If your car-loan lender repossesses your car, van, truck, SUV, or other motor vehicle, it might sue you to recover any money you still owe on the vehicle loan (called the deficiency). If this happens, you’ll need to decide if it is worth paying for an attorney to help you.

Can I get sued for not paying my car loan?

If you are sued, don’t ignore it. A default judgment could be entered against you for the balance of your car loan, which in turn could lead actions such as bank account garnishment, property liens, or in some states, wage garnishment.

What happens if you don’t pay back a car loan?

A lot of bad things can happen when you stop paying your car loan. Each month you miss a payment lowers your credit score. If you can’t resume payments and get caught up, your car can be repossessed. Worse, you could still owe money on your former car after you no longer have it.

What happens if you give back a financed car?

When you voluntarily surrender your vehicle, the lender will sell the car to recover as much of the money owed as possible. If the car is sold for less than the amount you owe on the loan, you will still be responsible for paying the remaining amount—the deficiency balance.

What happens if you lose a lawsuit and Cannot pay?

If you lose a civil case and are ordered to pay money to the winning side, you become a judgment debtor. The court will not collect the money for your creditor, but if you do not pay voluntarily, the creditor (the person you owe money to) can use different enforcement tools to get you to pay the judgment.

How do you get your money after you win a lawsuit?

In many situations, one of the best ways to collect a judgment after winning a case is to put a lien on the debtor’s property. This gives you a claim to the property and, in some cases, the property will be sold at public auction in order to satisfy the debt that is owed.

What happens if you ignore lawsuit?

Although it might be tempting to ignore a summons and complaint, ignoring a lawsuit does not make it go away. And it could result in the court awarding a money judgment against you by default. That can lead to your wages being garnished, your bank accounts attached, or your property being taken!

How do you fix a defaulted car loan?

I defaulted on my car loan. What can I do?

1. Contact your lender to set up a new payment plan.
2. Refinance your car loan with another lender.
3. Sell your car and pay off your loan in full.
4. Surrender your car to your lender.

How long does a defaulted car loan stay on your credit?

seven years
A defaulted car loan will show on your credit reports for seven years from the point the account became delinquent and was never again brought current.