If the foreclosure crisis in South Florida was an unusual hurricane, we'd be staring at a category 5 formation bearing down with an odd but destructive force that will leave houses standing but fells all the people in its path. Unlike most major hurricanes which start off the coast of Africa, this one is home-bred.
I'm not a meteorologist, but if you've following my warnings, I've sounded this alarm bell before. Florida homeowners are being squeezed in several directions--by the banks, by the processes (i.e. the modification goose-chase) set up to "help" them, and then by the fallout of those failed promises. The bankers and their ilk like to perpetuate a false and harmful stigma, labeling those facing foreclosure as "deadbeats". While that may define a very small percentage of homeowners in foreclosure, most are regular everyday Americans who were sold an over-appraised loan fraught with hidden tricks that forced the borrower into default (i.e. forced place insurance, usurious interest rates, hidden second loans, unexplained escrow charges, hidden fees, etc.)
Two bills pending in the Florida Legislature will affect consumer rights by reducing or eliminating the rights of homeowners and tenants. We must act now to ensure that our state government represents ALL of Florida's citizens, not just those who can afford to hire lobbyists to push their legislative agenda aimed at fattening the wallets of bankers. In fact, the Florida bankers themselves actually wrote this legislation and set out on a mission to get it sponsored in the Florida House and Senate.
Many Floridians are rightfully upset over this and have set out on their own mission to be heard. There is a rally being held at the Capital building in Tallahassee on April 21 (or the 19th or 20th, depending on committee schedules) to let our lawmakers know that the people of Florida STRONGLY PROTEST the passage of laws that favor only those who profit from the foreclosure machine.
Matt Weidner, a St. Petersburg attorney, along with assistance from Lisa Epstein (Foreclosure Hamlet), and Michael Redman (4closureFraud) in an all out effort to force our legislators to take heed of their constituents, plan to organize and transport to the capital, an attention-getting army of attorneys, advocates, and homeowners. Transportation is being organized and buses will be available from key areas all over Florida.
With elections around the corner you can be sure that voters will be taking note of those politicians who vote for consumer-friendly practices -and those who don't.
Click on the below link to read more on the proposed legislation and find out how you can help make a difference. Contact your legislators today and tell them to vote NO on HB 1523.
H.B. 1523 - Homeowner Relief & Housing Recovery Act - STOP the Madness of Nonjudicial Foreclosure.
Mark your calendars now, and check back often to confirm the date.
If you have any information keep us all posted by clicking on comments and sharing info below.
UPDATE
Though shortly after this posting we learned that the House bill was killed (for now) we still have Senate Bill 2270 looming. Let our lawmakers know we need MORE judicial protections against these foreclosing entities, not less! Urge them to vote NO on S.B. 2270
Yes, the rally is still on -Wednesday, April 21st! Read more about the rally and how you can be a part of it below.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=e97dc99c-a180-4d1c-8cb5-eebd8a776173)
I'm not a meteorologist, but if you've following my warnings, I've sounded this alarm bell before. Florida homeowners are being squeezed in several directions--by the banks, by the processes (i.e. the modification goose-chase) set up to "help" them, and then by the fallout of those failed promises. The bankers and their ilk like to perpetuate a false and harmful stigma, labeling those facing foreclosure as "deadbeats". While that may define a very small percentage of homeowners in foreclosure, most are regular everyday Americans who were sold an over-appraised loan fraught with hidden tricks that forced the borrower into default (i.e. forced place insurance, usurious interest rates, hidden second loans, unexplained escrow charges, hidden fees, etc.)
Two bills pending in the Florida Legislature will affect consumer rights by reducing or eliminating the rights of homeowners and tenants. We must act now to ensure that our state government represents ALL of Florida's citizens, not just those who can afford to hire lobbyists to push their legislative agenda aimed at fattening the wallets of bankers. In fact, the Florida bankers themselves actually wrote this legislation and set out on a mission to get it sponsored in the Florida House and Senate.
Many Floridians are rightfully upset over this and have set out on their own mission to be heard. There is a rally being held at the Capital building in Tallahassee on April 21 (or the 19th or 20th, depending on committee schedules) to let our lawmakers know that the people of Florida STRONGLY PROTEST the passage of laws that favor only those who profit from the foreclosure machine.
Matt Weidner, a St. Petersburg attorney, along with assistance from Lisa Epstein (Foreclosure Hamlet), and Michael Redman (4closureFraud) in an all out effort to force our legislators to take heed of their constituents, plan to organize and transport to the capital, an attention-getting army of attorneys, advocates, and homeowners. Transportation is being organized and buses will be available from key areas all over Florida.
With elections around the corner you can be sure that voters will be taking note of those politicians who vote for consumer-friendly practices -and those who don't.
Click on the below link to read more on the proposed legislation and find out how you can help make a difference. Contact your legislators today and tell them to vote NO on HB 1523.
H.B. 1523 - Homeowner Relief & Housing Recovery Act - STOP the Madness of Nonjudicial Foreclosure.
Mark your calendars now, and check back often to confirm the date.
If you have any information keep us all posted by clicking on comments and sharing info below.
UPDATE
Though shortly after this posting we learned that the House bill was killed (for now) we still have Senate Bill 2270 looming. Let our lawmakers know we need MORE judicial protections against these foreclosing entities, not less! Urge them to vote NO on S.B. 2270
Yes, the rally is still on -Wednesday, April 21st! Read more about the rally and how you can be a part of it below.
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
SUBSCRIBE
CONTACT
Nonjudicial foreclosure bill dies in House committee!
Proposed legislation that would allow banks to foreclose on Florida homes without going to court died in a House committee Monday, giving supporters scant hope for success this year.
"We knew this was a big change in Florida law and we were asking a lot for it to happen in one session," said Anthony DiMarco, executive vice president for government affairs for the Florida Bankers Association. "When you have this kind of policy change, it can take more than one year."
The House's Criminal & Civil Justice Policy Council ended its Monday session without hearing HB 1523, which would allow lenders to skip court proceedings unless the borrower requests the foreclosure go through the legal system. It was the final committee stop for the bill, which is similar to the Senate's proposal in SB 2270
There is a narrow chance the proposal could still be heard if the house speaker pulls it out of committee and brings it to a full House vote, or if the Senate's version is approved by the House, said Jacob Pewitt, legislative assistant to the bill's House sponsor Rep. Tom Grady, R-Naples.
"It would require some procedural work," Pewitt said. "But there is a small potential for life."
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE! KEEP UP THE FIGHT!
If/when we win this battle and kill this bad bill, the attorneys who have dedicated themselves to fighting the abuses of the court and unfairness of the banks are still taking our message to the Capital on Wednesday April, 21, 2010!
Homeowners and activists are certainly encouraged to join us there….your voices are being heard..keep up the work, keep the pressure on….
4closureFraud
SB 2270 SHUT DOWN for now… Nonjudicial Foreclosure Act for Nonhomestead Properties
SB 2270 will not be heard until next week.
Sanchez the Florida Bankers Association President was shut down about two minutes into his speech and was told to come back next week if he is in town...
We will be there. Will you?
This is important. The crisis is damaging to people and the economy. Foreclosures must be avoided
The RALLY IN TALLY is still on!
We must make sure our voices are heard! We must thank our lawmakers for listening to us and holding off on this harmful legislation which was written by the Florida Bankers Association.
Remember, there's another legislative session right around the corner. We can't rest easy. Thousands of foreclosures continue in Florida's courts every single day.
Here's more information on the Rally: http://mattweidnerlaw.com/blog/2010/04/homeowners-and-attorneys-meet-in-tallahassee-to-celebrate-homeowner-rights-the-legislati-and-the-rule-of-law/
Stay tuned.
Let's go change the world!
Lisa
UPDATE UPDATE!
We have the bus and other arrangement well underway.
This is going to be A FREEDOM RIDE CIRCA 2010, reminiscent of the Civil Rights Freedom Rides!
A pilgrimage to Tallahassee on the back of white horse of moral, legal, ethical, and AMERICAN good!
This is not for the feint of heart! On April 20th, we are leaving late at night from West Palm Beach, making four stops along the way, arriving early in the morning in Tallahassee, a full day of raising our voices and educating our legislators, then the long trek home.
Florida thanks ICE LEGAL for sponsoring our bus. There are only 50seats available, so consider this carefully and email your reservation. If the bus doesn't fill up, we will take stand-bys. If the bus fills up and we have others remaining, we strongly encourage car pooling and sharing gas and wear-and-tear costs with the driver.
Let's stand up and be heard!
http://4closurefraud.org/2010/04/15/rally-in-tally-update-homeowners-and-attorneys-meet-in-tallahassee-to-celebrate-homeowner-rights-and-the-rule-of-law/#comment-1236
Lisa
ForeclosureHamlet.org
AND TAKE NOTE: This is not just for homeowners! We are ALL reduced by the actions behind the mortgage frauds and scams. Tenants! Anyone who relies on any public service funded by our now shrunken tax revenues! Anyone owning any property at all, fully paid off or not. Any business owner! Unemployed family members! Credit card/bank account fees victims!
Our Sponsor: ICE LEGAL! ICE, ICE, BABY! http://www.icelegal.com/
And the FANTASTIC DEPOSTIONS THEY HAVE DONE:
http://tinyurl.com/yansx5z and
http://tinyurl.com/yfe7565
and http://ning.it/9yz7Ne and
http://tinyurl.com/yz6jgsj
and http://tinyurl.com/ygu6apj
Lisa
ForeclosureHamlet.org