Free Training to Help MA Homeowners Fight Their Foreclosure—Law Students from All Schools Invited!
Northeastern Law Students invite you to a training with Grace Ross, Coordinator of the Mass. Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), to learn how to help homeowners who are facing foreclosure or have been foreclosed. Law students and lawyers are welcome to attend!
When: This Friday, October 28, 2016 from 1:00-4:00 pm
Where: Northeastern University, 44 Dockser Hall, Room 44 (Lower Level). Dockser Hall is at the intersection of Forsyth St. and Greenleaf St.
RSVP requested but not required. To RSVP, please contact both Grace Ross (MAAPLinfo@yahoo.com, or leave a message at 508-630-1686) and Lily Ann Ritter, Northeastern law student (lilyann.ritter@gmail.com).
Law students from Northeastern Law School are preparing to volunteer with MAAPL to help homeowners fight their illegal foreclosures. This project is supported by the Mass. Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.
Download a flyer about this project ( PDF )
There is an urgent need for trained volunteers, since homeowners must take action by the end of 2016 to challenge their foreclosure in court!
Why must homeowners act so soon? Massachusetts legislation was passed during the last session to shorten the statute of limitations for homeowners to fight illegal foreclosures (which is a massive problem in Massachusetts given the housing meltdown and the market crash—over 70,000 Massachusetts households lost their homes since 2005).
Anyone who has been illegally foreclosed between 3 and 20 years ago now has a deadline of December 31, 2016 to file an affidavit with the Registry of Deeds to preserve their right to challenge their foreclosure in court and sue to regain their home.
What’s our role? Law students will learn how to do intake to create these affidavits; this involves meeting with clients, looking over their legal documents, and working with MAAPL’s automated intake system.
How do we get on board? Attend this training to learn basic background information on mortgage and foreclosure law, look at templates for relevant legal documents, and practice client intake procedures.
Once trained, volunteers will come together to meet clients at a group intake session, or take shifts and meet with clients around their schedules (or both).
We must act quickly to help as many people and communities in Massachusetts as possible by responding ASAP because there is an URGENT deadline!