Legal services nonprofits aid those struggling to keep homes
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and other nonprofit groups in cities with high percentages of low-income homeowners have helped thousands at risk of losing their homes due to unpaid property taxes.
Court closures don’t affect interest, taxes in Maryland foreclosures
The temporary closure of Maryland courts does not spare pre-shutdown purchasers of foreclosed property from paying interest and property taxes, the court ruled.
Foreclosures in Md. can resume Jan. 4 under Hogan’s order
Existing residential foreclosure proceedings may resume and new foreclosure actions may be initiated beginning Jan. 4 under an executive order Gov. Larry Hogan issued Friday that includes protections for borrowers financially harmed by the pandemic. The order requires lenders or servicers of mortgage loans to notify troubled borrowers — before initiating foreclosure proceedings — that [...]
Md. high court will not reconsider mortgage-default ruling
Maryland’s top court last week denied a request from distressed homeowners that it reconsider and permit rehearing on its August ruling that entities seeking to collect defaulted mortgage loans need not be licensed by the state.
Md. high court: Collection-agency law does not cover mortgage default
Entities seeking to collect defaulted mortgage loans in Maryland need not be licensed by state, Maryland’s top court ruled Thursday.
Baltimore lawmakers, homeowners sound warning on equity firm
Baltimore city lawmakers, homeowners are demanding that an equity firm that purchased hundreds of residential mortgages through a federal program be held accountable for its destabilizing impact.
Maryland still mired in high foreclosure rate
Maryland retained one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation last month. In January, the state posted a foreclosure filing for every 690 housing units. That ranks third in the nation, trailing New Jersey and Nevada and followed by Florida and Delaware, according to real estate data firm RealtyTrac. In Maryland .14 percent of […]
Seth M. Rotenberg: Your presence is (not necessarily) requested at foreclosure sales
In the recent case of Fisher v. Ward, et al., the Maryland Court of Special Appeals held that a foreclosure trustee need not be physically present at a foreclosure sale, and that the trustee’s “constructive” presence would suffice. Additionally, the court held that actual prejudice to the party objecting to the foreclosure sale must be […]
Laurel law firm facing lawsuit over mortgage debt collection
A Laurel law firm is being sued over alleged violations of consumer protection laws by a Hagerstown woman who claims the firm falsely advertised the foreclosure sale of her home. The decision by McCabe, Weisberg & Conway LLC to advertise the impending sale of Michelle K. Wright’s home in February — even though a foreclosure […]
MLSC awards $1M for foreclosure prevention help
The Maryland Legal Services Corporation has awarded a total of $1 million in grants to nine legal aid organizations that will use the funds to provide foreclosure prevention legal services to low-income residents. The grant funds come from a portion of the multibillion dollar settlements the U.S. Justice Department reached with Bank of America and […]
Maryland, again, leads nation in foreclosure rate
When it comes to foreclosures, October was not a good month for Maryland. After falling out of the top five states for foreclosure rates for the first time this year in September, Maryland reclaimed the No. 1 spot last month. According to real estate data firm RealtyTrac, the state led the way with 5,126 filings. […]
Seth M. Rotenberg: A change in default remedies in Md. foreclosure sales
In a case of first impression that will affect foreclosure procedure throughout Maryland, the Court of Special Appeals recently held that if the purchaser at a foreclosure auction defaults in its obligation to close on the purchase of the property, the trustees may not declare the deposit forfeited and also resell the property at the […]