North Hollywood Foreclosure Protection Lawyer
Wadhwani & Shanfeld helps homeowners in North Hollywood and across the San Fernando Valley stop foreclosure, catch up on missed mortgage payments, and keep their homes, working as a consumer bankruptcy and debt relief law firm that also serves Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. A North Hollywood foreclosure protection lawyer can often change the outcome of a case more than homeowners expect, because California’s foreclosure process runs on a fixed calendar and every stage of it offers a point where the lender can be stopped or slowed.
The clock starts when a notice of default is recorded against your property. By law, no sale date can be set until roughly 90 days after that recording, and the sale itself can be no earlier than three months and 20 days after it. That is real breathing room, but it disappears faster than most people realize, especially if mail has been going unopened.
The sections below walk through how a California foreclosure unfolds, the deadlines that matter, and the tools available to North Hollywood homeowners, from reinstatement to Chapter 13 to an emergency bankruptcy filing.
How a North Hollywood Foreclosure Moves From Missed Payment to Sale
Most California home loans are secured by a deed of trust, which lets the lender foreclose without going to court. That is called nonjudicial foreclosure, and it is why timelines feel so compressed.
The process usually begins after you fall behind and the lender or servicer records a notice of default with the county. The notice has to state that no sale date may be set until about 90 days after recording. During that window, you can bring the loan current by paying what is past due, plus the costs and fees the lender has incurred.
After the waiting period, the lender can record a notice of sale. The recording can happen up to five days before the three-month period ends, as long as the actual sale date falls at least three months and 20 days after the notice of default. The notice of sale must be mailed by registered or certified mail at least 20 days before the sale, and it must also be posted on the property for at least 20 days.
If the sale is postponed for at least 10 business days, the lender must give you written notice of the new date within 5 business days of the postponement. A postponement is not a cancellation. Treat every new date as live.
The right to reinstate a monetary default runs until five business days before the sale date. After that, you generally need the full payoff, or you need the automatic stay that comes with a bankruptcy filing.
Why Choose Wadhwani & Shanfeld for Foreclosure Protection in North Hollywood
The firm serves North Hollywood and the surrounding San Fernando Valley, along with the rest of Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County. It is led by two Board-Certified Specialists in Consumer Bankruptcy, certified through the American Board of Certification, and the firm brings more than 90 years of combined legal experience to each case.
Raj Wadhwani, founding shareholder and partner, is a Southwestern Law School graduate who helped pilot the Best Case Bankruptcy software in 1998 and was the first attorney to file a bankruptcy case electronically in the Central District of California. Greg Shanfeld, founding shareholder and partner, earned his law degree from the University of Southern California and has handled more than 10,000 bankruptcy cases over three decades. The firm files in every division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, which matters when a sale date is close and the petition has to be on file fast.
For a homeowner, the practical differences are these: you speak with an attorney directly from your first call, the firm acts quickly when a foreclosure sale, garnishment, or repossession is days away, and the first consultation is free. Cases can be handled entirely by phone, email, video, and online chat, and 100% virtual consultations are available, so a hectic schedule does not slow things down. The plan is built around your income, your property, and your goals, not a one-size-fits-all filing.
Foreclosure Situations We Help North Hollywood Homeowners Resolve
- Behind on the First Mortgage: Missed payments after a job loss, a reduction in hours, or a medical event are the most common trigger. Chapter 13 lets you spread the arrears over a three to five year plan while staying current going forward.
- Notice of Default Already Recorded: The 90-day period before a sale date can be set is the best window to reinstate, negotiate, or prepare a filing without a deadline pressing on you.
- Notice of Sale Posted or Mailed: Once a sale date is set, the calendar is tight. A bankruptcy filing can stop the sale the moment the petition is filed, even if the date is only days away.
- Loan Modification Needs: When the payment itself has become unaffordable, a modification can lower it, and our attorneys can pursue one alongside or instead of bankruptcy depending on what fits.
- Second Mortgage or HELOC Pressure: A second lien that is wholly unsecured can sometimes be stripped off in Chapter 13, and settlement of second mortgages is another option we handle.
- Property Taxes and IRS Debt Threatening the Home: Tax debt can compound a mortgage default. Representation with the IRS and the priority treatment of certain taxes in Chapter 13 can both come into play.
- Wage Garnishment or Judgments Piling Up: Creditor judgments can strain the budget that pays the mortgage. Filing bankruptcy halts garnishments and lawsuits through the automatic stay.
- Small Business Debt Tied to the Home: Owners whose businesses faltered often fall behind on their mortgage next. We handle small business bankruptcy and business debt solutions alongside the foreclosure defense.
What to Do Right Now If Your North Hollywood Home Is Heading Toward Sale
Start by finding out exactly where you are in the process. Pull every letter from your lender or servicer, and look for a notice of default or a notice of sale. The recording date on the notice of default and the sale date on the notice of sale are the two numbers that drive everything else.
Call an attorney before the sale date, not after. If a sale is close, a bankruptcy petition can be prepared and filed on short notice, and the automatic stay takes effect the moment it is filed. Waiting until the last few days leaves less room to evaluate alternatives, so the earlier the call, the more options remain.
Gather your recent pay stubs, your mortgage statements, any notices you have received, a list of your debts, and your most recent tax return. Bring up any lawsuits or judgments as well, since they affect which chapter fits and how the plan is structured.
If you file, the right court is determined by your home address, not a P.O. box. North Hollywood falls within the San Fernando Valley Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, which sits in Woodland Hills. Our attorneys file in every division of that court, so the logistics are handled for you.
Avoid the common mistakes: ignoring mail because the news is bad, paying a third party who promises to “save” your home for an upfront fee, and assuming a postponed sale means the process is over. Also do not move money or transfer title to a relative without advice, since that can create new problems in a later bankruptcy.
Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 as Tools for Stopping Foreclosure
Chapter 13 is the workhorse for saving a home. Your debts are reorganized into one monthly payment over three to five years, creditors are bound by the plan once the court confirms it, and the mortgage arrears get folded into the plan so you can cure them over time while keeping the home. It also works for people whose income is above the Chapter 7 means test limits, and for those with priority tax debt or support arrears that Chapter 7 cannot eliminate.
Chapter 7 can help in the right circumstances. It wipes out qualifying unsecured debt such as credit cards and medical bills, which can free up income to stay current on the mortgage. If your equity is protected by California’s exemptions and you are not behind on the loan, you can keep the home. A Chapter 7 does not cure mortgage arrears, so it is not the answer if you are already behind and the lender is moving toward a sale.
Exemptions decide how much equity you can protect. California does not use the federal exemption list. Filers choose one of two state systems for the whole case. One is the standard system, with a homestead exemption that is the greater of the prior-year countywide median single-family home price, subject to a ceiling, or a statutory floor. The other is an alternative set of dollar-limited exemptions with a flexible wildcard, which often works better for renters or for owners with little equity. Those dollar amounts are adjusted on a schedule, so we confirm the current figures when we prepare your case. To use California’s exemptions you generally need to have lived in the state for at least 730 days.
Questions North Hollywood Homeowners Ask About Foreclosure
How long do I have before my home is sold?
A sale date cannot be set until roughly 90 days after the notice of default is recorded, and the sale can be no earlier than three months and 20 days after that recording. The notice of sale must be mailed and posted at least 20 days before the sale. In practice, most homeowners have several months from the first recorded notice, but that time is easy to lose.
Can bankruptcy really stop a foreclosure sale?
Yes. The automatic stay takes effect the moment a bankruptcy petition is filed and halts foreclosure proceedings. When a sale is days away, we can often prepare and file quickly to stop it.
Can I catch up on missed payments without filing bankruptcy?
Often, yes. You have the right to reinstate a monetary default by paying what is past due plus costs until five business days before the sale date. If the amount is more than you can pay at once, Chapter 13 lets you spread it over time.
Will I lose my house if I file Chapter 7?
Most of our clients keep their homes. The question in Chapter 7 is whether your equity is covered by California’s homestead exemption. If it is, and you are current on the mortgage, you keep the home. If you are behind or have more equity than the exemption covers, Chapter 13 is usually the better fit.
What happens if my sale is postponed?
When a sale is postponed for at least 10 business days, the lender must give you written notice of the new date within 5 business days of the postponement. A postponement only moves the date. The foreclosure is still active, so use the time to act.
Can I get rid of my second mortgage in bankruptcy?
In some Chapter 13 cases, a second mortgage that is wholly unsecured can be stripped off. Whether yours qualifies depends on your home’s value and the balance on the first loan, which we review with you. Second mortgage settlements are another route.
Do I have to come into the office?
No. We handle cases entirely by phone, email, video, and online chat, and 100% virtual consultations are available for homeowners anywhere we serve.
Will a foreclosure or bankruptcy affect my job?
Your employer is not automatically notified of either. California and federal law prohibit an employer from firing you solely because you filed for bankruptcy. If your wages are being garnished, the garnishment stops once you file, and your employer may learn of the filing at that point.
Is a loan modification better than bankruptcy?
Sometimes. If the payment is the only problem and the lender will agree to better terms, a modification can solve it. If you have other debts, arrears the lender will not roll in, or a sale date that is close, bankruptcy may protect you more reliably. We handle both and tell you honestly which fits.
Can a bankruptcy petition preparer or notary handle this for me?
A petition preparer can type information into forms but cannot give legal advice, choose your exemptions, or represent you if a creditor or trustee raises a problem. Mistakes can cost you property or your discharge, and in a foreclosure case, a mistake can cost you the home.
How soon can I rebuild credit after a foreclosure fight?
Rebuilding can start right after discharge. Many clients see their scores begin to recover within the first year by using a secured card responsibly, paying every bill on time, and keeping balances low. Depending on the loan type, buying a home again can be possible within a few years of discharge.
Serving North Hollywood and Valley Homeowners Facing Foreclosure
We represent homeowners in North Hollywood and throughout the San Fernando Valley, including Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Encino, Woodland Hills, Reseda, Northridge, Granada Hills, North Hills, Mission Hills, San Fernando, and Sylmar. We also serve clients in Hollywood, Santa Monica, and across the Westside.
Our work extends across Los Angeles County to Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, Long Beach, Lakewood, Torrance, Compton, Inglewood, Lancaster, Palmdale, and the Antelope Valley community of Acton. In the Inland Empire and eastern San Gabriel Valley, we help families in Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, San Bernardino, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Montclair, Claremont, Glendora, West Covina, and Riverside, as well as the Coachella Valley.
In Orange County and the southeast LA County cities, our clients come from Anaheim, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Buena Park, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Westminster, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Tustin, La Habra, Placentia, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Norwalk, Bellflower, Paramount, Gardena, Cerritos, Cypress, Signal Hill, and Huntington Park. Wherever the property sits, we can handle the foreclosure defense remotely or in person.
Talk to a North Hollywood Foreclosure Defense Attorney Today
If a notice of default has been recorded or a sale date is on the calendar, the most useful thing you can do is speak with a North Hollywood foreclosure defense attorney now, while there are still choices to make. Call Wadhwani & Shanfeld for a free consultation and talk directly with an attorney about whether reinstatement, a modification, Chapter 13, or another path gives you the best chance of keeping your home.
We will review your income, your mortgage, your equity, and your other debts, explain every option inside and outside of bankruptcy, and tell you plainly what we think will work. Call today, or schedule a virtual consultation if that is easier.
