Florida foreclosures defense, know your rights.
Sun Sentinel: Playing the “What if” game with your Florida mortgage
Miami Herald: Homeowners walking Away from Underwater Mortgages
Story #1
How big of a gamble is it to stop paying your Florida mortgage? This is a question I receive very frequently as a foreclosure defense attorney in South Florida and was recently cited as a source on the topic by the Sun-Sentinel.
Personal finance writer Harriet Johnson Brackey wrote an article outlining the consequences of stopping payments on your mortgage.
Here is a summary of what could happen if you don’t pay the mortgage:
- Your lender will first report your missed payment to the credit bureau and your credit score will drop by up to 200 points.
- Next, you can expect other creditors to take notice and take action by closing your credit cards, raising your interest rates or lowering your credit limit.
- The tightening of your credit will cause you to use more of your available limit and in turn continue to lower your credit score.
- Then, your lender will try to contact you. After 90 days, you cannot just start making payments again. Your lender may actually send the payments back if you have not been in contact.
- After four months of not paying your mortgage, you will likely be served a foreclosure notice.
The article also echoes something I have been saying for awhile now: “If you hire a lawyer and fight the foreclosure, you may be able to delay the sale for many months or avoid it altogether.”
I cannot stress how important it is for homeowners to know and protect their rights as soon as possible during the foreclosure process.
Many South Florida homeowners who can afford to make their mortgage payments are choosing not to, forcing the lender to foreclose. It’s called strategic default.
Access to the entire article is available through the Oppenheim Law News Room.
Story #2
The Miami Herald’s Monica Hatcher wrote a front page story entitled Homeowners walking away from underwater mortgages. For the full story see http://www.miamiherald.com/251/story/1298873.html
