2013 Conference

Other

Bankruptcy

Housing

Consumers often find that attaining an asset, like a house, is a challenge, only to discover that maintaining it can seem impossible. For participants of the study, bankruptcy was used as a measure of asset protection. Twenty-four consumers filing Chapter 13 were interviewed while waiting for creditor meetings at bankruptcy court. Twelve had mortgages and half of these participants, representing couples, were selected for the study. Data from surveys, interviews, and bankruptcy records were used to identify themes that reflect the status of participants’ employment, housing, and financial condition. Results indicated that changes in employment status modified income, adversely affecting the consumer’s ability to meet their monthly mortgage. According to participants, bankruptcy was a last resort measure to avoid foreclosure after efforts to negotiate better mortgage terms failed. This study addresses this gap by using qualitative research to explore bankruptcy as a form of asset protection, based on feedback from consumers.