax attorneys. If you need help with a tax issue, please consult a specialist. But if you’ve received a 1099-C and you think you fall under one of these exceptions, get in touch.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Bankruptcy, Debt Collection | 1 Comment »

Lien stripping–removing a second mortgage in Chapter 13

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

One of the benefits of Chapter 13 bankruptcy over Chapter 7 is flexibility. There are just lots of ways we can help your financial situation in a Chapter 13 that we just don’t have the power to do in Chapter 7. One of the big ones is lien stripping–wiping out an underwater second mortgage.

1. What is lien stripping? Lien stripping is a way of removing an underwater second mortgage on a house in Chapter 13. If the house has two mortgages, and the second mortgage is fully unsecured, it may be removed. This means that if the value of the house is below the balance of the first mortgage, so that the second mortgage is technically not backed by any equity in the house, we may be able to wipe it out in Chapter 13.

2. How do I know my second mortgage is fully unsecured? You will most likely need to order an appraisal of your house. But the first step is to look at your property tax appraised value. During the housing boom, tax values used to be lower than the true value of the house. But now that housing prices are depressed, property tax appraisals are routinely higher than the appraised value of the house. If you have questions, we’re happy to give you a referral to a licensed real estate appraiser.

3. If I can lien strip, what happens to my second mortgage? Instead of classifying the second mortgage as secured debt, which would need to be paid in full over the life of a Chapter 13 plan, a stripped second mortgage is classified as unsecured debt, meaning that it merely needs to be paid prorated with your other unsecured debt. In most Chapter 13 plans, this money comes out of the same pot that will already be allocated to your other unsecureds, such as credit cards and medical bills, so the second mortgage won’t cost you any extra money over the plan. At the end of your plan, if you’ve made all your payments, the court issues an order that removes the second mortgage lien from your house, and you only have one mortgage to deal with.

4. Does Minnesota law allow lien stripping? Minnesota was the only state that did not allow lien stripping until August 29, 2011. The 8th Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, an appeals court that oversees Minnesota bankruptcy cases, issued its decision in Fisette v. Keller, allowing lien stripping in Chapter 13 cases filed in Minnesota. This caselaw is persuasive, but not technically binding. An experienced bankruptcy lawyer can advise you whether your second mortgage can be stripped.

If you want to know more about lien stripping, give us a call.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bankruptcy | 3 Comments »

Dealing with secured debts in bankruptcy

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

One of the really great features of bankruptcy is that you can use it to get rid of the financial anchors that have been weighing you down. These often include houses that are worth significantly less than you owe on them (very, very common in the current housing market) or cars (also common as cars often depreciate ahead of the payoff schedule). These types of debts are called “Secured,” because the property that is the subject of the loan is used as collateral.

When you file bankruptcy, you will have some choices with regard to to secured debts. You’ll generally have three options:

1) Surrender the property

This, quite literally, involves handing the keys over to the bank. You are then freed from any liability relating to that debt.

2) Reaffirm the debt

After you file bankruptcy, the party that holds your mortgage or car loan may reach out to you through your attorney. They may propose that you sign a Reaffirmation Agreement. This means that you would agree to repay a debt that would otherwise be discharged in the bankruptcy. As a general rule, we discourage our clients from signing these agreements, because they aren’t always in the client’s best interest. There are some instances where a reaffirmation makes sense. Sometimes lenders will agree to reduce the interest, the principal or the term of the loan. Of course every situation is different.

3) Retain and pay

Retain and pay is a bit of a nebulous middle ground. Essentially, this occurs when you do not sign a reaffirmation agreement, but keep using the collateral and making your scheduled payment to the lender. The lender has the right to foreclose/repossess, but they don’t have any incentive to do so, because they are getting paid. The advantage to retain and pay is you can use the collateral as long as it suits you (even through payoff), and still decide to surrender it with no consequence if it ceases to meet your needs (if your car blows a transmission you may not want to keep paying for it).

Want to know more? Call us for a free consultation.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, Repossession | No Comments »