Massachusetts Pro Bono Foreclosure Assistance Hotline.
The state of Massachusetts, in cooperation with various lawyers, non-profit organizations and charities, including the National Consumer Law Center, Greater Boston Legal Services, BBA, the MBA, and the Legal Advocacy and Resource Center, as well as several county and minority bar associations, have partnered together to create a Pro Bono Foreclosure Assistance Hotline that homeowners across the state can turn to for foreclosure help.
Like many states across the nation, Massachusetts has been hit hard by the housing crisis. To try to slow down the number of people losing their homes to a foreclosure, over 100 public-spirited attorneys across Massachusetts have generously agreed to handle at least one foreclosure case on a pro bono basis. It is anticipated that hundreds of people may eventually receive aid from the program, and thousands of people are expected to call the hotline.
Information on the Massachusetts Pro Bono Foreclosure Assistance Hotline
Low to moderate income Massachusetts homeowners are faced with losing their home to a foreclosure filing may call the Pro Bono Foreclosure Assistance Hotline at (800) 342-5297 or (617) 603-1700. They will need to leave a message in the “foreclosure assistance” voice mail box. Each day and every day, attorneys, paralegals or representatives from the Legal Advocacy and Resource Center (LARC) will return the phone calls, determine how to best assist the caller with the housing concern, and provide general advice to the homeowner, at no cost to them. They will also review the homeowners personal and financial situation. Please be patient in waiting for a return call, as during busy periods there may be a slight delay.
After this review is completed, if the homeowner meets the programs eligibility criteria to receive further assistance, the LARC center will then proceed to refer the homeowner to Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association. At that time the homeowner will be assigned to a lawyer who will take the case on a pro bono basis. The attorney will explore such options as a loan modification, principal reduction, or a foreclosure mediation program. This critical need for mortgage help is driven by the record number of foreclosures in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The attorneys are also partnering with other resources, banks, lenders and organizations in the state. For example, they are working with the Massachusetts Division of Banks hotline, which is a group of lenders and banks who have agreed to provide further help. The more organizations that are involved in the process will only help in finding a potential solution. You can learn about options such as how to get mortgage help from Bank of America as well as Chase foreclosure assistance.
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