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Article:
The Foreclosure Explosion: mediation program emphasized
as one way to address the problem
Jacksonville Attorney - Lawyer,
providing experienced Consumer Protection, Family Law, Estate Law,
Employment Law, Business Law, and Bankruptcy Law legal
representation in Jacksonville, Hilliard, Duval County,
Nassau County and the surrounding Northeast Florida areas.
Some help is on the way for distressed homeowners who
have fallen behind in payments and who have been sued in
a foreclosure action. There are over 16,000 foreclosure
cases pending in the Fourth Circuit which makes up Clay,
Duval and Nassau Counties. The Supreme Court of
Foreclosure entered an administrative order late last
year mandating foreclosure mediation in some cases. As
a result, our circuit court has established an
administrative order that refers most new foreclosures
involving homestead property to the Residential Mortgage
Foreclosure Mediation Program (RMFMP) managed by the
Jacksonville Bar Association.
The program is designed to require meaningful mediation
of foreclosure cases. For example, lenders are required
to provide certain information and ensure that someone
with authority attends the mediation on behalf of the
lender. Similarly, borrowers are required to go through
a foreclosure counseling to realistically determine
their options short of foreclosure. The program is
offered to the borrower at no cost, but the lender can
be assessed fees up to $750. Borrowers representing
themselves will be informed of the various programs
sponsored by lawyer referral services and Jacksonville
Area Legal Aid to assist them with their case.
Only mediators who have an additional day of training
solely devoted to foreclosure mediations are authorized
to serve as mediators in the program. Fortunately, the
court has discretion to refer non-homestead foreclosures
to this process as well as foreclosures filed before the
inception of the program. The net effect will hopefully
result in some modifications that keep people in their
homes and protect the investment of the lenders and the
borrowers. If you are in foreclosure and you would like
more information about this program, please contact
Linda Morris, the program director, at (904) 399-4598 or
email her or her staff at
rmfmp@jaxbar.org.
Hopefully, lenders will ramp up foreclosure modification
options even before foreclosure if the success
anticipated by this program is realized.
Steve Fahlgren is a local attorney who also serves as a
foreclosure litigation mediator. If you have any
questions you want him to answer, you can email him at
sfahlgren@ForTheConsumer.com
or call him at (904) 845-2255.
Disclaimer: The above Article
is intended to give you, the consumer, insight into various legal topics. This
information is not intended as legal advice, but rather helpful topical
information.
 If
you require professional legal services regarding
Consumer Protection, Family Law, Estate Law,
Employment Law, Business Law, and Bankruptcy Law issues, be proactive in
protecting your legal
rights by seeking the legal advice of
an experienced
Jacksonville criminal defense attorney
& lawyer. Contact
The Law Offices of
Steven M. Fahlgren, P.A.,
by calling
904.845.2255.
Jacksonville Attorney - Lawyer,
providing experienced Consumer Protection, Family Law, Estate Law,
Employment Law, Business Law, and Bankruptcy Law legal
representation in Jacksonville, Hilliard, Duval County,
Nassau County and the surrounding Northeast Florida areas.
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