If you file for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your secured debt may be discharged, but the lender is also able to repossess the property that secured the debt. In other words, if you have a mortgage on your home and file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the mortgage debt may be discharged but the lender can take back your home.
In many cases, a bankruptcy discharge can eliminate your personal responsibility for secured debt, so the lender can't sue you for unpaid amounts. However, the lien on the property doesn't automatically go away. The lender can still take back the collateral if you stop making payments.
What Are the Current Chapter 13 Debt Limits? The debt limitations set for cases filed between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2025, are $1,395,875 of secured debt, and $465,275 of unsecured debt.
There is no statute of limitations on how long a creditor can attempt to collect an unpaid debt, but there is a deadline for when they can still use litigation to receive a court judgment against the debtor.