An important foreclosure defense is paragraph 22 of the standard mortgage. The “standard mortgage” is the mortgage agreement used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the largest holders of residential mortgages in the United States, making it a widely more »
The Massachusetts Appeals Court issued an important appellate decision this week on the “hold the note” requirement for Massachusetts foreclosures. First, a brief background. A promissory note is a written contract to pay a certain sum of money at a specific more »
Governor Baker signed into law the Massachusetts Foreclosure Title Clearing Bill last week. This bill, which supporters have been trying to pass for years, imposes a deadline for challenging the validity of foreclosures in Massachusetts. Here, I’ll present an overview of the more »
When foreclosure defense comes to the big screen, you know I’m going to see it. I took a break from work this weekend to watch 99 Homes, a movie about the 2o1o foreclosure crisis in Florida. Overall, I thought it was more »
I’m pleased to announce that I settled a post-foreclosure “Ibanez” case this week. I represented a former homeowner who had been improperly foreclosed due to the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in U.S. Bank v. Ibanez, which invalidated thousands of foreclosures more »
The Boston Globe reports that foreclosures in Massachusetts are on the rise, increasing as much as 49% from July 2014 to July 2015. Because Massachusetts is a non-judicial foreclosure state, where the lender does not need to go to court more »
The ongoing foreclosure crisis in Massachusetts hasn’t just impacted homeowners. Third-party buyers of foreclosed homes who purchase unlawfully foreclosed properties can also be really hurt in this process, and need to be aware of the risks of purchasing foreclosed homes. When a more »
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 my work as a foreclosure defense attorney, I have met many passionate professionals committed to keeping hardworking homeowners in their homes. Unfortunately, given the high stakes involved in these cases, I have also seen alot of bad advice being passed on more »
Question: I received a letter from my loan servicer telling me my loan has been “accelerated.” What does this mean? Answer: After a borrower has defaulted on their mortgage loan, the lender has the option––under most mortgages––to demand that the more »
