Alert: Independent Foreclosure Review Deadline is This December 31st!

FINAL DEADLINE DECEMBER 31, 2012 TO APPLY FOR COMPENSATION

Friends, this program can offer a wide range of potentially significant compensation, BUT it should be in addition to EVERYTHING else we need to do to protect our homes and financial well-being. Please contact MAAPL immediately if something in the process seems amiss.


Thanks to a Federal Settlement, 28 of the largest mortgage servicers must compensate homeowners who were harmed any time after Jan. 1, 2009, regardless of whether you were eventually foreclosed upon, and whether you are still in the home.

This application is FREE–DO NOT let anyone charge you to apply! This program is separate from any other programs or legal suits–-do not worry about hurting your rights to other compensation. There is no guidance on what the amount of compensation will be, although they even have the power to reverse a foreclosure, so make sure to identify ALL harms (please review our IFR Questions document [PDF file] as well).

Independent Foreclosure Review

The Federal Reserve Board instituted the IFR for borrowers who believe they were financially harmed during the mortgage foreclosure process starting in 2009 and 2010. You must request an independent review by the end of the day on DECEMBER 31st, 2012 to potentially receive compensation… “servicers are required to compensate borrowers for financial injury resulting from deficiencies in their foreclosure processes.”

Borrowers are eligible for a review if their primary residence was in the foreclosure process in 2009 or 2010, whether or not the foreclosure was completed. The review is intended to determine if those borrowers suffered financial harm directly resulting from errors, misrepresentations, or other servicer deficiencies.

To apply for a review, individuals should use the online forms since the closing date is so soon! Identify your Servicing Bank(s) and click on their name in the Start Here box on the Independent Foreclosure Review Web site linked above to start the online application process. Scroll down and enter the requested information to access the online application for your Servicing Bank(s).

Many of the specific harms that servicers caused were also NOT included in the standard review questions–please review and fill out the additional questions document MAAPL has compiled, and add any information from the document that applies to you into the online form!

There are no costs associated with being included in the review. If the review finds that financial injury occurred as a result of errors, misrepresentations, or other deficiencies in the servicer’s foreclosure process, the borrower may receive compensation or other remedy.

What foreclosure actions are part of the Independent Foreclosure Review?
Foreclosure actions include any of the following occurrences on a primary residence between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2010:

  • The property was sold due to a foreclosure.
  • The mortgage loan was referred into the foreclosure process but was removed from the process because payments were brought up‐to‐date or the borrower entered a payment plan or modification program.
  • The mortgage loan was referred into the foreclosure process, but the home was sold or the borrower participated in a short sale or chose a deed‐in‐lieu or other program to avoid foreclosure.
  • The mortgage loan was referred into the foreclosure process and remains delinquent but the foreclosure sale has not yet taken place.

How do I know if I am eligible?
Your loan must first meet the following initial eligibility criteria:

  • Your mortgage loan was serviced by one or more of the participating mortgage servicers.
  • Your mortgage loan was active in the foreclosure process between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2010.
  • The property was your primary residence.

The company you sent your monthly mortgage payments to is your mortgage servicer. It’s not necessarily the company whose name is on the actual foreclosure documents. If you don’t remember the name of the servicer, we suggest you review your cancelled checks, bank statements, online statements or other records related to your mortgage payments for this information.

You should apply separately for an Independent Foreclosure Review for EACH servicer you had starting on January1, 2009, if more than one of the servicers on the list serviced your mortgage during this time period!

If you are still unsure of who your mortgage servicer is or do not see their name listed, please call 1‐888‐952‐9105, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. ET or Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern Time for assistance.

Examples of financial injury due to errors, misrepresentations, or other deficiencies in the foreclosure process include but are not limited to:

  • The mortgage balance amount at the time of the foreclosure action was more than you actually owed.
  • You were doing everything the modification agreement required, but the foreclosure sale still happened. The foreclosure action occurred while you were protected by bankruptcy.
  • You requested assistance/modification, submitted complete documents on time, and were waiting for a decision when the foreclosure sale occurred.
  • Fees charged or mortgage payments were inaccurately calculated, processed, or applied.
  • The foreclosure action occurred on a mortgage that was obtained before active duty military service began and while on active duty, or within 9 months after the active duty ended and the service member did not waive his/her rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

Remember to review the additional questions linked here to identify all possible harms to you or your family and add them to the online form.


FINAL DEADLINE DECEMBER 31, 2012 TO APPLY FOR COMPENSATION

If you would like to participate in our webinar to help you fill out this application, we hope to have one on Friday, December 28th and Monday, December 31st. Please email your interest to maaplinfo@yahoo.com

If you have problems filling out the online information, also email us at maaplinfo@yahoo.com. We will reply within 12 hours.

Good luck! And DON’T miss the deadline!

About MAAPL

The Mass. Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL) is a coalition of over 60 housing counseling agencies, legal services groups, social service agencies, and community-based social action groups that have joined together to address the foreclosure crisis in Massachusetts. MAAPL collects and distributes timely information on the foreclosure crisis and its effects to the public and to its member groups, drafts and supports legislation that provides important protections to homeowners and tenants facing foreclosure and eviction, documents the impact of the foreclosure crisis on local communities, networks with related organizations throughout the Commonwealth, and provides tools and information to help people navigate the legal system and advocate on their own behalf more effectively when challenging a foreclosure or eviction in court
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