In August, Bank of America agreed to a record-setting $16.65 billion settlement with the Department of Justice for selling toxic mortgage securities during the housing boom. The agreement includes $30 million for states to distribute to their legal aid programs. Legal aid attorneys play a key role in preventing unnecessary foreclosures. They help homeowners navigate complex mortgage systems and wordings, identify illegal or predatory mortgages, such as what Bank of America was found doing. They also help families make their mortgage payments by securing additional funds from unpaid wages, child support, public benefits, or unemployment insurance.If you are living in New York and are facing foreclosure, you can visit our sister site: LawHelpNY.org and click on the Housing and then Foreclosure section to find a free legal aid attorney in your area. However, for the thousands of other families who will not be able to find help, Empire Justice Center has just released free online, step-by-step guide through the foreclosure process which provides critical information to help families save their homes. The web-based application can also help homeowners find free housing counseling and legal assistance nearby. This new resource is a joint project of Empire Justice Center, the College of Computing and Information at the University at Albany, and the Government Law Center at Albany Law School, and is available to all New York homeowners.
To start learning and preparing yourself to fight your foreclosure visit: New York State Foreclosure Guide
1. Visit LawHelpNY.org to read additional know your rights resources to help you prevent or deal with a foreclosure in New York.
2. Facing foreclosure? You are not alone! Share your story in our Foreclosure in New York Discussion Forum.