Monday, September 5, 2022

Lien Avoidance Case Review: Judicial Liens

Bankruptcy Code §522(f) provides that debtors may avoid judgment liens if the liens impair an exemption to which the debtor would be entitled under Bankruptcy Code §522(b).  Bankruptcy Code §522(b) allows debtors to exempt property pursuant to state homestead provisions.

Although opinions vary in different jurisdictions, in the Fourth Circuit, Eastern District of Virginia, to avoid judgment liens, debtors must claim the subject property as an exemption on Schedule B-4 of their bankruptcy petition, and then must also file their homestead exemption in a timely manner. The case of In Re Wall, decided by the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia, demonstrates that debtors can lose their rights by failing to properly claim the avoidance.

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