Ex-husband Filed Bankruptcy
I divorced in 1997, and signed a Quit Claim Deed releasing me from the joint mortgage I shared with my spouse (as opposed to forcing him to refinance or sell the house, which I now know I should have done.) Unfortunately, he filed bankruptcy in 2000, leaving a foreclosure on my credit report that I have been unable to remove. Word on the street is that he is now an attorney, ownes a home, and is doing quite well with his clean slate. I, on the other hand, have suffered high interest rates, large down payments, and an eventual domino effect with my credit history. I have relentlessly worked with the CRAs to remove the foreclosure, but to no avail.
Any suggestions? Some have advised that I consult an attorney and sue. What is the simplest and quickest method of removing the foreclosure? Or, am I doomed to have this mark for another 3-4 years? 
You might contact Lexington Law firm in Salt Lake City. They are among the most well known in credit repair. You should be able to tell your situation and get their opinion on what might be done for little or no cost to you. At least then you will know your position.
mooney23,
Just a post script. Lexington has a web site that claims success at removing bankruptcies. You can find them with a GOOGLE search.
Personally (from a friend's experience) I'd stay away from Lexington. They submit letters on your behalf and will not let you know what they're sending. You can not have copies and will have no clue how they are representing you. I've helped friends "fix" issues like this and it's a fairly simple process but is not 100% successful. PM me if you would like more info on what I've found to work.
If your husband filed bankruptcy why is it showing on your credit?
Also, it was 1997 - how come the foreclosure is still there.
Quote:
On 2004-12-08 02:50, linlin wrote:
If your husband filed bankruptcy why is it showing on your credit?
Also, it was 1997 - how come the foreclosure is still there.
From the original post, it appears the divorce was in 1997 and the foreclosure was around 2000. If her name was on the mortgage and the mortgage was foreclosed or included in bankruptcy, her credit report gets dinged too.
edmeyer: Thank you for the advice - you'll be pleased to know that I am a current Lexington customer, and have been for over a year. They have managed to remove the foreclosure from Equifax, not to mention some other marks that evolved as a result of the foreclosure, a divorce, etc. I'm hopeful Lexington will be succesful w/the other CRAs. And - I would highly recommend them based on my experience with them.
TLL: I agree with you somewhat. There are no guarantees with Lexington and it can be risky. I went into Lexington fully aware of the no guarantee policy, and researched them for months before deciding to take the plunge. I've found through my research that some rave about Lexington, and others despise them. I know who they are and am fully aware of their practices. However, I am interested in hearing your advice, and wil PM you to learn more. If someone can show me a better way, I'm ready to learn.
LinLin: The divorce occurred in 1997; the bankruptcy in 2000. It appears on my credit report because both of our names were on the mortgage note. I divorced him, left the house, and signed a Quit Claim Deed which released me from obligation of the house note. Three years later, he files bankruptcy. Due to poor counsel and lack of experience on my part, I did not realize that a Quit Claim Deed on a mortgage only releases you from responsibility from the note in terms of the divorce. It DOES NOT, however, release you from the lender, who could care less that your marital situation is.
Other than my opinion of Lexington's relative inefficiency to fix problems on credit reports, my main issue is that they are submitting leters and issuing statements to the CRA's (credit reporting agencies) and you don't have any idea what they're writing or how they are representing you. I don't expect Lexington to share their "secrets", but for those that want to take control and know what's going on, I say stay away.
Existing customers of Lexington may receive some level of satisfactory service but once someone, perhaps yourself in the future, decides to regain control of their credit fix'n, you don't or can't know what Lexington has done, which may and has placed others in compromising positions.
For people that simply do not have the time or desire to clean issues up themselves, Lexington is better than nothing, again.... IMO.
There are fundamental steps involved in credit repair that I'm quite certain Lexington does not perform. While quite effective, some may take issue with the technical integrity of the methods used.
Just to clarify something. A quit claim deed does not release you from the mortgage. You are forefeiting any legal title ownership you possessed. The mortgage and underlying loan is completely seperate from title.