Monies recovered for homeowners in March 2023!

Monies recovered for homeowners! On March 8th, 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James recovered $350,000 for hundreds of homeowners from the mortgage servicer, Servis One, Inc. d/b/a BSI Financial Services, Inc. (BSI), for failing to offer mandated mortgage relief to homeowners who could not make payments at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that BSI encouraged homeowners who faced financial hardships or lost their job during the pandemic to continue making partial payments on their loans and did not offer mandatory relief. As a result of this agreement, BSI will pay $350,000 in penalties and restitution to as many as 160 homeowners in Rochester, New York City, and Long Island who were not offered the relief they were entitled to from BSI. Eligible homeowners will be contacted about this agreement and provided instructions for claiming restitution. Attorney General James asks any homeowner who believes that their mortgage servicer is not offering proper loss mitigation options in the event of economic hardship to file a complaint online with OAG’s Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau or call the office at 1-800-771-7755. For more information, view the press release.

Nassau Suffolk Law Services’ Foreclosure Prevention Project provides free legal services to homeowners hoping to prevent foreclosure of their homes. Services provided include:

• Legal representation at the various stages of the foreclosure process, including at mandatory court settlement conferences, drafting pleadings, and drafting and opposing motions
• Assist borrowers pursuing loss mitigation options, including loan modifications
• Advice and Counsel

The Project is part of the HOPP network, a Statewide coalition that includes HUD-certified housing counseling agencies. As such, we will make referrals to and collaborate with HOPP funded, non-profit housing counseling agencies. Clients must reside in the homes subject to foreclosure and have low to moderate-income for Long Island as annually set by HUD. Please call the office closest to you to see if you are eligible for legal services. Interpreters are available. Suffolk residents west of 112 can call 631-232-2400 and east of 112 can call 631-369-1112. Nassau residents can call 516-292-8100.