Advice on Effects of Repossession

Submitted by sunil on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 17:47
Forums

my daughter and i co-signed for an auto loan. i am in the process of filing bankruptcy and she cant afford to pay it on her own. how will this affect her credit and what would be least impactful. voluntary repossession, reposession or include in bankruptcy filing.

Hi sunil,

The default auto loan will be reflected on your daughter's credit report, as being due. After the car is repossessed, the creditor is likely to sell it off in an auction. Since you are filing for bankruptcy, the amount remaining after the car is sold off, must be paid by your daughter. Repossession will have a negative impact on her credit report and will lower her score. But she can try to rebuild her credit records by paying off any outstanding debts, other than the auto loan. I think she should also look for possible errors on her credit report, and dispute them.

A voluntary surrender of your car, I think would be a better option. Through a voluntary surrender you can avoid any costs that your creditor has to bear to employ a repossession agency. The debtors are generally required to repay the costs involved.

Tue, 06/16/2009 - 05:44 Permalink
Marylin (not verified)

Can you please elaborate on voluntary surrender of a car. When I co-signed the car with my ex-daughter in law, the understanding was my son would drive the car and they would pay the bill. She took off leaving him jobless, homeless and holding all the bills. I now have the car but find I can not pay the extra insurance and hefty car payment for a car I do not drive nor do I like.

Thu, 01/21/2010 - 09:56 Permalink