Your divorce decree is, among other things, a contract between you and your ex-spouse, but it does not govern your creditors. Thus, a joint car loan continues to be joint in the eyes of your creditor, even if your former spouse is the party ordered by the court to maintain responsibility for the loan.
How do I get out of a car loan after divorce?
To remove your name from a car loan, there are really only three paths to take – refinance, sell the car, or pay off the loan. Even if you’re divorced from your co-borrower and don’t drive the car anymore, you could still be held responsible for the loan unless you officially remove your name from the title.
How can I get out of a financed car?
5 options to get out of a loan you can’t afford
- Renegotiate the loan. You can reach out to your lender and negotiate a new payment plan.
- Sell the vehicle. Another strategy is to sell the car.
- Voluntary repossession.
- Refinance your loan.
- Pay off the car loan.
What happens when you return a financed car?
If you return the car to the lender, the lender will likely sell it. It will apply the proceeds of the sale to your car loan balance, after reimbursing itself for the costs of sale and certain fees.
What happens to a car loan during a divorce? – Related Questions
Does returning a financed car hurt your credit?
Voluntarily surrendering your vehicle will have a substantially negative impact on your credit scores because it means that you did not fulfill the original loan agreement. When you voluntarily surrender your vehicle, the lender will sell the car to recover as much of the money owed as possible.
Can you return a financed car back?
Once you return the vehicle, it’s considered a default because you’re no longer making payments. The car is then prepped to be sold at auction, and the proceeds from that are applied to your remaining loan balance. If the loan isn’t completely paid off or has a deficiency balance, you still owe that to the lender.
Will a dealership buy my car if I still owe?
What happens if I still owe money on my trade in car? It’s important that you know the pay-off amount – how much you still owe – and the trade value of the car – how much the dealer is willing to offer you. A dealer will then pay off your old loan and give you a credit for the value of your trade vehicle.
How long does a voluntary surrender Stay on credit?
Voluntary surrender and repossession are loan defaults, which stay on your credit reports for seven years. That type of negative mark will harm your scores, especially your automotive-specific credit scores. The next time you apply for a car loan, you’ll likely be deemed high risk and charged high interest.
Does a voluntary repossession hurt your credit?
The simple answer is yes, a voluntary repossession affects your credit score. Even if a borrower does give up their vehicle voluntarily, their credit score still takes a hit.
Is voluntary repossession a good idea?
When you can no longer afford your car payments, voluntary repossession may seem like the best way to get your car loan off your hands. But returning your car to your lender could have serious financial consequences, including your account going into collections and your credit taking a hit.
Is a voluntary surrender better than a repo?
Because a voluntary surrender means you worked with the lender to resolve the debt, future lenders may view it a little more favorably than a repossession when they review your credit history. However, the difference will likely be minimal in terms of your credit scores.
How do I get out of a car loan without ruining my credit?
In many cases, you’ll also have a short break from payments — usually between 30 and 90 days.
- Pay Your Loan Off. If it’s feasible for you, paying your loan off is one way to get out of your car loan and keep your credit score intact.
- Sell Your Car.
- Opt for Voluntary Repossession.
- Options of Last Resort.
How much will your credit score drop with a voluntary repossession?
“In the grand scheme of your credit score, a voluntary repo is just the same as an involuntary repo. Expect your credit score to drop anywhere from 50 to 150 points, depending on other credit factors. That’s not to say you should sit back and let your lender take your car.
How do I return a car I can’t afford?
If you simply can’t afford your car payments any longer, you could ask the dealer to agree to voluntary repossession. In this scenario, you tell the lender you can no longer make payments ask them to take the car back. You hand over the keys and you may also have to hand over money to make up the value of the loan.
How do you get out of a car with negative equity?
Car trade-in option No.
To get rid of your auto loan’s negative equity, you could pay it off all at once, out of your own pocket. For example, if you owe $12,000 on your vehicle and the dealer offers $10,000 for the trade-in, you would make up the $2,000 difference to your lender.