Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce

Although the number of foreclosure filings has started to drop in recent months, thousands of homeowners continue to struggle with their mortgages.

The Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce wants you to know that help is available!  Best of all, most of the programs sponsored by the Taskforce are entirely FREE of charge.  The Taskforce has a variety of programs and resources currently available to assist you.

If you are struggling and don’t know where to turn for help, read through our Summary of Programs and Resources and contact us today.  Please email info@daneforeclosurehelp.org or call us at (608) 261-5677.

The Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce is a coalition of public agencies, non-profit service providers and other community partners working together to develop sustainable alternatives to foreclosure in Dane County.

Who:      For homeowners who have received a Foreclosure Summons and Complaint

When:    11:00 am – 1:00 pm, Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Where:   City-County Building, 3^rd floor, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison, WI

THIS IS A RECURRING EVENT, 1^ST AND 3^RD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH.

Volunteer lawyers and law students will be available to meet with Dane County homeowners in foreclosure.  Homeowners can receive basic legal information and free help at the Foreclosure Answer Clinic.  Experience shows that homeowners who engage in the court process early have better opportunities for a positive outcome.

Time is of the essence because homeowners generally have only 20 calendar days from the date they receive the initial lawsuit papers to file a formal response. Lawyers and law students at the Clinic can provide homeowners with the information they need to file a response. Homeowners can also find out more about the legal process, the Dane County foreclosure mediation program and other community resources.

The Clinic is open the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the 3rd floor of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Madison. No appointments are necessary.

Homeowners should bring their Summons and Complaint as well as any other relevant papers about the foreclosure.

The Foreclosure Answer Clinic is a collaborative effort of the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce, the Dane County Bar Association and the UW Law School, with grant funding provided by the State Bar of Wisconsin and other support provided by Dane County.

For more information, please contact Dan O’Callaghan (608) 283-0117 or Ellen Bernards (608) 576-8658.

 This is a recurring workshop and takes place on the 2^nd Thursday evening of every month.

What:                FREE Workshop for Homeowners in Distress

Where:              Madison College (MATC) – Truax Campus (near the airport)

                              3550 Anderson Street, Room 142A, Madison

                              (Free Parking in the Student Parking Area off Wright Street.)

When:                October 13, 2011    6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

                              (Please allow time to walk from parking to the class room.)

Reservations:      Reservations are appreciated but not required.  Please call           Bethany Nelson @ (608) 261-5677 to register.

Cost:                     FREE 

In August 2011, 124 people were served with a Notice of Foreclosure Summons and Complaint. The crisis is not over.

Homeowners need to know they are not alone, that there is free help available. We address all of the options homeowners have when they are behind on their mortgage. Our goal is that they leave the workshop with information and a sense that they will survive this difficult time and thrive in the future.

Comments from homeowners attending the workshop:

“You all got straight to the point”

“It was very informative and realistic”

“I appreciated getting legal information on bankruptcy, having people presenting from different angles, and the speed, content and understandability”

 ”I appreciated the willingness of presenters to take questions”

“It was very clear with difficult topics”

 ”The workshop helped me identify other resources that may help my situation”

“They kept it lively”

Presenters: Ellen Bernards, GreenPath Debt Solutions and Co-chair of the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce Attorney Stacia Conneely from Legal Action of Wisconsin and  Attorney Patricia Hammel, Herrick & Kasdorf, LLP.

The Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce wants to make sure that homeowners have the information they need to make good decisions and get the assistance they need. We are increasing the number of workshops this year in an effort to reach more homeowners in distress. They will take place every month on the 2^nd Thursday at the Madison College (formerly MATC) Truax Campus beginning February 10, 2011. A special thank you to Madison College for providing free space for these workshops.

The Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce is a coalition of government agencies, non-profit service providers and other community partners working to implement a coordinated response to the foreclosure problem in Dane County through prevention, intervention, and neighborhood stabilization effort.

What:    Foreclosure Answer Clinic – a FREE walk-in legal clinic – Help available in English. Ayuda disponible en español también.

Who:      For homeowners who have received a Foreclosure Summons and Complaint

When:    11:00 am – 1:00 pm, Thursday, October 6, 2011

Where:   City-County Building, 3^rd floor, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

THIS IS A RECURRING EVENT, 1^ST AND 3^RD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH.

Volunteer lawyers and law students will be available to meet with Dane County homeowners in foreclosure.  Homeowners can receive basic legal information and free help at the Foreclosure Answer Clinic.  Experience shows that homeowners who engage in the court process early have better opportunities for a positive outcome.

Time is of the essence because homeowners generally have only 20 calendar days from the date they receive the initial lawsuit papers to file a formal response. Lawyers and law students at the Clinic can provide homeowners with the information they need to file a response. Homeowners can also find out more about the legal process, the Dane County foreclosure mediation program and other community resources.

The Clinic is open the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the 3rd floor of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Madison. No appointments are necessary.

Homeowners should bring their Summons and Complaint as well as any other relevant papers about the foreclosure.

The Foreclosure Answer Clinic is a collaborative effort of the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce, the Dane County Bar Association and the UW Law School, with grant funding provided by the State Bar of Wisconsin and other support provided by Dane County.

For more information, please contact Dan O’Callaghan (608) 283-0117 or Ellen Bernards (608) 576-8658.