I am a bankruptcy attorney in Solano County and encounter the question whether to keep or not to keep the car in a chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy on a daily basis.
Walking Away From the Car
If you want to walk away from the car, you list the lender on your SOI and state that you intend to surrender the vehicle -- that is, turn it in to the lender. This will clear you of any further liability on the debt after your bankruptcy. If you are leasing your car, you can get out of the lease by rejecting the lease on your SOI.
Keeping a Car You're Still Paying For
If you want to keep a car you are making payments on, no matter what else is going on in your bankruptcy, you should continue to make your payments as scheduled. You do have a choice, however, on how to keep the car: You can either pay the lender a lump sum to purchase the car at its current value (called redemption ), or enter into a new contract (called a reaffirmation agreement), which lets you keep your car under much the same terms as your original car's promissory note (although this is negotiable).
Sometimes your lender will let you keep the car without entering into a reaffirmation agreement, by simply allowing you to continue to make the payments under the old agreement (this is called the ride-through option). If your lender has been accepting your payments, it's a sign that you may be able to retain the vehicle and continue making payments without entering into a new reaffirmation agreement.
