Attorney's: Don't leave foreclosed home

WWLP TV

Updated: Jan 31, 2012 7:46 PM

BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) — Maybe you’ve been threatened by foreclosure notices, your home has been auctioned off, or there’s even a constable knocking on your door – If so, there’s one thing Grace Ross, coordinator at the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), wants you to know, “Don’t leave at foreclosure.”

“The constable’s notice means that they’re 48 hours away from actually having all their stuff moved out of their house and their locks changed.  It is still possible to slow that process down, create the time to sort of unwind the clock and go back and get a favorable outcome,” said Harvard Legal Aid director Dave Grossman.  “It’s something that we’ve done in many, many cases.”

In Massachusetts, ownership is separate from a person’s right to occupy the premises.  Advocates say the eviction process is an opportunity for folks to access the court system and make their case – the sooner the better.

“Don’t leave at foreclosure,” repeats Ross. “It’s critically important, so that we don’t lose our property values, we don’t lose the homes, and we don’t have our neighbors and children of our neighbors, homeless.”

A study by MAAPL said the housing crisis cost the state $4 billion a month from 2007 to 2009 because of property value loss.  They’re supporting legislation that requires banks and borrowers to go through mediation and negotiate loan modifications and reductions in principle.

“It benefits the banks to negotiate modifications,” said Nadine Cohen, an attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services.  “Foreclosed homes really brings down the values of all the other houses in a neighborhood.”

If you’re afraid of the legal expenses that a foreclosure case can cost, advocates say much of the paperwork in the early stages can be done yourself.  MAAPL provides a self-help page on their website at www.MAAPL.info.  In Springfield, they recommend visiting the Springfield Bank Tenant Association or the No One Leaves Coalition on Tuesdays from 6-8pm at 322 Main Street ( www.springfieldnooneleaves.org) for more help and information.

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