FLASH - "Florida Attorneys Saving Homes" To Assist State Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

In Tallahasse, Florida, the Pensacola News Journal reports:

• Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson encourages homeowners who are threatened with foreclosure, or fearful that their lending institution may foreclose on their property, to contact The Florida Bar [...] to obtain free legal assistance.

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• Florida Legal Services and The Florida Bar [...] have partnered in establishing a toll-free hotline -- 1-866-607-2187 -- that consumers can call to answer a few initial questions about their situation to ensure accurate placement with a free attorney. The attorney will then negotiate with the lender on behalf of the client to keep the home from being foreclosed. "I applaud Florida Legal Services and the Florida Bar for offering this public service," Bronson said. [...] More than 10,000 Florida attorneys have volunteered their services in the program, according to Florida Legal Services Inc.

The hotline is for those Florida homeowners (1) who fear they may soon be unable to make their mortgage payments, or (2) who have already missed payments.

For more, see Free legal aid for troubled homeowners.

Go here for more on FLASH - Florida Attorneys Saving Homes, a collaborative effort of The Florida Bar, The Florida Bar Foundation, Florida Legal Services, and the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section designed to provide pro bono assistance to distressed homeowers.

• “The concept for the project began with the announcement from the banking industry of their HOPE NOW and Project Lifeline Projects,” [executive director of Florida Legal Services, Inc. Kent] Spuhler said. “We felt homeowners having trouble with their mortgage would have better success negotiating with their lender if they had the assistance of an attorney.”

Go here for some of the materials for volunteer attorneys working on the FLASH program and go here for welcome letter (re: malpractice insurance, training & materials).