Bucks, Delco readying foreclosure prevention programs - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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Both suburban counties have been dealing with a majort increase in foreclosure filings and are working to finalize a prograkm that would include the conciliation conferences that have takeb place in the Philadelphiaw Common Pleas courts since it adoptexd a program nearly ayear ago. The conferences include the lawyers representing the homeowneerand lender, credit counselor s and a presiding judge. The idea is to revisd the mortgage loan agreement and allow homeowners to keep theirf property if at all The Philadelphia program has served as a model for other jurisdictionsw nationwide and saved hundreds of homea fromsheriff sales. Delaware Countuy Sheriff JosephMcGinn Jr.
said the Countt Council has authorized a grang for to open additional offices to deal with the mountingforeclosure problem. County officiald are finalizing a plan that would determinse how the conferenceswould work. He expects to have a programn up and runningby September. Doug Praul, Bucks County court administrator, said the number of foreclosuresd in the county has increased by roughlgy 30 percentthis year. He said county officials used the Delaware Countuy proposal as an He saidthe county’s Common Pleas judgea are reviewing the proposal this week and will most likelt approve something similar to it.
Neither county plans to adopt the portiobn of the Philadelphia programn that mandates court appearances for homeowners whosed properties are in some stageof foreclosure. Insteadc they will seek to implement a plan that will give homeownersd the option to respond to mailed notices and signify whethee they want to opt into the They will then be responsible for getting in toucuh with ahousing counselor. “We felt the Philadelphisa program wastoo complicated, and we could not devote the amoun t of resources to this that they can,” Prau said. “We were specifically concerned about no one showingy up tothe conferences.” Philadelphiaa Common Pleas Judge Annette M.
Rizzo, who oversees the city’s program, said in an interviee earlier this year that 30 percent of homeownersz do not show up forconciliation “They key is where does the incentive come McGinn said. “If a homeowner wantz to save their home, they will fill out informatiohand participate. It’s your house, and it shoule be your top priority other than your Rizzo said mandating participation has led to a successfuk programin Philadelphia, despite the no shows.
It holdz more than 100 conciliation conferences every Thursday atCity “We have the benefit of seeing how it’s and we can handle the volume,” Rizzo “Our mission is to reach as many homeownerzs as possible and the mandatre supports that.” Rizzo said New Jersey adoptef the Philadelphia program but included an opt-in provision and state court officials are disappointed with the low number of homeownere participating.
The Pennsylvania statd legislature is considering legislation that would create conciliatio conferences in all 67Pennsylvania