FORECLOSURE
Helping Homeowners Protect Their Most Important Assets
Maybe you worked and saved for years to buy your home only to get talked into a toxic loan with a changing interest rate or a balloon payment. Maybe you refinanced with an interest-only loan with the promise that home prices would continue to go up, and you could refinance again in a year or two. Maybe it was an illness or a loss of income that caused you to get behind in mortgage payments. You probably realized too late that your property had been over-appraised and was now underwater and you are stuck with a loan you thought would be temporary. These are the types of situations that cause borrowers to get behind, that cause them to go to their servicer for a loan modification, and that throw them into foreclosure. This is where lender misconduct occurs and where Advocate Legal can help. Foreclosure litigation is a constant battle with a powerful opponent and a changing landscape. The Homeowners Bill of Rights was enacted in California to help borrowers get modifications and protect them from abuse, but the lenders still violate your rights with regularity, knowing only a few will fight back. To win this fight, you need a skilled litigator who knows the law, both state and federal; who can navigate the changing landscape; and who will be your advocate.
Foreclosure Litigation
At Advocate Legal, we provide the support and legal skill that clients need to make informed choices and fight back to protect their rights. We assist in a broad range of foreclosure matters:
Foreclosure litigation (pre- and post-foreclosure) — Our attorneys aggressively protect your rights and your home through different types of foreclosure litigation. The goal is to stop the foreclosure before it occurs, to get you damages or the return of your property after a sale has occurred, and to keep you in your property as long as possible through eviction defense.
Breach of modification contract — As interest rates rise along with home values, many lenders are claiming a “mistake” was made on the original modification and forcing borrowers to accept a new contract with different terms. These new contracts always require the borrower to pay more, and when borrowers refuse, the lender stops taking their payments, thereby throwing them into foreclosure. At Advocate Legal, we are dedicated to providing powerful litigation representation when servicers breach their contracts in this way
Consumer complaints — We help borrowers file consumer complaints through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau when a lender is guilty of discriminatory lending practices based on factors such as race, gender, age or veteran status of the borrower. This is a cost-effective solution that may work on its own or as the first line of attack, pre-litigation.
Refinancing — In many cases, a loan refinance enables homeowners to reduce their monthly payments and avoid default on an otherwise unmanageable loan, such as an adjustable-rate mortgage with an increasing interest rate.
Sale and short sale — Foreclosure and bad credit can be avoided with a sale or short sale of the property before a mortgage goes into default or even after the bank begins the foreclosure process.
Mass joinder — Through mass joinder lawsuits, our attorneys help clients join together in a single lawsuit to sue their lender for the harm that a breach of duty or statutory violation has caused. This is an affordable way for clients to pay less than they would for an individual lawsuit and to have greater power in numbers.
Wrongful foreclosure — We help clients hold lenders responsible for fraud and negligence resulting in wrongful foreclosure and stop the foreclosure process when possible.
Eviction defense — After a foreclosure sale has occurred, when lenders sue homeowners and tenants for unlawful detention to evict them from their homes, Advocate Legal’s lawyers provide a strong eviction defense to keep residents in their homes as long as possible and potentially get them cash to move.
Foreclosure statutes — Recent foreclosure statutes provide borrowers with significant additional rights before, during and after foreclosure and further regulate lenders and loan servicers, including the provision of penalties for material violations.
Lender violations — Our attorneys help homeowners fight lender violations such as discrimination, loan modification abuse including dual tracking, a chain of title violations, robo-signing of documents and quiet title issues.
Emergency Rules Are Different
There are many situations why people in foreclosure have left things to the last minute. A lot of times this has to do with the servicer tricking you into believing they are helping you when they are actually running out the clock to your foreclosure sale, but we are here for you when that happens. Impending sale (Emergency) calls are taken immediately after you sign up on the website – forwarded directly to Susan if it is after hours.
If you have an impending sale (emergency)
Please don’t wait until the last minute, but if you do. Here’s what happens:• The very first thing you do is purchase your subscription on the website for $29.99. • Then you call the 800 number and verify that you have joined A/L and you need to speak to Susan immediately- that it is you have a pending sale/ emergency (see what constitutes an emergency). • If you are calling during business hours, you verify to the receptionist that you have joined A/L and [s]he will put your call through to Susan. • If you are calling after hours, you will go directly to a voicemail that will immediately message Susan. You verify on the voicemail • that you have joined A/L • that you have an emergency• and your callback information
If you have a sale date pending it’s most likely that you will need a bankruptcy to stop your foreclosure sale before any litigation can be filed. Once you have been connected with a bankruptcy attorney, you can have a second conversation with Susan about litigation. If bankruptcy is sufficient to deal with your problem, you can keep Susan “on retainer” by paying your monthly subscription fee or cancel your subscription at any time.
Contact a Hardworking Team of Legal Advocates Today
With your home on the line, only quick, aggressive action can protect your rights. The sooner you call our attorneys at Advocate Legal, the easier it will be for us to provide the meaningful, decisive representation you need.