Issue Updates for Foreclosure

Fair Housing and Foreclosure Services Now in Delray Beach

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc., is pleased to announce its partnership with the City of Delray Beach to provide fair housing and foreclosure services to city residents. Beginning on Thursday, February 23, 2012, individuals will be able meet with Legal Aid Society housing advocates and attorneys at the Neighborhood Resource Center (located at 141 SW 12th Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444) and receive advice and information on the following topics: Fair housing rights ...

If You Impasse at Mediation: Don’t Give Up

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Foreclosure mediations often end in an impasse, because the Plaintiff (bank) needs to speak to an underwriter or investor, or the Defendant (homeowner) may need to submit additional documentation for the bank to review. This is the situation one couple found themselves in after their foreclosure mediation reached an impasse. Although the couple had submitted all the required documentation, the bank still needed to get an answer from underwriting. When the file was being reviewed by underwriting...

Foreclosure Assistance: Know Who You Are Working With

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Whether you are defending your home from foreclosure, attempting a loan modification or attempting a short sale, working with the right people can make the difference between saving your home or completing a short sale or losing the home to foreclosure. If you are retaining anyone to defend your home from foreclosure in court, make sure they are a licensed attorney in the state of Florida. You can find out if a person is a licensed attorney by going to the Florida Bar website. A number of ...

Status Update for Foreclosure

In Florida, foreclosure lull ends: signs of a ramp-up were seen as new filings spiked 28% in FL from Oct to Sept. (via palmbeachpost.com)

Persistence Pays Off for Legal Aid Client

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Anyone who has tried to work with their loan servicer or lender knows just how hard it is to obtain an affordable loan modification. Clients routinely tell stories of sending in financial disclosures and applications for assistance four and five times without receiving a response. This is the situation one married couple found themselves in when they came to the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. Both the husband and wife were employed full time after having been out a work for a few ...

Elderly Client Saved From Mortgage Foreclosure

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

An eighty-three year old widow came to the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County after she had been served with a complaint for mortgage foreclosure. The client was provided horrible financial advice as her husband was struggling with this health. The client took out a mortgage on their condo, which was paid off, in order to pay for her husband's nursing home stay. Upon her husband's death, she had a significant drop in income and was unable to make the mortgage payment. She received just ...

Homeowner Association Foreclosures

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Failure to pay your homeowner association (HOA) dues can result in your home being foreclosed. That's right-missing those $300 monthly payments can result in the loss of your home even if you are current on your $300,000 mortgage. HOAs are very powerful in Florida. You must stay current or risk losing your home. This is the situation that an elderly woman found herself in when she came to the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc. She had missed a few payments, but otherwise was making ...

Hardest Hit Fund: What You Need To Know

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

The Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) is a relatively new (and underutilized) federal program that has been introduced to help homeowners who are having trouble paying their mortgage due to unemployment or underemployment. The Hardest Hit Fund consists of two programs: 1) the Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program and, 2) the Mortgage Loan Payment Reinstatement Program. Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program Under this program, HHF funds can be used to pay monthly mortgage expenses (including ...