Consumer

New York Times Article:

[link]

Chicago Tribune article:

[link]

The Institute for Foreclosure Legal Assistance, a project of the
Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) and managed by the National
Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA), is accepting applications
for foreclosure legal assistance grants for fiscal year 2009.

Funding is specifically earmarked to hire attorneys and legal support

Helping Low-Income Tenants Avoid Post-Foreclosure Evictions

The Editorial Team of Clearinghouse Review: Journal of Poverty Law and
Policy, published by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty
Law, invites you to attend this free, 75-minute webinar on Thursday,
October 2, 2008, at 11 a.m. Pacific time, noon Mountain time, 1 p.m.

Is this a case where the scammer took title to the property? And his name
doesn't show up on the county property records on other properties?
If that's true, the only other suggestion I have is to check with your
secretary of state to see if he has any companies, llc's, etc., that he does
business as and then check your county property records again. if still

We're considering filing a suit for damages against a foreclosure scam
artist whose actions helped to render our clients homeless. However,
we're somewhat pressed for resources and so it would be easier for us
to take the case if we knew we were going to be bringing down a
defendant who's victimized other vulnerable homeowners.

Prepared by the Citizens Housing and Planning Association, this
helpful summary, dated July 28, 2008, covers major bill provisions
related to affordable housing, counseling, and foreclosure
prevention.

[link]

The CLEARINGHOUSE REVIEW Editorial Team of the Sargent Shriver
National Center on Poverty Law will be hosting a free foreclosure
webinar on Thursday, October 2, 2008, at 11 a.m. Pacific time; 1:00
p.m. Central time; 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. The topic will be
protecting tenants from foreclosure in judicial and nonjudicial

Federal Home Foreclosure Bill Offers Aid to Low-Income Rental Housing,
Too; by Kate Walz, Senior Staff Attorney, Sargent Shriver National
Center on Poverty Law

[link]

On Jul 31, 12:40 pm, Catherine Dorn Schreiber

I uploaded an "Initial Client Interview Checklist" that I wrote for
use in foreclosure rescue scam cases a few years ago. Several legal
services providers here in Washington State use the form, and our
state Dept. of Financial Institutions accepts it as a way of
submitting a complaint (although I wouldn't generally recommend using

Robert Doggett, an attorney with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, is the
author of Foreclosure Buzz, a noncommercial blog that provides general
information on the foreclosure crisis facing the United States. For
more information, see [link].

Click on [link]
- or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't
work.

Click on [link]
- or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't
work.

Have you used foreclosure case screening tools at your organization?
If so, have you found them useful? What recomendations do you have for
advocates interested in setting up a screening tool? If you have
sample screening tools that you would like to share with other
advocates, please reply with a link or attachment.

For any of you out there who have taken advantage of the f/c plaintiff
lack-of-standing-to-sue argument, a la the Ohio cases, I'm wondering
what leverage you have gained/what additional outcomes (e.g., better
loan mods) you may have achieved by asserting (and prevailing on the
issue of) lack of standing, if you have. Thanks.

How many of you have watched your credit card debt increase at a higher rate than you spend? If so, you are not alone. This is a common problem and is one of the reasons so many Americans are completely underwater with credit card debt. According to USPIRG, at least 60% of consumers pay at least one late fee each year, with fees averaging $35.

Beginning this past weekend, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act implemented new regulations to protect credit card users.

As of August 22nd:

• Your credit card company cannot charge you a fee of more than $25 unless one of your last six payments was late, in which case it may charge up to $35; or your credit card company can show that the costs it incurs as a result of late payments justify a higher fee.
• Your credit card company cannot charge more than one fee for a single event or transaction that violates your cardholder agreement.
• Your credit card company must provide an explanation for any increase to your Annual Percentage Rate.
• If your credit card company increases your APR, it must re-evaluate that rate increase every six months. If appropriate, it must reduce your rate within 45 days after completing the evaluation.

For more information on the Attorney General’s efforts to help the public understand their financial rights, please visit the Consumer Credit section of the Attorney General’s website.

How many of you have watched your credit card debt increase at a higher rate than you spend? If so, you are not alone. This is a common problem and is one of the reasons so many Americans are completely underwater with credit card debt. According to USPIRG, at least 60% of consumers pay at least one late fee each year, with fees averaging $35. Beginning this past weekend, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act implemented new regulations to protect credit card users. As of August 22nd: Your credit card company cannot charge you a fee of more... Massachusetts Attorney General

Last week, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) held its annual Massachusetts Victim Assistance Academy (MVAA) at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. Started in 2005 with seed funds from the Federal Office for Victims of Crime, the program is an intensive 40-hour, week-long training for victim advocates early in their careers (under 5 years of service). This year the program brought together 28 professionals who interact with crime victims on a daily basis in various capacities and systems (i.e., victim advocates from criminal justice agencies, community-based agencies, and hospitals). The program educates them on the many systems that impact... Massachusetts Attorney General

Last week, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) held its annual Massachusetts Victim Assistance Academy (MVAA) at Endicott College in Beverly, MA.  Started in 2005 with seed funds from the Federal Office for Victims of Crime, the program is an intensive 40-hour, week-long training for victim advocates early in their careers (under 5 years of service).  This year the program brought together 28 professionals who interact with crime victims on a daily basis in various capacities and systems (i.e., victim advocates from criminal justice agencies, community-based agencies, and hospitals).  The program educates them on the many systems that impact victims’ lives and promotes the importance of collaboration with other providers to enhance victims’ abilities to seek and hopefully move toward healing and justice.

MVAA is unique in its approach to educating victim service providers.  The training is “victim-centered,” focusing on understanding victims’ individual and diverse backgrounds and their experiences across time and systems.  Each day of training highlights a different time period post-victimization (e.g., 24-48 hr., 48 hr.-2 months, 2-12 months, 12+ months) and a different type of violent crime and victim populations, including:

• Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
• Assault & Property Crime
• Homicide/Motor Vehicle Homicide
• Child Abuse

The primary systems addressed include victim advocacy, criminal justice and mental health; however, classes also include a focus on others such as health care, faith, and media.  In addition, advocates are educated on victim compensation and their experience with services offered through criminal justice agencies post-conviction. 

There are many advocates at work in the Attorney General’s Office striving to support victims and witnesses of violent crimes and to protect their rights.  Learn more about Victim/Witness Services by visiting the AGO website.

Six months ago, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) awarded over $1.1 million in financial literacy grants to the areas hit hardest by the mortgage crisis and economic downturn. Funds for this program come from the settlement of the AGO’s enforcement action against Fremont Investment & Loan and its parent company, Fremont General Corporation. As part of the settlement, Fremont has also agreed not to foreclose upon unfair loans without certain protections for borrowers or originate unfair loans in the Commonwealth. These grants have allowed 18 organizations from across the commonwealth to educate homeowners on avoiding high-risk mortgages and help those... Massachusetts Attorney General

Six months ago, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) awarded over $1.1 million in financial literacy grants to the areas hit hardest by the mortgage crisis and economic downturn.  Funds for this program come from the settlement of the AGO’s  enforcement action against Fremont Investment & Loan and its parent company, Fremont General Corporation. As part of the settlement, Fremont has also agreed not to foreclose upon unfair loans without certain protections for borrowers or originate unfair loans in the Commonwealth.

These grants have allowed 18 organizations from across the commonwealth to educate homeowners on avoiding high-risk mortgages and help those facing foreclosure.  A total of 983 participants have attended 86 workshops, and 650 have attended Foreclosure Prevention Counseling.  These programs have yielded 123 legal cases, including five Class Action cases, and have saved 63 houses from foreclosure so far this year.

Outside of the grant program, the AGO continues to support and inform new and re-financing homeowners.  The AGO provides a direct link to updates on policies and procedures regarding mortgage loans, as well as more information on loan modification scams.  The Office is also a direct link to attorneys that are currently handling subprime and predatory lending cases.  For more information on the Financial Literacy Grant Program, along with other home and housing information, visit the AGO website.