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Removing a chapter 7 bankruptcy from your credit report can be a very difficult process (as you can imagine), but it is possible to do if you follow the steps I’ve outlined in this article.
Please keep in mind that this may or may not work. Your individual situation will ultimately determine if it’s possible to get a bankruptcy removed from your credit report. Also, the older the bankruptcy, the better chances you have of getting it removed.
Another thing I want to suggest before we get started is that you sign up for a credit monitoring service if you don’t have one already. You’ll need to monitor your credit reports closely while you’re going through these steps, so it’s pretty much a must have. TransUnion is the best credit monitoring service in my opinion, plus you get a free credit score.
Steps to Remove a Bankruptcy:
1. Check your credit report for inaccuracies on the bankruptcy entry
In this step you’ll need a copy of all 3 of your credit reports. This is where having a credit monitoring service comes in handy. The first thing you’ll want to do is look over the bankruptcy entry on your credit reports very closely. What you’re looking for is anything that’s inaccurate. If you find inaccuracies, then promptly dispute the bankruptcy entry with the credit bureaus.
The best case scenario is that they’ll be unable to verify the bankruptcy and remove it from your credit report. This is unlikely if it’s a recent bankruptcy. Nonetheless, if it happens, then great, you can skip the other steps. If the bankruptcy is verified by the credit bureaus continue to the next step.
2. Send a procedural request letter to the credit bureaus
If the bankruptcy is verified by the credit bureaus, you will next need to send them a procedural request letter asking them who they verified the bankruptcy with. The best way to write a procedural request letter is to use my sample letter here.
More than likely the credit bureaus will respond and claim that they verified it with the courts. This is more than likely not true, because in most cases it’s my understanding that the courts do not verify bankruptcies for the credit bureaus.
3. Ask the specified courts how they verified the bankruptcy
Next, as you might have guessed, you will need to contact the courts that were specified by the credit bureaus. Ask them how they went about verifying the bankruptcy. They will probably say they didn’t verify anything. Ask for that statement in writing. After you receive the letter, mail it to the credit bureaus and demand that they immediately remove the bankruptcy as they knowingly provided false information and therefore are in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If all goes well, the bankruptcy will be removed.
Again, this process can be extremely difficult and time consuming, and there is no guarantee that it will even work. The nonetheless, it might be worth a try if you’re up for it.
4. Have a professional try to remove the bankruptcy
Lastly, if you’re the type of person who would rather have a professional handle it and just be done with the whole thing, I suggest you check out Lexington Law Credit Repair. They’ll take care of you. Give them a call at 1-844-764-9809 or Check out their website.