I was discharged from my chapter 7 bankruptcy after my divorce in Sept. 08. Before the discharge, I sent a reaffirmation agreement on 4 of my debts, including a first and second mortgage. In Jan.09, I was still having trouble paying my 2nd mortgage online and I called the company and they said they never got my reaffirmation agreement and needed me to reopen the bankruptcy in order to let me continue paying. I thought that was stupid and stopped paying and never heard from them again. As far as they were concerned, the debt was discharged and they won't accept payment without me going back to reopen the bankruptcy. I am sure they still have a lien on the property. This past month, my 1st mortgage company was swallowed up by their parent company and now the 1st mortgage is in the hands of another company. I was locked out of the web site after making payments for the mortgage until July 09. When I called the new company, they said I had never reaffirmed the debt (not true) and they cannot accept payment unless I reopen the bankruptcy. They said the debt was discharged and they maintain property rights. One week after the phone call I received a letter that they intend to foreclose on the property on Oct 1, 2009. To complicate the mess, I lost my job last month and there will be no way to reaffirm the debt even if I went back to court to reopen this thing. I may be able to find new work in the next 30 days as I have a good prospect of being hired but I don't want to lose my home. I have a wife, 4 children and an aging father living in this home. Questions; is there any statue of limitations after a bankruptcy (7) in which they no longer have the right to ask us to leave the property while maintaining their lien? It has been 1 year this month since the discharge and they have not foreclosed. I made payments for 10 months but now they tell me it all went to interest. I have no equity in the home because of the loss in home value ($120,000 in lost value on a $400,000 home. $308K 1st & $77K second mortgage owed). Next question, if they do foreclose on Oct 1, Can I slow down the process? 3rd question - how long would I have to find another place (with no credit) if they proceed as they say. I want to stay in my current home but I don't want to give them too much info until I have a better financial position to try to negotiate with them. Help?

John

Personal loan to a former acquaintance.

I took on an apartment lease in my name, but in the agreement that my friend was to live there and pay the rent. He had no credit, or bank account at that time, and he agreed on the rent amount and location fully before moving into the apartment. This was in Chicago. During the lease, he asked me to loan him some money to make rent payments (due to a slow amount of business at his former place of employment). Yesterday, I was called by Collections for an outstanding $2400 not paid to the apartment management company. In total, I have given him about $2600 in cash for rent payments during the lease, and with the unpaid amount, approximately $5000 all together. He was not mentioned on the lease. It was my ignorant understanding, and verbal agreement with him, that he would pay me in whatever installments possible, until the amount was paid in full. The amount called for by the collections agency, I thought, was taken care of by him a year ago when that amount came into light.

I understand that what I did was very foolish, but I had known this person and he was my closest friend for three years prior to him asking me for help. I currently live in Poland and am in medical school.

Thank you for any information on this matter.