Category Archives: Foreclosure

What Does It Say That Courts Records Are No Longer To Be Used For Credit Score Calculating and Reporting

Posted on March 12, 2017 by richardzorza

What a judgment on the courts.  As reported by the Washington Post — (Kenneth R. Harney): In a little-known policy shift, the three national credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — plan to stop collecting and reporting substantial amounts … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankruptcy, Consumer Rights, Court Fees and Costs, Court Management, Debt Collction, Evictions, Foreclosure, Housing | 3 Comments

Tim Kaine Calls for New Approach to Poverty — Legal Aid Implications

Posted on October 30, 2016 by richardzorza

Remember his wife is a former legal aid lawyer and a former judge.  According to the Detroit Free Press, in speech on Oct 16, Kaine: .  .  .  outlined the campaign’s three-pillar attack on poverty, including: Raising incomes for families, … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Discrimination, Evictions, Foreclosure, Funding, Housing, Legal Aid, LSC, White House | Comments Off on Tim Kaine Calls for New Approach to Poverty — Legal Aid Implications

Getting ATJ Statistics Into Census Data Collection — The Eviction Example Highlighted on fivethirtyeight.com

Posted on September 15, 2016 by richardzorza

The wonderful fivethirtyeight.com, which many of us obsessively check multiple times a day for its magnificent (and frightening) election projection results, has just put up a very important article on the under-counting of the eviction problem.  The title tells it … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Census Bureau, Court Management, Evictions, Federal Agencies, Foreclosure, Housing, Outcome Measures, Poverty, Research and Evalation | 1 Comment

DOJ/NSF White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Report on Access to Justice Research

Posted on September 7, 2016 by richardzorza

I have been much remiss in not blogging earlier about this important and very timely Report from the Department of Justice (NIJ and ATJ) and the National Science Foundation on Research in Access to Justice.  Formally titled White House Legal … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Consumer Rights, Dept. of Justice, expungement, Family Law, Foreclosure, LAIR, Legal Aid, Medical System Comparision, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Reentry, Referral Systems, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on DOJ/NSF White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Report on Access to Justice Research

Great NYT Online Piece on “Legal Aid With A Digital Twist” Features Claudia Johnson, Law Help Interactive, and Others

Posted on June 1, 2016 by richardzorza

At last, the media is staring to “get” that legal aid is not just traditional advocacy. The Time’s Fixes has a piece on digital expungment, ATJ hackathons, our guest blogger Claudia Johnson, Law Help Interactive and more. The rise of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Consumer Rights, expungement, Foreclosure, Forms, Self-Help Services, Technology | Comments Off on Great NYT Online Piece on “Legal Aid With A Digital Twist” Features Claudia Johnson, Law Help Interactive, and Others

Courts are Dysfunctinal for Different Kinds of Litigants in Profoundly Different Ways

Posted on May 25, 2014 by richardzorza

It seems to me that the discussions about how to make courts work again have suffered from a problem of fragmentation. While basically all courts operate under the same rules, based on the 1930’s Federal Rule project, there are now … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Courts, Foreclosure, Rules Reform, Simplification, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Courts are Dysfunctinal for Different Kinds of Litigants in Profoundly Different Ways

Maryland ATJ Commission Uses Useful Techniques to Report on Economic Benefits of Legal Aid Advocacy

Posted on January 12, 2013 by richardzorza

The Maryland Access to Justice Commission has just released a Report detailing economic benefits to the state of legal aid. As detailed in the press release, the benefits are as follows: Brought $9.9 million in federal dollars into Maryland to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Domestic Violence, Foreclosure, Legal Aid, Outcome Measures | 1 Comment

Payday Loans, Non-Payment, Default Judgement, Warrant, Incarceration — What About Due Process

Posted on August 27, 2012 by richardzorza

This makes my blood boil. As reported in the St Louis Post Dispatch, and picked up by the Brennan Center: Still, people do go to jail over private debt. It’s a regular occurrence in metro St. Louis, on both sides … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Foreclosure | Comments Off on Payday Loans, Non-Payment, Default Judgement, Warrant, Incarceration — What About Due Process

Making Technology Transform Government — the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau Fellowship Program

Posted on July 9, 2012 by richardzorza

I love this from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau: If you’re a talented developer or designer, you’re getting a lot of offers. But you need a serious challenge. And we’re pretty sure you won’t find anything as serious as this. … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer Rights, Foreclosure, Software Developers, Technology | Comments Off on Making Technology Transform Government — the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau Fellowship Program

Claudia Johnson on Lay Legal Self-Help Support in the Small Claims Context—A Trend To Watch?

Posted on March 7, 2012 by richardzorza

In health care it is very common that persons who suffer from long term conditions or illness, or go through traumatic experiences, join self help support groups. Doctors often recommend support groups to help persons learn about self care, increase … Continue reading →

Posted in Attorney-Client, Foreclosure, Self-Help Services | 4 Comments

Fascinating Detail in NY Foreclsoure Plan — Bank Officials With Modification Power Required to Attend

Posted on February 22, 2012 by richardzorza

This might be the breakthrough.  The New York Times reports on the detail in Chief Judge Lippman’s plans for foreclosure processes in New York.  The key — and its critical — is that banks with be sending people with actual … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure, Simplification, Systematic Change | 1 Comment

How Can California’s Non-Judicial Foreclosure Process Not Violate Due Process?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by richardzorza

The New York Times reports that study of thousands of San Francisco foreclosures found errors in 84% of them. The improprieties range from the basic — a failure to warn borrowers that they were in default on their loans as … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure | Comments Off on How Can California’s Non-Judicial Foreclosure Process Not Violate Due Process?

Foreclosure Slowdown Reported in NYT

Posted on June 19, 2011 by richardzorza

Today’s New York Times has an important article on the slowdown in foreclosures. Some of the main points: At current rates it would take 62 years for complete repossession of homes in serious default/foreclosure in NY state.  Data from LPS … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure | Tagged | Comments Off on Foreclosure Slowdown Reported in NYT

Indications that Foreclosure Politial/Legal Tide May be Turning

Posted on May 12, 2011 by richardzorza

The LA Times has a fascinating story about the decline in foreclosures.  The lead para:  “Increased scrutiny of how lenders foreclose on Americans has dragged the repossession process out to unprecedented lengths, driving down the pace at which banks are … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Foreclosure | Comments Off on Indications that Foreclosure Politial/Legal Tide May be Turning

Foreclosure and Court Simplificaton Model: South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Orders No Foreclosure Without Prior Opportunity to Participate in Modification Programs

Posted on May 4, 2011 by richardzorza

The South Carolina Supreme Court is quietly  becoming an access to justice leader.  This week the Court, through an Administrative Order issued by Chief Jean Toal, takes another simple and sensible step, this time in the foreclosure area.  The Order … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure, Systematic Change | Tagged , | Comments Off on Foreclosure and Court Simplificaton Model: South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Orders No Foreclosure Without Prior Opportunity to Participate in Modification Programs