SHOULD YOU HIRE A FORECLOSURE DEFENSE LAWYER?

SHOULD YOU HIRE A FORECLOSURE DEFENSE LAWYER?If you’re successful in modifying your mortgage on your own, you may not need a foreclosure defense lawyer. But if you’re unsuccessful obtaining a mortgage modification or if a process server shows up at your house and serves you with legal papers, it’s important you hire an experienced foreclosure defense lawyer as soon as possible.

INTERVIEW THE LAWYER

When you arrive at a foreclosure defense lawyer’s office, you should interview the attorney. You should find out his or her experience level. You should find out if they’ve published articles on foreclosure defense. You should speak to the attorney about how many cases they’ve handled and their success rate. You should look into whether they have appropriate staffing. Some attorneys’ offices are outgunned by the type of law firms hired by the financial institutions to bring foreclosure lawsuits. If you cannot afford to hire a private attorney, you may qualify for legal aid if available to help you defend you and your family in the foreclosure lawsuit.

schlissel-headshotThe law office of Schlissel DeCorpo have been defending homeowners regarding mortgage issues for more than three decades. They can be reached at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802, 631-319-8262 and 914-998-0080 or emailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

LEGAL PROCESS IN STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS INVOLVING FORECLOSURE

LEGAL PROCESS IN STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS INVOLVING FORECLOSURELegal action can be taken by homeowners in either state courts or federal courts to save their homes. Unfortunately, these procedures are sophisticated. Most general practice lawyers are not familiar with the complicated process of fighting foreclosure lawsuits. Should you find yourself facing a foreclosure situation, do yourself a favor and hire an experienced foreclosure attorney.

WHAT CAN OF FORECLOSURE ATTORNEY DO TO HELP ME?

An experienced foreclose defense lawyer will be in a position to examine all of the documents connected with the obtaining of the mortgage on for your home. He or she can identify possible legal defenses or counter lawsuits which can be brought against the financial institution. A foreclosure defense lawyer can review your financial information and evaluate if there are mitigating circumstances which have caused your default. The mitigating circumstance can be brought to the attention of the financial institution to avoid your home from going into foreclosure. Your attorney could also be utilized to help you regarding a forbearance plan or a mortgage modification. There are a number of viable alternatives to losing one’s home in a foreclosure. Among them is having the attorney negotiate with your financial institution to work out a plan which meets your needs and saves your home.

LITIGATION

Should you end up in a foreclosure lawsuit, a qualified foreclosure defense lawyer can vigorously defend you and your family in court. Foreclosure defense attorneys who take an aggressive position with the financial institution can help in the negotiations with regard to obtaining a forbearance agreement, or a mortgage modification.

schlissel-headshotThe law office of Schlissel DeCorpo have been defending homeowners regarding mortgage issues for more than three decades. They can be reached at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802, 631-319-8262 and 914-998-0080 or emailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

CAN I FIGHT A FORECLOSURE?

CAN I FIGHT A FORECLOSURE?Mortgage loans generally are made for a period of 15 or 30 years. When homeowners take out the loan, they usually have good jobs, are healthy and have no problems making the payments. But during the term of the mortgage, sometimes homeowners run into financial difficulties. Their financial situations change. They experience all types of anxiety regarding losing their home.

THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ATTORNEY

Financial institutions have in house lawyers. They have outside counsel who bring lawsuits against homeowners that helps the financial institutions maintain their profitability. Foreclosure lawsuits can be fought. New York now has a mandatory modification mediation requirement before a foreclosure lawsuit is initiated. This puts pressure on the financial institution to come up with a program which is affordable by the homeowner and stops the foreclosure litigation from moving forward.

NOTICE REQUIREMENTS

There are all types of notice requirements and provisions which must be given to homeowners by financial institutions and the assignees of their mortgages before a foreclosure lawsuit can be started. In cases where the financial institutions do not specifically comply with all the terms and conditions of the statutes and consumer protection laws the homeowners may challenge the foreclosure lawsuit successfully and have it dismissed.

FRAUDULENT ACTIONS

In cases where there are fraudulent actions or misleading documents related to the loan application process or the foreclosure lawsuit, homeowners can fight these lawsuits in court and have the foreclosure lawsuits dismissed. In addition, there are procedural defenses in the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules and the rules of Court a foreclosing financial institution must very specifically comply with or the foreclosure lawsuit can be dismissed.

schlissel-headshotThe law office of Schlissel DeCorpo have been defending homeowners regarding mortgage issues for more than three decades. They can be reached at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802, 631-319-8262 and 914-998-0080 or emailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

A Primer On The Foreclosure Process

PRE-FORECLOSURE

A Primer On The Foreclosure ProcessWhen a home owner falls three months behind on their mortgage payments the property is considered to be in a pre-foreclosure status. This will cause the financial institution to send demand letters. The letters will talk about mortgage modifications, forbearance plans, and possible other means of avoiding foreclosure. If the homeowner takes no action, the financial institution will usually initiate the foreclosure process.

NOTICE OF THE DEFAULT

Before the financial institution actually serves the summons and complaint in foreclosure case, a 90 day notice will be given to the homeowner. This 90 day notice advises the homeowner unless arrangements are made with regard to dealing with their late mortgage payments, a foreclosure lawsuit will be initiated.

FORECLOSURE LITIGATION

The litigation process in New York usually moves slowly. It was made slower by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Governor Hochul shutting down the foreclosure process during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic for approximately two years. A qualified foreclosure defense attorney can often tie a foreclosure up in the courts in New York for three to five years or even much longer than that.

THE END GAME IN A FORECLOSURE

At the end of a foreclosure litigation a public foreclosure auction takes place on the courthouse steps. The home is sold at the auction to the highest bidder. The financial institution will bid the entire amount of their mortgage and then speculators can bid over that amount if they seek to buy the home.

AFTER THE FORECLOSURE

When the foreclosure lawsuit has ended and a new owner has taken title to the home the new homeowner must provide notice they are the new homeowner to the ones who have lost their home. The notice statute in New York State requires they provide the former homeowners a copy of the new deed. Thereafter, the former homeowners will have to make arrangements to move from the premises or face an eviction proceeding which can result in their being put out of their home by the Sheriff or in the city of New York by a Marshall.

schlissel-headshotThe law office of Schlissel DeCorpo have been defending homeowners regarding mortgage issues for more than three decades. They can be reached at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802, 631-319-8262 and 914-998-0080 or emailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR BANKS TO SUCCESSFULLY FORECLOSE.

ForeclosureMortgage foreclosure lawsuits in the state of New York have been made more difficult, by actions of the state legislature. In addition to foreclosure lawsuits becoming more difficult, they’re taking longer and longer to get through the courts. There are more reasons or grounds that foreclosure defense lawyers can use to have foreclosure lawsuits dismissed.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

Financial institutions have six years from the time the mortgage is accelerated to bring a foreclosure case. The acceleration of the mortgage starts when the bank calls the entire mortgage due and owing. In the event, the financial institution and/or their lawyers did not move forward with the foreclosure lawsuit within six years of the acceleration of the mortgage the case can be dismissed for violation of the statute of limitations regarding a mortgage default. The violation of statute of limitations simply makes the mortgage unenforceable.

If a lender brings a foreclosure lawsuit and then for one reason or another it is discontinued, this does not stop the acceleration of the mortgage from continuing to run. Even if the foreclosure is dismissed by the court, it does not necessarily stop the six year statute of limitation from running.

DISCONTINUING THE LAWSUIT
THE SAVING GRACE FOR BANKS

There is a section of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules, Section 205 which is the saving grace for banks that discontinue a lawsuit or have a lawsuit dismissed. This section states if the foreclosure action has been dismissed, at which time the statute of limitations has expired, there is a limited authority which allows an action to be reinstituted. If the lawsuit was originally commenced on a timely basis, but later terminated, the financial institution is permitted to commence a new lawsuit upon the same facts and circumstances within six months after the termination of the original lawsuit.

The dismissal of a foreclosure lawsuit and preventing it from being brought again is a complicated process. Should you think you have the possibility of a statute of limitations defense the best way to deal with any questions regarding this issue would be to contact an experienced foreclosure defense lawyer.

schlissel-headshotThe law office of Schlissel DeCorpo have been defending homeowners regarding mortgage issues for more than three decades. They can be reached at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802, 631-319-8262 and 914-998-0080 or emailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

Pre-Foreclosure Notice

Pre-Foreclosure NoticeNew York Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law Section 1304 requires lenders and servicing companies who want to bring a legal action regarding a mortgage on a residential home in the State of New York must provide 90 days written notice to the borrower regarding the home loan foreclosure before starting legal action. The notice needs to be mailed to the homeowner by regular mayor and certified mail.

90 Day Notice To Homeowners Required

Homeowners challenge the compliance with a statute on a regular basis. It is a complete defense to the foreclosure lawsuit that the homeowner was not properly served the requisite notice under Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law Section 1304.The mailing of this notice is considered a condition precedent to the initiation of the foreclosure lawsuit. The financial institution or servicing company must be in a position to provide an affidavit of service of the mailing of the pre-foreclosure notice.

There have been numerous decisions by the Supreme Court Judges and the Appellate Courts dismissing cases for the slightest mistake or deviation that the financial institution, its services and its attorneys have made with regard to failing to fulfill the strict compliance with the terms of this 90 day pre-foreclosure mailing.

schlissel-headshotElliot S. Schlissel and his law office has been protecting homeowners in foreclosure cases for more than 3 decades. He can be reached at elliot@sdnylaw.com and 800-344-6431.

90 Day Notice Requirement Not Complied With

90 Day Notice Requirement Not Complied WithThe plaintiff in this case, a financial institution, had appealed an order denying it summary judgment of foreclosure. A summary judgment motion is a motion that states there is no question of fact and the financial institution should be entitled to enter a judgment of foreclosure and sale without taking the case to trial. As stated earlier, the bank lost this motion and they appealed the loss of the motion. The appeal went to the Appellate Division of the 2nd Department.

The Issue On Appeal

The issue with regard to the appeal was Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law Section 1304 (2) This section requires a homeowner receive 90 days notice prior to the initiation of a foreclosure lawsuit. The Appellate Court found the “notice required by this section shall be sent…in a separate envelope from any other mailing or notice.” This was a strict interpretation of the statute.

The Bank’s Problem

The bank in this case acknowledged the envelope it had sent to the homeowner’s contained the required notice under Real Property Actions and Proceeding Laws Section 1304 but it also included other information in 2 separate and distinct notices. The Appeals Courts ruled the bank did not comply with Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law Section 1304.The appeals court found the bank had not strictly complied with the requirements of this section of the law. Therefore the bank failed to satisfy a condition precedent before it could bring its foreclosure lawsuit. The court went on to hold this strict approach precluding any additional materials to be contained in the same envelope with the notice required under Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law 1304 “promotes stability and predictability.” in foreclosure cases. The decision of the lower court ruling against summary judgment for the plaintiff and dismissing the lawsuit was sustained.

Conclusion

Is the purpose of the 90 day notice under Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law Section 1304 is to give the homeowner’s specific notice they are in default on their mortgage and that they have 90 days to cure the default or a foreclosure lawsuit will be initiated against them to take back the house. This strict interpretation of this section by the appeals courts is designed to clarify to the homeowner the serious nature of this notice and the need to deal with being behind on their mortgage payments prior to the foreclosure lawsuit starting after 90 days.

schlissel-headshotElliot S. Schlissel is a foreclosure defenses lawyer who has been helping homeowners form more than 3 decades. He can be reached at elliot@sdnylaw.com or 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802, 631-319-8262.

Who Is Eligible for the $539 Million Dollars Homeowners Assistance Program?

Homeowners Assistance ProgramThere is approximately $539 million dollars allocated from federal funds to assist homeowners facing foreclosure and other financial issues. There are specific requirements regarding who is eligible for these funds. Homeowners who earn less than the average median income which is approximately $107,400 for a family of 3 are eligible to participate in this program. In addition, homeowners who earn less than 150% of the area median income and meets the federal requirements of “socially disadvantaged” which includes “those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice”.

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, to qualify homeowners will have to demonstrate some kind of financial hardship. Examples of financial hardships could be loss of income or added expenses that have been caused or are related to the covid-19 pandemic. The individuals who seek aid must actually live in the home that they seek the money for. The home must be their primary residence. The primary residence can be single family homes, condos, co-ops , mobile homes or 2-4 family homes.

Three Options

There are three different options within the Homeowners Assistance Program. The first option is for homeowners with a mortgage who are ending forbearance agreements and homeowners who didn’t go into forbearance and are behind on their mortgage payments. Financial relief is available to these homeowners in a five year forgivable loan for an amount of money needed to modify the mortgage in a way that can allow the homeowner to better afford going forward. Homeowners under option one can receive up to $50,000.

Option 2 is for homeowners who don’t have a mortgage but are behind on expenses such as property taxes, water bills, insurance or condo or co-op fees. The relief is a five year forgivable loan for the amount of the debt that is owed. The amount of the forgivable loan is capped at $50,000.

The third option is in addition to one of the first two options. This is for homeowners who are unemployed or who are unable to keep up with the costs of maintaining their housing. For homeowners to qualify for the third option they must be making less than 30% of the area median income before the pandemic. For a homeowner to qualify for the third option, they can receive up tp six months of future housing payments to stay afloat as the economy recovers. These six payments are in addition to the other relief and will be funded through a different group of federal funds called the Community Development Block Grants.

Portals are in the process of being developed according to the Department of Homes and Community Renewal. This will allow homeowners to apply online or over the phone through a housing counselor.

schlissel-headshotThe law office of Schlissel Decorpo, LLP is available to help homeowners facing foreclosure, in foreclosure and facing other financial problems that have put their homes at risk of being lost. We can be reached at 800-344-6431 or by email at info@sdnylaw.com

Federal Funds Available to Help Homeowners in Foreclosure

Federal Funds Available to Help Homeowners in ForeclosureHomeowners facing foreclosure who are either behind on their mortgages, their property taxes or other housing related expenses can receive up to $50,000 in financial assistance through New York State’s recently approved Homeowners Assistance Fund. The State of New York has received $539 million dollars in financial assistance for homeowners pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act. On December 2, 2021 the United States Treasury approved the implementation of a plan in the State of New York with regard to the distribution of $539 million dollars to homeowners facing financial difficulties and foreclosure.

Under the American Rescue Plan Act, households must have experienced a financial hardship caused by the covid-19 pandemic and earn at or below 150% of the median income in their area. Governor Hochul is in the process of unveiling an outreach campaign targeted to homeowner’s at risk of foreclosure. Although applications are currently not available they will be available in the near future.

539 Million Is Not Enough

Kristen Keef, the senior attorney for the Empire Justice Center has recently stated “I think everyone generally thinks $539 million will not be enough in cash assistance for homeowners”. Kristen Keef has indicated there are between 400 thousand and 500 thousand New York homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments. From September 29th through October 11, 2021 the delinquency rate among homeowners in New York State was over 13%. The delinquency rate is higher among black and Latino homeowners. It is estimated that up to 35% of black homeowners were late on their mortgage payments. This is a rate 5 times higher than the rate for white homeowner’s that have a delinquency rate of approximately 7%. The delinquency rate for Latino homeowners has been approximately 16%.

The last prior peak delinquency rate in New York State was in 2012 when 8.3 percent of mortgage payments were more than 30 days behind. Ms. Keef went on to state “obviously they were using different data back then and different methodology, potentially than today, but I think suffice it to say that the delinquency rate is much higher today than when we thought it was really awful in 2009, following the subprime mortgage lending crisis and great recession. Ms. Keef has indicated the $539 million dollars that is available will fall far short of being able to help all of the people in need of assistance.

schlissel-headshotThe law office of Schlissel Decorpo, LLP is available to help homeowners facing foreclosure, in foreclosure and facing other financial problems that have put their homes at risk of being lost. We can be reached at 800-344-6431 or by email at info@sdnylaw.com

$539 Million Dollars Available to Help Homeowners in Foreclosure

Homeowners in ForeclosureOn Thursday, December 4, 2021, New York State became the first state in the United States to receive United States Treasury approval for $539 million in a Homeowner Assistance Fund to aid individuals whose homes are in foreclosure. Governor Kathy Hochul is working on plans to unveil a statewide outreach program for at risk homeowners.

The Homeowners Assistance Fund will allow homeowners in New York State to receive financial aid regarding foreclosures on mobile homes, single family homes and elderly homeowners who have taken out reverse mortgages will also qualify for assistance. The Homeowners Assistance money was part of the $1.9 trillion dollar law enacted by Congress and the Biden administration to keep Americans “experiencing hardships associated with the pandemic” in their homes. The money is being allocated to both states, Native American tribes and United States territories.

The Homeowners Assistance Fund is separate from the $47 billion dollars that the United States government is giving to states to provide funds for rental assistance to tenants facing eviction. These funds are also included in the American Rescue Plan. An internet portal will eventually be set up. Homeowners will be able to file applications for assistance through the portal. This is a unique opportunity for homeowners either in foreclosure or facing foreclosure to use federal funds to deal with these issues.

schlissel-headshotThe law office of Schlissel Decorpo, LLP is available to help homeowners facing foreclosure and facing other financial problems that have put their homes at risk of being lost. We can be reached at 800-344-6431 or by email at info@sdnylaw.com.

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