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

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Both suburban counties have been dealing with a majorr increase in foreclosure filings and are working to finalizee a program that woule include the conciliation conferences that have taken place in the Philadelphia Common Pleasa courts since it adopted a program nearly ayear ago. The conferences include the lawyers representing the homeowner and credit counselors and apresiding judge. The idea is to revisee the mortgage loan agreemeny and allow homeowners to keep their property if at all The Philadelphia program has served as a model for othef jurisdictions nationwide and saverd hundreds of homes from sheriff Delaware County Sheriff JosephMcGinjn Jr.
said the County Council has authorizef a grant for to open additional offices to deal with the mounting foreclosure County officials are finalizingb a plan that woulc determine how the conferenceswould work. He expectsz to have a program up and runninbby September. Doug Praul, Bucks County court administrator, said the numbefr of foreclosures in the countgy has increased by roughly 30 percenrthis year. He said county officials used the Delawarr County proposal as an He saidthe county’s Common Pleas judges are reviewingt the proposal this week and will most likelyg approve something similar to it.
Neither county plans to adopy the portion of the Philadelphia prograk that mandates court appearances for homeowners whose propertiexs are in some stage of Instead they will seek to implement a plan that will give homeownerds the option to respond to mailed notices and signify whethet they want to opt intothe program. They will then be responsibld for getting in touch with ahousing counselor. “We felt the Philadelphia program wastoo complicated, and we coulfd not devote the amount of resources to this that they Praul said. “We were specificallyg concerned about no one showinvg up tothe conferences.” Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Annettde M.
Rizzo, who oversees the city’sd program, said in an intervieew earlier this year that 30 percent of homeowners do not show up forconciliatiojn conferences. “They key is where does the incentivecome from,” McGinnn said. “If a homeowner wantxs to save their home, they will fill out informationand participate. It’se your house, and it should be your top priorith other thanyour family.” Rizzo said mandating participatioh has led to a successful program in despite the no shows. It holds more than 100 conciliatiomn conferences every Thursday atCity Hall. “Wes have the benefit of seeinvghow it’s worked, and we can handle the Rizzo said.
“Our mission is to reacuh as many homeowners as possibls and the mandatesupports that.” Rizzo said New Jersehy adopted the Philadelphia progra but included an opt-in provision and state courty officials are disappointed with the low number of homeownerws participating. The Pennsylvania state legislature is considerin g legislation that would create conciliation conferences in all 67Pennsylvanias counties.