County clears a net of just 2,705 foreclosures in nine months as new cases mount |
Article Courtesy of The Palm Beach Post By Kimberly Miller Published May 3, 2013
New numbers on pending foreclosure cases in Florida’s courts are out this morning just as the Senate is scheduled to debate a bill meant to hasten the judicial process and reduce the stubborn backlog of 352,890 files statewide.
While homeowners would be able to file almost any defense to stop the fast-track foreclosure, proponents say cases on abandoned and vacant homes would move more quickly.
Bill opponents fear the proposal will infringe on the due process rights of homeowners and go against time-honored land laws by barring a homeowner who is victim of a fraudulent foreclosure from regaining their home. The homeowner would only be able to recoup monetary damages in such a case.
The data from the state courts administrator also looks at how many foreclosures were cleared each month when additional funding from the state was awarded to increase judge hours and case managers.
About 16,500 cases were cleared statewide in July when $4 million was first awarded to help clear the backlog. That increased to 21,764 in February. It dipped to 20,356 in March. |