The answer to this question depends upon the homeowner — not the judge.*If the homeowner rigorously, aggressively and persistently seeks enforcement of the rules of civil procedure, the rules of discovery, the rules of evidence and enforcement of court orders, the chances of quite good that the homeowner role reach a very favorable result.*If the homeowner attempts to make a claim or state and affirmative defense that requires proof of malfeasance by the opposition (or anyone else), probability of failure is extremely high.
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The general consensus has accepted the proposition set forth in the national narrative promulgated by investment banks. Therefore nearly everyone — including the homeowner and the attorney for the homeowner at times — has accepted the label of “loan” as being the equivalent of an existing loan account receivable which obviously is enforceable at law and in equity (foreclosure of the mortgage).
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Having adopted the narrative and fictitious Terminology of Wall Street, everyone has also therefore accepted the labels of “servicer,” “trust,” “trustee,” etc. This in turn has resulted in the acceptance of the production of a “payment history” report in lieu of producing a copy of the loan account receivable. The question of whether or not the lawyers are representing a client who owns a loan account receivable that is due from you is avoided.
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The above summary is the backdrop for all litigation involving Foreclosure in both judicial and non-judicial states. It is so widely accepted by nearly everyone involved, and so often admitted (tacitly or directly) that judges usually regard defenses and claims from homeowners as being technical nuisances instead of a direct attempt at stopping fraud. That is their initial impression and there is nothing that can change that initial impression.
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But after their initial impression, the litigation begins and the judge is constrained to follow the rules of court.
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All of the cases that I have won outright or settled on terms that people might think are ridiculously beneficial to the homeowner has involved a very skeptical judge who change their mind during the course of litigation. I will also say that as a general rule, the older and more experienced judges will tend to be even more biased at the beginning of the case but will strictly apply the rules of court during litigation.
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The key to winning or losing is in the rules of procedure, the rules of discovery, and the rules of evidence. The defense strategy that tends to work most of the time is one in which the lawyer representing the homeowner continually attacks the ability of the foreclosure lawyer to produce any corroborating evidence for the conclusions that are alleged by the foreclosure complaint or presumed from the filing of apparently facially valid documents to support a non-judicial foreclosure.
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As it turns out, an aggressive and persistent strategy based on demonstrating the unwillingness or inability of opposing counsel to comply with the rules of procedure, rules of discovery, the rules of evidence and court will usually successfully reframe the case from the initial erroneous first impression of “bank versus deadbeat homeowner” to “judge versus recalcitrant foreclosure attorney.” When that happens, and it usually does, the judge always wins and the result is favorable to the homeowner.
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The way that lawyers and pro se litigants have undermined the strategy, is by attempting to go further than simply defeating the action against them. They attempt to prove fraud or other malfeasance, despite their inability to produce any evidence that would prove the required legal elements of such claims. In doing so, they shift the burden of proof from the foreclosure attorney to themselves. And they lift the burden of proof on their own claims from simply more likely than not to clear and convincing.
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Since we already know that nobody from the “Dark Side” is going to give you any information that will prove or corroborate anything you want to say, it is a fool’s errand to allege a claim or affirmative defense and that you will never be able to prove. My experience is that these cases can be defeated most of the time if the homeowner sticks with the goal of simply defeating the claim. But as soon as they step out of that lane, they are headed for failure.
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And of course, in order to pursue a successful strategy, you at least need to pretend that you believe that there is no loan account receivable and therefore nothing to enforce. And if you’ve gotten to the point where I am, you will be completely confident that that is true. I have reviewed over 10,000 cases. There has not been one instance in which a loan account receivable was ever produced.
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The substitution of a payment history report generated from third-party vendors has never been a legal substitute for producing the loan account receivable, and an acknowledgment or attestation from an officer of the named claimant that the loan account receivable belongs to (is owned by) that named claimant. In all the cases that I have reviewed no such acknowledgment or attestation has ever been made. All of those functions are produced under the name of a company that is claimed to be a “servicer” but which does nothing in connection with the receipt and disbursement of any money.
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PRACTICE NOTE FOR LAWYERS: The successful argument for legal standing at the commencement of the case is NOT proof of legal standing. And the argument regarding Article 3 (UCC) enforcement of negotiable instruments is not a substitute for normal legal standing required by Article 9-203 for enforcement of security instruments (mortgages and deeds of trust).
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The object is to show that the foreclosure mill is unwilling or unable to produce the loan account receivable or any acknowledgment or attestation or testimony from an officer of the named claimant. You can show that because there is no loan account receivable and there is no officer willing to perjure themselves. there are no trust accounts managed by REMIC trustees, and even if there were, they would not, do not, and could not contain a loan account receivable due from the homeowner.
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The naming of a company as a “servicer” does not mean it handles receipts, disbursements or accounting for any movement of money. Such a company will be presented as the authorized representative of the named claimant but the named claimant never appears in court. Once the foreclosure mill fails or refuses to comply with discovery demands, their claim that the “servicer” is authorized to act for the claimant also fails because it is not relevant. If the named claimant has no ability to support a claim, then the agency of the “servicer” is irrelevant. The claim lacks foundation.
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Neil F Garfield, MBA, JD, 74, is a Florida licensed trial and appellate attorney since 1977. He has received multiple academic and achievement awards in business, accounting and law. He is a former investment banker, securities broker, securities analyst, and financial analyst.
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FORECLOSURE DEFENSE IS NOT SIMPLE. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF A FAVORABLE RESULT. THE FORECLOSURE MILLS WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO WEAR YOU DOWN AND UNDERMINE YOUR CONFIDENCE. ALL EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT NO MEANINGFUL SETTLEMENT OCCURS UNTIL THE 11TH HOUR OF LITIGATION.
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But challenging the “servicers” and other claimants before they seek enforcement can delay action by them for as much as 12 years or more.
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Yes you DO need a lawyer.
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If you wish to retain me as a legal consultant please write to me at neilfgarfield@hotmail.com.
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