I was just served with a foreclosure summons and complaint, what should I do?
You should respond!
The summons tells you that a foreclosure action has been filed and that you have twenty (20) or thirty (30) days to respond. The complaint tells you why the foreclosure action was brought.
There are several different ways for you to respond to the foreclosure action (see our earlier post “What Can I do if I’m facing Foreclosure”). However, many of these responses won’t stop the foreclosure action or prohibit the bank from obtaining a default judgment against you. Generally, a default judgment will be issued if you fail to file an answer or other legal response when it is due. It is possible to defend a foreclosure action after a default judgment (see our earlier post “Defending Foreclosure after a Default Judgment”), but it is very risky, more difficult and will likely be more expensive. Therefore, it is best to avoid having a default judgment entered against you.
You should consider consulting a competent foreclosure defense attorney ASAP!
As always, The Long Island Foreclosure Defense Law Firm of VAUGHN & WEBER, PLLC is here to assist you. We are conveniently located in the heart of Nassau County, Long Island, at 217 Willis Avenue in Mineola, NY 11501. Contact us at (516) 858-2620 to arrange a consultation with a foreclosure defense lawyer.
Please visit our Foreclosure category to learn more about foreclosure issues.
Wall Street Reform Bill: Free credit report for rejected renters
The Dodd-Frank financial regulatory reform bill which passed through Congress and is headed for President Obama’s desk, contains a provision which will require that rejected renters be provided with a free copy of their credit report.
The Wall Street Journal reports that there is a provision in the bill that “would give prospective renters access to a free copy of the credit score that a landlord or broker used to evaluate their application.”
The article quotes a source as saying “that by forcing landlords to give out these credit scores, they would be deterred from using discriminatory factors like race or age in their decisions of whether or not to rent to particular applicants.”
Click here to read the entire article.
Visit our Landlord-Tenant category to learn more about Landlord-Tenant issues.
As always, The Long Island Landlord-Tenant Law Firm of VAUGHN & WEBER, PLLC is here to assist you. We are conveniently located in the heart of Nassau County, Long Island, at 217 Willis Avenue in Mineola, NY 11501. Contact us at (516) 858-2620 to arrange a consultation with a Landlord-Tenant attorney.
Over 1 million homes could be lost to foreclosure this year
A recent Associated Press article is reporting that:
“More than 1 million American households are likely to lose their homes to foreclosure this year, as lenders work their way through a huge backlog of borrowers who have fallen behind on their loans.”
And that:
“Nearly 528,000 homes were taken over by lenders in the first six months of the year. If foreclosures continue at that rate, the yearly number would eclipse the more than 900,000 homes repossessed in 2009….”
Also visit our Foreclosure category to learn more about foreclosure.
As always, The Foreclosure Defense Law Firm of VAUGHN & WEBER, PLLC is here to assist you. We are conveniently located in the heart of Nassau County, Long Island, at 217 Willis Avenue in Mineola, NY. Contact us at (516) 858-2620 to arrange a consultation with a foreclosure defense attorney.
Will I lose my home or car if I file for chapter 7 bankruptcy?
Usually not.
In most cases you will not lose your home or car during your bankruptcy case as long as you can exempt the equity, if any exists, in your home or car. In New York, a person is currently allowed a fifty thousand dollar ($50,000.00) homestead exemption and a twenty-four hundred dollar ($2,400.00) motor vehicle exemption. If the property is exempt it may not be taken by the trustee.
However, bankruptcy does not automatically make a valid lien, mortgage or other security interest go away. Therefore, if you don’t make your payments on that debt, the creditor may be able to take and sell your home or car, during or after the bankruptcy case. Technically, a creditor can repossess your car even if your payments are current. The law requires you to redeem, surrender or reaffirm the vehicle (your bankruptcy attorney should advise you about this issue).
As always, The Long Island Bankruptcy Law Firm of VAUGHN & WEBER, PLLC is here to assist you. We are conveniently located in the heart of Nassau County, Long Island, at 217 Willis Avenue in Mineola, NY 11501. Contact us at (516) 858-2620 to arrange a consultation with a bankruptcy Attorney.
Please visit our Bankruptcy category to learn more about filing bankruptcy.
Remember: The law often changes, and each case is different. The above is meant to give you general information, and not to give you specific legal advice.
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