Do Credit Card Companies Put Liens on Your House for Unpaid Credit Debt?

Question

Question: I am in way over my head with credit card debts. I'm sort of wondering, what happens if I just don't pay/ Can they take my house or put a credit card debt lien on the house? Will they do this automatically if I don't pay? What happens if they do put a credit card debt lien on the house?

Response: If you stop paying your credit card debt, creditors can do a number of things. First and foremost, they can report your non-payment to the credit bureau, which will adversely impact your credit rating. They cannot simply take your house, but they can sue you in court for the balance of the unpaid debt. If the creditors sue you and get a judgment against you in court, a lien can be placed on your house to collect that judgment. This lean is not necessarily a credit card debt lien, but is instead a legal lien placed on your house by the court after they find against you. A lien on your home means you cannot sell the house, and technically your creditor's can force the sale of your home to satisfy the judgment, although this is relatively rare. If you have questions about credit card debt liens or other non-payment issues, you should contact an experienced attorney.

Answered by Christy Rakoczy

Additional Resources:

  • Liens
  • Settling Credit Card Debt

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