When money is tight, many people end up in a situation where they cannot pay their bills, sometimes including their mortgage. If you find yourself unable to pay your mortgage on your primary or second home, you may face major consequences. The repercussions of defaulting vary by state and province and by country, and can affect a homeowner for years to come, so he or she must fully realize what defaulting on a mortgage means to financial security and status.

Defaulting on mortgages in Spain, for example, has very specific consequences. In past years, it was possible to default on a Spanish mortgage with little to no loss at all to the homeowner. This was especially true if the homeowner was not a Spanish citizen and the home was a vacation home or second residence. But now Spanish mortgage holders can and do pursue every legal means necessary to collect on their mortgages.

In case a homeowner must default on a mortgage in Spain, turning over the home to the bank is often an option. This option will save you money in court costs incurred by the bank when pursuing you for the balance, as well as additional interest on the mortgage during the court battle. However, turning the home over to the bank is a process that must be negotiated. The bank is under no obligation to let you out of the mortgage by taking the home back. They will be rather unlikely to take the home back without good reason such as a hardship. An example of such a hardship would be the death of a spouse or another situation that has caused your income to be drastically cut.

If you cannot negotiate a home turnover with the bank that holds your Spanish mortgage, you will need to sell the home as soon as possible. You should try to get as much from the home sale as you can, as you will still be responsible to the bank for any shortfall between the home sale amount and the remaining amount on your Spanish mortgage. They are more likely to do so if the shortfall is large. But the bank can legally attempt to collect any amount from you. The bank may collect money by placing liens on any and all assets of the homeowner..

Defaulting on a Spanish mortgage is an extremely serious situation, so it is essential that the homeowner work as closely as possible with the bank as soon as it is evident that defaulting is going to be unavoidable. Doing so can result in an agreement that will satisfy the bank, relieve you of your responsibilities associated with the Spanish mortgage, and allow you to keep other assets you may own.