Idoni Asserts Yonkers Foreclosures Continue to Rise

Westchester County Clerk Idoni Urges Residents at Risk to Get Help Now

WHITE PLAINS, NY and YONKERS, NY -- As the nation continues to debate a solution to the continuing foreclosure crisis, County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni urges Yonkers residents who may be at risk of foreclosure, to seek help immediately.  “We want Yonkers residents to be able to live comfortably in this city, but the first quarter of 2008, which ended on March 31st, brought with it another significant increase in foreclosure filings,” began Idoni. “And more disturbing than the increase in foreclosure filings is the increase in the number of actions resulting in a judgment of foreclosure,” said Idoni.  “Comparing judgments from the first quarters of 2007 and 2008, shows an increase of 52.7 percent,” continued Idoni.  “Yonkers residents need our help.” 

Idoni urged residents to consider the following:   

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Don’t wait until legal papers are filed in the Office of the Westchester County Clerk.  Residents who have received warning letters from their bank or lender, or who have fallen behind on their payments, must seek help now:

Attend Operation Protect Your Home:  The New York State Senate Westchester Delegation is sponsoring “Operation Protect Your Home” on Saturday, April 5th from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Roosevelt High School, 631 Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers.  There will be various educational seminars throughout the day as well as opportunities to meet with mortgage counselors.

Contact Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO):  WRO is a non-profit housing agency with offices in White Plains and Mount Vernon.   Call one of their trained counselors at 428-4507 or visit their website at www.wroinc.org to see how they can help you.

Contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):  Contact HUD to obtain the name of a reputable counseling agency by visiting www.hud.gov or calling 1-800-569-4287.

If you have been served with foreclosure papers, understand that you can still get help.  The commencement of a foreclosure action does not mean that a Westchester home will be lost to foreclosure.  Many homeowners enter into a repayment plan, secure a modified loan, refinance with another lender or sell their home on their own to avoid foreclosure.  Do not give up. Instead, take advantage of the resources outlined above.

Beware of foreclosure rescue scams.  Unfortunately the current foreclosure climate brings with it a new set of con artists just waiting to take advantage of residents who are under the stress of foreclosure action.  Making a bad situation worse can be avoided by relying on a reputable counseling agency or a trusted attorney to guide you through the process.

   The Westchester County Clerk is the Clerk for the Supreme Court where foreclosure actions are heard. Foreclosure actions are filed in our Legal Division which is also responsible for non-court related county legal functions such as registering a business, filing a lien, applying to serve as a Notary Public, registering a domestic partnership, filing veterans’ military discharge papers, and accepting Small Claims Assessment Review petitions.  The public can visit the Legal Division located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays to look up legal records, judgments, liens, lis pendens, and other business records.

For more information on the Legal Division, please call 995-3070 or visit the www.westchesterclerk.com Website.

Foreclosures by the Numbers

The WestchesterCountyClerk is the Clerk for the Supreme Court where foreclosure actions are heard.  Please note that the commencement of a foreclosure action does not mean that a Westchesterhome will be lost to foreclosure.  Filing a foreclosure action in the WestchesterCountyClerk’s office is the first step of a process which could result in the loss of a home or building. If a foreclosure is granted, the home or building is sold at a foreclosure auction and the proceeds of sale are used to pay off the loan.  However, some homeowners enter into a repayment plan, secure a modified loan, refinance with another lender or sell their home on their own to avoid foreclosure.

Yonkers

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Yonkers	2007	2008	% increase 2007-2008
Actions Commenced through 3/31	136	212	56%
Judgments of Foreclosure through 3/31	36	55	52.7%

WestchesterCounty

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

WestchesterCounty	2005	2006	2007	2008	% increase 2005-2008	% increase 2007-2008
Actions Commenced through 3/31	244	378	530	759	211%	43%
Judgments of Foreclosure through 3/31	76	82	135	243	220%	80%

Comments

What part is County Government playing in this. How about the tax burden they have handed Yonkers residents.

That tax increase you thieves gave Yonkers residents will only increase foreclosures.