04-01-08  #4
Mt. Vernon foreclosures continue to rise; County Clerk Idoni urges residents at risk to get help now
     As the nation continues to debate a solution to the continuing foreclosure crisis, County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni urges Mount Vernon residents who may be at risk of foreclosure, to seek help immediately. “We want Mount Vernon residents to be able to live comfortably in this city, but the first quarter of 2008, which ended on March 31^st, brought with it another significant increase in foreclosure filings,” began Idoni. “And more disturbing than the increase in foreclosure filings is the increase in the number of actions resulting in a judgment of foreclosure,” said Idoni. “Comparing judgments from the first quarters of 2007 and 2008, shows an increase of 111 percent,” continued Idoni. “Mount Vernon residents need our help.”
     Idoni urges residents to consider the following: 

• Don’t wait until legal papers are filed in the Office of the Westchester County Clerk. Residents who have received warning letters from their bank or lender, or who have fallen behind on their payments, must seek help now:

• Attend Operation Protect Your Home: The New York State Senate Westchester Delegation is sponsoring “Operation Protect Your Home” on Saturday, April 5^th from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Roosevelt High School, 631 Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers. There will be various educational seminars throughout the day as well as opportunities to meet with mortgage counselors.

• Contact Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO):  WRO is a non-profit housing agency with offices in White Plains and Mount Vernon. Call one of their trained counselors at 428-4507 or visit their website at www.wroinc.org to see how they can help you.

• Contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Contact HUD to obtain the name of a reputable counseling agency by visiting www.hud.gov or calling 1-800-569-4287.

     If you have been served with foreclosure papers, understand that you can still get help. The commencement of a foreclosure action does not mean that a Westchester home will be lost to foreclosure. Many homeowners enter into a repayment plan, secure a modified loan, refinance with another lender or sell their home on their own to avoid foreclosure. Do not give up. Instead, take advantage of the resources outlined above.
     Beware of foreclosure rescue scams. Unfortunately the current foreclosure climate brings with it a new set of con artists just waiting to take advantage of residents who are under the stress of foreclosure action. Making a bad situation worse can be avoided by relying on a reputable counseling agency or a trusted attorney to guide you through the process.
     The Westchester County Clerk is the Clerk for the Supreme Court where foreclosure actions are heard. Foreclosure actions are filed their Legal Division, which is also responsible for non-court related county legal functions such as registering a business, filing a lien, applying to serve as a Notary Public, registering a domestic partnership, filing veterans’ military discharge papers, and accepting Small Claims Assessment Review petitions. 
     The public can visit the Legal Division located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays to look up legal records, judgments, liens, lis pendens, and other business records. 
     For more information on our Legal Division, please call 995-3070 or visit our website at www.westchesterclerk.com.