Frederick A Neustein, an attorney with the Law Offices of Charles L Neustein PA and www.StopForelcosureLawyer.com respectfully submits the following:

Florida Foreclosure Fraud Protection Law Enacted.

The Attorney General clarified that this new law will not apply to the Attorney / Client relationship or the way attorneys are paid when they are hired to help distressed homeowners.  This law brings much needed protection to those consumers / homeowners who have been taken advantage of by Mortgage Loan Modification Companies – many of which are scams…Effective October 1st, 2008

501.1377 Violations involving homeowners during the course of residential foreclosure proceedings.



(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.–The Legislature finds that homeowners who are in default on their mortgages, in foreclosure, or at risk of losing their homes due to nonpayment of taxes may be vulnerable to fraud, deception, and unfair dealings with foreclosure-rescue consultants or equity purchasers. The intent of this section is to provide a homeowner with information necessary to make an informed decision regarding the sale or transfer of his or her home to an equity purchaser. It is the further intent of this section to require that foreclosure-related rescue services agreements be expressed in writing in order to safeguard homeowners against deceit and financial hardship; to ensure, foster, and encourage fair dealing in the sale and purchase of homes in foreclosure or default; to prohibit representations that tend to mislead; to prohibit or restrict unfair contract terms; to provide a cooling-off period for homeowners who enter into contracts for services related to saving their homes from foreclosure or preserving their rights to possession of their homes; to afford homeowners a reasonable and meaningful opportunity to rescind sales to equity purchasers; and to preserve and protect home equity for the homeowners of this state.

(2) DEFINITIONS.–As used in this section, the term:

(a) “Equity purchaser” means any person who acquires a legal, equitable, or beneficial ownership interest in any residential real property as a result of a foreclosure-rescue transaction. The term does not apply to a person who acquires the legal, equitable, or beneficial interest in such property:

1. By a certificate of title from a foreclosure sale conducted under chapter 45;

2. At a sale of property authorized by statute;

3. By order or judgment of any court;

4. From a spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling of the person or the person’s spouse; or

5. As a deed in lieu of foreclosure, a workout agreement, a bankruptcy plan, or any other agreement between a foreclosing lender and a homeowner.

(b) “Foreclosure-rescue consultant” means a person who directly or indirectly makes a solicitation, representation, or offer to a homeowner to provide or perform, in return for payment of money or other valuable consideration, foreclosure-related rescue services. The term does not apply to:

1. A person excluded under s. 501.212.

2. A person acting under the express authority or written approval of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or other department or agency of the United States or this state to provide foreclosure-related rescue services.

3. A charitable, not-for-profit agency or organization, as determined by the United States Internal Revenue Service under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which offers counseling or advice to an owner of residential real property in foreclosure or loan default if the agency or organization does not contract for foreclosure-related rescue services with a for-profit lender or person facilitating or engaging in foreclosure-rescue transactions.

4. A person who holds or is owed an obligation secured by a lien on any residential real property in foreclosure if the person performs foreclosure-related rescue services in connection with this obligation or lien and the obligation or lien was not the result of or part of a proposed foreclosure reconveyance or foreclosure-rescue transaction.

5. A financial institution as defined in s. 655.005 and any parent or subsidiary of the financial institution or of the parent or subsidiary.

6. A licensed mortgage broker, mortgage lender, or correspondent mortgage lender that provides mortgage counseling or advice regarding residential real property in foreclosure, which counseling or advice is within the scope of services set forth in chapter 494 and is provided without payment of money or other consideration other than a mortgage brokerage fee as defined in s. 494.001.

(c) “Foreclosure-related rescue services” means any good or service related to, or promising assistance in connection with:

1. Stopping, avoiding, or delaying foreclosure proceedings concerning residential real property; or

2. Curing or otherwise addressing a default or failure to timely pay with respect to a residential mortgage loan obligation.

(d) “Foreclosure-rescue transaction” means a transaction:

1. By which residential real property in foreclosure is conveyed to an equity purchaser and the homeowner maintains a legal or equitable interest in the residential real property conveyed, including, without limitation, a lease option interest, an option to acquire the property, an interest as beneficiary or trustee to a land trust, or other interest in the property conveyed; and

2. That is designed or intended by the parties to stop, avoid, or delay foreclosure proceedings against a homeowner’s residential real property.

(e) “Homeowner” means any record title owner of residential real property that is the subject of foreclosure proceedings.

(f) “Residential real property” means real property consisting of one-family to four-family dwelling units, one of which is occupied by the owner as his or her principal place of residence.

(g) “Residential real property in foreclosure” means residential real property against which there is an outstanding notice of the pendency of foreclosure proceedings recorded pursuant to s. 48.23.

(3)  PROHIBITED ACTS.–In the course of offering or providing foreclosure-related rescue services, a foreclosure-rescue consultant may not:

(a) Engage in or initiate foreclosure-related rescue services without first executing a written agreement with the homeowner for foreclosure-related rescue services; or

(b) Solicit, charge, receive, or attempt to collect or secure payment, directly or indirectly, for foreclosure-related rescue services before completing or performing all services contained in the agreement for foreclosure-related rescue services.

(4)  FORECLOSURE-RELATED RESCUE SERVICES; WRITTEN AGREEMENT.–

(a)  The written agreement for foreclosure-related rescue services must be printed in at least 12-point uppercase type and signed by both parties. The agreement must include the name and address of the person providing foreclosure-related rescue services, the exact nature and specific detail of each service to be provided, the total amount and terms of charges to be paid by the homeowner for the services, and the date of the agreement. The date of the agreement may not be earlier than the date the homeowner signed the agreement. The foreclosure-rescue consultant must give the homeowner a copy of the agreement to review not less than 1 business day before the homeowner is to sign the agreement.

(b)  The homeowner has the right to cancel the written agreement without any penalty or obligation if the homeowner cancels the agreement within 3 business days after signing the written agreement. The right to cancel may not be waived by the homeowner or limited in any manner by the foreclosure-rescue consultant. If the homeowner cancels the agreement, any payments that have been given to the foreclosure-rescue consultant must be returned to the homeowner within 10 business days after receipt of the notice of cancellation.

(c)  An agreement for foreclosure-related rescue services must contain, immediately above the signature line, a statement in at least 12-point uppercase type that substantially complies with the following:

HOMEOWNER’S RIGHT OF CANCELLATION

YOU MAY CANCEL THIS AGREEMENT FOR FORECLOSURE-RELATED RESCUE SERVICES WITHOUT ANY PENALTY OR OBLIGATION WITHIN 3 BUSINESS DAYS FOLLOWING THE DATE THIS AGREEMENT IS SIGNED BY YOU.

THE FORECLOSURE-RESCUE CONSULTANT IS PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM ACCEPTING ANY MONEY, PROPERTY, OR OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT FROM YOU UNTIL ALL PROMISED SERVICES ARE COMPLETE. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU HAVE PAID THE CONSULTANT BEFORE CANCELLATION, YOUR PAYMENT MUST BE RETURNED TO YOU NO LATER THAN 10 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE CONSULTANT RECEIVES YOUR CANCELLATION NOTICE.

TO CANCEL THIS AGREEMENT, A SIGNED AND DATED COPY OF A STATEMENT THAT YOU ARE CANCELING THE AGREEMENT SHOULD BE MAILED (POSTMARKED) OR DELIVERED TO (NAME) AT (ADDRESS) NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT OF (DATE) .

IMPORTANT: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU CONTACT YOUR LENDER OR MORTGAGE SERVICER BEFORE SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT. YOUR LENDER OR MORTGAGE SERVICER MAY BE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE A PAYMENT PLAN OR A RESTRUCTURING WITH YOU FREE OF CHARGE.

(d) The inclusion of the statement does not prohibit the foreclosure-rescue consultant from giving the homeowner more time in which to cancel the agreement than is set forth in the statement, provided all other requirements of this subsection are met.

(e) The foreclosure-rescue consultant must give the homeowner a copy of the signed agreement within 3 hours after the homeowner signs the agreement.

(5)   FORECLOSURE-RESCUE TRANSACTIONS; WRITTEN AGREEMENT.–

(a)  1. A foreclosure-rescue transaction must include a written agreement prepared in at least 12-point uppercase type that is completed, signed, and dated by the homeowner and the equity purchaser before executing any instrument from the homeowner to the equity purchaser quitclaiming, assigning, transferring, conveying, or encumbering an interest in the residential real property in foreclosure. The equity purchaser must give the homeowner a copy of the completed agreement within 3 hours after the homeowner signs the agreement. The agreement must contain the entire understanding of the parties and must include:

a. The name, business address, and telephone number of the equity purchaser.

b. The street address and full legal description of the property.

c. Clear and conspicuous disclosure of any financial or legal obligations of the homeowner that will be assumed by the equity purchaser.

d. The total consideration to be paid by the equity purchaser in connection with or incident to the acquisition of the property by the equity purchaser.

e. The terms of payment or other consideration, including, but not limited to, any services that the equity purchaser represents will be performed for the homeowner before or after the sale.

f. The date and time when possession of the property is to be transferred to the equity purchaser.

2. A foreclosure-rescue transaction agreement must contain, above the signature line, a statement in at least 12-point uppercase type that substantially complies with the following:

I UNDERSTAND THAT UNDER THIS AGREEMENT I AM SELLING MY HOME TO THE OTHER UNDERSIGNED PARTY.

3. A foreclosure-rescue transaction agreement must state the specifications of any option or right to repurchase the residential real property in foreclosure, including the specific amounts of any escrow payments or deposit, down payment, purchase price, closing costs, commissions, or other fees or costs.

4. A foreclosure-rescue transaction agreement must comply with all applicable provisions of 15 U.S.C. ss. 1600 et seq. and related regulations.

(b) The homeowner may cancel the foreclosure-rescue transaction agreement without penalty if the homeowner notifies the equity purchaser of such cancellation no later than 5 p.m. on the 3rd business day after signing the written agreement. Any moneys paid by the equity purchaser to the homeowner or by the homeowner to the equity purchaser must be returned at cancellation. The right to cancel does not limit or otherwise affect the homeowner’s right to cancel the transaction under any other law. The right to cancel may not be waived by the homeowner or limited in any way by the equity purchaser. The equity purchaser must give the homeowner, at the time the written agreement is signed, a notice of the homeowner’s right to cancel the foreclosure-rescue transaction as set forth in this subsection. The notice, which must be set forth on a separate cover sheet to the written agreement that contains no other written or pictorial material, must be in at least 12-point uppercase type, double-spaced, and read as follows:

NOTICE TO THE HOMEOWNER/SELLER

PLEASE READ THIS FORM COMPLETELY AND CAREFULLY. IT CONTAINS VALUABLE INFORMATION REGARDING CANCELLATION RIGHTS.

BY THIS CONTRACT, YOU ARE AGREEING TO SELL YOUR HOME. YOU MAY CANCEL THIS TRANSACTION AT ANY TIME BEFORE 5:00 P.M. OF THE THIRD BUSINESS DAY FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF THIS NOTICE.

THIS CANCELLATION RIGHT MAY NOT BE WAIVED IN ANY MANNER BY YOU OR BY THE PURCHASER.

ANY MONEY PAID DIRECTLY TO YOU BY THE PURCHASER MUST BE RETURNED TO THE PURCHASER AT CANCELLATION. ANY MONEY PAID BY YOU TO THE PURCHASER MUST BE RETURNED TO YOU AT CANCELLATION.

TO CANCEL, SIGN THIS FORM AND RETURN IT TO THE PURCHASER BY 5:00 P.M. ON (DATE) AT (ADDRESS) . IT IS BEST TO MAIL IT BY CERTIFIED MAIL OR OVERNIGHT DELIVERY, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED, AND TO KEEP A PHOTOCOPY OF THE SIGNED FORM AND YOUR POST OFFICE RECEIPT.

I (we) hereby cancel this transaction.

Seller’s Signature

Printed Name of Seller

Seller’s Signature

Printed Name of Seller

Date

(c) In any foreclosure-rescue transaction in which the homeowner is provided the right to repurchase the residential real property, the homeowner has a 30-day right to cure any default of the terms of the contract with the equity purchaser, and this right to cure may be exercised on up to three separate occasions. The homeowner’s right to cure must be included in any written agreement required by this subsection.

(d) In any foreclosure-rescue transaction, before or at the time of conveyance, the equity purchaser must fully assume or discharge any lien in foreclosure as well as any prior liens that will not be extinguished by the foreclosure.

(e) If the homeowner has the right to repurchase the residential real property, the equity purchaser must verify and be able to demonstrate that the homeowner has or will have a reasonable ability to make the required payments to exercise the option to repurchase under the written agreement. For purposes of this subsection, there is a rebuttable presumption that the homeowner has a reasonable ability to make the payments required to repurchase the property if the homeowner’s monthly payments for primary housing expenses and regular monthly principal and interest payments on other personal debt do not exceed 60 percent of the homeowner’s monthly gross income.

(f) If the homeowner has the right to repurchase the residential real property, the price the homeowner pays may not be unconscionable, unfair, or commercially unreasonable. A rebuttable presumption, solely between the equity purchaser and the homeowner, arises that the foreclosure-rescue transaction was unconscionable if the homeowner’s repurchase price is greater than 17 percent per annum more than the total amount paid by the equity purchaser to acquire, improve, maintain, and hold the property. Unless the repurchase agreement or a memorandum of the repurchase agreement is recorded in accordance with s. 695.01, the presumption arising under this subsection shall not apply against creditors or subsequent purchasers for a valuable consideration and without notice.

(6) REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION.– Any foreclosure-rescue transaction involving a lease option or other repurchase agreement creates a rebuttable presumption, solely between the equity purchaser and the homeowner, that the transaction is a loan transaction and the conveyance from the homeowner to the equity purchaser is a mortgage under s. 697.01. Unless the lease option or other repurchase agreement, or a memorandum of the lease option or other repurchase agreement, is recorded in accordance with s. 695.01, the presumption created under this subsection shall not apply against creditors or subsequent purchasers for a valuable consideration and without notice.

(7) VIOLATIONS. – A person who violates any provision of this section commits an unfair and deceptive trade practice as defined in part II of this chapter. Violators are subject to the penalties and remedies provided in part II of this chapter, including a monetary penalty not to exceed $15,000 per violation.

This article will be about real estate dreams. We need to distract from current state of affairs and pay attention to ourselves. Let us dream a little and maybe these dreams will come true one day.

Just imagine that you have your own house in kelowna homes area. It is big and you own a lot of land. There is nobody around and you can afford having your own horse. There is enough room to keep five of them. But you don’t need five, two will be just enough for you and for your wife. You can enjoy the countryside riding your own horse and breathing fresh air in. (more…)

 

Defending Wrongful Foreclosure Actions in Nevada

[Attorney Malik Ahmad is a Nevada Licensed attorney and anything here is not a substitute for qualified legal advice. This article is just an attempt to educate people and their issues.]

Foreclosures in Nevada are on the rise, and our law office is contacted everyday by people from all walks of life inquiring about how to stop foreclosure and other foreclosure related questions. It is a complex area of laws, and we do not suggest to go alone or hire an unlicensed attorney or an out of state attorney or their production firm. A Nevada licensed attorney would be an ideal agency to handle such complex legal cases. Nevada, as we know is a non-judicial foreclosure state. It simply means that your lender does not have to go to court to get a foreclosure status against you. A simple non judicial procedure is enough to foreclose on your property.

In Nevada, a notice of intent to foreclose is followed by a notice of default which is followed by a notice of trustee’s sale. The last step, the actual non-judicial foreclosure sale, usually occurs within approximately 90 days (and in some cases longer from the filing of the notice of default. For the vast majority of loans, the Nevada non-judicial foreclosure process is an effective and relatively inexpensive method for a servicer to obtain its security. In most non-judicial foreclosures, the only court time and court costs involved are those for the usually uncontested municipal court unlawful detainer which is initiated by the servicer in order to obtain possession from former borrowers who refuse to vacate their former homes.

For a small but seemingly growing number of loans, the non-judicial foreclosure process has has almost become judicial. Increasingly, this war has been taken to courts and even in Nevada, a large number of these cases had been filed in court. This war of attrition ranges from bankruptcy, to District Courts Nevada, and to US District Court. It is not a war to stop eviction in municipal courts of Nevada. They are only mean to stop illegal detainer.

Before we go any farther, we like to outline once more the steps taken by your lender in foreclosing your property in Nevada.

Foreclosure Process in General in Nevada

Most of the loans are premised upon continuous payments to the lenders. If these payments are not timely paid, or not continuously paid, the borrowers can start the foreclosure process. The lender reviews the loan documents and determines about the occurrence of a default. Failure to make loan payments triggers this default process. Also, it is contingent upon events which have not been corrected by payments or failure of a workout package.

A trustee under a deed of trust may exercise its statutory power of sale without the judicial intervention. In Nevada, the foreclosure is mostly a statutory foreclosure. (NRS 107.080(1)). Judicial foreclosures are also permitted under Nevada law (NRS 40.430-40.450) but judicial foreclosures are not the preferred choice in Nevada for most of the lenders because of the looming danger of the right of redemption. Upon default, the initial step is for either the beneficiary or the trustee to execute a notice of breach and election to sell, which is usually accompanied by an unrecorded Declaration of Default. (NRS 107.080(2)(b)). The beneficiary executes the notice, but the trustee records it. The notice of breach and election to see must be recorded in the county in which the property encumbered by the trust deed is situated. This notice must also be mailed (notice of breach and election to sell) by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested with postage prepaid, to the address of the trustor and to the person who holds the title of record, if known, otherwise to the address of the property. (NRS 1076.080(3)

Notice of Default and Election to Sell?

1.            Must describe the property

2.            Must describe the deficiency in performance of payment.

3.            May contain a notice of intent to accelerate the entire unpaid balance if the terms of the obligations so permit (NRS 107.080(3).

4.            Within 10 days of recording and mailing the notice of default to the trustor, copies of the notice must also be sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to each person who has either (1) filed a request for a copy of the notice; or (2) holds a record interest in the property subordinate to the deed of trust being foreclosed. Additionally, 20 or more days before the sale, the trustee must mail a copy of the notice of the time and place of the sale to the same parties by register3ed or certified mail, return receipt requested. (NRS 107.090.)

5.            Nevada laws make it immaterial whether the notice is actually received by the trustor. The notice is effective nonetheless. (Turner v. Dewco Services, Inc., 87 Nev. 14, 479 P. Wd 462 (1971)

6.            NRS 107.080(2)(a) provides that no power of sale may be exercised unless the trustor or his successor in interest, a beneficiary under a subordinate deed of trust or any other person with a subordinate lien or encumbrance of record (referred to below as “trustor or interested person”) has, for a period of 35 days, “failed to make good the deficiency in performance or payment….” The 35-day period commences on the first day following the day upon which the notice and election is recorded and mailed to the grantor and to the record owner of the property in the manner specified above. (NRS 108.080(3). If the trustor other interested persons “make good” the deficiency in payment or performance within the 35-day period, the trustee’s power of sale may not be exercised, and the obligation may not be accelerated. NRS 107.080(2)(a), (3). The 35-day period in the statute exists independently of any notice or cure periods contained the applicable notes or deeds of trust. If the notice of breach contains a permitted election to accelerate and the breach is not cured within the 35-day period, the trustor or other interested persons can thereafter only prevent the sale by tendering the entire unpaid balance of the obligation, as well as any costs, fees and expenses incidents to the preparation or recordation of the notice and incident to the making good of the deficiency in performance or payment (NRS 107.080(3).

What is the Procedure for Trustee’s Sale?

When three months have elapsed from the date of the recordation of the notice of breach and election to sell, the trustee may give notice of the time and place of the trustee’s sale, which notice must be given in accordance with the statutory provisions for execution sales of real property – posted notice in three public places for 20 successive days and published once a week for three consecutive weeks. (NRS 107.080(4);231.130(1)©. The trustee’s sale may be held at the office of the trustee anywhere in Nevada, even if it is not in the county where the property being sold is located. (NRS 107.080(4).

If the power of sale is exercised in compliance with the Nevada statute, the purchaser is vested with the title of the trustor, without equity or right of redemption NRS 107.080(5).

What are the Guarantor’s Rights to Notice and Subrogation?

The notice of breach and election to sell must be mailed by certified mail, postage prepaid, to each guarantor or surety of the debt at the address of each if known, or at the address of the trust property. The notice must also be mailed to any other obligor who has filed a request for a copy of the notice under NRS107.090. Failure to provide such notice would release that guarantor, surety or obligor from liability on the obligation. (NRS 107.095(1).

Under NRs 107.095(3) a guaranty, surety or other obligor is not released if the required notice is give at least fifteen (15) days before the later of the expiration of the 35-day period described in NRs 107.080 or any extension of that period by the beneficiary, or if the notice of default is rescinded before the sale id advertised.

Upon full satisfaction by the guarantor, surety or other obligor, other than the trustor, of the indebtedness secured by a mortgage or lien, the paying guarantor or obligor is entitled to enforce every remedy which the beneficiary has against the trustor, and is entitled to an assignment from the beneficiary of all of the rights the beneficiary then has by way of security for the payment or performance of the trustor. NRS 40-475 (1989). Such an obligor is also entitled to subrogation, junior only to the secured lender’s rights, in the case of partial satisfaction of the indebtedness. (NRS 40.485 (1989). These rights may only be waived by the guarantor, surety or other obligor after default. NRs 40.495(1)(1989).

What are the rights under One Action Rule?

In Nevada, a deficiency judgment can be filed under non statutory foreclosure provisions without having filed a judicial foreclosure.

What is a deed of Trust in Nevada?

The most common type of security interest in real property in Nevada is a Deed of Trust. A DOT has three parties.

Lender: It is the first party who is referred to as “Beneficiary.”

Borrower: It is the second party who is referred to as the “Maker”, or “Grantor”, or “Trustor” who conveys legal title to the property to the Trustee.

Trustee: This is the third party who holds legal title to the property.

Process: A DOT can be foreclosed in a simple process and cheaper as well. A Trustee sells the property encumbered by the DOT. All the lender needs to do in order to foreclose on a DOT is to determine that an even of default has occurred under the DOT and have the trustee conduct non-judicial foreclosure proceedings. Here, in Nevada, the trustee sale does not entail redemption. The borrower, in Nevada, does not have the statutory rights of redemption unlike the judicial foreclosure where the right of redemption lasts one year. Compare NRs 107.080(5) (no right of redemption in a foreclosure on a DOT ) with NRs 21.210 (one year period of redemption).

Determination of Default.

Your default notice also consists of a determination of default. It can be monetary or non monetary.  Monetary is when it is linked to borrowers failure to pay, failure to pay property taxes, failure to pay homeowners association assessments and failure to pay special improvements and other assessments against the property.  The non monetary events of default are spelled out in the notice of default and Deed of Trust as well as related loan documents. They can be failure to insure property, the failure to maintain debt service coverage ratios and waste.

Acceleration of Obligation:

A trustee under a deed of trust may exercise its statutory power of sale (commencement of foreclosure process) without judicial intervention in Nevada. NRs 107.080(1). Judicial foreclosure is also permitted under Nevada laws though seldom exercised. (NRs 40.430-40-450). They carry with them a one year right of redemption which lenders does not like it as they like to close this chapter once for all.

Steps in Foreclosure in Nevada?

1.            The beneficiary or the trustee to execute a notice of breach and election to sell which is usually accompanied by an unrecorded Declaration of Default. (NRS 107.080(2)(b). The beneficiary executes the notice, but the trustee records it. The notice of breach and election to sell must be recorded in the county in which the property encumbered by the trust deed is situated. The notice of breach and election to sell must also be mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested with postage prepaid, to the address of the trustor and to the person who holds the title of record, if known, otherwise to the address of the property. (NRS 1076.080(3).

2.            The notice and election must describe the deficiency in performance or payment, and may contain a notice of intent to accelerate the entire unpaid balance if the terms of the obligation so permit. (NRS 107.080(3).

3.            Within ten days of recording and mailing to the trustor the notice of default, copies of the notice must also be sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to each person who had either (1) filed a request for a copy of the notice; or (2) holds a record interest in the property subordinate to the deed of trust being foreclosed. Additionally, 20 or more days before the sale, the trustee must mail a copy of the notice of the time and place of the sale to the same parties by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested. (NRS 107.90)

4.            Under Nevada law, it is immaterial whether the notice is actually received by the trustor. Turner v. Dewco Services, Inc., 87 Nev 14. 479 P.2d 462 (1971).

5.            NRS 107.080(2)(a) provides that no power of sale may be exercised unless the trustor or his successor in interest, a beneficiary under a subordinate deed of trust or any other person with a subordinate lien or encumbrance of record (trustor or interested persons) has, for a period of 35 days, “failed to make good the deficiency in performance or payment….” The 35-day period commences on the first day following the day upon which the notice and election is recorded and mailed to the grantor and to the record owner of the property in the manner specified above. NRS 107.080(3). If the trustor or other interested person “make good” the deficiency in payment or performance within 35-day period, the trustee’s power of sale may not be exercised, and the obligation may not be accelerated. NRs 107.80(2)(a), (3). The 35-day period in the statue exists independently of any notice or cure periods contained in the applicable notes or deeds of trust. If the notice of breach contains a permitted election to accelerate and the breach is not cured within the 35-day period, the trustor or other interested persons can thereafter only prevent the sale by tendering the entire unpaid balance of the obligation, as well as any costs, fees and expenses incident to the preparation or recordation of the notice and incident to the making good of the deficiency in performance or payment. NRS 107.080(3).

6.            Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 107 governs Deeds of Trusts. The transfer of real property may be made in trust to secure loans and other obligations. See NRs 107.020. In the event a transfer is made in trust to secure payment, the Trustee is granted a power of sale which may be exercised if an event of default has occurred. See generally NRS 107.080.

How a Foreclosure Process in Nevada is Commenced?

1.            The lender must first determine that an event of default has taken place.

2.            The lender employs the Trustee or a successor.

3.            The Trustee will prepare and record in the Office of the County of Records of the County in which the property is located a Notice of Default and Election To Sell. (NRS 107.080).

4.            The Notice of Default and Election to Sell must be mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested Election to Sell must be mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid, to the grantor of the Deed of Trust, the person who holds title of record on the date of the Notice of Default and Election to Sell, each guarantor or surety of the debt, NRS 107.095(1), and any person who recorded a request for a Notice of Default and Election to Sell. (NRS 107.090)

5.            On the first day after the Notice of Default and Election to Sell is recorded and sent by mail to all interested parties, the borrower and the other obligors are then given 35 days to make good the deficiency in payment or performance. NRs 107.080(2)(a)(2). This essentially allows the borrower or other obligors to de-accelerate the default under the Deed of Trust and terminate the foreclosure proceedings.

6.            In the event the borrower or other party in interest fails to cure the deficiency in payment or performance, the Trustee must wait until the expiration of three months following the recording of the Notice of Default and Election to Sell (55 days after the 35 day reinstatement period expires) before giving notice of the time and the place for the sale of the real property (NRS 107.080). The notice of the time and place for the sale of the real property must be published in accordance with Nevada’s execution statutes.

Requirements of Publication for the Notice Under Nevada Laws

Nevada statute requires the following publication of the notice of the date, time and place of the sale:

(1) Personal service or service by registered mail to the last known address of each person entitled to Notice of Default and Election to Sell;

                (2) The posting of a similar notice particularly describing the property , for twenty days successively, in three public places of the township or city where the property is situated in or where the property is to be sold; and

                (3) Publishing a copy of the Notice three times, once each week for three successive weeks, in a newspaper, if there is one the county. (NRS 21.130(c).

                (4) In addition to the notice required by Nevada’s execution statutes, the Trustee is required to, at least twenty days before the date of the sale, deposit in the United States mail and envelope, registered or certified, return receipt requested and with postage prepaid, containing a copy of the Notice of time and place of sale, addressed to each person who has recorded a Request for Notice of Default and Sale. See NRS 107.090(4).

                (5) If the Trustee fails to give any person liable to the beneficiary or any other person who has requested a Notice of Default and Sale the required notices, that person may be released of its obligation to the lender. NRs 107.095.

                (6) NRs 107.080(4) allows the Trustee to conduct the sale at the Trustee’s office.

                (7) At the foreclosure sale, the Trustee may sell the real property by public auction. Generally, the lender will provide the trustee with a minimum credit bid before the foreclosure sale. The amount of the credit bid may be for the full amount of the debt owed to the beneficiary or only a portion of what is owed to the beneficiary. Any person or entity may attend the foreclosure sale and bid for the real property.

What is Nevada’s “One Action Rule”?

Nevada has adopted a one-action rule. It provides that there may be only one action to collect a debt secured by a mortgage or other lien. The Nevada One Action rules provides: (NRs 40.430(1)-(3).

                1.            There may be but one action for the recovery of any debt, or for the enforcement of any right secured by a mortgage or other lien upon real estate. That action must be in accordance with the provision of this section and NRS 40.433 to 40.459, inclusive. In that action, the judgment must be rendered for the amount found due the plaintiff, and the court, by its decree or judgment, may direct a sale or the encumbered property, or such part thereof as is necessary, and apply the proceeds of the sale as provided in NRs 40.462.

                2.            This section must be construed to permit a secured creditor to realize upon the collateral for a debt or other obligation agreed upon by the debtor and creditor when the debt or other obligation was incurred.

                3.            A sale directed by the court pursuant to subsection 1 must be conducted in the same manner as the sale of real property upon execution, by the sheriff of the county in which the encumbered land is situated, and if the encumbered land is situated in two or more counties, the court shall direct the sheriff of one of the counties to conduct the sale with like proceedings and effect as if the whole of the encumbered land were situated in that county.

What is a Wrongful Foreclosure Action?

A wrongful foreclosure action is an action filed in superior court by the borrower against the servicer, the holder of the note, and usually the foreclosing trustee. The complaint usually alleges that there was an “illegal, fraudulent or willfully oppressive sale of property under a power of sale contained in a mortgage or deed of trust.” Munger v. Moore (1970) 11 Cal.App.3d. 1. The wrongful foreclosure action is often brought prior to the non-judicial foreclosure sale in order to delay the sale, but the action may also be brought after the non-judicial foreclosure sale.

 A borrower in a wrongful foreclosure can allege that the amount stated as due and owing in the notice of default is incorrect for one or more of the following reasons:

-         an incorrect interest rate adjustment,

-         incorrect tax impound accounts,

-         misapplied payments,

-          a forbearance agreement which was not adhered to by the servicer, unnecessary forced place insurance,

-         improper accounting for a confirmed chapter 11 or chapter 13 bankruptcy plan.

-         Wrongful foreclosure actions are also brought when the servicers accept partial payments after initiation of the wrongful foreclosure process, then continue with the foreclosure.

-         Companion allegations for emotional distress and punitive damages usually accompany any wrongful foreclosure action.

-         Also, a loan modification process was initiated, but stopped in bad faith by your lender.

-         Deceptive trade practice under Nevada Laws.

-         Violations of TILA

-         Violations of RESPA

-         Violations of HOEPA.

-         Contractual Breach

-         Intentional infliction of emotional distress

-         Negligent infliction of emotional distress

-         Wrongful foreclosure

-         Promissory Estoppel.

Damages available to a borrower in a wrongful foreclosure action are an amount sufficient to compensate for all detriment proximately caused by the servicer or trustee’s wrongful conduct. Damages are usually measured by value of the property at the time of the sale in excess of the mortgage and lien against the property. Munger v. Moore (1970) 11 Cal.App.3d. 1. Additionally, the borrower may also obtain damages for emotional distress in a wrongful foreclosure action. Young v. Bank of America (1983) 141 Cal.App.3d 108; Anderson v. Heart Federal Savings & Loan Assn. (1989) 208 Cal.App.3d. 202. Further, if the borrower can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the servicer or trustee was guilty of fraud, oppression or malice in its wrongful conduct, punitive damages may be awarded.

How Can a Wrongful Foreclosure Action Delay Recovery of the Security?

A wrongful foreclosure suit filed in District court will not necessarily delay a servicer’s recovery of its security. The companion filings to such a suit (notice of pending action, injunction and/or motion to consolidate) however can delay a servicer’s ultimate recovery. Delay caused by a wrongful foreclosure action can be anywhere from forty-five days to two years.

A notice of pending action (“lis pendens”) is the most common companion to a wrongful foreclosure action. A lis pendens is recorded in the county in which the real property security is located at the time the wrongful foreclosure action is filed. The only requirement for a lis pendens to be recorded is an attorney’s signature that the action which is being noticed actually involves a real property claim. The purpose of the lis pendens is to put all third parties on notice that the borrower and the servicer are litigating over the real property security. Once a lis pendens is recorded, no title insurance company will issue a title insurance policy unless and until the lis pendens is removed. Although the servicer may “bond around” the lis pendens without title insurance, the real property security is virtually inalienable.

While a lis pendens can be filed at any time in the foreclosure process, a borrower applies for an injunction prior to the foreclosure sale with the intent of keeping the foreclosure sale at bay until issues in the lawsuit are resolved. The lawsuit can take anywhere from ten to twenty-four months. Generally, an injunction will only be issued if it appears to the court that: (1) the borrower is entitled to the injunction; and (2) that if the injunction is not granted, the borrower will be subject to irreparable harm. Like an action to expunge a lis pendens, a borrower’s application for an injunction is essentially a “mini-trial” on the merits.

There are important issues which are considered in nearly all injunctive relief action applications is the amount due and owing on the note and deed of trust. Again, it is imperative in any injunctive hearing that the servicer provide a detailed analysis of the amount it contends is due and owing on the note and deed of trust at issue. Sometime it is not possible for your servicer and they are unable to provide a breakdown of the amounts due and owing on the note and deed of trust at issue. Again, sometime they only can provide insufficient information to refute the borrower’s allegations, it is likely the injunction will be issued. Now comes the question of producing a bond from the borrowers, and making timely payments. In many cases, judges make their own laws when they experience heart wrenching stories from the borrowers, and their sorrowful tales have a deeper impact upon the judges, the issue injunctions. Of course tough standards are required by Nevada judicial system in issuing these injunctions but sometime the judges issue minimal bonds and little or no debt service requirements. This worst case scenario translates into a servicer being unable to sell the security and receiving no payments on the underlying debt during the life of the lawsuit.  In reality, judges are loath to modify an injunction after it is issued and prior to a decision on the merits. Once an injunction with little or no debt service or bond is in place, the wrongful foreclosure suit will be a long and expensive process because the borrower has lost all incentive for a quick resolution of the action.

Another way borrowers delay a servicer’s recovery of its security through a wrongful foreclosure action is by consolidating their wrongful foreclosure action with their unlawful detainer action. Asuncion v. Superior Court (1980) 108 Cal. App. 3d 141. The Asuncion case which is usually relied upon by borrowers for consolidation contains an egregious fact scenario including clear fraud in the inducement of the loan. Judges however, do not limit the application of Asuncion to cases where fraud is alleged by the borrower. In applying Asuncion, a court can allow the unlawful detainer suit to be consolidated with the wrongful foreclosure action if there is a mere similarity of issues in the cases.

If the borrowers plays all the cards tactfully the final disposition of the case can be delayed anywhere from ten months to two years.

Nevada law provides many unique procedural remedies which may be employed in battling a wrongful foreclosure action. Judicious use of these procedures by counsel and close coordination between counsel and client can lessen the pain of defending a wrongful foreclosure action.