Soldiers lose homes. How could it happen?

The New York Times reports,

“The Justice Department is investigating allegations that a mortgage subsidiary of Morgan Stanley foreclosed on almost two dozen military families from 2006 to 2008 in violation of a longstanding law aimed at preventing such action.”

 It seems that

“Saxon Mortgage Services, is one of several mortgage and lending companies being investigated by its civil rights division. The inquiry is focused on possible violations of a federal law that bars lenders from foreclosing on active-duty service members without a court hearing.“

“[A]s many as 23 military foreclosures were under scrutiny in the Justice Department investigation.”

Federal, and many state, laws have what’s called a “civil relief act” designed to protect active duty service men and women from being foreclosed. Federal law requires a judge to “hold a hearing at which the service member is represented before granting a lender the right to foreclose on the service member’s home, even in states where a court order is not required for civilian foreclosures. As early as 2005, advocates for military families were complaining that banks and other lenders were frequently violating the law.”

Read the full article U.S. Inquiry on Military Family Foreclosures

For your next title order or

if you have questions about what you see here, contact

Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.

Stephen's Title Agency, LLC

165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101

Fairfield, NJ 07004

Tel 973-227-4724 - Fax 973-556-1628

E-mail Stephenstitle AT comcast.net - www.stephenstitle.com