Help a friend avoid forclosure tomorrow.

May 2, 2007 7:45 PM

Longshot filter: Need a NY attorney that can file a bankruptcy tomorrow morning due to impending sherrifs auction tomorrow-possible?

I Just had someone over who confided in me that her house is scheduled for forclosure here in here in brooklyn ny tomorrow.

Its 10:37 PM here, but im concerned that perhaps the auction is at 9 AM? I am fairly certain i read somewhere (a long time ago) that people declare bankruptcy on the day of the auction?

If anyone knows of a NY attorney that can declare bankruptcy, or if she can file pro-se in the morning?

i looked at the (eastern district of NY) bankruptcy site, but it seems almost impossible for someone to do this themselves.

yeah I know... "why on earch did she wait so long" (usual mefi response:-) )? the answer is, she expected to let the house go- but never recieved notice of the auction (so maybe she should file an order to show cause for no proof)? and now this is where she is at. with her father having had a stroke and serious medical issues going on, i see no reason to rub it in.

anyway... anyone have a NYC lawyer practicing bankruptcy that is could still spoken to tonight.. or early tomorrow?

what time are property auctions on the courthouse steps, anyway? if its noontime or later, that sure would be better.. then they could contact an attorney in the morning to see of anything can be done.

i'll update the thread tomorrow with what happened...

posted by Izzmeister to law & government (4 comments total)

Google is your friend at this point - "NYC bankruptcy lawyer" or something similar. Start calling around at like 8 in the morning.

And yes you can file pro se in the EDNY; it happens all the time, but the bankruptcy statute requires a lot of preliminary steps, such as credit counseling, that your friend certainly can't get done in the next 10 hours.

Get a list of lawyers from google, and call them up bright 'n early tomorrow. Good luck.
posted by rkent at 8:17 PM on May 2, 2007

Somebody I work with used to work for a bankruptcy law firm. She said that they did split-second, stop-the-auction bankruptcy filings all the time.
posted by jayder at 9:48 PM on May 2, 2007

(Disclaimer: I'm in California, but I believe this applies to NY too)

• It is possible. Last-minute "stop the auction" filings happen all the time.
  
  
• Waste no time. Call every bankruptcy law firm's number in the phone book you can until you get a hit on someone who is willing to do that filing.
  
  
• Don't expect it to be cheap.
  

posted by chimaera at 9:34 AM on May 3, 2007

just an update, as promised... house went to forclosure.

oh well. thanks for the help. I tried...
posted by Izzmeister at 12:08 AM on May 17, 2007