Donald Trump is in a tight spot as he says he is unable to post a bond to a New York judge on how he will repay the $464 million in fines imposed on him for financial fraud at his real estate group, after he was convicted in a civil trial on February.

His lawyers are now asking a New York court to put that fine on hold, as they say the former president is in in a precarious financial situation something however that could eventually even lead to the confiscation of his assets.

If Trump wants to continue his appeal, he must come up with the full amount in cash or secure a bond from a private company by March 25.

His lawyers said yesterday that despite their “diligent efforts” it is “practically impossible” to find a company willing to act as surety for the full amount and so they asked for the fine to be put on hold.

So what options does Donald Trump have in this case and what scenarios seem the most likely to happen, according to the BBC.

1. Trump takes a break

A panel of appeals court judges will decide by March 25 whether the $464 million ruling can be put on hold while Trump appeals.

That would be the best-case scenario for the former president, who is no doubt eager to avoid paying about 16 percent of his $2.6 billion fortune, according to Forbes magazine.

2. A compromise solution

The New York appeals court could offer Trump a compromise, experts say.

The court could require Trump to post a lower bond while he appeals the ruling.

Mr. Trump, however, has already asked the appeals court to allow him to post a bond covering $100 million. His lawyers argued that he would “suffer irreparable harm” if he was forced to pay the full amount.

However, this request was rejected by a judge.

Alternatively, the court could ask Trump to sign an affidavit saying he has assets in New York and understands they could be seized if he loses the appeal, University of Michigan Ross Business Professor Will Thomas told the BBC School.

After all, if Trump doesn’t get a break and the court doesn’t offer a compromise, he could go directly to the New York Supreme Court.

3) Ensures warranty

Donald Trump could still find a way to secure bail – for a fee, although according to his lawyers, that may be difficult.

A bond company could agree to pay the fine if Trump loses his appeal and can’t do it himself. But his legal team claims they had already approached 30 companies without success.

To secure a bond, a person must prove to the company providing the guarantee that they have enough liquidity—usually in the form of cash plus stocks or bonds that can be sold quickly—to cover the amount.

But for Renato Mariotti, a lawyer who represents major real estate developers, “Trump is not as rich as he has led the public to believe — or he was not prepared for this potential crisis.”

4) Trump pays the fine

With no guarantee to cover the full amount, Donald Trump could attempt to pay the judgment with his own money. Last year he told the court that he had $400 million in liquid assets.

To quickly get the remaining cash and cover the rest of the fine, experts said he could try to refinance his properties or sell some of his assets quickly – but selling properties can be time-consuming.

He could also file for bankruptcy. But doing so could damage Mr Trump’s reputation in an election year, experts say. “It’s practically the most damaging thing Donald Trump could ever do to his self-image,” Will Thomas said.

5) New York takes Trump’s assets

Finally, if Donald Trump ultimately doesn’t find a way to pay the fraud judgment or secure a bond by March 25, New York Attorney General Letitia James can begin collecting the fee and seizing his assets.

Experts say this is a worst-case scenario for Trump, as he could lose some of his most famous properties. That is, they can seize any of his buildings – not just the ones in New York – including Trump Tower and his mega-club in Florida, Mar-a-Lago.