Foreclosure Consumer Bill of Rights

Foreclosure Consumer Bill of RightsThe State of New York has a residential foreclosure actions consumer bill of rights. This gives homeowners information they can expect if their home goes into foreclosure. The foreclosure legal action is a lawsuit initiated by the bank’s attorneys to repossess the home, sell it and use those funds to pay off the mortgage.

The Foreclosure Process.

The foreclosure process starts by the homeowner receiving a ninety (90) day notice that the home is going into foreclosure. After ninety (90) days a Summons and Complaint will be served upon the homeowner. The homeowner at that point should immediately contact a foreclosure attorney. There are many actions the foreclosure attorney can do to help the homeowner. The foreclosure attorney can stop the foreclosure from going forward and sometimes tie it up in court for years. The foreclosure attorney can pursue on behalf of the homeowner a mortgage modification or forbearance agreement or other arrangements to help the homeowners and their family stay in the home.

The Response to a Foreclosure Lawsuit

When the homeowner retains an attorney, the attorney for the homeowner will file an answer to the foreclosure lawsuit. This stops the foreclosure lawsuit from going forward and allows homeowners to assert their rights. A failure by the homeowner to submit a written answer to the foreclosure lawsuit puts the homeowner at risk that the foreclosure lawsuit will move forward more quickly through the court and the homeowner will not obtain notice of the sale of their home until it is too late to stop it from being sold.

schlissel-headshotThe law firm of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP has been helping families deal with mortgage and foreclosure problems for more than 30 years. We can be reached at 718-350-2802, 516-561-6645 or 631-319-8262 or by e-mail at info@sdnylaw.com.

Foreclosure Timeline

Foreclosures are initiated when homeowners miss their mortgage payments. If a homeowner is between 16 and 30 days behind on their mortgage, a late charge is assessed against them. In these situations the financial institution, or its loan servicing company, will usually notify the homeowner with regard to the late payment issue.

3 Months Behind on Mortgage Payments

When a homeowner is 3 months behind on mortgage payments the financial institution, if they decide to move forward with a foreclosure, must send the homeowner a foreclosure notice a minimum of 90 days before initiating the foreclosure lawsuit. The purpose of the 90 day window is to give the homeowner an opportunity to work out an alternative resolution of the mortgage issue with the financial institution. The 90 day notice must provide how much the homeowners are behind and what they would need to pay to bring the mortgage current. In addition, the 90 day notice must provide the homeowner with names and telephone numbers of a minimum of 5 government approved not-for-profit housing counselling agencies serving the area where the homeowner resides.

90 Days Behind on Mortgage Payments

If the homeowner falls 90 days or more behind on a mortgage, the financial institution or its servicing agency may bring legal action to foreclose on the home. It involves the hiring of an attorney on behalf of the financial institution to file a Summons and Complaint against the homeowner and file a “Lis Pendis” which has a negative impact to the title of the homeowner’s home.

Once the Summons and Complaint has been Served

After the Summons and Complaint has been served on the homeowner and the lender files the proof of service with the court, a Foreclosure Settlement Conference is usually scheduled by the financial institution’s attorneys. During the Foreclosure Settlement Conference a judge or referee meets with the homeowner, the homeowner’s attorney, and the attorneys for the financial institution. The referee or judge looks into whether there is an alternative resolution of the case instead of the house being sold in the foreclosure. The attorney for the homeowner or the homeowner must bring to this Settlement Conference proof of income, a minimum of 2 recent pay stubs and recent tax returns.

Foreclosure Mediation

The Foreclosure Settlement Conference in the court does not relieve the homeowner of the responsibility of providing a written Answer to the Summons and Complaint. The failure of the homeowner to respond to the Summons and Complaint can result in a default which will allow the foreclosure to go through the courts more quickly.

schlissel-headshotThe law firm of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP has been helping families deal with mortgage and foreclosure problems for more than 30 years. We can be reached at 718-350-2802, 516-561-6645 or 631-319-8262 or by e-mail at info@sdnylaw.com.

Video : Foreclosure Process

The Summons and Complaint

The Summons and ComplaintA foreclosure lawsuit is initiated by the attorneys for the bank by drafting a Summons and Complaint. It is then filed with the County Clerk’s Office in the County in which the property is located and the attorneys for the bank receive an index number and a filing date which is attached to the front of the Summons. The bank attorneys then hire a process server who serves the Summons and Complaint on the homeowner.

If the homeowner is served personally, the homeowner has twenty (20) days to respond by submitting a written Answer. If the homeowner is served by any other means, the homeowner has thirty (30) days to respond to the Summons and Complaint by submitting a written Answer.

The response to the Summons and Complaint is called an Answer. An Answer can contain admissions or denials. It can also contain defenses and affirmative defenses. As part of the Answer the homeowner can counter sue the bank for various relief including setting the mortgage aside. An experienced foreclosure lawyer will often put 100 to 120 paragraphs in the Answer.

Representing Yourself

There is an expression: “The man who represents himself has a fool for his lawyer”. Do yourself a favor, hire an experienced foreclosure defense lawyer to represent you and your family if you are facing a foreclosure. The attorneys for the banks generally have extensive experience in bringing foreclosure lawsuits. They often bring more than 100 of these cases per month. The bank attorneys know how to process the foreclosures and know the ins and outs of the court system. You need someone on your side at least as good as them!

schlissel-headshotThe law firm of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP has been helping families deal with mortgage and foreclosure problems for more than 30 years. We can be reached at 718-350-2802, 516-561-6645 or 631-319-8262 or by e-mail at info@sdnylaw.com.

Foreclosures – What is It?

Foreclosures - What is It?A foreclosure is the name of a lawsuit that the financial institution holding a mortgage files against the homeowner. The filing takes place in the County Clerk’s Office of the County in which the home is located. The lawsuit moves forward in the Supreme Court in the County where the property is located.

The holder of the mortgage, usually a financial institution, sues the borrower (homeowner) to enforce the financial institution’s rights under the terms of the note and mortgage. If the financial institution, lender, is successful and wins the lawsuit it receives a judgment from the court. This judgment allows the lender (financial institution) to sell the property foreclosed on in a public auction. Money received from the sale of the property at the public auction is used to pay off the debt the homeowner has to the financial institution.

Foreclosure Lawsuit

Foreclosure is the start of a process for the financial institution to take the home back. The foreclosure lawsuit in the State of New York can take anywhere from 1 year to many years

The best way for the homeowner to protect themselves in a foreclosure lawsuit and take the appropriate action to keep their home is to hire a foreclosure attorney to defend them.

schlissel-headshotThe law firm of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP has been helping families deal with mortgage and foreclosure problems for more than 30 years. We can be reached at 718-350-2802, 516-561-6645, 631-319-8262, 914-998-0082 or by e-mail at info@sdnylaw.com.

How the legal process in foreclousure works in new york

Video : Changing of the rules regarding foreclosures

Video : Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act

Foreclosures and Loan Modifications

Foreclosures and Loan Modifications imageObtaining a loan modification is one of the potential routes to save a home from the foreclosure process. There was a time in New York, and in the United States, when there were a variety of Federal and State programs which helped homeowners who had fallen behind in their mortgage due to unforeseen financial circumstances or other issues which caused them to fall behind on their mortgage payments. However, except for programs that help veterans, there are very few options today regarding mortgage modifications other than dealing with the financial institution which currently holds the mortgage on the homeowners’ homes.

Mortgage Modification Process Substitute

The application process for a mortgage modification can be cumbersome and it may be difficult to meet financial institutions requirements to obtain the modification. A mortgage modification application needs to be submitted with the necessary supporting paper work and documentation required. In many instances a hardship letter will also be necessary. A follow-up process needs to be undertaken to see to it that the financial institution actually gives the mortgage application the appropriate time and consideration necessary to end up with a positive response. During the past few years the criteria for a homeowners to obtain a mortgage modification has become more cumbersome and more difficult.

A law firm that represents homeowners in foreclosure cases can help the homeowner to successfully navigate through the modification process. Elliot S. Schlissel is the managing partner of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP a law firm that has been helping consumers with mortgage problems for decades.

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.

Foreclosures and Settlement Conference Requirements in New York

Foreclosures and Settlement Conference Requirements in New YorkThe State of New York has a law which states in all foreclosure cases regarding residential homes that have less than 5 families in them and serves as the principal place of residence of the borrower a “settlement conference” is required to be held. At the settlement conference there will be court attorney referee or a judge which presides over the conference. The specific purpose of the conference is to determine whether the homeowner is qualified to obtain a modification of the mortgage, or is there another way the homeowners can save their home from being sold in a foreclosure sale.

At the foreclosure settlement conference a schedule is set up whereby the homeowner has to comply with the mortgage modification application process. This includes submitting an application in a form provided by the lender, following up to provide documentation of financial circumstances and credit worthiness of the homeowner. In circumstances where the homeowner qualifies for the modification of the mortgage there will usually be a period of 3 or 6 months regarding trial payments. The borrower/homeowner must make these trial payments in a timely manner.

Failing to Qualify for a Mortgage Modification

In cases where the homeowner fails to qualify to obtain a mortgage modification, the court attorney referee or judge will issue an order releasing the case to a trial part for further litigation action regarding the foreclosure. Usually after the case is released to a trial part the attorneys for the financial institution will bring a motion for summary judgment against the homeowner. In many situations this amounts to a trial on paper whereby the financial institution’s attorneys provide documentation of the homeowner’s default in making payments on the mortgage. The financial institution’s attorneys will request that a special referee be appointed to compute damages as to how much the homeowner owes to the financial institution and to eventually sell the property at a foreclosure auction sale. If the homeowner is represented by an attorney, the attorney for the homeowner will submit opposition papers to this application by the financial institution for summary judgment foreclosure and sale. If the homeowner’s attorney has included counterclaims or affirmative defenses in the foreclosure answer, the attorney at this time can cross move to dismiss the case based on the counterclaims or affirmative defenses.

In cases where a homeowner and their attorney has been successful in opposing the summary judgment motion, the Judge handling the case will eventually schedule the case for a trial.

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.

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