Dual Tracking is the industry name for the practice of letting a foreclosure case tick on even while the homeowner seeks to modify their mortgage loan. The idea is simple: the Bank will take whichever solution comes through first – a modification or a foreclosure. The problem is that the Bank holds all the cards:...Read More
The Economy has been sputtering: struggling valiantly but with little to show for it. Case in point: Is your home still underwater? For most people the answer is still yes - even as markets around the country rebound. So today we address a deceptively simple question: What is a mortgage and how does it work?...Read More
On February 9, 2015 the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division ruled in the case of Brandt vs. Rohr-Alpha, a case involving fraudulent transfers and whether certain debts can be avoided in Bankruptcy.Read More
In this carefully written Opinion Judge Schmetterer evaluates the arguments in a Motion to Dismiss an Adversary Complaint based on fraudulent behavior. Beyond its examination of Bankruptcy Fraud, this Opinion is notable for its recitation of the ways this former Attorney conned his Client out of money.Read More
One option for those who've gone through Bankruptcy and are looking to borrow again is the FHA Loan. Before the housing bubble burst in 2008 FHA loans were considered the choice for buyers with little credit or bad credit; or for those with low incomes. But since everyone's home value began falling - taking credit...Read More
This Opinion from Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Judge Jack Schmetterer showcases the interplay of Federal and State law in a complex commercial scenario. It also displays the characteristic desire of Federal Courts to keep things clear and simple: which is unfortunately the opposite of how convoluted factual and legal situations play out in State...Read More
The Bankruptcy Court pries apart a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings brought by banks and servicers that claim to be entitled to collect mortgage payments from the Debtor while peering into the world of securitized mortgages - the process of bundling loans into trusts, slicing trusts into securities, and trading those securities on Wall...Read More
As a Bankruptcy lawyer I can't count how many times people have asked why Courts won't reduce their mortgage debt to match the deflated value of their home, or why they should pay anything on that second mortgage, line of credit, or HELOC, when they're underwater. I even discussed these questions and the state of...Read More
Recently I got an e-mail from the newly-formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). You remember the CFPB, right? No? That's alright. But you probably remember the agency's public face, now-Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. So, after coming out of the shoot a few years with the President's blessing and much fanfare, the CFPB has released...Read More
So you're doing business as usual and notice that payments from your customer are getting later and later. Turns out that customer is struggling to navigate in the sputtering economy. Waiting for your money is bad enough; but what if you receive a demand to refund what you've been paid? And not because of anything...Read More
