NY Foreclosure Law Firm Fined Two Million Dollars

NY Foreclosure Law Firm Fined Two Million DollarsSteven J. Baum, P.C. of Amherst, New York, has been fined two million dollars for inappropriate foreclosure legal practices. Steven J. Baum, P.C. is the largest foreclosure law firm in the state of New York. Steven J. Baum, P.C. has agreed, in addition to paying the two million dollar fine, to re-vamp its practices with regard to the handling of pleadings, affidavits and mortgage assignments in New York State and Federal Courts.

The Law Firm has agreed to implement a variety of internal controls regarding its processing and handling of foreclosure proceedings. They have agreed to review original promissory notes received from their clients or custodians of the notes prior to filing new foreclosure lawsuits. These actions will bring the firm in compliance with the order issued by Chief Judge Jonathan Lipman regarding attorneys representing lending institutions.

Mortgage Foreclosure Proceedings

US Attorney Preet Bharara, from the Southern District of New York, stated, with regard to the settlement, “in mortgage foreclosure proceedings, there are no excuses for sloppy practices that could lead to someone mistakenly losing their home.” She stated further that “homeowners facing foreclosure cannot afford to have faulty paperwork or inadequate evidence submitted and today’s agreement will help minimize that risk.”

Baum Law Firm Released from Civil Liability

The Baum Law Firm, upon payment of the two million dollar fine and the imposition of new internal procedures, will be released from potential civil liability under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989. The Baum Law Firm acknowledges that it occasionally made inadvertent errors in its legal filings in state and federal courts, which it attributes to human error in light of the high volume of mortgages and foreclosures it handled throughout the State of New York in the wake of the national subprime mortgage crisis.”

It should be noted that this is a settlement. It is not a finding of wrongdoing by the Baum Foreclosure Law Firm. The Baum Law Firm has also agreed to have experienced attorneys supervising all aspects of the preparation of documents and reviewing of documents before they are filed with the courts. In addition, they are implementing a one to two-year training program for their attorneys to bring them in compliance with the rules regarding foreclosure proceedings in the state of New York.

Hopefully, this law firm will live up to its responsibilities in dealing with foreclosure proceedings. Taking a family’s home and putting them on the street is a sad end to the American dream. These proceedings should be handled in a manner that protects the homeowner’s rights and sees to it that homes aren’t wrongly foreclosed upon.

New York Foreclosure Defense Lawyers

The New York City and Long Island foreclosure defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo can help you if you have a foreclosure problem. Our foreclosure defense lawyers litigate defective mortgages, defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending and all other types of real estate related matters. We can explain the federal laws on foreclosure and how they affect you. We attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients.

In the appropriate situation, we will discuss foreclosure related bankruptcy issues, such as filing a Chapter 7 and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy with you. In bankruptcy situations, there is an automatic stay that goes into effect, ordered by the court, that stops foreclosure from moving forward. In some bankruptcy situations, we can eliminate second mortgages. At the end of the bankruptcy, we can assist you inre- establishing your credit. Feel free to set up a free consultation with us. We will discuss your foreclosure options with you.

A Thousand Days to Foreclose a Home

There is an old expression that courts have two speeds, slow and backwards. In the State of New York, that is certainly true if you’re involved in foreclosureThousand Days to Foreclose a Home proceedings. It is estimated that it takes approximately a thousand days to bring a case from start to finish in both Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York. The delays in foreclosure proceedings are caused by the courts being overwhelmed by the unprecedented number of homes going into foreclosure. There are more than twenty thousand homes tied up in foreclosure proceedings in Nassau and Suffolk counties at the present time. The high level of foreclosures continues to depress the real estate markets on Long Island.

Foreclosure Court Conferences

New York State has a statute that requires a court conference on all new foreclosure proceedings. At the court conference, the Judges and attorneys look into possibility of avoiding foreclosure. Mortgage modifications and other solutions to the foreclosure proceedings pending before the courts are discussed with the homeowners’ attorneys and the attorneys for the financial institutions. These foreclosure court conferences often result in negotiations leading towards mortgage modifications and/or other solutions to these problems.

Cases in New York are subject to a significant amount of scrutiny by the courts. The purpose of this scrutiny is to see to it that innocent homeowners are not improperly removed from their homes.

Saving Your Home, Foreclosure Defense Attorneys

We can save your home from foreclosure. We attend foreclosure court conferences on your behalf. We can submit an answer to your foreclosure proceeding that can include defenses involving defective mortgages, defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending and other real estate related defenses. We are knowledgeable about federal laws and foreclosure. We will provide you at the time of the initial consultation with all of your foreclosure options.

These options will include foreclosure related bankruptcies. The filing of either a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy will stop foreclosures from moving forward. Filing a bankruptcy will also stop debt collectors and collection lawyers that may be harassing you. There are many bankruptcy myths that are untrue. Bankruptcy will not permanently destroy your credit. We will be able to help you re-establish credit after filing a bankruptcy.

Call us for a free consultation. We will discuss all foreclosure defenses and bankruptcy options with you at your initial free consultation. We appreciate your visiting our foreclosure blog.

Foreclosed Homes Being Filled by Criminals

Foreclosed Homes Being Filled by CriminalsJamaica, New York, has had a rash of foreclosed homes. Homes that are being foreclosed upon and have become vacant are now being filled with drug dealers, gang members and other criminals. These homes are “becoming a magnet for criminal activity.” This is according to Deputy Inspector Miltiadis Marmara, the Commanding Officer of the precinct in South Jamaica. Community members in Jamaica are concerned about criminals and vagrants moving into these empty homes. They have huge parties. They stand outside the homes smoking weed and using other drugs. When the police are called, they run away. After the police leave, they return.
There are more than 75 homes in the Jamaica area that are suffering from these types of problems.Jamaica, New York, is a middle class community. Hard working, blue collar workers have used their life savings to buy homes. In their free time, they fix them up.

Neighborhoods Affected By Foreclosure Crisis

The foreclosure crisis is destroying good neighborhoods in Jamaica. Hard working, middle class families are being forced to live next to empty homes that squatters have moved into. The squatters make noise and partake in a lot of drug abuse and criminal activity. This is another problem caused by the foreclosure crisis.

Who Is Stopping Foreclosures in New York

The foreclosure defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo can stop foreclosure proceedings in their tracks. We file written Answers with the court and opposing counsel on behalf of our clients. We attend foreclosure court conferences wherein we try to convince judges to put pressure on the financial institutions to give our clients mortgage modifications. We litigate issues concerning defective mortgages, defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending and all types of other real estate related matters. Our office has substantial knowledge concerning Federal laws and foreclosure.
We can also help you deal with foreclosure-related bankruptcy issues. Filing either a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy may be necessary to deal with the foreclosure on your home. If you file bankruptcy, you can eliminate second mortgages in some situations, stop foreclosure, stop other debt collections practices and at the end of the bankruptcy, action can be taken to re-establish your credit.

Call us for a free consultation at 1-800–344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350-2802.

Sales of Summer Homes Hit New Lows

Sales of Summer Homes Hit New LowsThe depressed real estate market in the United States reached a new low in July, 2011. Home sales fell 3.5% during that month. This brought home sales to the lowest point in the last 13 years. Home prices keep falling. This makes it harder and harder for individuals to sell their homes. The reduction in home values has been a driving force in the economic problems in the United States. Consumers who feel the value of their home is going down are disinclined to spend money on everyday purchases. There is a negative effect on the economy in the United States when consumers believe their homes are losing value.

Difficulties In Purchasing New Homes

Banks now require larger down payments before a new homeowner can purchase a home. In addition, lending rules have become very stringent. New home buyers are also concerned that the home they purchase will be worth less money in the future. The motto of many perspective home buyers is: why buy now if things will only get less expensive in the future? Instead, they sit and wait and watch the real estate market continue to decline. The wait and see approach by new home purchasers is causing the inventory of homes on the market to increase. As the inventory of new homes for sale on the real estate market increases, it creates a downward pressure on the sales price of these homes.

Appraisals Killing Home Sales

When a purchaser decides to buy a home, they must apply to the bank for a mortgage. The bank thereafter sends their appraiser out to appraise the home. In recent months, these appraisals are coming back with information indicating the homes are worth less than the prospective purchaser is in contract to pay for it. This often kills the real estate deal.

Home Prices Falling by More Than 5% in 2011

Economists have estimated that home prices will decline between now and the end of the year by an additional 5%. This is unfortunate. The ownership of a single family home was the American dream. The dream seems to be turning into a nightmare!

Call us for a free consultation, we will discuss whether filing bankruptcy may be in your interest and all other foreclosure related options. Our phones are monitored 24/7. Call us at 1-800-344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350-2802.

New York Foreclosure Defense Lawyers

The New York City and Long Island foreclosure defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo can help you if you have a foreclosure problem. Our foreclosure defense lawyers litigate defective mortgages, defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending and all other types of real estate related matters. We can explain the federal laws on foreclosure and how they affect you. We attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients.

In the appropriate situation, we will discuss foreclosure related bankruptcy issues, such as filing a Chapter 7 and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy with you. In bankruptcy situations, there is an automatic stay that goes into effect, ordered by the court, that stops foreclosure from moving forward. In some bankruptcy situations, we can eliminate second mortgages. At the end of the bankruptcy, we can assist you in re- establishing your credit. Feel free to set up a free consultation with us. We will discuss your foreclosure options with you.

New York Foreclosure Law Firm Fined Two Million Dollars

New York Foreclosure Law FirmSteven J. Baum, P.C. of Amhearst, New York, has been fined two million dollars for inappropriate foreclosure legal practices. Steven J. Baum, P.C. is the largest foreclosure law firm in the state of New York. Steven J. Baum, P.C. has agreed, in addition to paying the two million dollar fine, to re-vamp its practices with regard to the handling of pleadings, affidavits and mortgage assignments in New York State and Federal Courts.The Law Firm has agreed to implement a variety of internal controls regarding its processing and handling of foreclosure proceedings. They have agreed to review original promissory notes received from their clients or custodians of the notes, prior to filing new foreclosure lawsuits. These actions will bring the firm in compliance with the order issued by Chief Judge Jonathan Lipman, regarding attorneys representing lending institutions.

Mortgage Foreclosure Proceedings

US Attorney Preet Bharara, from the Southern District of New York, stated, with regard to settlements in mortgage foreclosure proceedings, that there are “no excuses for sloppy practices that could lead to someone mistakenly losing their home.” She stated further that “homeowners facing foreclosure cannot afford to have faulty paperwork or inadequate evidence submitted and today’s agreement will help minimize that risk.”

Baum Law Firm Released from Civil Liability

The Baum Law Firm, upon payment of the two million dollar fine and the imposition of new internal procedures will be released from potential civil liability under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989. The Baum Law Firm

“acknowledges that it occasionally made inadvertent errors in its legal filings in state and federal Courts, which it attributes to human error in light of the high volume of mortgages and foreclosures it handled throughout the state of New York in the wake of the national subprime mortgage crisis.”It should be noted that this is a settlement. It is not a finding of wrongdoing by the Baum Foreclosure Law Firm. The Baum Law Firm has also agreed to have experienced attorneys supervising all aspects of the preparation of documents and reviewing of documents before they are filed with the courts. In addition, they are implementing a one to two-year training program for their attorneys to bring them in compliance with the rules regarding bringing foreclosure proceedings in the state of New York.

Hopefully, this law firm will live up to its responsibilities in dealing with foreclosure proceedings. Taking from a family, its home and putting them on the street is a sad end to the American dream. These proceedings should be handled in a manner that protects the homeowner’s rights and sees to it that homes aren’t wrongly foreclosed upon.

Foreclosure Defense Attorneys

We can fight your foreclosure. We litigate predatory lending issues, defective foreclosure lawsuits, and defective mortgages. We attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients. We draft mortgage modifications and deal with mortgage modification programs that fail to meet our clients needs.

We also litigate foreclosure related bankruptcies, whether they’re a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. We also assist our clients in re-establishing credit after filing a bankruptcy. We can help stop your foreclosure from moving forward! Call us and we will provide you with a free consultation. We will discuss all of your foreclosure options.

Why Banks Foreclose

Why Banks ForecloseOur Law Office deals with families whose homes are being foreclosed upon each and every week. We are continually asked by our clients why financial institutions simply don’t reduce the amount of the loan to coincide with the equity in their home, instead of foreclosing on their homes and selling it at auction for less than half of its real value. Unfortunately, it is extremely rare for a bank or other financial institution to reduce the principal in the mortgage to bring it back into conformity with the actual value of the house. Banks do not usually change their practices. Dropping principal balances to the amount of the actual indebtedness on the mortgage would be a departure from usual bank procedures. Banks simply do not wish to explain why the value of their mortgage portfolio on their financial statements are incorrect.

Banks Are In the Business of Making Money

Lenders don’t wish to write down the balance of defaulting loans because they do not see any upside for them in engaging in this practice. Banks are interested in making as much money as possible. Writing down loans does not accomplish this.

Writing Down Loans Will Not Avoid Default By Homeowners

Lenders do not believe that writing down mortgage loans will reduce the likelihood homeowners will default. Banks studies have shown individuals whose homes are underwater (there is a negative equity in the homes) will most likely be unable to pay their mortgages, even if the mortgage is renegotiated to the value of their home.

Mortgage Departments at Banks Are Understaffed and Undertrained

Most financial institutions want to deal with mortgages that are current and on which they are making money on. They look at servicing mortgages that are in default as a financial burden. This causes banks to be chincy on the amount of workers they hire to handle these loans and to skimp on the training of these employees. Mortgages servicing companies tend to be short-staffed and don’t have a lot of motivation to hire more employees on money losing loans.

Mortgage Problems and Solutions

Hopefully you are up to date on your mortgage, but should you be having financial problems and/or your mortgage falls behind, we may be able to help you obtain a mortgage modification. Should a mortgage modification not be available for you, we can represent you in a foreclosure proceeding and keep you in your home! Our foreclosure defense lawyers attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients. We meet with our clients and discuss foreclosure options, such as foreclosure related bankruptcy filings. We litigate, in New York State Courts, foreclosure defenses such as defective mortgages, violations of truth in lending laws, predatory lending and defective foreclosure lawsuits. We also can assist you in other real estate related problems.

Should bankruptcy filing be the appropriate way to deal with your foreclosure problem, we can file either a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy for you. Upon meeting with us, we’ll discuss the types of bankruptcies that are available to you and why filing bankruptcy may help you. Filing a bankruptcy stops foreclosures from moving forward and can stop all debt collection activity. Call us for a free consultation. We appreciate your visiting our foreclosure blog.

Why are Mortgage Modifications Denied?

Have you applied for a mortgage modification? If you have, you may have experienced a long, arduous process. The processing agency or financial institution may request your paperwork on three, four, or as many as six different occasions. Some New Yorkers who have come to our law firm have suggested that the mortgage processing companies are hiring imbeciles.

Long Delays

Why does the process have long delays? The reason for the long delays is the banks have failed to hire sufficient employees to properly process mortgage applications. The banks also didn’t take into consideration the length and depth of the financial crisis facing this country. The high unemployment rate, the down sizing of jobs and the recessionary problems in the United States have caused thousands and thousands of Americans to apply for mortgage modifications. The banks simply did not take into consideration the volume of mortgage modification applications they would be receiving.

Mortgage Modification Denials

There are a variety of reasons why your mortgage modification may be denied. The single largest reason for denying mortgage modifications is the financial institutions claiming you didn’t provide them with all the necessary paperwork. This is the most frustrating denial, especially when you provided the paperwork to them on several occasions and they simply lost or misplaced it. A second reason for denying mortgage modifications is that you have too much debt. If the financial institution feels you already have more debt that you can handle, they will turn down your mortgage modification application.

Insufficient Income

Another reason why many mortgage modification applications are denied is the failure to have sufficient income to support your financial obligations.

Bankruptcy

You can discharge debt through filing bankruptcy proceedings. You can go through the bankruptcy process and thereafter file a mortgage modification application. At the end of the bankruptcy, you will have eliminated your debt and you therefore may be a superior candidate for a mortgage modification at that time.

Second Mortgages

There are situations where a family’s mortgage modification application on their first mortgage is approved. However, they may still have a non-performing second mortgage. In these situations, you may be able to discharge your second mortgage by filing bankruptcy. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy can eliminate your second mortgage.

Foreclosure Lawyers

We can fight your foreclosure. We litigate predatory lending issuesdefective foreclosure lawsuits, and defective mortgages. We attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients. We draft mortgage modifications and deal with mortgage modification programs that fail to meet our clients needs.

We also litigate foreclosure related bankruptcies, whether they’re a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. We also assist our clients in re-establishing credit after filing a bankruptcy. We can help stop your foreclosure from moving forward! Call us and we will provide you with a free consultation. We will discuss all of your foreclosure options.

Credit Reports: What You Need to Know

creditForeclosures, bankruptcies, and losses by credit card companies for non-payment of your bills will have an obvious negative impact on your credit score. There are numerous other matters that are taken into consideration by credit agencies concerning credit scores.

Making Minimum Payments on Your Bills

Creditors make a lot of money from consumers who make minimum payments on their credit card bills. However, making minimum payments can have a negative impact on your credit score. Nessa Fedis, the Vice President of The American Bankers Association, states “it suggests you’re under financial stress.” Try to pay more than the minimum amount on your credit card bills. Minimum payments can be interpreted that you’re in financial difficulty.

Co-signing

A friend, family member or child may require you to guarantee their debt. When you co-sign for their debt, their entire debt appears on your credit report. The debt will be considered yours. If the primary obligore under the agreement misses payments or makes late payments, it will have a negative affect on the credit score of the co-signer.

Short Sale of Real Estate

A short sale takes place when the bank agrees to allow the sale of a residence they have a mortgage on for less than the amount due and owing on the mortgage. This causes the financial institution to lose money. This will have a negative impact on your credit score. You should negotiate with the lender prior to the short sale. It is important you request that the lender not report that you paid less than the balance due and owing to the credit agency. If they report to the credit agency that you paid less than the balance due on the note and mortgage, it will have a significant negative impact on your credit score.

Numerous Inquires

When you apply for credit with a lender or other institution, an inquiry is made against your credit report. When the credit agency sees numerous inquiries, your credit score is impacted in a negative manner.

Having good credit is important if you seek to buy a house, obtain credit cards, lease a car or engage in other financial transactions.

foreForeclosure and Bankruptcy

Foreclosure and bankruptcy have a significant negative impact on credit scoring. Bankruptcy can act as an escape valve to prevent the loss of a home, stop foreclosure, eliminate a second mortgage and stop debt collection harassment. Your credit can be re-established after filing either a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy One bankruptcy myth is that you will never receive credit again after filing bankruptcy. This is simply untrue.

Should you have questions or issues concerning your financial situation or are considering filing for bankruptcy, feel free to call the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo. We’ve been helping our clients for more than 45 years deal with foreclosure defense and bankruptcy matters. We can be reached at 1-80–344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350- 2802.

Foreclosure Proceedings are Devastating Communities Throughout the Country

The value of homes throughout the country has gone down. Many Americans live in homes that worth less then the amount of their mortgages. The high unemployment rate and the downsizing of jobs by many employers have robbed homeowners of the ability to make their mortgage payments.

Foreclosure on Long Island

Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island have some of the highest foreclosure rates in the State of New York. President Obama’s programs have not stopped foreclosure rates from rising.

It is estimated that it takes approximately 2 ½ years for lender to complete a foreclosure proceeding and take title to a home in New York State. Homeowners who are losing their homes lose motivation to maintain their property. This causes a blight on their neighborhood which has a negative effect on the surrounding homes in their community.

Loan Modifications

Lenders in the United States are doing a terrible job in processing loan modifications. The process is slow, painstaking and yes poorly managed by the financial institutions.

The housing problems in the United States are slowing down the economic recovery. More has to been done by financial institutions to modify mortgages and allow homeowners to stay in their homes.

Foreclosure Defense Lawyers In New York City and Long Island

Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo represents homeowners whose homes are in foreclosure. We assist the homeowners with mortgage modifications. We litigate issues involving defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending, defective mortgages and real estate problems in general. Our attorneys are familiar with the federal laws involving foreclosure.

Sometimes the best way to deal with a foreclosure proceeding is to file foreclosure related bankruptcy. In these situations we file either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcies on behalf of our clients. These bankruptcies stop foreclosures, stop debt collections and allow our clients to obtain a fresh start. Feel free to call us for a consultation.

Home Construction Rates Keep Falling

The home construction industry in the United States is in the doldrums. Builders are not applying for permits for new projects. Applications for building permits are at the lowest level in fifty years. Falling home prices, the huge glut of foreclosed homes in the market place and purchasers reluctance to buy a new home is destroying significant portions of the home building industry.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Americans need jobs. The unemployment rate is too high! The housing industry will not recover unless more Americans are employed.

Tight Credit Markets

Both builders and prospective home purchasers need to obtain credit before they can build and buy homes. Right now small home building companies have been shut out of the credit market. Since they can’t obtain credit, they do not have the means to build homes. The few that are building homes are finding it very difficult to find perspective purchasers who’s credit scores and liquidity allows them to qualify for a new mortgage.

The housing industry in the United States is a mess. Things will continue to get worse unless financial institutions make it easier for homeowners to modify their mortgages.

Foreclosure Help in New York

If your home is in foreclosure we can help you. Our law office defends homeowners in foreclosure proceedings. We litigate defective mortgages, defective lawsuits, predatory lending issues related to foreclosures and other real estate problems. We are familiar with federal laws that deal with foreclosure. We assist our clients with mortgage modifications. After foreclosure lawsuits are started, we represent our clients at foreclosure court conferences.

Bankruptcy

In the appropriate situations we file foreclosure related bankruptcies for our clients. These bankruptcies can either be a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. These bankruptcies can be used to eliminate second mortgages, stop foreclosure proceedings and also stop all debt collection activity. At the end of the bankruptcy, we can help our clients in re-establishing their credit. Feel free to call for a free consultation or contact us online.

Foreclosure Defense in Valley Stream, Lynbrook, Baldwin, Malverne, Freeport, Oceanside, Long Beach, Elmont, Lakeview, West Hempstead, Hempstead, Merrick and Bellmore, New York

We represent individuals throughout the New York Metropolitan area with divorce and child custody, personal injury, car accident, wrongful death, estate administration, nursing home and medicaid issues

The information you obtain at this website is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your particular legal issue. This is attorney advertising.

This is attorney advertising. This website is designed for general information purposes only. The information presented on this website shall not be construed to be legal advice. If you have a legal problem you should consult with an attorney.

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