How To Remove Foreclosures

How Does a Wrongful Foreclosure Get on Your Credit Report?

A wrongful foreclosure can end up on your credit report due to administrative errors or miscommunications between lenders and reporting agencies. If a foreclosure is reported incorrectly, it can have severe consequences for your creditworthiness. This erroneous entry may result in a significant drop in your credit score, making it challenging to obtain loans or favorable interest rates. It can also affect other aspects of your financial life, such as securing housing or employment.

To rectify this, you must promptly dispute the wrongful foreclosure with both the lender and the credit reporting agencies, providing evidence of the error to ensure it is corrected promptly. The dispute process is completely free to you and you will not need to pay one penny.

Disputing an Inaccurate Foreclosure

Disputing a wrongful foreclosure on your credit report should be a top priority to prevent any additional financial harm. The longer you wait, the more problems might arise.

You can start the dispute process directly with the three major credit bureaus at no cost to you. Doing so online can result in much faster response times than if you mail your dispute letter. You can contact each dispute department online here:

• Equifax
• Experian
• TransUnion

Collect documentation about your mortgage, showing that the lender reporting the foreclosure never concluded a case against you. This evidence will be essential in supporting your dispute.

Write out the basis of your dispute to both the credit reporting agencies and the lender responsible for the erroneous foreclosure. Request an investigation and provide all documentation you must support your dispute. After 30 days or so, follow up with each credit reporting agency regarding the status of the investigation.

If they deny the foreclosure is inaccurate, you should immediately escalate the matter by seeking a consultation with a credit reporting lawyer. We can evaluate your options, given the specific circumstances of the reporting and investigation.

Getting an Old Foreclosure Removed from Credit

Sometimes, a foreclosure was yours, but it remains on your credit report long after it should have fallen off. Removing an old foreclosure from your credit report involves disputing the foreclosure and providing evidence of the timeline of the foreclosure. Providing documentation that seven years has passed since your mortgage payment issues started can help repair your credit and increase your chances of obtaining financing.