Distressed homeowners in the Northern District of Florida now have an additional option to try and keep their home.
The court’s Mortgage Modification Mediation service allows homeowners, and lenders, access to experienced Chapter 13 mediators at a reduced cost. Although the parties are not required to reach an agreement, courts are generally much more inclined to enforce agreements between the parties as opposed to imposing their will in a given situation.
The plan is designed to streamline the process, reduce time and, above all, get the parties talking.
Mediation success
The normal loan modification process can be frustrating, to say the least. By most accounts, at least 80% of eligible homeowners are denied mortgage modifications by their lenders. Although there are no hard numbers, and no guarantee of success, these statistics are often reversed in mediation.
There are two primary reasons for the big difference in results:
- Dialogue: Only about a third of at-risk borrowers are even in regular contact with their lenders. Although an open dialogue is no guarantee of success, a nonexistent dialogue is a guarantee of failure. You don’t get anything unless you ask.
- Good faith negotiation: The largest single reason for denial is failure to timely submit all required documents. While a bank may very well deny a loan modification because one form was one day late, such a stance is not a “good faith” denial under the law. The rule of thumb is that if the bank cannot issue a denial based on anything other than a technicality, there is no good-faith basis for the denial.
Mediation may be available in other cases and in other districts. Speak with your attorney about some ways that bankruptcy can save your home.
The information on this blog or any blog is not intended as, and should not be taken as, legal advice.