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Can I remove judgment lien in bankruptcy?

I've done a little research about possibly filing bankruptcy but I'm not clear on if I can get rid of my judgment lien by filing bankruptcy. I've read that some kinds of liens can be removed so what about this?

Judicial lien in bankruptcy

The short answer is:  You can get rid of a judicial lien in some cases, but simply filing bankruptcy will not do it.  Generally, the bankruptcy code distinguishes between voluntary liens (such as a mortgage where the debtor has voluntarily allowed a lien to be placed on his property in return for a loan) and involuntary liens.  The most common type of involuntary lien is a judicial lien.  A judicial lien can be placed on a house when a creditor takes a debtor to court, gets a judgment from the court based on the debt owed, and then asks a sheriff to execute the judgment. 

Through the bankruptcy process, this type of debt may be discharged, but the lien, evidenced by a copy of the judgment recorded at the registry of deeds, remains in place and "clouds" the title.  In other words, the house is not readily be sold unless the debtor uses proceeds from the sale to pay the debt at closing.

11 U.S.C. § 522(f) offers some help to debtors in this situation.  Essentially, that section allows the debtor to file a motion to remove the lien if the debtor is entitled to claim a bankruptcy exemption for all or part of his equity in the property and the lien would cause a loss of all or part of that exempt equity.  Again, this is not a do it yourself kind of thing.  You should contact a bankruptcy attorney.

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