Real Estate Agent Successfully Obtains Permission to Use Drone for Aerial Photography

Want to use a drone to capture aerial photos of your listings? Douglas Trudeau of Tierra Antigua Realty in Tuscon Arizona has become the first Real Estate Agent permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use a drone in connection with real estate brokerage.

As you may recall, a previous Lieb at Law Blog discussed the FAA rules which requires all sorts of licenses, certificates and flight plans in connection with "commercial" drone flights.  In that blog, we explained that the FAA specifically targeted real estate agents using drones to take aerial photos as an example of regulated commercial flight.  Remember, we are talking about two to three pound quadcopters, not full sized aircraft here.

Douglas Trudeau has waded through the tiresome process of obtaining the necessary approvals for such a commercial flight and amount of red tape is undeniably absurd. First, Mr. Trudeau had to petition the FAA for an exemption.  The FAA's response is a daunting twenty-six page analysis of the various rules, statutes and regulations which much be examined and excused prior to permitting Mr. Trudeau to use his drone.  Read the FAA's response for yourself here.

In granting Mr. Trudeau an exemption, the FAA analyzed each of the following factors:

1. The type of aircraft used, including: size, speed, payload and weight;
2. The qualifications of the pilot (Mr. Trudeau has a private pilot's certificate, but not a commercial license);
3. The operating parameters of the anticipated flights, including: height, duration, range, tracking, interference with regulated airspace, and emergency contingency planning; and
4. Public Interest

After deciding that it was as basically harmless for Mr. Trudeau to fly a toy, the FAA granted the exemption with a measly thirty-three conditions and limitations on his flights, including the following:

1. The drone must remain in Mr. Trudeau's unassisted vision at all times;
2. Mr. Trudeau must utilize a visual observer who also must maintain unassisted vision of the drone at all time;
3. Mr. Trudeau, as the pilot, must maintain a private pilot certificate and at least a third-class medical certificate;
4. Mr. Trudeau, before operating the drone to take photos, must log a minimum of twenty-five hours of flight time with a drone and at least five hours with the specific drone he is going to use for the flight.
5. Prior to any commercial operation, Mr. Trudeau must have successfully executed at least three take-off and landings with the drone within the past ninety days;
6. No night flights;
7. Not within 500 feet below or 2,000 feet horizontally from a cloud;
8. Mr. Trudeau must obtain an Air Traffic Organization issued Certificate of Waiver or Authorization prior to any operation and must request a Notice of Airman not more than seventy-two hours in advance, but not less than forty-eight hours prior to any operation; and
9. Flights cannot take place within 500 feet of non-participating persons, vessels, vehicle or structures unless it will be "safe" for those non-participants;

Here's to hoping that the FAA changes its stance on small drone operations because the current process is cumbersome, to say the least. 

Important Decision on Right of First Refusal in Foreclosure Sale

An important decision came out on December 23, 2014 regarding the right of first refusal—the requirement that a property owner, if and when he is offered to sell his property to a third party, must first present that offer to the party who previously entered into a contract which gave that party the right to purchase the property before others. The right of first refusal is easy to understand if we use a basic example. Let’s say Allison wanted to sell her real estate to Bobby but Carrie had a written right of first refusal for the property in question. Allison would first get an offer from Bobby and then, offer that to Carrie. If Carrie accepts the terms set by Bobby, she can purchase the property. If not, Bobby has a deal to buy the property.

Here, in the case, Centech LLC v. Yippie Holdings LLC, the issue was whether a party who had a right of first refusal could exercise it based upon a foreclosure sale. The Court found that the right of first refusal was not applicable in the foreclosure sale because the language of the right of first refusal did not clearly provide for a foreclosure sale as a trigger to the right of first refusal.

The takeaway is that when you have a right of first refusal, make sure that it clearly sets forth the trigger to our ability to exercise your right. Vagueness can prevent you from having a right that you otherwise believe to be yours. 

Disclosures in Crowdfunding Projects

Crowdfunding, a way of funding a project from a large number of individual contributions, has become very popular in the commercial real estate world as a result of the JOBS Act of 2012, which eased securities regulations to give small businesses better access to funding. For example, Fundrise, a leading crowdfunding website, allows individuals to invest in commercial real estate projects, such as hotel or restaurant construction, for a low amount of money, opening up investment opportunities to everyone and not just wealthy accredited investors.

Now that crowdfunding is on the rise, it is important that everyone who is looking to invest in a project knows that they are entitled to certain disclosures under law. Rule 506(b) of Regulation D under the Securities Act is a new rule as of 2013 which established specific requirements to determine whether or not a transaction or project is exempt from Securities Act registration. When securities (i.e. investments) are registered, they provide important disclosure information to investors, such as a description of the company’s properties/businesses, a description of the securities, the company’s management information, and the company’s financials. Under Rule 506(b), some companies do not need to register their securities if they do not advertise their securities to the general public and do not sell the securities to more than 35 non-accredited investors. Therefore, it should be noted that if companies on Fundrise want certain transactions or projects exempt from registration, they must be careful not to sell securities to more than 35 non-accredited investors. However, these companies, despite being exempt from registration, must still give the same important disclosure documents and financial information to non-accredited investors and must answer questions from non-accredited investors. This rule is in place to protect individuals, who are not as knowledgeable or savvy as accredited investors, from being victims of fraud or misrepresentation.

If you are thinking of investing in a real estate project in the near future, remember that you are entitled under law to certain disclosures about the project and company in question. Regardless of any exemption, this information must be given to you as long as you are a non-accredited investor.

Click here if you would like to know the top 60 real estate crowdfunding platforms.

TAX RELIEF GRANTED FOR UNDERWATER HOMEOWNERS

Terrific news is here with a tax break for those who sold or lost their underwater homes to foreclosure in 2014.

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act (MFDRA) was extended through 2014 by the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 on December 19, 2014.

Homeowners who were forgiven debt a/k/a “cancellation of debt income” (difference between the total amount of the mortgage still owed at closing and the sale price or fair market value of the property) resulting from a short sale, deed in lieu of foreclosure or foreclosure sale, will have the forgiven debt excluded from their taxable income for transactions completed through 12/31/2014. 

             
The MDFA previously expired on December 31, 2013.

So, for those who lost a home to foreclosure or a short sale in 2014, you will receive a nice holiday tax break when you file your taxes in the new year.  

Real Estate Brokers are statutorily permitted to give rebates

A new line of negotiating brokerage commission is now available in the State of New York.

Buyers can now ask for a rebate of the seller's agent's brokerage commission in exchange for buying the property.

So, buyers should inquire of their prospective agents if the agent is offering a rebate on the transaction in consideration for being hired by the buyer. Alternatively, unrepresented buyers should inquire of the seller's agent if they offer a rebate in consideration of the buyer's offer to consummate a transaction.

At the least, it never hurts to ask.

Think about it ... a buyer's broker can now promote their services by incentivising prospective buyers to work with them by offering a rebate of the co-brokerage commission offered by the seller's agent.

To illustrate, a seller offers his seller's agent 6% on a deal whereby the seller's agent offers a buyer's agent a 3% share of that commission, in turn, for procuring a buyer, under a co-brokerage agreement. Now, that buyer's agent can motivate buyers to come to that deal by offering prospective buyers 1% of that 3%, or an alternative discount on the deal, for working with that buyer's agent.

Before the enactment of this statutory amendment, brokers did rebate commissions, but they have done so under a gray legal framework where there was no express authority for the practice (beyond a No Action Opinion Letter by the Department of State dated February 2008) and consequently it never became an overt marketing tactic by buyer's agents. Look for that to change.  


Real Property Law 442 was amended as 2014 came to a close. It now reads as follows (capitals represent additions to the statute):

Splitting commissions.
1. No real estate broker shall pay any part of a fee, commission or other compensation received by the broker to any person for any service, help or aid rendered in any place in which this article is applicable, by such person to the broker in buying, selling, exchanging, leasing, renting or negotiating a loan upon any real estate including the resale of a condominium OR COOPERATIVE APARTMENT unless such a person be a duly licensed real estate salesman regularly associated with such broker or a duly licensed real estate broker or a person regularly engaged in the real estate brokerage business in a state outside of New York; provided, however, that notwithstanding any other provision of this section, it shall be permissible for a real estate broker to pay any part of a fee, commission, or other compensation received to an unlicensed corporation or an unlicensed limited liability company if each of its shareholders or members, respectively, is associated as an individual with the broker as a duly licensed associate broker or salesman.

2. Furthermore, notwithstanding any other provision of law, it shall be permissible for a broker properly registered pursuant to the provisions of article twenty-three-A of the general business law who earns a commission on the original sale of a cooperative or homeowners association interest in real estate, including condominium units to pay any part of a fee, commission or other compensation received for bringing about such sale to a person whose [prinicipal] PRINCIPAL business is not  the sale or offering of cooperatives or homeowners association interests in real property, including condominium units in this state but who is either: (i) a real estate salesman duly licensed under this article who is regularly associated with such broker; (ii) a broker duly licensed under this article; or a person regularly engaged in  the  real estate brokerage business in a state outside of New York.

Except when permitted pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this section no real estate broker shall pay or agree to pay any part of a fee, commission, or other compensation received by the broker, or due, or to become due to the broker to any person, firm or corporation who or which is or is to be a party to the transaction in which such fee, commission or other compensation shall be or become due to the broker; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT A REAL ESTATE BROKER FROM OFFERING ANY PART OF A FEE, COMMISSION, OR OTHER COMPENSATION RECEIVED BY THE BROKER TO THE SELLER, BUYER, LANDLORD OR TENANT WHO IS BUYING, SELLING, EXCHANGING, LEASING, RENTING OR NEGOTIATING A LOAN UPON ANY REAL ESTATE INCLUDING THE RESALE OF A CONDOMINIUM OR COOPERATIVE  APARTMENT. SUCH FEE, COMMISSION, OR OTHER COMPENSATION MUST NOT BE MADE TO THE SELLER, BUYER, LANDLORD OR TENANT FOR PERFORMING ANY ACTIVITY REQUIRING A LICENSE UNDER THIS ARTICLE.

Read NYSAR's Memorandum in Support of this legislation, which quotes a 2008 opinion letter of the Department of State speaking specifically about using these rebates "to attract a new customer or client".  

At the least, this legislation represents a job well done by Zeldin and Lavine, the sponsors of this legislation, to clarify a gray area of real estate brokerage license law. 

Tenants of Properties in Foreclosure May Be in Trouble in 2015

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), tenants comprise 40% of the families facing foreclosure.  In the past, many tenants did not know their homes were in foreclosure until they were forced to move out with little to no notice after the foreclosure sale date. Landlords had incentive to keep the foreclosure a secret from their tenants so that they could collect rent in the meantime. As a result, tenants had little recourse and were among the families hurt most by foreclosure.

In 2009, the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act was enacted in order to protect tenants of properties in foreclosure from being evicted from their homes without due notice. Under this Act, a tenant had the right to stay in the property until the end of his or her lease unless the new owner intended to live in the property. If the property were to be owner-occupied, a 90-day notice was required before the tenant could be evicted. Month-to-month tenants also required 90 days’ notice. No longer were tenants forced to move out within a few days of being given an eviction notice.

The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act was set to expire on December 31, 2012 but Section 1484 of the Dodd-Frank Act extended it to December 31, 2014. Two bills, S.1761 and H.R. 3543, were introduced in 2013 to permanently extend the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act. However, neither bill has been passed, and it is unlikely that they will be passed in the next 2 days. It is possible, however, that the bills can be enacted retroactively in 2015.

Without this Act, tenants will not have the same heightened protections during the foreclosure process. It is imperative that a bill is passed to ensure that tenants are given due notice after a foreclosure sale date.

No Fracking Way - New York to ban fracking based on adverse health data (lawsuits likely to follow)

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will issue a legally binding findings statement to prohibit High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing (HVHF) in the State of New York.

New York's move should motivate the Erin Brokoviches of this world to start their lawsuits against companies involved in fracking based on the plethora of adverse health data exposed.

This DEC's statement comes on the heels of the Acting Department of Health Commissioner recommending that fracking should not move forward in the State.

According to the Commissioner "I have considered all of the data and find significant questions and risks to public health which as of yet are unanswered,". The review by the Department of Health, entitled "A Public Health Review of High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing for Shale Gas Development", is the basis for the DEC's decision to ban fracking.

The review states, in pertinent part, that "there are significant uncertainties about the kinds of adverse health outcomes that may be associated with HVHF, the likelihood of the occurrence of adverse health outcomes, and the effectiveness of some of the mitigation measures in reducing or preventing environmental impacts which could adversely affect public health."

The review summarizes "some of the environmental impacts and health outcomes potentially associated with HVHF activities:
• Air impacts that could affect respiratory health due to increased levels of particulate matter, diesel exhaust, or volatile organic chemicals.
• Climate change impacts due to methane and other volatile organic chemical releases to the atmosphere.
• Drinking water impacts from underground migration of methane and/or fracking chemicals associated with faulty well construction.
• Surface spills potentially resulting in soil and water contamination.
• Surface-water contamination resulting from inadequate wastewater treatment.
• Earthquakes induced during fracturing.
• Community impacts associated with boom-town economic effects such as increased vehicle traffic, road damage, noise, odor complaints, increased demand for housing and medical care, and stress."

Today is a bad day to own a fracking company. Yet, so many lives will be bettered as a result of this new rule.

New Show Brings Your Neighbors to "Court" - Andrew Lieb's New Reality TV Show Featured on Dan's Papers

Real estate has long been the star attraction on the East End, and soon it will star in the pilot of a new reality TV show. The brainchild of real estate attorney and Lieb School founder Andrew Lieb, Neighbor Court will hear real estate disputes between neighbors and, with Lieb himself as the Arbitrator, resolve the situations while entertaining and educating the public about the laws that rule the market in which we buy, sell, rent and live.

To read the full article, written by Eric Feil of Dan's Papers click here

Find Full Casting Call for "Neighbor Court" at DansPaper.com

Casting Call! Andrew Lieb's Reality Show Pilot Seeks Neighbors in Dispute

We're looking for people who have had some sort of colorful, interesting dispute with a neighbor, and who are willing to go on camera to resolve the dispute in a reality court TV show with Andrew Lieb, Esq. as the Arbitrator. We will render decisions in a fun and educational atmosphere (“edutainment”). Both neighbors must participate. We are looking for a variety of locations and stories, so you can live in any type of neighborhood, or dwelling: houses, condos, co-ops, rental apartments, etc. Issues can range from your neighbor’s invasive landscaping, to the wrongful removal of your trees, to the maintenance of a shared driveway, to a loud share-house next door, or to being harassed by a neighbor.

From waterfront vacation homes to everyday living, submit your story and contact information to info@liebschool.com to participate.

*No legal representation or advice is offered and/or provided incident to your participation in Neighbor Court and you should always consult with an attorney prior to determining if you should participate. 

SUBMIT YOUR STORY TODAY

ALERT - Throw Out Your Old Form Leases Immediately

Residential leases are now required to contain a notice to tenant(s) concerning the existence of sprinkler systems.

“Sprinkler system” shall mean a system of piping and appurtenances designed and installed in accordance with generally accepted standards so that heat from a fire will automatically cause water to be discharged over the fire area to extinguish it or prevent its further spread.
See Executive Law 155-a.

Read the new law at Real Property Law 231-a.

The law specifically requires:

• Notice in bold face type;
• Notice that a maintained and operative sprinkler system in the leased premises is in - EXISTENCE OR NON-EXISTENCE; &
• The last date of maintenance and inspection of any EXISTING sprinkler system.

The Bill's Justification states that "According to the Fire Sprinkler Initiative, the availability of smoke detectors, coupled with a maintained and operative sprinkler system installed in a residence, decreases the risk of dying in a fire by over 80%."

As a person that is into living, that statistic is jaw-dropping in support of the existence of sprinklers in residential housing. At the least, this new law provides tenants with the knowledge to make an informed choice as to whether to live in a premises without a sprinkler system. 

Real estate professionals should now immediately throw out any of their old leases and make sure to have a new residential lease prepared that complies with Real Property Law 231-a. Also, cooperative boards must not forget that they are leasing property as well. So, cooperatives that amend their proprietary leases must comply with RPL 231-a or risk the lease being held void. 

Help is Here to Prevent Mortgage Modification Scams

Do you feel that you are a victim of a mortgage modification scam?

According to the Attorney General: "Thousands of New Yorkers are scammed by companies who take advantage of homeowners in distress." 

To combat these scams, the Attorney General established AGScamHelp.com, which offers "free, qualified mortgage assistance relief services from a network of trusted partners operating across the state under the New York Attorney General Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP)." 

The new site offers both English and Espanol.

The site also enables one to report a scam in a loan modification.

So, protect yourself if you need a modification. Remember, attorneys can provide valuable assistance in defending a foreclosure, but be careful of "attorneys who bring baseless lawsuits just to charge consumers a fee". Rarely, if ever, can attorney get your mortgage removed from your house. Instead, attorneys can assist in modifications, short sales and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure incident to defending a lender's lawsuit.

Lieb at Law is Hiring an Associate Litigation Attorney

Lieb at Law, P.C., a thriving litigation firm, is expanding our team and seeking the next Associate Attorney to help raise the bar and lead our profession in a collaborative and inspiring setting. This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to gain hands-on litigation experience inclusive of appearances and conferences, depositions, trials, negotiations, and motion practice.  The firm offers an educational environment where once you prove your competency you can set your own career benchmarks inclusive of partner track and the opportunity to get published.  You will be exposed to Complex Commercial, Corporate and Real Estate Litigation; Plaintiff Personal Injury; Outside Counsel Corporate Litigation; and Real Estate Brokerage Litigation. We are a paperless office that uses cutting edge technology.

Minimum Requirements Include:

• 6 Months to 3 Years of Experience as an Associate Attorney
• Excellent Communication Skills
• Deductive Reasoning Skills

This position is exclusively out of our Center Moriches Office which is located in Suffolk County in the Riverhead / Westhampton Area.

To apply: Submit Cover Letter and Resume to Careers@liebatlaw.com

Include Salary Requirements

Candidates will only be considered that submit a compelling cover letter inclusive of why they want to interview for a career opportunity with Lieb at Law, P.C. 

Good Faith Decisions on Short Sales - Updates Coming 12/1/2014

Effective December 1, 2014, the Courts of the State of New York will oversee negotiations between lenders and borrowers to achieve a short sale or deed-in-lieu within foreclosure settlement conferences. The Courts are empowered to sanction parties who negotiate in bad faith.

Previously, borrowers were only allowed to attend the conferences to discuss workout options, such as loan modifications and payment plans, which would allow borrowers to keep their homes. If borrowers were denied loan modifications, their cases would be released from the settlement conference part, and they would be forced to do short sales or deeds-in-lieu on their own without court intervention or oversight. Oftentimes, these exit strategies took a very long time because many borrowers with second mortgages had difficulties settling their second mortgages or were unable to keep up with the lender’s numerous and complicated document requests. Many borrowers simply gave up and allowed their properties to go to foreclosure rather than spend thousands of dollars on legal fees for help with a short sale that was never going to be approved.

Now, with court oversight, it is anticipated that lenders will now be making quicker decisions on short sale and deed-in-lieu applications within the State of New York, and there should be fewer foreclosures overall. The court referees will set deadlines for the submission and review of short sale and deed-in-lieu applications and will ensure that the borrower is complying with the lender’s document requests and that the lender is properly reviewing the applications.

Despite this new rule, it is likely that short sales will continue to decline because the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 expired at the end of 2013. Under this Act, borrowers were not required to pay income tax on cancelled mortgage debt as a result of loan modifications, short sales, or deeds-in-lieu. Now that it has expired, borrowers who choose to do short sales may be hit with large tax bills after they sell their properties for less than what is owed on the mortgage. Therefore, even though the short sale and deed-in-lieu application process will be quicker with court oversight, borrowers may still choose to not move forward with these exit strategies because they cannot afford the taxes.

Fair Housing CE Requirements for NY Real Estate Agents

Every 2 years, licensed real estate brokers and salespersons in the State of New York are required to take 22.5 continuing education credits. The ONLY mandatory class requirement is at least 3 hours of instruction pertaining to fair housing and/or discrimination in the sale or rental of real property or an interest of real property, within the 2 - year period immediately preceding a renewal.

Lieb School's free CE entitled, The Fair Housing Act satisfies this requirement. This course will be held at 230 Elm in Southampton on December 10th, 2014. Enrollment is only available online through www.liebschool.com. 

Thanks to our sponsors, this event will be fully catered. Sponsors include Behind the Hedges, DE Capital Mortgage, and Douglas Elliman. 

No Drone For You - The FAA Bans the Use of Drones in Real Estate Brokerage

Dennis Valet, Esq., an Associate Attorney at Lieb at Law, P.C. writes about the FAA banning the use of drones in real estate brokerage. This article was featured in The Suffolk Lawyer.

Click Here To Read The Article

New York Foreclosure Settlement Conferences are Tools to Help Homeowners Stay in Their Homes

New York is one of many states across the country that has implemented court-mandated settlement conferences for residential foreclosure actions.

It is important to understand how these conferences work so that homeowners can take full advantage of this opportunity to delay and avoid foreclosure. The initial conference must be scheduled within 60 days after the proof of service of the complaint has been filed with the county clerk and allows the borrower to meet with his or her Lender and a court referee or judge to discuss potential workout options, such as loan modifications or payment plans. If the borrower decides to apply for a loan modification, the Lender provides the borrower with a document request for the loan modification application, and the court referee sets deadlines for the submission and review of the application. Typically, there are numerous conferences throughout the application process in order to ensure that the borrower is complying with the Lender’s document requests and that the Lender is properly reviewing the application. If a borrower believes he was improperly denied a loan modification, his attorney may request a bad faith hearing with the judge to determine whether the Lender should be sanctioned for bad faith negotiations. These settlement conferences not only help homeowners delay the foreclosure process but also can stop the foreclosure process all together.

Not every person who has a property in foreclosure in New York State is entitled to these mandatory pre-trial foreclosure settlement conferences. The law in New York (CPLR 3408), extends the conferences only to owner-occupied residential properties, so if a homeowner has a vacant property or a rental property in foreclosure, he or she is not entitled to a CPLR 3408 conference as of right.

Further, CPLR 3408 does not apply in federal court, but settlement conferences are still available at the federal level. Rule 16 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allows federal courts to hold pre-trial conferences for the purpose of settlement negotiations and encourages judges to take an active part in the settlement negotiations. The procedures differ at the federal level but the purpose is still the same. These conferences are often the difference between a homeowner staying in his or her home and losing it.

10 Surprises When Inheriting Real Estate

Following the death of a loved one, you may become the recipient of an unexpected parcel of real estate. Yet, with every windfall comes great obligations, so be prepared for the surprises you may encounter when inheriting property.

Andrew Lieb's latest article featured in The Huffington Post includes the following topics:

1. Mortgage Transfer
2. Reverse Mortgage
3. Rental
4. Homeowners Insurance
5. Testamentary Substitutes
6. Estate Tax
7. Capital Gains Tax
8. Probate
9. Heirs at Law
10. Right of Election

You can view the article by clicking here. 

Short Sales Incentivized

On October 30, 2014, Supplemental Directive 14-04 was issued by Treasury.

2 major changes for those considering a short sale or deed-in-lieu are offered by this Directive.

FIRST - Relocation assistance available to the property owner, who occupies the property as a principal residence and is required to vacate as a condition of the short sale or deed-in-lieu, will be eligible for $10,000 as opposed to $3,000 for transactions that close on or after February 1, 2015.

SECOND - Perhaps most importantly, for transactions closing on or after February 1, 2015, the gross sales proceeds that may be paid to a subordinate mortgage lien holder (e.g. 2nd mortgage) used to be capped at $8,500, but now there is no cap requirement. Instead, servicers can create their own cap provided its not less than $12,000.

To explain the second change above, a first mortgagee may approve a short sale, but the second mortgagee may deny it because there is no fair market value to support a payment to the mortgagee (i.e. the house is underwater as to the second mortgage). This change permits the first mortgagee to pay the second mortgagee (out of their monies from the short sale) to approve the short sale and extends what was a cap of $8,500 in payment to a minimum new cap of $12,000 and potentially no cap at all.

Many deals die because of the second lienholder - this Supplemental Directive should save a lot of deals.

Ocwen Mortgages May Get a Reprieve from Foreclosure

On October 21, 2014 the New York State Department of Financial Services sent correspondence to Ocwen's General Counsel raising issue "with Ocwen's systems and processes".

The issue presented by NYS DFS deals squarely with Ocwen engaging in bad faith negotiations to modify mortgages. 

Borrowers in New York should be arming their applications for violations of CPLR 3408's good faith negotiation requirement as they review this correspondence and asking the Courts to sanction Ocwen should they have experienced the issues highlighted in the correspondence.

Of note are the record keeping inaccuracies attributed to Ocwen by NYS DFS, which impact RPAPL 1303 and 1304 as well as issues with standing and, in particularly, the attorney verification requirements embodied CPLR 3012-b. How can a Court trust their applications to foreclose in light of this correspondence?

The correspondence claims that "these issues remain unresolved today". This is very concerning. 

Real Estate Roundtable: Best Advice for Buyers Now

What's the single piece of advice you'd give any prospective buyer right now?

Andrew Lieb along with a select group of industry insiders on the East End share advice to prospective buyers on Dan's Papers. Click here to learn more.