IRVINE, Calif., March 24, 2026 (PR.COM) — With a trustee’s foreclosure sale just one week away, a distressed and panicked Murrieta homeowner turned to Lawyers Realty Group for help and protection. Rather than an impending financial wipeout, she ended up walking away with nearly all of her home equity intact.
The team at Lawyers Realty Group acted aggressively under the new law created by AB 2424 (now Civil Code § 2924f). By properly listing the home on the MLS through their licensed brokerage and serving all required legal notifications on the foreclosure trustee, the firm secured the full 45-day postponement guaranteed by the statute — buying critical time to protect the client’s equity.
During the postponement period, title research revealed a hidden obstacle: an old abstract of judgment lien sitting on title for just under $72,000. That lien would have wiped out nearly every dollar of the homeowner’s equity.
“Most real estate agents would have thrown up their hands and recommended a short sale, leaving the client with zero equity and damaged credit,” said Derik Lewis, lead attorney and Realtor® at Lawyers Realty Group. “But because we are both licensed attorneys and full-service brokers, we recognized the issues at stake and dug deeper. My background in bankruptcy law revealed that this type of judgment would be fully dischargeable in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Even better, by using the homeowner’s homestead exemption in bankruptcy, the judgement lien would be legally unsecured and subject to a lien avoidance motion under Bankruptcy Code § 522(f), wiping out both the debt and the title lien entirely with zero payment whatsoever.”
After detailed consultation explaining the benefits and implications of Chapter 7, the client elected to proceed. Lawyers Realty Group then coordinated the Chapter 7 filing and successfully brought the lien avoidance motion. The judgment lien was fully stripped from the property.
“The client was able to keep the overwhelming majority of her equity because of our aggressive legal strategy and expert brokerage services,” continued Lewis. “This outstanding result is only possible when you have a licensed attorney who also controls the brokerage listing and sale,” he added. “We don’t just delay foreclosure — we eliminate the underlying legal and financial obstacles so families can keep what’s rightfully theirs.”
The homeowner has now resolved the foreclosure threat, eliminated the judgment lien, and preserved the equity she worked a lifetime to build.
About Lawyers Realty Group
Lawyers Realty Group is California’s premier Attorney/Realtor® team dedicated to helping homeowners in financial distress. The firm specializes in foreclosure defense, short sales, probate and trust sales, zombie mortgages, reverse mortgage complications, judgment liens, bankruptcy lien avoidance, and creative solutions that allow families to keep their homes when possible or sell on the best possible terms when necessary. With full MLS brokerage services and in-house legal representation, Lawyers Realty Group delivers results that traditional agents and lenders simply cannot match.
For a free confidential consultation, contact Lawyers Realty Group at (949) 264-0966 or visit www.lawyersrealtygroup.com.
