Filing the Summons and Complaint
The first step in the actual legal process in the court system involves the financial institution hiring a law firm which drafts a Summons and Complaint and files the Summons and Complaint in the County Clerk’s office of the County in which the home to be foreclosed on is located. Simultaneously with filing a Summons and Complaint most attorneys representing financial institutions also file a “Lis Pendens“. A lis pendens is notice to the world a lawsuit is pending in court involving the home. The lis pendens specifically tells all people who do a title search on the property the home is in litigation. This has a negative effect on the title to the home.
Service Of The Summons And Complaint
After the Summons and Complaint is filed, the attorneys for the financial institution receive an index number and a filing date for the Summons and Complaint. This is attached to the top right hand corner of the Summons. Thereafter, the attorneys for the bank hire a process serving company to serve the Summons and Complaint on the homeowner.
Methods of Service of the Summons
There are a variety of ways the service of the Summons can be made in the State of New York. The Summons can be actually put in the hand of the homeowner. It could also be left with a person of suitable age and discretion at their principle place of residence or place of business. In addition, the Summons and Complaint can be tacked to the door and mailed to the homeowner. It is extremely important the homeowner not ignore the Summons and Complaint. Once they are served they have twenty days to respond by filing an Answer with the court and serving a copy on opposing counsel, if served personally, and thirty days if served by any other means other than personal service.
After the process server serves the Summons and Complaint they draft an Affidavit of Service and file that Affidavit with the court.
Request for Judicial Intervention
The next step in the process is the filing of a “Request for Judicial Intervention”, which is commonly referred to as an “RJI”. The purpose of the RJI is to advise the court the lender’s attorney wants to schedule a mandatory foreclosure settlement conference.
