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Category: Foreclosures

Florida Foreclosure Statute of Limitations

As we’ve discussed in earlier versions of this Florida foreclosure blog, the law on whether and when a lender can foreclose on the same property more than once is in flux.  The Florida Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in Bartram v. US Bank on October 7, 2015.  The court will decide whether the acceleration of a mortgage note by a lender conclusively and irreversibly begins the running of the Florida foreclosure statute of limitations (deadline for bringing a lawsuit). In the inte[...]

Karma Comes to Mortgage Relief Scams

Taking advantage of distressed homeowners is reprehensible.  Recently, one group running mortgage relief scams got a taste of what it feels like to lose money when the Southern District of Florida, a federal court, entered a judgment totally over $27 million against a group of entities accused of ripping off homeowners. Mortgage Reilef Scam Background As we’ve discussed in earlier blogs, homeowners that have fallen behind on their mortgages do have options that range from defenses to foreclos[...]

Condition Precedent Defenses in Foreclosure Actions: Raise Them or Lose them

Mortgages are contracts under which both the lender and the homeowner, borrower have obligations.  One of the homeowner’s obligations is to make their mortgage payments.  When homeowners are unable to meet this obligation, the lender typically begins foreclosure proceedings.  However, before filing the foreclosure action, the lender typically has contractual obligations, like giving notice of default, which it must comply with before it can file the lawsuit.  The notice and other requireme[...]

Mortgage Relief Act Extension

There have always been legal and practical options for those having difficulty making their mortgage payments.  However, during the housing crisis, legislators and agencies added additional options and programs designed to help struggling homeowners.  As the housing market and economy continue to recover, some of the relief programs and options are beginning to reach their deadlines. Two of the largest such programs, Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Home Affordable Refina[...]

Florida Tenant Rights in Foreclosure

The news can be tough to follow, from the violence in Maryland to the earthquake in Nepal. The good news unfortunately seems to get buried in small articles and clips.  However, it is there fore those who look.  The past few weeks have yielded good news for homeowners and tenants alike, in different forms. As discussed in earlier blogs, the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 (PTFA) expired at the start of this year.  The PTFA protected tenants from being immediately evicted if the [...]

Homeowner with Mortgage Insurance Foreclosed Unnecessarily

Laura Coleman Biggs is a former nurse whose husband died in 2003.  After his death, she struggled to make payments on their home for years.  Upon the advice of her attorney, she filed for bankruptcy but didn’t pursue the case to completion.  The filing alone was enough to scare creditors and she lost the ability to use her credit cards.  Foreclosure proceedings were commenced against Biggs on behalf of the lender, a Bank of America subsidiary and by December of 2013, Biggs was on the verge[...]

Lenders Lose Where Default Notice is Lacking

In an earlier Florida Foreclosure Blog, we discussed how Paragraph 22 of many standard mortgage agreements can be the basis for a foreclosure defense.  To quickly recap, a mortgage is a contract under which the lender and the borrower each agree to undertake certain obligations.  Paragraph 22 of standard mortgage agreements contains a number of obligations that the lender must undertake before filing a foreclosure action.  These requirements deal with giving the borrower a default notice and [...]

New Case Polarizes Foreclosure Statute of Limitations in Florida

Foreclosure Statute of Limitations in Florida NEW CASE PRESENTS HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS FACING SECOND FORECLOSURE ACTION In an earlier bankruptcy and foreclosure blog, we discussed a case, US Bank v. Bartram,  that was troubling for homeowners.  The case, which was decided by Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal, allowed a lender’s second foreclosure action against the same homeowner to move forward despite the homeowner’s argument that the statute of limitations (i.e. time limit for fi[...]

Expiration of Protection for Tenants in Foreclosure

Jacksonville, FL Tenants in Foreclosure When lenders pursue foreclosure of a home, it is not just the homeowner that is impacted. If the property is being rented, the tenant will also be negatively impacted but with fewer rights to assert than the landlord, property owner. During the height of the housing crisis, the nation saw a sharp increase in the number of tenants being evicted mid-lease by lenders or new owners often with virtually no notice.  Some  estimates indicate that up to 40% of f[...]

Best Defenses to Foreclosure in Florida

There are many possible defenses to foreclosure  in Florida  and we’ve discussed a number of them in previous blog posts.  Today, we’ll discuss the best defenses to foreclosure in Florida and possibly avoiding it altogether.  The following are a few tips to keep in mind when purchasing and financing your home.  They are simple but effective. (1) Buy Less Than You Can Afford Purchasing a home under your budget gives you some wiggle room should your financial situation change for the wo[...]