The Supreme Judicial Court issued its long awaited decision last week in Pinti v. Emigrant Mortgage, holding that a foreclosing entity needs to strictly comply with paragraph 22 of the standard mortgage. (DISCLAIMER: I represented the plaintiffs in Pinti in their Superior more »
In addition to the loss of homeownership for many Americans, the continuing foreclosure crisis has another dire consequence: the rise of foreclosure defense scams. A recent story from New Jersey about a family losing their home due to a nationwide more »
A recent Wall Street Journal article discusses the ongoing conflict regarding principle reduction for mortgage loans. As the article stresses, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac—two of the largest holders of mortgage loans in the United States—usually do not permit principle reductions of loans (where the more »
A recent Boston.com article illustrates the perils of housing discrimination in Massachusetts. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil complaint against a North Attleborough apartment complex owner for discriminating against applicants with children. This owner reportedly tried to discourage renters with children from more »
If you have been following the news in the last few weeks, you have probably heard about the New York Times’s editorial Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans. In this opinion piece, the author gives his reasons for more »
Massachusetts’s trial court system has a unique forum for resolving housing matters: Housing Court. Housing Court has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters related to the health, safety, or welfare of the occupants or owners of residential housing. In addition more »
Question: What is a right-to-cure notice? When am I suppose to receive this letter? Answer: A right-to-cure notice is a letter that your servicer must send you prior to foreclosure that gives you an opportunity to reinstate your mortgage loan. The notice more »
Sometimes, a party in a landlord-tenant case needs the court to do more than simply award monetary damages or possession of the property. In such cases, injunctive relief can be a good option. An injunction is a court order that mandates or more »
I don’t write too often about property tax foreclosures, but it is a topic of increasing importance for Massachusetts homeowners. A property tax foreclosure, compared to a standard residential mortgage foreclosure, is a judicial proceeding in court. A homeowner facing more »
