The Homeowner’s Response
Upon being served with the summons and complaint, regarding notice of the foreclosure lawsuit, in the event you wish to keep your home and contest the foreclosure lawsuit, you need to file a verified answer. This is a response to the summons and complaint, and it will outline any defenses you have to the lawsuit. Be advised if you do not file an answer or you simply fail to respond the court will rule in the case that you have defaulted and the lawsuit will go faster and you’ll lose your home more quickly.
Foreclosure Settlement Conference
Usually within 60 days after your lender initiates the foreclosure lawsuit the Supreme Court in the county where the house is located will schedule a legally mandated foreclosure settlement conference. The purpose of this conference is to see if there’s a way to resolve the foreclosure lawsuit without the homeowners being forced from their home. At the foreclosure settlement conference, issues such as mortgage modifications, forbearance agreements, short sales and other issues will be discussed.
The Discovery Phase
If you put submit a written answer in the foreclosure lawsuit and you contest it, a period begins called the discovery phase of lawsuit. During this time, both you and your lender can request pertinent information and documents from the other side to prepare your respective arguments during motion practice or trial.
Motion For Summary Judgment
In most cases, the financial institution will file a motion for summary judgment. This is a motion by the bank’s lawyers, which asks the court to issue a judgment of foreclosure based solely on the evidence presented in writing. They will claim a trial is not necessary because the case is so one sided. For a homeowner to be successful in defeating the motion for summary judgment, the homeowner simply needs to show there is some issue that should be dealt with at trial. Any issue which is not 100% clearly in the bank’s favor will be the basis for the for the judge to deny the bank’s application for summary judgment motion.
Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale
If the judge rules on the summary judgment motion in favor of the bank, the Court will issue a final judgment of foreclosure and sale and an order to auction off your home. If there is an auction order given, a referee will be appointed, who will sell your home on the Supreme Court steps or in a courtroom in the Supreme Court on rainy days.
Can I Stop A Foreclosure From Moving Forward?
Yes! There are numerous defenses, affirmative defenses, counterclaims and other legal actions which can be taken to stop foreclosures from moving forward and tie up the case in court from three to seven years. The banks have experienced law firms representing them. The best way to you protect your investment in your home and your ability to continue to live in your home with your family is to hire an experienced foreclosure attorney.
The 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.
