Foreclosure Legal Assistance Project
For over 25 years, one of Legal Aid’s highest priorities is to represent people in danger of losing their housing, including those facing foreclosure. When such a client comes to Legal Aid, the case is analyzed quickly and in detail to determine what can be done to help the client save his/her home. Actions routinely taken of behalf of clients include: filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy to stop an imminent sale; filing an injunction in state court; negotiating with the lender when appropriate and time permits; and filing exceptions proceedings in state court after the sale (when the client fails to contact us until after the sale.) If the client has defenses to the loan due to violations of lending laws, staff will raise those issues in an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy or through a state court action. Legal Aid refers clients with potentially fee generating predatory lending cases to the private consumer bar. Because Legal Aid does not have the resources to represent everyone who qualifies and needs legal services, this collaboration with the private bar allows us to focus on the cases that private attorneys will not take, thereby maximizing resources while extending the scope of badly needed legal representation.
For over 25 years, one of Legal Aid’s highest priorities is to represent people in danger of losing their housing, including those facing foreclosure. When such a client comes to Legal Aid, the case is analyzed quickly and in detail to determine what can be done to help the client save his/her home. Actions routinely taken of behalf of clients include: filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy to stop an imminent sale; filing an injunction in state court; negotiating with the lender when appropriate and time permits; and filing exceptions proceedings in state court after the sale (when the client fails to contact us until after the sale.) If the client has defenses to the loan due to violations of lending laws, staff will raise those issues in an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy or through a state court action. Legal Aid refers clients with potentially fee generating predatory lending cases to the private consumer bar. Because Legal Aid does not have the resources to represent everyone who qualifies and needs legal services, this collaboration with the private bar allows us to focus on the cases that private attorneys will not take, thereby maximizing resources while extending the scope of badly needed legal representation.
