Free housing counseling is available from www.hud.gov and NeighborWorks America for people facing foreclosure. If you have been served papers, contact your local legal aid office immediately: www.floridalawhelp.org. The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers referrals to attorneys for low-fee consultations.
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Aug 19, 2013 · The following article was written by Kimberly Miller – for the Palm Beach Post and republished with excerpts by Roy Oppenheim, Oppenheim Law for the South Florida Law Blog. WEST PALM BEACH — Florida’s five-year deadline to foreclose on a home is ticking on thousands of aging cases statewide, giving lucky borrowers a shot at a free house and catching banks …
Jun 08, 2020 · Florida is a judicial foreclosure state. Therefore, a bank or HOA seeking to foreclose a home must receive approval from a judge. The case must be filed in the circuit court where the property is located. Under Florida foreclosure law, all mortgage foreclosure cases are to be conducted in a court of equity. Courts of equity are authorized to apply principles of equity …
The Consumer Protection Law Committee has foreclosure information for consumers and attorneys. Free housing counseling is available from www.hud.gov and NeighborWorks America for people facing foreclosure. If you have been served papers, contact your local legal aid office immediately: www.floridalawhelp.org .
Filing Type | Cost |
---|---|
Foreclosure Claims $50,000 and less (Level 1) | $400 |
Foreclosure Claims more than $50,00 and less than $250,000 (Level 2) | $905 |
Foreclosure Claims $250,000 and above (Level 3) | $1,905 |
Chapter 13 is a reorganization bankruptcy; it gives homeowners the opportunity to reorganize debt into a more manageable payment. In addition, it m...
In a Chapter 13 case, you can apply for a loan modification. You can also contact the bank directly to apply for a loan modification. It is not req...
When a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case is filed, an automatic stay is instantly put into effect. The automatic stay is a federal law that stops all fo...
Often, after a foreclosure auction, there will not be enough funds from the sale to pay the loan in full. In cases such as these, the bank may sue...
Yes, homestead (primary residence) is a protected asset in both Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Therefore, you may not have to forfeit your ho...
A borrower can become eligible for a mortgage with Fannie Mae after only two years have passed since a bankruptcy discharge. Moreover, if a debtor...
Foreclosure cases in Florida are conducted without a jury. Instead of a jury, the judge will decide the fate of the case. Homeowners will have to p...
An example of unclean hands is tortuous interference by the bank. If there is evidence that establishes the bank tortuously interfered with enforci...
In a Florida foreclosure, you'll most likely get the right to: 1 receive a preforeclosure breach letter 2 apply for loss mitigation 3 get notice of the foreclosure and the chance to respond in court 4 get current on the loan and stop the foreclosure sale 5 receive special protections if you're in the military 6 pay off the loan to prevent a sale 7 file for bankruptcy, and 8 get any excess money after a foreclosure sale.
The foreclosure sale must take place 20 to 35 days after the judgment date unless the court order says otherwise. (Fla. Stat. § 45.031). The sale is an auction, which is open to the public. At the sale, the lender usually makes a credit bid. The lender can bid up to the total amount owed, including fees and costs, or it may bid less. In some states, including Florida, when the lender is the high bidder at the sale but bids less than the total debt, it can get a deficiency judgment against the borrower. If the lender is the highest bidder, the property becomes what's called "Real Estate Owned" ( REO).
Many Florida mortgages have a provision that requires the lender to send a notice, commonly called a " breach letter ," informing you that the loan is in default before the lender can accelerate the loan. The breach letter gives you a chance to cure the default and avoid foreclosure.
Florida law doesn't provide a statutory right to reinstate the loan before the sale. But many mortgages, like the uniform Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac mortgage, provide the borrower the right to cure the default after acceleration and reinstate the loan. Check your loan documents to find out if you get a reinstatement right and, if so, the deadline to complete one. Also, the lender might agree to allow a reinstatement. Call your loan servicer if you want to find out about reinstating your loan.
Under federal mortgage servicing laws, if the property is your principal residence, the servicer must contact, or attempt to contact, you by phone to discuss loss mitigation options, like a loan modification, forbearance, or repayment plan, no later than 36 days after you miss a payment and again within 36 days after each following delinquency. No later than 45 days after missing a payment, the servicer has to inform you in writing about loss mitigation options that might be available and appoint personnel to help you try to work out a way to avoid foreclosure. A few exceptions are in place for some of these requirements, though, like if you've filed for bankruptcy or asked the servicer not to contact you pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. (12 C.F.R. § 1024.30, 12 C.F.R. § 1024.39, 12 C.F.R. § 1024.40).
Under federal law, the servicer usually can't officially begin a foreclosure until you're more than 120 days past due on payments, subject to a few exceptions. (12 C.F.R. § 1024.41). This 120-day period provides most homeowners with ample opportunity to submit a loss mitigation application to the servicer.
If you don't respond to the suit, the lender will ask the court for, and probably receive, a default judgment, which will allow it to hold a foreclosure sale. But if you choose to defend the foreclosure lawsuit, the case will go through the litigation process.
Under Florida foreclosure law, all mortgage foreclosure cases are to be conducted in a court of equity. Courts of equity are authorized to apply principles of equity (fairness), as opposed to only legal defenses. Therefore, the judge can consider acts by the bank that would render the foreclosure unfair.
Florida is a judicial foreclosure state. Therefore, a bank or HOA seeking to foreclose a home must receive approval from a judge. The case must be filed in the circuit court where the property is located. Under Florida foreclosure law, all mortgage foreclosure cases are to be conducted in a court of equity. Courts of equity are authorized ...
Foreclosure cases in Florida are conducted without a jury. Instead of a jury, the judge will decide the fate of the case. Homeowners will have to persuade the judge to rule in their favor. Judges are typically a lot less likely to be persuaded by principles of fairness than a jury would be. Therefore, you should consult with a foreclosure defense attorney to learn more about potential legal defenses. There may be a legal defense that would require the judge to deny the foreclosure.
Proving Unclean Hands. To establish unclean hands, the homeowner must prove a fraudulent or illegal transaction. Alternatively, prove unrighteous, unconscious, or oppressive conduct by the mortgage company in regards to the loan. See Epstein v. Epstein.
A condition precedent is an event that must occur before performance under a contract becomes due. A common condition precedent in foreclosure cases is the bank’s requirement to send the homeowner notice of the default. Notice of default is just one example, there may be many other conditions precedent for the bank as well. For more information on the possible conditions precedent, your lender may be required to fulfill contact a foreclosure defense law firm in Tampa.
Chapter 13 allows homeowners to force the bank to accept a 5-year payment plan for the past due amount. The homeowner won’t have to pay the full mortgage in 5 years, only the amount that is past due. You don’t need to apply for a loan modification, you can force the bank into the 5-year payment plan.
A condition precedent is an event that must occur before performance under a contract becomes due. A common condition precedent in foreclosure cases is the bank’s requirement to send the homeowner notice of the default.
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In laymen’s terms, foreclosure is when the banks comes to re-possess your home.
In many areas outside of Florida, foreclosure goes through “power of sale” or “non-judicial foreclosure.” In this scenario, parties with an interest in the property must be notified (as well as judicial foreclosure). Parties with an interest typically include contractors, other bank lending, city liens.
When foreclosure finishes, the loan is paid off with the sale proceeds. In some cases, if the sale of the property at auction doesn’t cover the loan, a deficiency judgment can be issued against the borrower.