Chase is focus of area protest groups 
By Todd Etshman
POSTED: May 21, 2012
Tags: Band of Rebels, Chase Bank, protesters
Chase Bank at Chase Square in downtown Rochester was the sight of a Band of Rebels protest on Monday around noon. Band of Rebels members spread out over the four corners of the intersection of Clinton and Main streets to protest Chase policies they believe harm consumers such as holding the largest derivatives exposure of [...]
Hearings on ‘forced’ insurance in foreclosure
By The Associated Press
POSTED: May 17, 2012
Tags: foreclosure, Insurance, regulators
ALBANY — New York regulators say premiums for so-called “force-placed” insurance have more than tripled since 2004, producing enormous profits for insurers and the banks that take out policies when a homeowner fails to maintain coverage required by the mortgage. Department of Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky says in some cases the premiums are “exponentially [...]
Attorneys help with foreclosure assistance
By Todd Etshman
POSTED: May 14, 2012
Tags: assistance, attorneys, court proceedings, foreclosure fraud
As Take Back the Land spokesman Ryan Acuff explained, a defendant who can’t afford an attorney in a criminal case has the constitutional right to have one provided to protect their rights. However, someone facing the loss of their home due to foreclosure isn’t entitled to an attorney, and may have to face court proceedings [...]
State awards foreclosure prevention assistance funds
By Daily Record Staff
POSTED: April 25, 2012
Tags: Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, Foreclosure prevention assistance, Monroe County
On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced his office has awarded nearly $221,000 to foreclosure prevention assistance to agencies in Monroe County. The awards are a result of Request for Applications bids the nonprofit and legal assistance agencies submitted to the attorney general in January pursuant to his request. The Legal Aid [...]
State probes insurance in foreclosure
By The Associated Press
POSTED: April 5, 2012
Tags: foreclosure, Insurance, New York State
ALBANY — New York is expanding a national investigation and scheduled public hearings into so-called forced-placed insurance that add costs to homeowners seeking to avoid foreclosure. Banks and mortgage holders take out force-placed insurance when a homeowner misses a mortgage payment or fails to maintain homeowners insurance required by the mortgage. But state Financial Services [...]
AG: Foreclosure assistance funding on way
By Todd Etshman
POSTED: March 29, 2012
Tags: Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Foreclosure prevention assistance, funding, homeowners
Nonprofit foreclosure prevention assistance programs across the state breathed a sigh of relief this week with New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s announcement that at least $9 million will be available to them to continue assisting homeowners in danger of foreclosure through the state’s Foreclosure Prevention Assistance Program. Funding for the program was set [...]
AG reaches settlement with Baum firm
By Todd Etshman
POSTED: March 22, 2012
Tags: Attorney General, Eric T. Schneiderman, foreclosure, settlement agreement, Steven J. Baum law firm
On Thursday, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s office announced a $4 million settlement agreement with the nearly defunct Steven J. Baum PC law firm in Amherst and the firm’s processing center, Pillar Processing LLC. As part of the settlement agreement, Steven J. Baum and Baum firm managing attorney Brian Kumiega agreed not to [...]
Buffalo announces foreclosure changes
By Todd Etshman
POSTED: March 8, 2012
Tags: Buffalo, foreclosure process, Mayor Byron W. Brown, Taxes
On Tuesday, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown announced sweeping changes to the city’s property tax foreclosure process. Historically, Buffalo filed foreclosures on properties owing any amount of fees to the city after one year, but will now limit those foreclosure filings to properties that have at least $200 in debts In addition, the foreclosure fee [...]
Loan modification scams highlighted
By Daily Record Staff
POSTED: March 7, 2012
Tags: consumer complaints, crisis, foreclosure, loan modification scams
The ongoing foreclosure rescue scam crisis was highlighted this week during a press conference to identify top consumer complaints in New York. During this National Consumer Protection Week event, representatives offered guidance on avoiding financial scams, including loan modification scams. The Loan Modification Scam Alert Campaign educates homeowners about the warning signs that indicate a [...]
Senate hears about impacts of predatory lending
By Denise M. Champagne
POSTED: March 7, 2012
Tags: housing market collapse, predatory lending, Senate Judiciary Committee
Predatory lending practices not only affect the minorities who are targeted, but the entire community, and are behind the national housing market collapse, according to testimony heard Wednesday by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Various witnesses highlighted the impacts of discriminatory lending practices, criticized a lack of prosecution and offered some solutions. “As [...]
$4.2M foreclosure judgment on Penfield parcel
By Denise M. Champagne
POSTED: February 24, 2012
Tags: auction, foreclosure judgment, Hotels, parcel, Penfield
A 5.6-acre parcel in Penfield, which had been approved for two hotels nearly 11 years ago, will be sold at auction next month as the result of a foreclosure proceeding. The property, owned by HMPM Hospitality Group LLC, valued at less than $1 million dollars, has a $4.2 million lien against it, plus interest and [...]
Court upholds foreclosure for unpaid taxes
By Denise M. Champagne
POSTED: February 23, 2012
Tags: appeal, Appellate Division, City of Rochester, foreclosure proceeding, Fourth Department
An attorney for a Rochester man plans to pursue a further appeal in a foreclosure proceeding for non payment of property taxes. The Appellate Division, Fourth Department has upheld the Jan. 25, 2011, decision of Supreme Court Justice John J. Ark who denied the petition of 91-year-old Mitchell Duvall to vacate the foreclosure judgment by [...]
