I declared bankruptcy a few years ago and was discharged in December 2009. My house is now in foreclosure due to a short sale that has drug on for many months. We are finally close to closing the short sale and I just got a message from the title company that says there are five judgments attached to the title of the house. She did say judgments and not liens. I was unaware that there were judgments attached to the title and equally mystified to find out that they were not expunged with the bankruptcy. What can I do to clear the title? What happens if I can't clear the title because it costs too much? I am currently renting and do not have any assets.

You need to find out who holds the liens, make certain that the creditors were included in your bankruptcy petition, furnish copies of the Final Discharge to the creditors, requesting that the liens be marked "satisifed/discharged."

If those particular creditors are NOT listed on your bankruptcy petition you have a problem.

Thank you for answering JudyKayTee. To clarify, you think that in this case "judgment" and "lien" are the same? My lawyer did say he could do something called a lien strip. It is $250 a pop for that, so I'd prefer to do something about it myself if possible. Do you think the method you suggested will be sufficient and most importantly, is the lien strip more timely so that this short sale can finally go through?

I have no idea what a lien strip is. I'd ask for a copy of the page(s) listing the liens (which usually are the result of a Judgment) and go from there. In some instances a lien can be automatic but "usually" there has to be a Judgment first. $250 PER LIEN? YIKES!

I would say that the very day you find out what's involved you can send out the letter and proof you have a Discharge in Bankruptcy - the creditor should move on the error immediately.