Augusta · Dublin · Statesboro · Foreclosure relief
If you are behind on your mortgage or facing a foreclosure sale, filing bankruptcy can stop the sale and give you a real way to catch up and keep your home. But once the sale is held, it is final and cannot be undone. The sooner you talk to us, the more we can do, so please do not wait until the last minute. The consultation is free.
The honest answer
Filing a bankruptcy case triggers a federal protection called the automatic stay, which legally orders your lender to stop the foreclosure once your case is filed. For most homeowners who want to keep the house and catch up on what they owe, the right tool is Chapter 13. The earlier you start, the more we can do, so it is far better to come in early than to wait until your sale is days away.
Here is the hard part, told straight: once the sale actually happens on the courthouse steps, the right to save the home through bankruptcy is gone. Georgia does not give you a window to buy it back afterward. That is why every day counts, and why waiting until the morning of the sale is the most dangerous thing you can do.
If you have a sale date
You do not need to understand bankruptcy law to get help. You just need to reach us with enough time to act. Call or text, and have these details ready if you can.
We answer during business hours, Monday through Friday. If you call after hours, we return your call the next business day, so please do not wait until your sale is right on top of you to reach out. The sooner you come in for your free consultation, the more we can do. We also bring a mobile office to you when getting in is hard.
How it works
The moment a bankruptcy case is filed, federal law puts an automatic stay in place. It is a court order that stops collection activity against you, including a foreclosure sale, the instant the case hits the court's system. Your lender cannot lawfully proceed with the auction while the stay is in effect.
The sooner you file, the better we can protect you. The law also lets a lender ask the court for permission to continue, and the less time we have, the harder everything becomes. That is why we ask you not to wait until the last minute. Come in for your free consultation as early as you can.
If you have filed bankruptcy before, there can be extra hurdles. If you have had more than two cases in the past year, the automatic stay may not go into effect at all. If you had one case in the past year, the stay may last only 30 days. The good news is that when this comes up, we can file a motion asking the court to extend the stay, and we do that right when we file your case. Just tell us your full filing history so we can handle it the right way.
The path to keeping your home
Chapter 13 does not erase your mortgage. It does something better for someone who wants to stay: it stops the sale, then gives you a structured way to catch up on what you fell behind, while you keep living in your home.
Filing triggers the automatic stay, and the foreclosure sale is halted while your case is active.
The payments you missed, plus allowed fees and costs, are spread across a court-approved repayment plan of three to five years. No lump sum, no demand to pay it all at once.
Your regular monthly mortgage payment, plus your plan payment that chips away at the past-due amount. Staying current on both is what protects the home.
By the end of the plan, the past-due balance is cured and you are caught up, having kept your home the whole way through.
Which chapter
Both stop a sale the moment you file. The difference is what happens next, and whether you can actually keep the home.
Why time matters
Here is the part that catches people off guard. In Georgia a foreclosure can move quickly, and once the sale happens it is final. That is the whole reason to act sooner rather than later.
Your lender does not have to take you to court to foreclose in Georgia. That means things can move faster than most people expect once you fall behind.
Georgia foreclosure sales take place on the first Tuesday of every month, at the county courthouse. If you have a sale coming up, that is the date to beat.
After the sale is held, it cannot be undone, and there is no buying the home back afterward. That is exactly why the sooner you come in, the more we can do.
If you have fallen behind, or you have received anything in the mail about a sale, treat it as urgent. The earlier you come in for your free consultation, the more options you have.
Protect yourself
In Georgia, your foreclosure is advertised in your county's legal newspaper, such as the Augusta Chronicle in Richmond County, the Columbia County News-Times, the Courier Herald in Laurens County, or the Statesboro Herald in Bulloch County. Once your information is out there, your name can become a target. People and companies may reach out promising to "save your home" for an upfront fee, or asking you to sign over your deed. Many take your money or your remaining equity and leave you worse off.
A legitimate bankruptcy filing is a matter of law, not a sales pitch. If anyone pressures you to pay a large upfront fee to a non-lawyer or to transfer your home's title to "stop the foreclosure," stop and talk to a real attorney first. We are happy to tell you, for free, whether what you are being offered makes any sense.
Talk to us before the sale
One free, confidential consultation tells you whether filing can stop your sale, whether Chapter 13 fits, and exactly how much time you have left. There is no cost and no obligation, just a clear answer from someone who does this every day.
Why a board-certified specialist matters here: your home is on the line, and this is the kind of work where experience shows. Angela "Angie" McElroy-Magruder is Board Certified in Consumer Bankruptcy Law by the American Board of Certification, and our three offices sit in the very court divisions, Augusta, Dublin, and Statesboro, where your case will be filed.
The consultation is free. The only thing waiting costs you is time you may not have.
P.S. You do not have to know any of the law to get help. Tell us your sale date and your lender, and let us do the rest. That is what we are here for.
Make it easy
Bring what you can find. Do not let a missing document stop you from calling, especially if your sale is close.
Straight answers
We file where you live
Your case is filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia. Our offices sit in the same three divisions where CSRA homeowners file, so you are working with a firm that knows your local court.
Cannot get to us? We bring a mobile office to you, and we make appointments available evenings and weekends.
We are here to help
Tell us a little about your home and your sale date. We will reach out, in confidence, and tell you exactly where you stand.
512 Telfair Street
Augusta, GA 30901
Phone: 706-724-6000
Fax: 706-724-3363
1205 Bellevue Place, Suite A
Dublin, GA 31021
Phone: 478-275-8311
Fax: 478-275-8399
200 South Main Street
Statesboro, GA 30458
Phone: 912-764-7000
Fax: 912-489-7196
Monday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Evenings & weekends by appointment. We accept most major credit cards.
Tell us about your home and your timeline. We will reach out, in confidence, right away. Have a sale date soon? Call or text and we will move fast.
Texting is the quickest way to reach us after hours or in an emergency. For office calls during business hours, use the numbers below.
We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code. We serve clients throughout Augusta, Dublin, Statesboro and the surrounding CSRA. The information on this page is general and is not legal advice, and contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Whether bankruptcy can stop a particular foreclosure, and what relief is available, depends on the specific facts of your case, the timing of your filing, and the court, and outcomes vary. Georgia foreclosure procedures are summarized in general terms and may change. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.