[ellyelly]

I have 19 months left on my 39 month lease on a 2007 Jeep grand Cherokee. My husband lost his job a week before Christmas, and our family is struggling. I called Chrysler to ask if there was anything I could do to lower my payment, add on another 6 months/1 year to my lease, refinance the lease, etc, and was told no. The customer service rep actually asked me if I could "tough it out for another 19 months." I wanted to cry. Then she said that if I were financing the vehicle instead of leasing it they have 4 or 5 different options available to help, but since I'm leasing they won't help me. Does anyone know of anything out there to help? If I do a voluntary turn-in they'll come after me eventually and take my paychecks and ruin my credit. I want to avoid that if at all possible, but I don't know what else to do. My family is struggling and I don't understand why the car company won't help me in a lease, but will help someone in a finance. If anyone knows of help out there I would greatly appreciate it!

[ellyelly]

I have 19 months left on my 39 month lease on a 2007 Jeep grand Cherokee. My husband lost his job a week before Christmas, and our family is struggling. I called Chrysler to ask if there was anything I could do to lower my payment, add on another 6 months/1 year to my lease, refinance the lease, etc, and was told no. The customer service rep actually asked me if I could "tough it out for another 19 months." I wanted to cry. Then she said that if I were financing the vehicle instead of leasing it they have 4 or 5 different options available to help, but since I'm leasing they won't help me. Does anyone know of anything out there to help? If I do a voluntary turn-in they'll come after me eventually and take my paychecks and ruin my credit. I want to avoid that if at all possible, but I don't know what else to do. My family is struggling and I don't understand why the car company won't help me in a lease, but will help someone in a finance. If anyone knows of help out there I would greatly appreciate it!

[Lowtax4eva]

In cases like this there are 3 options, walk away and let them ruin your credit, find someone to take over the lease, or sell the car and pay the difference between what you sell it for and what Chrysler says the car is worth.

I think the second option would be the best, if you have decently low payments for this car maybe someone will assume the remainder of the lease. Though maybe selling it might work, was this 2007 model brand new when you bought it or slightly used?

[450donn]

We are in almost the same situation, except I have two large bills a month. A truck and a trailer. File for bankruptcy is possibly the only solution. Contact a lawyer and see what they advise.

[ScottGem]

The reason they won't help with a lease is because a lease is not a loan. An auto-lease is the same as an apartment lease. You aren't buying the car, you are renting it.

You might try seeing if you can get a loan to pay it off that can lower your payments, but there may be an early termination fee on the lease.

Another possibility is a sale. A third possibility is seeing if you can adjust your budget to fit the payments in. And, of course bankruptcy is an option.

[ellyelly]

No, my payments are higher than what a typical 07 Jeep would lease for because I rolled over from a previous loan. At the time it didn't seem to matter since we were both working, but with him unemployed now we just can't do it.

[ScottGem]

I've merged your two threads, please don't post the same question in multiple forums.