Fighting a HAMP Loan Modification Denial

Loan modifications are an essential tool in foreclosure defense. The goal is almost all of my cases is to get the homeowner a monthly mortgage payment they can afford. Unfortunately, a federal program aimed at helping homeowners has become a source of its own problems. 

In 2009, in an effort to assist struggling homeowners, the federal government created the Home Affordable Modification Program ("HAMP"). The goal of HAMP is to offer a loan modification for qualifying borrowers with a monthly mortgage payment of 31% of the borrower's income. Lenders and servicers are suppose to use a "waterfall" approach to create affordable monthly payments through 1) capitalization of the outstanding debt 2) interest rate reduction or 3) term extension.

Simple enough? Not quite. HAMP has fallen well below expectations and has helped far fewer homeowners than was expected. I'll give you my reason for these dismal numbers:  lenders and servicers aren't playing by the HAMP guidelines. I've heard horror stories of borrowers who have spent years submitting applications and constantly being told their paperwork is missing or being denied for reasons that make not the slightest bit of sense. 

It gets worse: in a ongoing class action lawsuit here in Boston, several Bank of America employees have given sworn testimony that their employer rewarded employees for denying HAMP modification applications.  

With this in mind, anyone applying for a HAMP modification should keep detailed records on the application process and--most importantly--have proof that they submitted all of the paperwork.

If you've been denied a HAMP modification, seek an attorney immediately. While courts differ in their approaches to allowing HAMP lawsuits, Massachusetts has a strong consumer protection law that can often be used in these cases.   

I've help many homeowners with HAMP denials.  Contact me for a consultation.       

Mortgage/Deed Reformations & Foreclosure Defense

As the foreclosure crisis continues throughout Massachusetts and the rest of the country, mortgage/deed reformations continue to be popular cases in Massachusetts Land Court and Superior Court. With the right approach, these cases can be effective tools in foreclosure defense.

Reformation cases, simply put, are attempts by banks and lenders to fix mistakes in mortgages and deeds.  When a mortgage loan is in default, the foreclosing entity often takes a close look at the title to see if the paperwork is in order.  In many cases, these foreclosing entities are finding huge mistakes in mortgages and deeds, including incorrect property descriptions and missing information (a reason why real estate law has one of the highest areas of legal malpractice).  

The bank and lenders will often first try to contact the borrowers and see if they will consent to correcting the mistake.  If they won't, the bank or lender needs to bring a court action to reform the mortgage or deed.  These cases are generally brought in either Superior Court or Land Court and ask the Court to correct the error based on principles of equity and fairness.

Following a common piece of advice given on this blog:  if you get notice of one of these lawsuits against you, don't ignore it.  The foreclosing entity is bringing one of these lawsuits for a simple reason: unless it corrects the mistake in the land records, it can't foreclose.  With this in mind, you may be able to use this mistake to your benefit and negotiate with your lender for a loan modification or some other alternative to foreclosure.  

If you find yourself in one of these situations, contact me for a consultation. 

Blog Post Link:  http://maforeclosurelawblog.sherwinlawfirm.com/2014/02/mortgagedeed-reformations-foreclosure.html

Website:  http://www.sherwinlawfirm.com

How a Foreclosure Defense Attorney Can Help You Leave a Home You No Longer Wish to Keep

While foreclosure defense attorneys are generally in the business of helping people save their homes, struggling homeowners should also consider an attorney when they simply want to walk away.

For many reasons, some homeowners are ready to be done with their homes and move on.  Either they cannot afford the home even with the best loan modification or they have simply had enough and are ready for a change.  In any case, the worst thing these homeowners can do is simply pack up and move away.  Why?  Until a foreclosure happens or you convey the property, you still own the home. Therefore, you're still liable for anything that happens at the home (and still responsible for any state/city taxes and services).  For example, if someone is hurt as a result of you not maintaining the property after you've walked away, you could very well be responsible for any injuries or expenses caused by your failure to maintain the premises.  

Homeowners in these situations have several opportunities to gracefully leave their homes, including a short sale and deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. Not only do these options prevent any potential liability, they also avoid the stigma of having a foreclosure on one's record.

This advice also applies to former homeowners living in foreclosed homes.  Even if you're ready to move, it is a good idea to notify the new owner in writing and let them know you are no longer in possession of the home.  Moreover, these former homeowners can often make "cash for keys" settlements that will provide them money for relocation expenses in exchange for leaving the home.

Do any of these situations apply to you?  Contact me for a consultation.    



    

Introducing Helene Gerstle, Forelosure Defense Attorney, as Guest Blogger

Thank You for the Invitation         

I am grateful to Attorney Sherwin for allowing me to join his foreclosure defense blog and write about some of my experiences as a foreclosure defense attorney.

This part of my career began at the time of the financial crisis.  There were few attorneys who had practiced in the area of foreclosure defense.  And fewer judges who had heard about the issues.

This is an important area of practice and has huge implications for the homeowner who is defending the right to stay in their home.  Unfortunately, the government has not taken a strong stand against the banks.  When they do attempt to pursue the banks for bad foreclosure practices, the efforts are less than enthusiastic. 

This is why it is important that if you are in a foreclosure situation that you take the time to consult with an attorney and one who has experience in foreclosure defense.  AND THE EARLIER THE BETTER.

It is much easier for a foreclosure defense attorney to represent your interests if you contact them when you first have problems with the payment of your loan than if you wait until the week before the foreclosure or even after the foreclosure. 

Right to Cure Notice: Pay Close Attention

Right to Cure Notice: Your Chance to Negotiate with the Bank

Every person whose home is being foreclosed upon is supposed to receive a Right To Cure Notice from the lender or the lender’s servicer.  This notice is required by Mass. Gen. Law ch. 244 § 35A. 

This is a very important notice and is the beginning of the foreclosure process by the bank.  DO NOT IGNORE THIS NOTICE.  This notice is required to inform you of certain rights you have as a borrower and provide you with certain information about the lender and/or the servicer.

If this notice does not have the correct information in it, you may have a defense to your foreclosure.

TIME TO CURE YOUR DEFAULT

Under the law currently in effect, you have a 150-day right to cure a default of a required payment under your mortgage. This includes any interest and late fees.  The letter will inform you of the amount you owe.

If the lender states that it has engaged in a good faith effort to negotiate an alternative to foreclosure, and that the effort has involved at least one meeting either in person or by telephone and after the meeting, you and the lender were unsuccessful in coming to a solution, the lender may then begin foreclosure proceedings in 90 days.  If you receive a letter from the lender asking you to negotiate with the lender a “commercially reasonable alternative to foreclosure” and you do not respond within 30 days, then your “cure” period is only 90 days.  THE LESSON IS:   OPEN ALL THE MAIL FROM THE BANK AND READ IT.  DON’T HESITATE TO SEND IT TO YOUR ATTORNEY.

You are only provided one opportunity in a three-year period to cure a default.  Please make sure that you inform your attorney if you have been involved in a default and then payment before this time around.

The earlier you attempt to deal with any default of your mortgage the better. As always, an attorney can be your best voice with the bank and help you to document the efforts you have made to negotiate with the bank.

Next time…..what information is required in the Right to Cure Notice.

Practice Pointers: How to Help Your Foreclosure Defense Attorney Help You

As a foreclosure defense attorney, I'm in the business of helping struggling homeowners save their homes.  Potential clients who are facing home foreclosure often ask me, "What can I do to help my case?" 

The best way to help your attorney with your case is the preparation you do before you meet with an attorney.  Here are some things I find that clients can do to help me do my job better (and, save them less money in legal fees).  These tips are geared towards foreclosure defense but also apply to most other areas of law:

• Create a Timeline:  Most foreclosure cases (and many other areas of law) are fact intensive, and its a huge help for a client to have a timeline of the case, from beginning to end.   
• Keep Copies of Everything:  Having ready access to the important papers in your case save incredible time for your attorney.  Keep copies of everything.  With that in mind . . .
• Stay Organized:  Find a way to organize your materials. I'm a huge believer in going "paperless" by scanning all my documents and then storing them into easy-to-find folders on my computer. Services like Google Drive and Dropbox are great for this. Being able to provide your attorney with an organized file of your paperwork makes everyone's life much easier.       
• Create a "cast of characters":  Make a list of every person who has anything to do with your case (or knows something about it).  Include as much information about each person you know. Not only will this help your lawyer better prepare your case, it helps your lawyer determine if he or she has a conflict in taking your case. 

Breaking News: Supreme Judicial Court Issues Galiastro v. MERS Decision; Permits Parties on Appeal to Use "Produce the Note" Argument

The Supreme Judicial Court issued its decision in Galiastro v. MERS and allowed homeowners on appeal to use "produce the note" arguments in their foreclosure defense cases.  In Eaton v. Federal National Mortgage Association, the Court held that a foreclosing mortgagee must hold the promissory note at the time of a foreclosure sale.  This decision, however, was prospective and applied only to foreclosures whose notices of sale were issued after the date of the decision:  June 22, 2012.  In Galiastro, the Court extended the "Eaton rule" to parties who had appeals pending in the Appeals Court when the Court decided Eaton.

More on this to come, but the Court's decision makes sense.  It would be unjust to allow Eaton to apply for that single case that made it to the Supreme Judicial Court but not for others who were similarly on appeal. 

Hire a Foreclosure Defense Lawyer for a Loan Modification

To help homeowners avoid foreclosure, state and federal law often requires lenders and servicers to offer loan modifications to qualifying borrowers. Federal programs like the Home Affordable Modification Program ("HAMP") are designed to get monthly mortgage payments down to an affordable amount (HAMP aims for your payment to be 31% of your income).

While the concept is simple, the process often is not.  Loan modifications require an enormous amount of time and communication with the lender and servicer.  Often, documents get "lost in the shuffle" and require follow-up calls.

As a foreclosure defense attorney, one of my services is assistance with loan modifications.  As I tell every potential client, unlike many of my other services, you can do a loan modification on your own. But, if you do not have the time or understanding to do it right, you are often better off getting the assistance of a professional.

In need of assistance?  Contact me today.

  

Case Summary: Bevilacqua v. Rodriguez (460 Mass. 762)

The Massachusetts Foreclosure Blog presents cases summaries on major Massachusetts foreclosure law cases. This post discusses Bevilacqua v. Rodriguez, the sequel to the seminal U.S. Bank v. Ibanez decision.

Bevilacqua, in many regards, came directly as a result of U.S. Bank v. Ibanez.  A little recap: in Ibanez, the Supreme Judicial Court held that a foreclosing entity must have record assignment of the mortgage prior to foreclosure.  The Court's decision had immediate ramifications for property owners in Massachusetts; many foreclosures were now void, and other than re-doing the foreclosures, there seemed to be no way of fixing these "Ibanez" defects.

Bevilacqua was an attempt by a homeowner who purchased a foreclosed property to establish good title to his home.  As a result of Ibanez, this homeowner did not have good title to his home, due to the underlining foreclosure.  To fix this problem, the homeowner brought a try title case against the prior, foreclosed homeowner.  A try title case allows a person in possession of land, with record title, to bring a court action against a claimant with an adverse claim to the property and compel them to try their claim from the property, or forever be barred from doing so.  In other words, try title requires the adverse claimant to "put up or shut up" their claim against the underlining property.  In this case, the claimant was trying to compel the former homeowner to try his claim related to the void foreclosure.

The Court didn't get into the merits of this claim because it found that the claimant lacked standing to raise this kind of action.  To bring a try title action, a claimant needs to have 1) possession of the property and 2) record title.  This latter requirement was fatal to the claimant's case.  The Court held that because the underlining foreclosure was void, the claimant had no title.  In other words, with a defective foreclosure, it is as if the foreclosure never occurred in the first place.  

So, what are the take home points from Bevilacqua? 

• No easy solutions exist for defective foreclosures.  It is estimated that thousands of foreclosure are invalid as a result of Ibanez and other than redoing the foreclosure, there are no quick fixes for ensuring the title of these properties.
• Bevilacqua rejects the theory of a "good-faith buyer" against a void foreclosure.  In other words, a third-party buyer--who had nothing to do with the foreclosure--cannot escape the problems of defective title by merely claim to be an innocent party who purchased a home without knowing about the foreclosure.  In foreclosure court cases, these third-party parties often try to make this argument and Bevilacqua seems to amply reject this claim.