Stages of Foreclosures in Alabama

 

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STAGES OF FORECLOSURES IN ALABAMA

WHAT ARE THE THREE STAGES OF A FORECLOSURE IN ALABAMA?   INTRODUCTION 

system. This is Alabama is a non judicial foreclosure state which means that a foreclosure does not have to go through the court system. different from judicial foreclosure states such as Florida. So when someone in Alabama is facing foreclosure this can mean different things as even though we are a non judicial state, often times a lawsuit is the final stage of foreclosure in Alabama. We have written this article to give you an overview of these three typical stages in an Alabama foreclosure. These are three main stages to a foreclosure in Alabama: 1. Be Befo fore re the the forec foreclo losu sure re sale sale 2. Af Afte terr the the fo fore recl clos osur uree sale sale 3. Th Thee eeje ject ctme ment nt la laws wsui uitt Let's look at these stages. [Update on 1-10-10 -- We are having a free teleseminar on the subject of foreclosures in Alabama. If you would like to be on this call on January 19, 2010, at 4 pm CST - go to this link and register for our foreclosure tele seminar .] .] STAGE ONE - BEFORE THE FORECLOSURE SALE 

This is the time when the mortgage company - normally the servicer   - notifies the consumer that the lo loan an is being accelerated and that a forclosure sale will occur in 30 or more days. The foreclosure sale must be advertised in the proper paper in the county where the property is located - normally for three consecutive weeks. During this stage the consumer is normally trying to do one of the following:     

obtain a loan modification, reinstate the loan, obtain another loan, seek advice from a bankruptcy lawyer on filing a chapter 13 bankruptcy to stop the foreclosure, or contact a consumer protection attorney to see if they can sue the mortgage or servicing company for breaking the law which will have the effect of normally stopping the foreclosure sale.

A modification is a change in the terms of the loan. Perhaps the past due interest and principal will be put at the end of the loan. Or the interest rate will be modified. modified. Or the mortgage compan companyy will accept partial payment payments. s. This is the area in which the most rampant fraud occurs as occurs as the mortgage company or servicer will often promise to modify the loan, the consumer will rely (believe) the lie and then be damaged when the foreclosure sale happens.

 

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 Reinstating the loan means to bring the loan current or to pay a portion of the alleged amount owed so that normal monthly

 payments are resumed and the foreclosure sale is cance cancelled. lled. Again, we see lots of fraud in this area as mortgage co companies mpanies and servicing companies will tell Alabama consumers that a payment of, for example, $5,000 will stop the foreclosure sale and then the next month normal payments will resume. Instead of honoring its promise, the company will take and cash the $5,000 and then foreclose anyway saying the $5,000 was not enough to bring the loan current. Often consumers will try to obtain a new loan but this is difficult given the negative credit marks that are normally on the consumer's credit reports due to the late mortgage payments. Many consumers look to a bankruptcy attorney to see if filing a chapter 13 bankruptcy is a good option to stop the foreclosure sale. Chapter 13 can be effective at stopping a foreclosure, at least temporarily, but one must still address the underlying is issues sues of illegal charges, fraudulent statements, improper notification of the foreclosure, etc. that we discuss in our article here on Wrongful Foreclosures In Alabama. Alabama. Finally, some consumers who are in Stage One seek information and advice from a consumer protection lawyer that has an another other understanding of how foreclosures work, particularly in the context of securitization. securitization. Whether you talk with us or an experienced consumer protection attorney, you can better understand if you have a valid lawsuit to file against the mortgage company or the servicing company. Along with the lawsuit, sometimes it is appropriate to file a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to get a judge to order the foreclosure sale to stop. Other times the mortgage companies figure out it would be foolish to go forward with the sale after we have filed a lawsuit against them. STAGE TWO - AFTER THE FORECLOSURE SALE 

When the consumer is unable to stop the foreclosure sale, then it must occur on the advertised date. This seems obvious but sometimes the mortgage company will decide to do it on a different date and unless proper notice is given of this change, the sale may be considered an illegal sale. But assuming the foreclosure sale occurs on the day it is supposed to occur, what happens at the sale and what happens next? The sale normally occurs at the courthouse or the more precisely on the courthouse steps. Whoever is the high bidder will be able to buy the property. Sometimes this can be investors but more often it is the company that claims to own your note right now. The new owner will then record a foreclosure deed in the probate court of the county where your home is located.  Normally the day after the foreclosure foreclosure sale a letter will bbee mailed to you (certified and regular) from the lawyer representing representing the new owner informing you of the sale and advising you to leave or vacate your home within 10 days. If you don't leave within 10 days, you can lose your right of redemption You will have a decision to make. Do you leave your home and preserve your right of redemption or do you stay in your home and force the new owner (normally your mortgage company) to sue you in what is known as an ejectment lawsuit (Stage Three  below)? This area (and all of the areas we mention in this article) should be evaluated with a lawyer you trust but here are some general considerations:  

 

Do you want to stay in your home? Do you have a legitimate lawsuit that you could file either directly or as a counterclaim to the ejectment suit that will be filed against you? Who bought your home - the mortgage company or an independent person or company? Are you prepared to fight or do you want this matter to end with you losing your home?

 

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There are many other considerations based upon your unique circumstances that we can discuss but these will give you a sense of what you might should think about as you decide whether to leave your home or not. Also understand that whether you leave your home or not does not impact whether you owe a deficiency on the mortgage. A deficiency is where you owe more than what was recovered at the foreclosure sale. STAGE THREE - THE EJECTMENT LAWSUIT 

If your home was sold at the foreclosure sale and if you do not move out in ten days, you will often be sued by the alleged new owner of the property to evict you (or eject you) from the property. Often a request for any deficiency is made in the lawsuit as well as a request that the judge "declare" that you have lost your right of redemption. As we have discussed in the context of a debt buyer lawsuit, you need to make sure you answer the complaint. Normally you will have 30 days to answer the lawsuit. Most people don't answer and therefore a default judgment is entered against them which includes being ordered out of your home. So answer the lawsuit. Some people feel comfortable doing this on their own - if you are in this category then the advantage is you will save money on legal fees but the disadvantage is you will not have the expertise of a litigation attorney. Keep in mind that judges will expect you to know the law if you are acting as your own attorney. Others want to hire a lawyer. lawyer. Keep in mind that some lawyers lawyers have never been in a courtroom. There is nothing wrong wit withh this  but you need to understand if the lawyer you are looking aatt has tried cases, taken depositions, depositions, handled appeals, etc in the the civil context. Regardless of how you respond to the suit, along with your answer you may want to consider filing counterclaims against the company suing you if it is the original mortgage company that foreclosed on you. We will often add, in our counterclaim, the servicing company and other companies that were involved in any fraud, breach of contract, negligence, etc. in handling the loan  payments, inspection fees, etc. etc. There is power in being the defendant defendant and filing a counte counterclaim. rclaim. Think of it this way. The mortgage companies/ser companies/servicers vicers have lied to you. Broken the contract. Probably don't even have the right to do anything with th thee loan as they don't know w who ho owns the loan. On top of this they threaten threatened ed to foreclose. Not only did they threaten to foreclose but they actua actually lly had the audacity to sell your home on the courthouse steps to themselves. Then, to kick you while you are down, they threaten you with eviction. Then to top everything else, else, they sue you. Now you sue them. This gets rid of all of the bogus arguments that you are are "sue happy" or looking for a reason to sue these guys. They have done all of this to you and now they sue? If you ever want a chan chance ce at justice and you have legitimate claims, you have to make those claims now in most cases. Few other points - since the mortgage company sued you in Alabama, most judges will make their "corporate representative" come to Alabama to give a deposition. deposition. After all they chose to sue yo youu here so they should have to come here. Being the defendant you can often keep the case in state court (where you were sued) rather than go to federal court. There are advantages and disadvantages of both courts but you do have some options as the defendant. CONCLUSION 

 No matter what stage of foreclosure foreclosure you are in you have options if the mortgage com company pany or servicing company hhas as violated the law. As we discuss on this website, website, you must do things: 1. Gain knowledge ooff your rights; and 2. Take action!

 

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You are gaining the knowledge - now make sure you take action. You can meet with us (or any reputable consumer protection lawyer who litigates cases) for a free consultation to learn how the law applies to your unique situation and what options you here. have. You can also attend our free teleseminar on Alabama foreclosures on January 19, 2010, at 4 pm by clicking here. form or  or you can call us directly at We are here to help you if your home is in Alabama. You can contact us through our website form 205-879-2447. We have a receptionist standing by from 8 am to 8 pm to answer your call and transfer you to Randi who is our  paralegal in charge of foreclosure foreclosure defense intake. She will gather informatio information n from you and then we can meet at our office in Birmingham, Alabama, for a meeting to go over your rights. We have over a dozen conference rooms available so having a comfortable space to meet and spread out any documents is not a problem. You just need to take the first step by taking action and calling us or filling out the online form and we will get back with you very quickly quickly.. Best wishes and as we add articles we will include links to them below so you continue to gain understanding about your rights with respect to foreclosures in Alabama.

 

Watts Law Group, P.C.

301 19th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Phone: 205-879-2447

M. Stan Herring, P.C.

301 19th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Phone: 205-714-4443

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