I just learned of two utility bills 10+ years old, both I believed were disposed (disolved) after a personal bankruptcy in 2009. These two debts have been attached to the property as judgments and have accrued penalties and interesst to over 7K. What can I do to make them go away. I am desperate to refinance from my current 6.2% mortgage but must get these mars on the property gone (I do not want to roll them into the refi). Any suggestions?
Do you have your bankruptcy paperwork? I would look to see if the debts are listed. If they are, I would take that information, along with the bankruptcy discharge letter, and use it to get the liens released.
There should be statutes listed for the state in which your property is located that let you know if those judgments have passed statutes of limitation if the utility companies were not included in the bankruptcy.
You might be wise to consult an attorney if you are not sure how to proceed. It may be possible to get the penalties and interest waived even if the judgments still stand; something you could attempt on your own, but will likely go smoother with assistance of someone experienced in debt eradication.
Thank you for your quick responses. I found my bankruptcy lawyer from 12 yrs ago. Upon review of the judgments we found they were attached to the property during the months prior to the official discharge of debt. My attorney said with nominal fees, his plus filings and recordings (thousands less than the beginning costs the of the 2 judgements not to mention 6% growth over the years) the judge would dismiss the judgments/charges as they were unknown when the bankruptcy was submitted. Also, the bankruptcy did include those amounts as debts but not as judgments. The only snag, is the 2 to 4 months for the entire process to complete. We would have to begin by requesting the files be released from some distant archival center.
Thanks to all again!
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